Weekly Workout September 23

Active IQ and BTN Academy team up to launch new Level 4 certificate in nutrition coaching

ACTIVE IQ has launched a new Level 4 certificate in nutrition coaching with BTN Academy, a specialist training provider in nutrition run by top UK nutrition coach and educational speaker, Ben Coomber.

According to Ben, nutrition is routinely one the top skills that coaches want more training in but historically, options for high quality education in nutrition have been limited. With this new partnership, the BTN Academy and Active IQ is set to change that.

Training providers across the UK can now offer the BTN Academy course to their own learners helping to upskill and train more PTs and fitness professionals keen to master nutrition.

This Level 4 certificate will help give them an edge, providing important skills that can help change people’s lives through the power of food and lifestyle change.“Forcoaches to be highly effective at helping clients transform their health, body composition and performance, they need the skill of nutrition coaching and behaviour change,” said Ben. “Getting in the gym and exercising

Ben Coomber

is a great step, but far more impact is had long term with how clients eat and engage with food and their environment.“Manycoaches lack the competence, confidence and qualifications to coach clients effectively in this area. We needed a more accessible but thorough offering for coaches to upskill as a nutrition coach enabling them to strengthen the

package they can offer their clients and the results they can ultimately get them.

“Nutrition coaching is a powerful skill, and we’re excited to work with Active IQ to roll this out to other training providers and together, elevate the impact that this industry can have on the end client.”

The Level 4 certificate teaches learners the science and application of nutrition to help clients improve their nutritional intake in line with the current scientific research.Thecertificate enables learners to assist a wide variety of clients regardless of their goals or health state while also maximising their overall health.

The course material includes a wide range of topics including behavioural aspects of nutrition change, nutrition for weight loss, muscle gain and performance, male and female health, sports nutrition, diabetes, child nutrition, sports team coaching and much more.

“We are privileged to work with BTN Academy on this Level 4 qualification,” added Gavin Baxter, head of business development at Active IQ.

“The team at BTN are experts in

nutrition and they share the same values as Active IQ when it comes to education.

“This launch will allow other Active IQ centres the opportunity to become approved and deliver Nutrition Coaching to their graduates, providing opportunities to operate as a nutrition coach.”Learners must have a basic level of nutritional knowledge in order to enrol in the course. This can be in the form of an accredited qualification like Active IQ Level 3 Award in Nutrition for Exercise and Health or Active IQ Level 3 Diploma in Personal Training, or non-accredited training like The BTN Foundation Academy.Asidefrom that, learners will simply need basic IT skills, at least GCSE-level reading comprehension and access to a computer as the course is taught online.

Once qualified, a nutrition coach will be able to work alone or with a fitness professional.Theycanalso work as part of a multidisciplinary team to help clients implement prescribed advice from a dietician or other medical professional.

Award-winning gym lifts off in Leicester

BODY Fit Training, Australia’s fastestgrowing fitness franchise, has opened its doors on Granby Street in Leicester.

Founded in 2017 by Princess Diana’s personal trainer Cameron Falloon, BFT specialises in progressive 50-minute functional strength, cardio, and conditioning-based classes across 13 different workout programmes, each designed to reduce fat and create lean muscle.Thestate-of-the-art gym, which is the first of its kind in the UK, is being launched by Brian Saund and James Kotak.“We’re so excited to be launching the UK’s first-ever BFT here in Leicester,” said Brian.“This style of training offers something different to your regular gym or PT sessions, and we can’t wait to welcome new members in for a taster.

“We first became aware of BFT during

a trip to Australia and were blown away by their innovative training methods, which not only produced incredible results but did so whilst staying fun and motivational for all participants.

“With our huge variety of workouts, there’ll be no plateaus and no chance of

workout boredom creeping in.” BFT’s group fitness offering is based on Cameron’s unique methodology and combines cardio with resistance programmes to train different energy systems every session. The unique technology used in the

gym includes a bespoke heart rate monitor system – ‘BFT³’, which allows members to track their progress and compare their performance to previous sessions, ensuring they are getting optimum results from each programme.

“We use science and technology to drive positive outcomes – at all fitness levels. And through our scientifically proven training techniques and highly accredited coaches, who will be by your side to motivate, educate and push you to achieve your goals, we aim to provide the perfect environment for the people of Leicester to work out,” said James.

