Fitness Titles Get Their Second Wind

Any trainer worth her salt knows that adding some variety to a workout routine, and sometimes even changing it altogether, will keep participants motivated and interested enough to see it through. But only in recent months, it seems, have women's fitness magazines realized

the same rules apply to them. For years, fitness magazines have stuck to formulaic coverage and similar covers, but now that may be about to change. Top editorial changes and pending redesigns at Shape and Fitness, as well as the introduction of Rodale's Women's Health, promise to help shake up the sleepy category.

Fitness is finding its footing after a year in flux through three publishers and a new owner. In May, Meredith Corp. acquired Fitness from G+J USA Publishing and tapped two top executives to lead a turnaround. Former More publisher Lauren Buerger replaced Katherine Rizzuto, and Men's Health founding editor Mike Lafavore was named editorial director, with Fitness editor Emily Listfield reporting to him.

Fitness' first move will be to provide a wider range of exercise levels. "The perception was that Fitness was skewing too much to that woman who went to the gym all the time. Some of the stuff was too intense in terms of what the average woman can do," said Lafavore. Broadening its approach may help boost paid circulation, which fell 4.4 percent to 1.5 million for the first half of 2005, according to Audit Bureau of Circulations. Newsstand sales were flat.

This spring, Fitness will also enhance its coverage of nutrition, psychology and beauty; fashion will focus on workout-friendly products.

Over at American Media Inc.'s Shape, new editor Valerie Latona and publisher Sabine Feldmann have settled into their offices, replacing former editor Anne Russell and publisher Ann Taylor this past summer. Now the duo is focused on Shape's January redesign.

The upcoming revamp includes new typefaces, more pullouts and tips within longer stories, more first-person makeover stories and real women within Shape's fashion spreads. But along with the real women, taut celebrities such as Sheryl Crow will begin to grace Shape's covers.

The bold move comes as single copies fell 20.8 percent in this year's first half, although paid circ rose 2.6 percent to 1.7 million. Latona, who had been deputy editor at Shape for five years, argues the decision was not made to prop up sagging newsstand sales. "We're identifying them as real women with real issues and bringing them down to a real women's level through getting to the heart of what they do in their everyday life," said Latona.

Adding to the rivalry among Fitness, Shape, and Condé Nast's Self, Rodale's Women's Health launched in October as a 10-times-yearly title.