Fitness clubs around Japan are embarking on a major campaign to attract middle-aged and elderly members by promoting exchanges and introducing discount rates.

A quarter of the 3.1 million fitness club members in Japan are more than 50 years old, and that number is expected to continue to rise as the population ages, industry officials said.

The Club Management Network, a magazine publisher for the fitness club industry, predicts the number of fitness clubs in Japan will increase by 500 to about 2,300 in 2010, and membership will top 4.7 million, nearly half of whom will be 50 or older.

The network said health insurance financing is on the verge of collapse due to the strain of high medical expenses incurred by the aging population.

"As a result, people are increasingly thinking that it is their own responsibility to maintain their health, and the 'fitness population' will keep growing until it reaches levels seen in the United States and Europe," a network official said.

The official said fitness club fees in Japan are much higher than those in the U.S. and Europe, but predicts that will also change.

"Through the entry of foreign enterprises offering lower fees and large facilities, as well as a progressing reorganization in the industry, the per-head average annual fee will soon be 20 percent to 30 percent lower, at about 75,000 yen."

The Fitness Industry Association of Japan, which has 96 member clubs, said some clubs open their facilities free of charge for special events and offer free physical strength tests to attract new customers.

The monthly fee ranges from 4,000 yen to 10,000 yen, with those wishing to use the club during nonpeak hours, such as during the day on weekdays, only having to pay 4,000 yen, the association said.

It said half of the exercise programs offered are aimed at middle-aged and elderly people, and especially popular among them are exercises to relieve and prevent lower back pain, and "aquacize" classes, which involve walking or running in water.

Some clubs have also introduced "Health China Exercises," classes incorporating simplified movements of Chinese shadow boxing and yoga.

Konami Sports Corp., the nation's largest fitness company, said, "We are encouraging (senior club members) to walk in the water and giving them advice on how to adjust their exercise strength."

Central Sports Co., which runs 156 clubs across the country, has opened "wellness clubs" in five locations for the exclusive use of middle-aged and elderly people, featuring different kinds of bathing facilities, a culture room and a spacious place for its members to talk at ease.

President Tadaharu Goto, who swam for Japan at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games and was the first person in Japan to open fitness clubs, said,"We want to help our members create their own regional community.

"This is the age of wellness clubs, where you can feel physical and mental comfort, rather than the age of fitness clubs to improve physical strength," he said.