Since 2009, Stone Creek Club & Spa has established itself as a pillar of the Covington Community. The club has received recognition for its outstanding customer service and philanthropic efforts. To date, the club has received awards in a wide range of categories including “Best Club”, “Best Day Spa”, “Best Tennis Courts”, “Best Personal Trainer”, and “Business of the Year”.

Larry Conner is the general manager of Stone Creek Club & Spa. He has over 30 years of experience in the fitness and hospitality industry. Conner brought in the InBody to try it out with the club’s weight loss challenge. After an enthusiastic response, he bought the device and implemented InBody testing into various club programs. After delivering incredible results for his club members, Conner took his InBody out into the community to help people learn more about their body compositions.  

Developing an Everyday Getaway

In 2009, Stone Creek Club & Spa faced great challenges. The Great Recession was in full swing, and they were trying to break into a market that had two established health clubs that catered to 40% of the local population.

Conner and the leadership team had to commit to a clear vision that would help their club stand out. The established health clubs focused on large group events like summer camps, swim teams, and daytime birthday parties. Stone Creek differentiated itself by catering to the individual. That meant sacrificing lucrative secondary sources of revenue, such as summer camps and parties because those would detract from the individual experience.

Another point of differentiation was memberships and contracts. Stone Creek capped memberships – and potentially miss out on income – to create a more welcoming club experience. They also offered flexible month-to-month payment plans because they didn’t want to trap people in long contracts. It was all part of their vision to create an “everyday getaway” for their members through individual attention and service.  

When you are trying to establish a unique business model in a competitive market during tough economic times, the chance for failure is high. But after ten years it’s clear that their vision is working. Today, Stone Creek has a loyal active membership base, boasts annual revenues that exceed $7.4 million, and is beloved by the Covington Community. But that’s only where this story begins.

The ongoing challenge you have as a health club is that once you build something out, you have to keep updating it. You can’t sit with the same product you had years ago. You have to keep your facility fresh, innovative, and make sure you have the latest and greatest equipment.

It was this pursuit to keep Stone Creek on the forefront and up-to-date that led Conner to InBody.

Starting Off On the Right Foot

After seeing the InBody device at a networking event, Conner felt that the body composition analyzer would be a valuable addition to their weight loss contests by providing accurate measurements of body fat percentage. That hunch turned out to be right.

It was such a big hit in our weight loss contest that I bought it immediately. Within 3 months we were able to pay for that unit from simply charging per test.

The pay-per-test program was a successful new revenue stream. A member would pay a fee, take an InBody test, and then receive a comprehensive review of the InBody Result Sheet from a trainer. The InBody Result Sheet allowed members to only see their body fat percentage, but they received other key metrics like muscle distribution, metabolic rate, and visceral fat. The success of the program encouraged Conner to incorporate testing into a variety of programs, from weight loss competitions to tennis lessons, because he knew that every person at the club had something to gain from taking an InBody Test. Today, every new member gets an InBody Test with a consultation to help them start off on the right foot. The consultation has also proven to be a great way to introduce members to different services the club offers.

Sample Result Sheet Provided by InBody USA

In our business, we need to be able to respond to members’ needs quickly and the InBody provides that. The average user does not know much about themselves…by giving access to the InBody to more people it’s become a common part of our business, and the results have just helped change people’s lives.

Taking Programs to the Next Level

Incorporating InBody into different areas of the club has helped delivered results for both members and the program. InBody helps Stone Creek’s personal training clients visualize progress and find areas of improvement that they may have missed by using a mirror or a weight scale.

You can tell people the importance of staying balanced and show them techniques, but when you show them a test result that shows it, that helps the client to focus on following the exercise plan.

Conner has a unique story that highlights both the accuracy and precision of the InBody device. One of Stone Creek’s trainers had a client that suffered from shoulder pain. The InBody Test revealed that one side of her body was stronger than the other, resulting in muscle imbalance and pain. After learning more about her day-to-day activities, the trainer and the client figured out that the way she walked her dogs was the cause of her imbalance. She had three large dogs she always walked with the same arm. The yanking and pulling caused her to develop shoulder imbalance and pain. The trainer made adjustments to her personal training, and she adjusted her dog walking, and together they tracked the progress on the InBody Result Sheet. Today the client is in balance and pain-free.

