Fitness: Movin' & Shakin' — Ray Boudreaux, FitChix, Fitness MBA, retail updates, Fitness Management and more…

Ray Boudreaux, former president of now-shuttered Body Masters, is running Fitness First LLC, a company he started after he left Body Masters in early 2009. The company offers replacement parts and some service on Body Masters equipment and is distributing a few other brands in the Louisiana area, including True Fitness and Magnum. “So far, so good. I’m very optimistic,” Boudreaux told SNEWS®. He can be reached at Rboudreaux44@yahoo.com or 337-288-3015… Arizona-based specialty retailer FitChix (www.fitchix.com) has hired ex-Busy Body employee Sharon Kirby to manage the Scottsdale store. “She has really upped our sales game on the equipment side,” said owner Michael Grant….

The MBA in Commercial Fitness planned to launch this year at American International College in Springfield, Mass., has been deferred until 2010. The economy tanked exactly at the same time the new program was to launch, organizers said. Click here to read more about the program in a Sept. 19, 2008, SNEWS story, “First MBA in commercial fitness rolling out at Massachusetts college….” Cybex has been selected to outfit the PGA tour’s mobile fitness and therapy centers that travel to tournament sites to support players…. Life Fitness has named Steve de Alcala as director of sales for its consumer business, and Blaine Barnett as director of international sales…

Belt-tightening at retail: All About Fitness is closing one of its stores in Kansas City. Owner Chip Hunnings said the company is trying to be smart with today’s economy, shutting down the store in the spring. He plans to re-open it in a new space in the fall, in time for the 2009 holiday season, he said…. Fitness Gallery has also closed one of its Denver-area stores in Lone Tree as of March 30, while the Denver location remains open. The Lone Tree spot had housed the store for five years….

Although still preparing to open in June, Colorado Home Fitness’ website is up and running announcing fitness contests and equipment prizes. It’s looking for consumers to tell owners “Why I do/don’t exercise….” www.coloradohomefitness.com

To update the status of Fitness Management magazine: Contrary to hearsay, the business has not shut down. Instead, as of January, it has gone to a format of online (www.fitnessworld.com) and electronic newsletters only, per Peter Brown, president of Athletic Business, which bought FM a few years ago. If you still have the January issue, it’ll be the last one in print. Long-time editor Ronale Rhodes is no longer with the business. “Unfortunately, we had to cut back and reduced the editorial staff,” Brown said. “AB Media will be re launching Athleticbusiness.com in June and, later in the summer, fitnessworld.com.”

–Therese Iknoian

Got any news or tips about somebody, some product, or some company doing some moving or shaking? Let us know so we can slip it into our occasional Movin’ & Shakin’ updates. Just email snewsbox@snewsnet.com.