Bally Total Fitness Names Paul Toback to Chief Operating Officer and Bill Fanelli to Senior Vice President, Finance.

Business Editors

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 7, 2001

New Executive Positions Emphasize Company's Commitment to

Core Business and Focus on Customer Service

Lee Hillman, chairman, president and CEO of Bally Total Fitness (NYSE: BFT) today announced the appointments of Paul Toback to the newly created position of chief operating officer (COO) and Bill Fanelli to the new position of senior vice president, finance. The positions reflect a development process and were created as part of a wider management restructuring designed to facilitate long- term growth strategies.

As COO reporting directly to Mr. Hillman, Mr. Toback will be responsible for managing the day to day operations of Bally Total Fitness' nearly 400 fitness centers. Mr. Toback was previously senior vice president, corporate development. Under his leadership, Bally Total Fitness' private-label nutritional supplements have grown into a highly successful branded product group and the Company has opened more than 350 retail store locations within its clubs. Additionally, Mr. Toback has led initiatives including the successful development of Bally Total Fitness' brand licensing program, its extensive sponsorship and strategic partnering business, and the Company's new international franchising program. In his new position Mr. Toback will also oversee the Company's corporate development, retail operations, group exercise, personal training, and nutritional functions.

Mr. Fanelli was previously senior vice president, operations. As senior vice president, finance, reporting to executive vice president and CFO John Dwyer, Mr. Fanelli will be responsible for the Company's financial accounting and analysis, mergers and acquisitions, information systems, and its membership service and collection operations. Additionally, he will continue to oversee the Company's real estate, construction, and capital development plans. In his previous position, Mr. Fanelli led the Company's major initiative to upgrade and expand its existing facilities, led the growth of personal training services, and revitalized and expanded Bally's group exercise programs.

"Paul and Bill have been key to Bally Total Fitness' significant success over the past few years," said Mr. Hillman. "Their dedication, intellect, and leadership have helped fuel the growth of our Company and build our brand's identification with good customer service. I look forward to working with them in their new positions to further increase the value of our businesses, expand our Company, and continue to build shareholder value over the long run."

Mr. Toback joined Bally Total Fitness in 1997 as vice president, corporate development and was named senior vice president, corporate development in 1998. Prior to joining Bally, he was chief operating officer of Globetrotters Engineering Corporation, a worldwide engineering, management and development company. He also served as executive assistant to the Chief of Staff in the Clinton White House, where he was a senior advisor to the President's Chief of Staff and managed the day to day operations of the White House. His White House responsibilities included helping lead the planning and execution of the 1994 Summit of the Americas and the successful NAFTA campaign. Mr. Toback has also served as director of administration for the City of Chicago under Mayor Richard M. Daley and as an attorney with the Chicago law firm of Katten Muchin & Zavis. He is a graduate of Stanford University and has a Juris Doctorate from the University of Chicago Law School.

Mr. Fanelli served as senior vice president, operations since 1997 and was prior to that vice president, strategic operations for the Company. He has served both Bally Total Fitness and its former parent company, Bally Entertainment Corporation as director, business development where he was responsible for identifying and evaluating new business opportunities. Prior to joining Bally in 1993, Mr. Fanelli was a senior manager at Ernst & Young LLP, the international accounting organization. He is a graduate of Northern Illinois University and a certified public accountant.

Bally Total Fitness is the largest, and only nationwide, commercial operator of fitness centers, with approximately 4 million members and nearly 400 facilities located in 28 States and Canada. With more than 125 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. For more information, visit www.BallyFitness.com.