It’s unique insights like this that have helped Stone Creek enhance their personal training.

Our personal training has grown drastically, says Larry Conner. Now can I say it’s solely due to the InBody? No, it is a combination of having great trainers and things you offer. But I believe the InBody has been an important part of that growth—and it’s helped us get to that next level in our personal training program.

Another program that saw a significant boost was the weight loss program. The program was already using InBody, but after they increased the frequency of InBody testing to every week, they saw a 50% increase in enrollment.

There were skeptics that did not believe in the accuracy of the results, but once they tested on the device, they became believers.

We had a local doctor that did not believe in it. She did tests that cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars. When we compared the InBody versus those results, it was very close to exactly the same results. She was immediately a fan of the InBody.

The positive response and impact they were seeing within the club were so tremendous that Conner knew he could use the device to make a positive impact in the surrounding community.

Sharing the Gift of Knowledge  

From day one, Stone Creek focused on being an active participant in their community. Every year, Stone Creek raises between $300,000 to $500,000 in direct contributions to local and national charities. That doesn’t include giveaways for auctions and member donations to the community. Notable highlights include providing Christmas presents to 180 needy children, donating around 300 teddy bears to pediatric patients in local hospitals, and purchasing PE equipment for all 27 elementary schools in their parish. True to its spirit of giving, Stone Creek shared its InBody device with the community.

We realized that the InBody helps bring your whole community together—inside and outside the club. The InBody helps us reach out in a way that is beyond fundraising. We can answer the questions that people want to know about themselves in a quick snapshot. The portability of the device allows us to reach out to people, give them their results, and help change their lives.

Stone Creek brought its InBody to different organizations that could benefit from body composition analysis, from local high school wrestling teams and employees of local companies. The goal wasn’t to recruit new members. They saw a great opportunity to provide important health information that would help improve people’s lives.

Stone Creek’s mission is to help everyone, both inside and outside of the club, become the healthiest version of themselves. InBody is one of the indispensable tools to help advance Stone Creek’s mission.

I welcome all the health clubs in our area to get the InBody. I think it’s important that we all have this kind of tool for our members because they’re not going to be able to do this on their own. When they come to the health club, they can do one of these tests really quickly and learn that much more about their body. That’s one of the best gifts that you can give anybody.

Alex Hixon is a certified corporate wellness specialist through the Global Health Network. Prior to his career in corporate wellness, he worked in the health insurance industry for 15 years.

Today, Hixon is the VP of Business Development for The Physicians Weigh-In and the owner of Rural Mobile Health & Wellness. Hixon started Rural Mobile with the goal of teaching individuals how to manage their health numbers through biometric testing, individual assessment, and personalized guidance.

Prevention is Key

After years of looking at health insurance claims, Hixon has come to understand that a significant portion of an employer’s healthcare expenditure goes towards treating diseases that were the result of unhealthy lifestyles.

Harvard Business Review found that “… the chronically ill, who suffer from costly conditions like advanced diabetes, heart conditions …. consume at least 50% of a company’s claims expense.” That’s why investing in prevention rather than treatment of chronic diseases is much more cost-effective.

The key to prevention or early intervention is awareness. Hixon believes that by giving employees access to critical health information, they will have a better understanding of their current health status and will be much more motivated to make a change before it’s too late.  

That was his inspiration for starting Rural Mobile Health & Wellness, a corporate wellness company that partners with companies to raise awareness of health and wellness among their employees.

Hixon needed a technological solution to support his wellness program that would enable him to:

• take the device with him from site-to-site

• test employees quickly and accurately

• produce a comprehensive report that identified areas for improvement.

It was during that search for a solution that he found InBody.

Real-Time Data for Real-Life Value

It’s no secret that corporations are looking to make data-driven decisions. When it comes to the health of their employees, that’s no different.

Five years ago, Hixon started using the InBody 270 with his corporate clients, bringing the portable device to the workplace for onsite testing. Both Hixon and his clients loved it. Employees were able to get critical information instantly, and he was able to provide his clients with significant value. He later upgraded to the InBody 570 which allowed him to give employees even more comprehensive information.

