Member
Hi Everyone,
The six weeks holiday are finally over along with the great weather we have had this year, the days are getting shorter, and the dark mornings and evening are coming. Don’t look at this as a negative but as a positive, our food changes from salad and we will eat more root vegetables, this is a great way to get to eat more natural products full of vitamins and minerals to fight off the bugs. It’s also time for a snuggle on the sofa with lit fires, dim lighting, and a blanket.
The cold temperatures and dark weather may hinder your desire to get exercise, but if you can just make it through a workout, your body will feel great, and your mind will be positive and refreshed!
A wise woman once said, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don’t shoot their husbands. They just don’t.”
Okay, so maybe Elle Woods isn’t the most reliable source of information. However, many studies show that even just ten minutes of exercise can drastically increase your mood and help alleviate depression and anxiety.
On September 5th we launched Swim Tag, SWIMTAG provides you with a unique view of your swim, you can breakdown each individual length and split, or view your grouped training sets. We now have 88 of our swimmers using Swim Tag my aim is to get to 100 by end October. So, I have created our very first Swim Tag challenge which starts on Monday 16th October, the challenge is to swim the Birmingham Canals which is 11km long. The first member to complete this challenge will receive two free guest passes.
SWIMMING LESONS - we still have some availability in swim school. If you are interested in your children learning to swim or to improve their technique or even if you want to learn to swim yourself, then please talk to our reception team or drop Sandra our swimming co ordinator an email on s.tipping@birchwoodparkgc.co.uk
Myzone -coming soon: Myzone is an accurate fitness tracker and online social platform that rewards effort for all physical activity, helping more people to feel good about exercising. I will update you all as soon as I get more information on an installation date.
SAUNA UPDATE The sauna refurbishment has now been completed. I am very pleased with how the end result looks, brand new stoves, tiles and benches, a timer has been fitted along with better lighting. Due to the new wood that has been fitted, we have been instructed by the manufacturers and installers to run the temperature at 70° to minimise wood shrinking and expanding.
DELAYED – Due to the ongoing shipment issues at the docks, our new gym equipment has been delayed. Matrix have informed us that we are now looking at November before we will see it on our gym floor.
A BIG THANK YOU - To Annette who works in our restaurant for organising this year’s Macmillan coffee morning and a big thank you to everyone that brought one of the delicious cakes or entered the draw. We raised £433.00, which has now been donated to MACMILLAN cancer support.
A quick Word from the General Manager – Stephen Norton
I know it will not have escaped anyone’s notice that the cost of everything has increased significantly over recent months. Sadly, as a business we are not immune from these costs either. We have been working hard to absorb these increases over this time however we will need to start reviewing things ahead of the new year.
One of the most significant costs that we are seeing come through is the cost of electricity and gas. We are anticipating 2023 utility bills to grow to around £80,000 a month for this site, even with the support recently announced from the government. This is an increase from around £20,000 a month we were paying earlier this year.
Whilst we have taken steps to reduce our energy consumption and we are working with specialist advisors; the energy use of the club is difficult to mitigate. From the heated pools with all their plant machinery, to saunas, steam rooms, the music and lighting in all areas and airconditioned studios and gym, the energy consumption is significant.
Whilst we acknowledge prices will need to increase over the coming months, we remain committed to ensuring that we remain competitive in our marketplace and keep offering you value for money. Despite the growing financial pressures, we have continued to invest in the club this year with:
• New gym equipment we are expecting shortly
• Improvements in the décor and all new furniture in the outdoor hydrotherapy area
• The introduction of Swimtag free of charge to members
• The upcoming launch of Myzone to help you get the most from your classes and workouts and track your progress
• The complete refurbishment of the Sauna.
I hope you will enjoy the benefit of these improved areas and I look forward to announcing further works planned for 2023 in the coming weeks
FREE FITNESS CONSULTATIONS AND PROGRAMS
Step 1: Book a free consultation with the gym team using our Tanita Body composition scales - TANITA believes in Healthy Habits for Happiness. Healthy habits lead to a positive life and a healthy body. Monitoring your new behaviour over time will help you to maintain these healthy habits
A body composition scale measures much more than just weight. It measures body fat percentage, body water, muscle mass, bone mass, BMI, metabolic age, body mass index and most importantly visceral fat.
This way of measuring gives you the balance between different health factors, so you know exactly what you need to focus on to achieve your health goal.
Step 2: Book a free gym training program - taking these results from your body composition scales will help the gym team put together that perfect training program for you to follow for the next few weeks.
THAI CHI
Thai Chi is a combination of gentle, relaxed, smooth, flowing movements that follow the Chinese martial art principals. The benefits of participating in a Thai Chi class:
stress
posture
and
and improve
and
concentration
work involved
movements
Please see our timetable or the app for classes.
