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February 2009
The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazine
Poor quality Pilates is slammed By Mary Ferguson A PROFESSIONAL Pilates instructor has criticised gyms for offering substandard classes run by underqualified instructors. Huddersfield-based Graciela Kaplan – who has been teaching Pilates privately for ten years – told Workout that since the discipline exploded into the mainstream, too many clubs are offering poor quality group exercise classes. She said: “There are lots of quick-fix training courses around that don’t represent what Pilates actually is and it doesn’t work when people continuously drop in and out of classes, which often happens at gyms. “Pilates is a progressive exercise regime and to feel the full benefit you need at least 12 consecutive sessions.” She said gyms need to employ properly trained instructors and be prepared to pay for them. “Operators could pass the extra cost on to their members by charging them a bit extra for a better quality class.” Graciela, who used to be a profes-
sional ballet dancer, said that some people she has spoken to have complained of sore backs after attending a gym-based Pilates class – and badly-run sessions may put people off continuing with the exercise. “Too many instructors use their classes as a workout for themselves too, meaning they don’t pay enough attention to the members, who often struggle. “I’m sure there are lots of gyms out there doing a great job and employing great instructors, but from my experience there are still many not getting it right.” To ignite more interest in the discipline Graciela has developed a new form of Pilates that she hopes to offer to gyms. Walkilates fuses aerobic exercise with Pilates moves to create a calorieburning class suitable for beginners and more serious exercisers. She added: ‘I’m the only person to offer these classes in the UK and the response so far has been amazing. Eventually I’d like to train other instructors to offer them and I’d love to introduce the concept to gyms.”
No 185 £3
Criticised advert is withdrawn
Former independent gym owner Magnus Scheving takes the lead role in global phenomenon LazyTown as Sportacus. He is in the UK piloting a new franchise of kids fitness classes and has just returned from a telethon in Mexico which was broadcast to 50m people. For more on LazyTown’s plans for the UK see Page 3
A NATWEST advert that advised people to abandon their gym memberships has been withdrawn following widespread criticism from the fitness industry. The Money Sense ad focused on the cost-saving benefits of giving up membership fees in favour of ‘running down the street’ for free. However, leaders from the health and fitness sector described the advice as irresponsible and misleading, and went on to register complaints with NatWest, the prime minister, secretaries of state and the Advertising Standards Authority. The FIA was also concerned that the advert could have a negative impact on the recently launched £275m Change 4 Life campaign and sent out a template letter to help gym owners register their disapproval of the ad. Dave Stalker, operations director at the FIA said: “As the representative body for the fitness sector, the FIA is committed to protecting and supporting the industry’s interests in whichever way we can. We are delighted by this result and extend thanks to all who joined together in support of the industry.”
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UK FITNESS SCENE The man credited with making kids’ fitness trendy is planning to launch a ‘bible’ to offer inspiration on how to get kids active. In a rare interview, he speaks to Workout reporter Nicola Hyde about how it all began.
Pictured right: Magnus aka Sportacus encourages kids to eat Sports Candy (fruit and veg) and far right: Sportacus battles to get the residents of LazyTown fit and active.
Bing Bang ... Hero Sportacus draws up fitness ‘bible’
MAGNUS Scheving has worked in the fitness industry for over 20 years – he has been a fitness instructor, motivational speaker, gym owner and a European aerobics champion. Twice. He is the man credited with inspiring a generation of children to get active. His TV show LazyTown – in which he plays superfit super-hero Sportacus – is broadcast in over 100 countries and has one clear message: to get couch potato children fit and eating healthy ‘sports candy’ (fruit and veg.) But, Magnus admits, a huge amount of his success can be attributed to his years as an independent gym owner. He had his own gym in Iceland and for ten years taught aerobics every day – and he fast realised that children needed help to get active. He said: “I had been wanting to offer something for children and started looking into this about 18 to 20 years ago as I realised there was no real model for kids. “I said I want to do something about this, but the challenge was how to make it entertaining? I knew the fitness world really well but there was nothing for kids so first I had to figure out solutions for that long before anything started. As a club owner you realise, this is the age that is important and you can do something without ever mentioning to the children fitness and health – that is important.” Magnus is in the UK working with training provider FitKid to promote a range of 60minute fitness sessions themed on LazyTown. He is working with the company
Advertising Sales and marketing director: Tony Barry
Sales manager: Lucy Hill Tel: 01226 734615 Sales executives: Daniel Lloyd Tel: 01226 734699 Daniel Parker Tel: 01226 734668
Editorial Group Editor: Andrew Harrod
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Tel: 01226 734639 Fax: 01226 734478 Email: ah@whpl.net News Editor: Nicola Hyde Tel: 01226 734459 Email: nl@whpl.net Reporters: Lyndsey Smith Tel: 01226 734472 Email: ls@whpl.net Christina Eccles Tel: 01226 734463 Email: ce@whpl. net
to draw up a ‘bible’ that will give an insight into the lessons learned in the 20 years he has spent developing the global phenomenon of LazyTown, which has so far spawned everything from a top ten single to a live stage show. He said: “I have never yet seen a kid under seven that moves wrong, it’s not like it’s a 40 year old coming to your gym and you have to correct bad habits. “I don’t believe that kids should exercise. They should do it through play but it is how you do it that is important. You need to give them games to play in a safe environment and figure out how to make them move.” Lazy Town sessions will incorporate the music and dances in the show along with equipment such as parachutes, space hoppers and balls. But to Magnus, the challenge is coming up with the ideas that get the kids to start moving in the first place. He said: “Like our Bing Bang song, there is set choreography but we can incorporate games in there where the children have to spell out the words by doing different exercises, flying around like a bee for the letter ‘b’, running through a circuit to pick up the letters. There are lots of ideas you can use. “An idea like Lazy Town is one per cent genius and 99 per cent hard work and the most important thing I would say to a gym owner wanting to do something like this is that you have to be organised. I did an enormous amount of home work before I even started. I visited 50 countries, spoke to 500,000 kids and parents and a made sure I spoke to at least five to 50,000 kids a month.”
