Bally Total Fitness Enters Another New Market With Acquisition of 13 Portland, Oregon Clubs; Bally Now Has a Dominant Presence in Each of the Top 25 U.S. Markets.

Business Editors

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 18, 2000

Bally Total Fitness (NYSE: BFT) today announced its entry into the Portland, Oregon market with the purchase of 13 fitness centers previously operated under the Gold's Gym brand. With this acquisition, Bally gains its first presence in the 24th largest U.S. metropolitan market - making Bally a market leader in every one of the top 25 U.S. markets. The 13 new clubs will be re-branded to the Company's flagship Bally Total Fitness brand, bringing to approximately 385 the total number of Bally facilities serving its approximately 4 million members across North America.

Lee Hillman, President and CEO of Bally Total Fitness, pointed to the acquisition of the Portland clubs as "indicative of the continuing vitality and strong growth that characterizes Bally Total Fitness today." Hillman continued, "We are pleased to be adding these outstanding, spacious fitness centers and welcoming their high quality staff to the Bally Total Fitness family. These new facilities provide us with the opportunity to expand our growth into yet another market in a manner consistent with our overall strategy."

Hillman concluded, "As with all our acquisitions, we expect these new Portland clubs to be accretive to our business right from the start."

Bally Total Fitness is the leading, and only nationwide, commercial operator of fitness centers, with approximately 4 million members and 385 facilities located across North America. With more than 120 million annual visits to its fitness centers, Bally offers a unique platform for distribution of a wide range of products and services targeted to active, fitness-conscious adult consumers. The Company's co-marketing partners include Pepsi Cola Company, Time-Warner, Novartis, MBNA America, Netpulse Communications, Sunkist Growers, Household International and Procter & Gamble, among others. For more information, visit www.BallyFitness.com.

Forward-looking statements in this release including, without limitation, statements relating to the Company's plans, strategies, objectives, expectations, intentions, and adequacy of resources, are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, among others, the following: general economic and business conditions; competition; success of operating initiatives, advertising and promotional efforts; existence of adverse publicity or litigation; acceptance of new product and service offerings; changes in business strategy or plans; quality of management; availability, terms, and development of capital; business abilities and judgment of personnel; changes in, or the failure to comply with, government regulations; regional weather conditions and other factors described in filings of the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.