Health magazine seeks nominations for second-annual fitness awards

With the deadline for nominations for the second-annual fitness products awards by Health magazine coming up in two months, it’s time to think about what you might have to enter.

The first awards in the January/February 2005 issue of Health (circulation: 6 million) reaped a lot of attention among its educated magazine readers who have a good amount of disposable income.

“Our readers are responsive to product-oriented guidance,” said Executive Editor Lisa Delaney, who is coordinating the project. “They just loved it.”

For the second go-round, categories have been refined, with a lower and upper price tier added for equipment (treadmills, weight systems, ellipticals and stationary bikes), while a few additional sub-categories have been added to the large gear category, such as pedometers, reflective devices and portable music systems.

“We know they’ll use the information we give them,” Delaney said.

Although entry forms are expected to be available and online as of April 5, the magazine has already been sent products and has a “roomful of stuff to look at.” Delaney said she recalls last year a total in all categories of more than 500 entries. This year she expects more than a thousand.

“It’s going to be a pain if we get thousands of submissions,” Delaney said, joking, “but I hope we will.”

Last year, the magazine partnered with The Super Show and the SGMA for promotion, presentations and awards. This year, it hasn’t decided how it will proceed.  

The deadline for nominations is June 10, and the story will run in the January/February 2006 issue. Take a look at one of our stories (Dec. 17, 2004, “Health magazine fitness awards reap national audience”) to read about last year’s awards. In the first round published in January 2005, in the “equipment” category, Life Fitness nabbed three of five awards — weight system, bike and treadmill — while Vision Fitness took the top spot for ellipticals. The category’s judge named the new Concept2 Indoor Rower as the “most innovative.”

The six categories for the first awards were equipment, apparel, fuel, gear, video/DVD and shoes, with each having multiple sub-categories one for “most innovative.” One judge decided the winner in each category after using or reviewing the nominated products for six to eight weeks. This year there are five categories, with fuel being included under gear, which also includes miscellaneous equipment such as heart-rate monitors, hydration systems and mats.

The awards skew toward the needs of its readers, which are women who are more athletic or more fitness-inclined, age 25-54 (with core readers being 30-45), affluent (average household income is about $68,000) and well-educated, with an even split between married with children or single. More than 90 percent of the magazine’s readers are subscribers.

For more information, go to www.health.com/awardsforms/fitness or email fitness_awards@timeinc.com.