An Exercise in Profit

Based on a review of her business by industry leaders, fitness entrepreneur Karen Voight was recognized by the International Assn. of Fitness Professionals as the Fitness Business Person of the Year in 1994. Here’s a look at Voight’s wide-ranging exercise empire:

* Fitness videos: Seven titles, which have sold more than 334,000 units since 1993. *

* Mail-order business: Features her videos and exercise equipment.

* Endorsement: A deal with stationary-bicycle maker Keiser Sports Health Equipment.

* Book: “Precision Training for Body & Mind” (Hyperion, June 1996), which posted respectable sales in its category--selling nearly 40,000 copies since June.

* Workout Studio: A Santa Monica studio, Voight by the Sea, that averages 200 to 400 visitors a day.

* Personal training: Caters to famous clients, including Tina Turner, Elle MacPherson and Paula Abdul.

* Workshops: An agreement with IDEA to do aerobics workshops worldwide that draw an average of 400 people per show.

* Advisor: A November deal with Nordstrom department stores to be an in-store fitness advisor. Nordstrom will carry the full line of Karen Voight products.

* In Cyberspace: A deal with America Online to answer questions posted at Thrive, a fitness-related site on the Internet (https://pathfinder.com/thrive) and participate in weekly chat sessions.

* These sales reflect only those in stores tracked by VideoScan.

Sources: Hyperion, IDEA, VideoScan, America Online