As a community-based health infrastructure, Curves not only contributes to the local community through business, but also supports local governments' health promotion policies and supports the resolution of medical issues through collaboration with local medical institutions aiming at resolution of health challenges in local communities. Further, we are also working to contribute to the enhancement of social capital through building connections and support among people in the community by leveraging the strength of women's local community, which is a uniqueness of Curves.
Furthermore, Curves operates a franchise chain system. The franchisees are a group of 360 companies based in various regions. We contribute to the revitalization of the local economy and local employment through the chain management seeking harmonious and mutual prosperous relationship with franchisees.
Support for health promotion and enhancement of social capital in collaboration with local governments
Curves cooperates with local governments nationwide to support local health promotions including health-related events for raising health awareness among residents. In the activities of the Smart Wellness Community (SWC) Council, an industry-government-academia collaboration, Curves instructors and Curves voluntary members acquire qualifications as "Health Ambassadors" and promote activities to convey health information to people close to them, thereby contributes to the enhancement of social capital.
[Major cooperation with local governments]
| June 2015 | “Illness Prevention Center Curves Odawara,” the first “Illness Prevention Center” certified by Kanagawa Prefecture, is established. |
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| September 2015 | “Curves Daisencho Health Center” opens. This countryside-revitalization effort was launched through coordination among industry, academia and government in the Town of Daisen, Tottori Prefecture, to reduce medical costs and encourage activity among the elderly. |
| August 2018 | Curves signs a “health-building” pact with the City of Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture. |
| November 2018 | Curves signs a “Yawata Health and Happiness Promotion Partnership Agreement” with the City of Yawata, Kyoto Prefecture. |
| February 2019 | Curves signs a “Comprehensive Partnership Agreement to Promote Healthy Sapporo 21” with the City of Sapporo, Hokkaido. |
| July 2019 | Curves signs a “Partnership Agreement on Health Promotion” with the City of Tomakomai, Hokkaido. Curves signs a “Comprehensive Partnership Agreement on Health Promotion” with the City of Mitsuke, Niigata Prefecture. |
| October 2019 | Nineteen Curves locations in Kanagawa Prefecture are certified as “Illness Prevention Centers,” bringing the number of Curves locations in Kanagawa that are health promotion bases to 26. |
| June 2020 | Curves signs an “Agreement on the Revitalization of Higashimatsuyama City, People, and Jobs” with the City of Higashimatsuyama, Saitama Prefecture. |
| April 2021 | Curves signs an “Agreement on Cardiovascular Disease Control” with the City of Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. |
| January 2022 | Curves participates in “Osaka Smart Senior Life Demonstration Project Promotion Council.” |
| May 2022 | Curves signs a “Comprehensive Collaboration Partnership for Health Promotion” with the City of Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture. |
| July 2023 | Curves signs a “Comprehensive Collaboration Partnership for Health Promotion” with the City of Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture. |
Support for resolving medical issues through collaboration with medical institutions
In collaboration with medical institutions, they recommend Curves as a place for exercising safely under the appropriate guidance of a doctor to those having mild heart disease, those whose insurance coverage for cardiac rehabilitation has expired, or those with joint pain.
Major Collaborations with Medical Institutions
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Cardiac Rehabilitation Collaboration
- CR-GNet (Gifu Cardiac Rehabilitation Network)
- 7 Cardiac Rehabilitation Hospitals in Yokohama
- Ageo Chuo Sogo Hospital, etc.
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Plastic Surgery Collaborations
- Mori Orthopedic Rehabilitation Clinic
- Sugamo Kitaguchi Plastic Surgery Clinic
- Yokohama Machida Orthopedic Hospital and 9 other clinics
Curves Food Drive to deliver food to those in need
Food Drives started in the United States in the 1960s as an activity to collect leftover food from households and donate to local facilities in need. Curves has participated in it every year since 2007, when such initiative was not yet widely known in Japan. 153,000 people have participated in 2023. The approximately 214 metric tons of food collected were donated to 769 children's homes, mother-child support facilities, etc. nationwide through Curves clubs. Curves leverages the club network rooted in local communities all over Japan. This effort not only contributes to the good cause of local communities, but also helps reduce food loss that the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries promotes as an environmental measure for the food industry.
Regional Contribution of the Curves Franchise System in Numbers
Curves is a franchise chain that operates approximately 2,000 clubs in all 47 prefectures of Japan. Chain-wide sales, which have suffered a drop due to the COVID-19 pandemic, have recovered to 71.3 billion yen in the fiscal year ended August 2023, contributing to the local economy. Further, Curves has created more than 8,000 jobs nationwide.