Our motto is ''If you don''t measure it, you can''t track it.'' InBody was able to help us spearhead that effort. We are able to get employees real-time data right there on the spot. To me, the greatest value that you can provide to an employee is to give them access to information that will help them to be even more productive at work and in life...

With every test, Hixon was able to gain more insight into the services that the employees needed. Many of the employees that Hixon deals with have a higher body fat percentage and high blood pressure. It’s not a surprise because there is a growing body of research linking body fat percentage, particularly in the midsection, to hypertension.

When the weight gain is in the abdominal area, there’s a greater risk for high blood pressure because this type of body fat is more likely to cause the arteries to become thick and stiff. The body then has to create more pressure to move the blood, which may lead to a lasting increase in blood pressure.

Hixon wanted to add a professional blood pressure monitoring device he could provide as a service along with body composition analysis.

He tried free-standing blood pressure kiosks, but at 200 pounds it was too difficult to move from location to location and for some workplaces, it took up too much room.

And then InBody released the BPBIO 320S, a fully automated, self-testing blood pressure device.  

The BPBIO 320S is a fully automated, non-invasive, easy-to-use blood pressure monitor. 

I thought, Wow, another added value piece I can bring to the table. It’s user-friendly, stationary, portable, and it doesn’t take up a bunch of space. I can set it up either in the lounge, lobby, etc. for the convenience of the employees.

Creating ''Aha!'' Moments

Today, Hixon uses the BPBIO 320S and his InBody 570 as a package. During the initial intake, he will test everyone on the InBody 570 and the BPBIO 320S and then review the results with each individual.

When you tie in the body composition analysis with the blood pressure, it becomes an ''aha!'' moment.... Now we have an overall picture of ourselves, our blood pressure and our composition. If we can show employees how to alleviate the weight, and get them into a healthy range, guess what? Now they can take preventative steps to control their blood pressure.

After the initial assessment, Hixon provides personalized support between InBody Tests.

He will send employees messages throughout the week that includes: nutrition advice, fitness tips, and personalized recommendations based on specific health conditions.

Next, Hixon leaves the BPBIO 320S at the company in an area that employees can test at their own convenience. This is possible because of the unique design of the BPBIO 320S.

“We don’t have staff onsite 24/7 so the employees like the voice assistance during testing because it provides that extra guidance.”

And then every thirty days he will come back and test them again on the InBody 570 to monitor their progress. When Hixon comes back to visit his clients, employees will come up to him with their blood pressure results, excited to show him their progress.

We give the employee a body composition analysis and go over that report from top to bottom ... then we give them personalized recommendations based on their report on what they need to do.“What we’ve done with the InBody 570 and the BPBIO is bring back the ‘human connection’ element of corporate wellness.

Using InBody as a Tool to Serve and Motivate

What Hixon appreciates about InBody technology is that it helps him do what he does best which is to serve and motivate.

When people see their own body composition and blood pressure reading they can either give the reports to their dog to chew on it…or they can follow a wellness program built around those reports and do better.

Not only is Hixon showing his clients a path to ROI by reducing preventable health care claims, but he’s helping companies build VOI. VOI, or Value on Investment, translates to employees who are more engaged at work because they feel valued by the employer and more in control of their health.

A recent experience with an employee captures this perfectly. Hixon was wiping down the device when a young woman came up to Hixon with a worried expression on her face and asked if he was taking it away.

Hixon said no and she was relieved and told him why. She tested her blood pressure and the results came back extremely high. After a second test showed the same results, she immediately went to her physician. The blood pressure reading she got from the BPBIO 320S was confirmed by her physician, and she found out she was borderline hypertensive.

I took that testimony back to the Risk Manager, and he said, ‘That one claim right there would have potentially cost us $200,000. The BPBIO saved us money. Saved us. And it saved a life.

Disclaimer: InBody devices should be used as an adjunct for clinical decision making and are not intended to diagnose or treat any diseases.

Dr. Adrienne Youdim is a board-certified internal medicine physician and a nutrition specialist and an obesity medicine specialist. Her educational background makes her uniquely qualified to address different aspects of care at her practice.  Previously, Dr. Youdim was the director of the center for weight loss at a nationally ranked hospital in Los Angeles. For over 8 years she used InBody with patients at this facility. When she transitioned to her own private practice, InBody was one of her first purchases.

