Staff Photo by Dan Henry/Chattanooga Times Free Press
Susan Bryant, center, leads students in a wellness yoga class at the Sports Barn fitness complex in downtown Chattanooga.A local fitness facility is trying a new marketing effort to reach a segment of clients who might not otherwise try a yoga center.
The Sports Barn is offering yoga memberships that allow month-by-month renewals for people who don’t want to sign up for annual contracts.
Yoga is one of the fastest-growing sports in America, according to a survey taken by the Yoga Journal. In 2001, 4.3 million Americans practiced yoga. By 2008, that number had more than tripled to 15.8 million participants, 72 percent of whom are women.
Madia Swicord, who teaches in her own studio as well as at the Sports Barn, said she believes the growing number of venues offering yoga and competing for business reflects this boom.
“I’ve never seen so many people practicing,” she said. “I think this growth is supported by these different locations [offering classes].