“We are all about creating a great community that pushes each other to be better every day. Our coaches develop great personal relationships with our clients and understand their goals.

“That way, we can provide constant motivation and encouragement to get them where they want to be.”

First member-centric retention platform launched

ATHLO,

“We the

gym providers to better retain their member base.”

Athlo’s marketplace sees members post their gym membership when not using it, and provides a one-stop solution to members, consumers and health clubs alike.

Athlo users can earn back up to 90 per cent of their membership or class pack fee.

For consumers it provides access to gyms and classes on demand and at preferential rates rather than one off flat fees, with the choice of yoga, cycling, barre, boxing and many more.Athlo works with gyms and solves a number of industry issues, aiming to place the control back with gym owners.Athlohelps gyms reduce member

churn, stop memberships being frozen, improves retention and adds recurring revenue opportunities.

Launching in London initially before targeting international expansion, Athlo has 4,500 pre-registered users.

Partnered gyms currently signed up to the platform include Sweat by BXR, The Manor, MoreYoga, Paola’s BodyBarre, The Altitude Training Centre, and Milo and the Bull.

Alex Nicholl, director at BXR, added: “Athlo’s offering will help us to further grow our membership numbers and give existing members more freedom to use their membership in a way that suits their lifestyle.“Fromearly conversations with the Athlo team we could really see how the platform would add value.”

ukactive and Myzone announce Parliamentary Physical Activity Challenge for MPs and Peers

MPs, Peers, and their teams in Westminster have been invited to take part in an exciting new initiative to promote the role physical activity plays in the physical, mental and social wellbeing of the nation, ukactive and Myzone have announced.

Set to run from October 19 to November 16, the Parliamentary Physical Activity Challenge is being organised by ukactive, the UK’s trade body for the physical activity sector, and supported by global fitness tracking provider Myzone.HuwEdwards, CEO of ukactive, said: “Physical activity is crucial for our physical, mental, and social wellbeing, something which the pandemic has served to highlight.

“Today, many of us are faced with growing pressure at home and work, so it is more important than ever that we put our health first and keep active.

“Recognising that working in Westminster can be demanding, we hope this challenge provides an opportunity for Parliamentarians and their staff to consider their physical activity levels, as well as its importance to the constituents they serve.”

The challenge is backed by the Parliamentary authorities and is designed to raise awareness among Parliamentarians of the importance of physical activity for their own physical and mental wellbeing, and that of

their constituents. In addition, the role of activity in boosting workplace wellbeing is also shown to help improve productivity.Theinitiative has already been endorsed by Parliamentarians, including Kim Leadbeater MP, and Crossbench Peer, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, both of whom have a passion for sport and physical activity.

The challenge has been announced following the recent National Fitness Day which saw thousands of free events taking place in gyms, swimming pools, leisure centres, sports clubs, schools, workplaces and online.

There remain significant inequalities in physical activity levels across the nation, with almost a third (27 per cent)

of people in England classed as inactive (less than 30 minutes of physical activity a week), and figures showing that the least affluent groups have far lower levels of activity, with only 52 per cent classed as active (at least 150 minutes of activity a week).

The Parliamentary Physical Activity Challenge will see MPs, Peers and their staff handed MZ-Switch heart rate monitors to measure their activity levels accurately through the month, with the technology tracking ‘effort’ levels using a points system, rather than focusing on volume or distance – making it proportionate and inclusive for all.

Myzone Effort Points (MEPs) are earned by exercising in your target heart rate zones over a period – the more effort

you put into each of your workouts, the more MEPs you earn.

By registering with the Myzone app, MPs, Peers and their teams will be able to see if they are meeting the World Health Organization’s guidelines for physical activity – at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per Individualsweek.andteams in Parliament

will be able to track their progress thanks to a weekly leader board which ranks participants by the average MEPs scored, meaning they can engage in friendly competition within Parliament.

At the conclusion of the challenge, ukactive will provide a final leader board showing those with the highest scores.

A similar initiative from Myzone has already proven successful in Washington DC, where more than 500 members of Congress, Senate, and their teams have just completed their second annual challenge.DaveWright, CEO of Myzone Group, added: “This challenge follows the Congressional Physical Activity Challenge in the USA earlier this year that had more than 500 participants leading by example earning Myzone Effort Points.

It would be wonderful if our leaders and their teams in Westminster were to also lead by example.”