Her goal with the InBody was to give patients better goals to focus on than weight, monitor progression to body composition, and to use the Result Sheet as a teaching tool to inspire lifestyle changes.  

Building a Therapeutic Bond

Weight loss is a challenge for both the practitioner and the patient. The American Medical Association defines obesity as a chronic disease. Physicians recognize that there are many factors behind obesity including underlying medical conditions, genetics, and environment. But there still exists a stigma that obesity results from laziness and apathy. The negative feelings connected to an obesity diagnosis, like guilt and remorse, can be a barrier to both compliance and commitment.

To help them achieve their goals, Dr. Youdim tries to form a therapeutic relationship with every patient.

She counsels all the patients and addresses every aspect of their care herself. During visits, Dr. Youdim tries to allay her patient’s concerns and fears about treatment while managing expectations. She will dedicate a portion of each session on education and uses the InBody Result Sheet as one of her teaching tools. Dr.Youdim wants her patients to understand that their struggle with weight is physiologic and with the right treatment plan it can be treated.

“Having numbers you can rely on helps validate that obesity is not a failure of character, but it is a medical condition we can treat.”

When It Comes to Treatment, Data is King

For Dr. Youdim, consistent monitoring helps the practitioner stay on top of key metrics and it helps the patient trust the process. It is why InBody and the comprehensive Result Sheet it produces, was a great fit from the beginning.

“Using the InBody helps us achieve that weight loss goal and ensuring, to the best of our ability, that they are not losing muscle in the process. The InBody is a helpful tool for me as a clinician and as an educational piece for my patients.”

InBody helps her achieve her two objectives:

1. Shift the patient’s focus from weight loss to fat loss and muscle maintenance.

2. Monitor her patient’s weight loss to make sure they’re not losing too much muscle.

Dr. Youdim tests her patients on the InBody during the initial consultation and then every subsequent visit. The initial consultation will include an extensive overview of the result sheet. She will then revisit parts of the Result Sheet or its entirety during future visits.

For her, InBody testing is helpful to stay on top of trends and make timely adjustments.    

 “Over time, when we get enough measurements, we can see that trajectory whether they’re gaining muscle mass, which is rare in a weight loss program, but, more importantly, if they are losing muscle mass.”

A feature that Dr. Youdim track on every visit is muscle mass and body fat. Her initial prescription for the patient will base their protein requirement off their lean body mass, which is often 2-3 times their lean mass. The purpose of the high protein requirement is to help maintain muscle.

During subsequent visits, she often finds that patients are not exercising enough or meeting those protein requirements. Tracking lean muscle mass is an objective way to show to patients why he or she needs to fulfill those requirements.

“You can provide the counseling to the patient as to how much activity they need or how much protein they need to consume, but that objective measurement of change in lean muscle mass, and therefore change in percent body fat, really helps to augment the message and the treatment plan.”

Teaching Patients to Be Kind to Themselves

A message that Dr. Youdim stresses to all her patients is that nobody is perfect all the time. Dietary compliance is a struggle for everybody, and emotions play a factor.  When her patients are falling short of their goals, it can be stressful. There’s often already frustration from past failures, and setbacks can lead to a patient giving up.

Dr. Youdim uses this opportunity as a teaching moment. She will compare a patient’s daily caloric intake to Basal Metabolic Rate (using this number to calculate Total Daily Energy Expenditure).

Together, Dr. Youdim and the patient can see what changes need to be made to the dietary restriction and then monitor body fat and lean body mass as a gauge of progress. These numbers can help simplify a difficult process.  Patients understand why they aren’t getting the results they want to see and they get a clear path forward.  

Wrapping it up

It’s almost a cliche to say at this point but obesity is a significant medical problem in the United States and around the world. The evidence is clear that weight management is key to preventing many chronic medical conditions that are on the rise.

To help reverse this epidemic, it will take empathetic health professionals like Dr. Youdim who can use a variety of different strategies and tools to help motivate their patients.

“My goal is to help individuals create lifestyle changes that will prevent disease and improve the quality of their life. When you give people objective information and data, they’re more likely to make changes based on the information.”