£100k exercise studio opens
Mary Ferguson Tel: 01226 734712 Email: mf@whpl.net
Production Group Deputy Editor: Judith Halkerston Tel: 01226 734458 Email: jhalkerston@whpl.net Wharncliffe Publishing Ltd. 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS.
LazyTown has a lifestyle club in the UK which has 250,000 members and Magnus says this can help to push gym use in youngsters by encouraging them to be active through a series of challenges. He added: “It helps gives parents ideas too, it’s not about telling them they have done a bad job but helping them and letting them know how places like gyms can help them too. Running a gym is a great challenge as you have to keep the standard up. I know how difficult that is, especially when you are small, as you don’t have the staff to make the system work and there have been many worries about that in the past. “Running a gym is very expensive because there is so much you need to have – and gym owners always need new ideas to help. People are not prepared to pay for it as they should, they will pay for a new jacket that won’t do them as much good. Saying that, the UK has picked up on obesity and solutions faster than any other country I know, which can only be a positive thing.”
www.workout-uk.co.uk
A NEW £100,000 group exercise studio has opened at Bury St Edmunds Leisure Centre. The purpose-built studio will increase the class capacity for indoor cycling and body attack classes. The centre is run by Abbeycroft Leisure who manage the gyms in the
borough in partnership with St. Edmundsbury Council. Richard Savory, assistant manager, said “The success of our exercise timetable has meant that we have been in need of an additional studio for some time in order to cater for the demand.”
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Fighting first for Elvis’s gym By Mary Ferguson A NEWLY-OPENED bodybuilding gym in Harlow claims to be the first in Essex with a fighting cage – and the best in the area. Ripped, owned by Elvis Meade, wife Michelle and brother-in-law Robert, is 16,000 sq. ft with 100 pieces of strength equipment. Along with the cage, facilities include a boxing ring and MMA matted area with nine bags ranging from floor to ceiling to heavyweight.
The gym, an official Hammer Strength training centre, also features strength equipment from Cybex and cardio pieces from Life Fitness. Trainers at the club include 2005 British heavyweight body building champion Lee Spencer and Thai Boxing champion Mehmet Pasha. Elvis said that since opening they have been compared to the Monster Gym in Hertfordshire, but that there are some key differences. “ Basically there’s nothing like us in
the area and that’s why we chose to launch here.” As well as selling supplements the gym also operates a kitchen and Elvis said people often come in just to eat, even when they are not working out. A discounted joining rate attracted 60 members in the three days before opening, and in the second week of trading, 132 people were using the facilities. Many are tied into contracts with
other facilities but are paying for individual sessions at Ripped until they are free to join properly. Elvis is aiming for 1,000 members by May and is confident of achieving it. He added: “Things are going really well so far and although it’s hard work, running my own gym is everything I expected it to be. We are even thinking of opening more sites in the near future and already have our eyes on a few areas.”
Training courses are being developed for a piece of fitness kit that made its debut on TV programme The Gadget Show. CoolBoard was voted top fitness product on the Channel Five show, winning 16 out of 18 votes. The balance board was initially developed as a snow and skateboarders’ training device but its fitness benefits as a
core stability exercise were noticed by personal trainers. It has already been used by Stow Personal Training and fitness studio near Cheltenham, and Kinetic Fitness of Bristol. Spokesman Nic Smith said the company was now developing fitness packages and DVDs to send to gyms to push the product.
Bournemouth gym doubles in size in £300k facelift By Lyndsey Smith A £300,000 facelift for a gym in Bournemouth has seen the facility double in size. The building and refurbishment programme at the Stokewood Leisure Centre has allowed for the launch of new fitness classes including Yoga, Pilates, BTS BodyPump, conditioning, circuits, fitness kickboxing, aerobics and spinning, boosting the timetable to over 50 classes a week.
Coun Beverley Dunlop said: “The investment has totally transformed the gym making it a more modern and attractive facility. “It is also one of the few leisure facilities in the borough to offer a pay as you go option.” The gym also has a swimming pool for lane swimming, public swimming sessions, swimming lessons and fun inflatable sessions, along with a sauna and activity programme for young people.
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6 After almost 20 years in the fitness industry, Richard Noble’s drive to succeed is stronger than ever. He has just opened a new club and has plans in the pipeline for more. Christina Eccles reports.
Richard is limbering up to offer ultimate customer service RICHARD decided to open his own club after becoming disillusioned by what he was seeing working in the fitness industry. This gave him two choices – move out of the sector altogether or set something up on his own. He opted for the latter and Planet Fitness health club was created. After exploring other business ventures within the fitness industry, he rebranded his first club PF2 and has now just opened a second site in Worcester which forms part of a 26acre regeneration project. Features of the club – which had almost 200 members less than three
weeks after opening – include 40 stations of equipment from Escape Fitness, Precor and Gym80 as well as an exercise studio with sprung flooring, hosting about 25 classes per week. Richard believes the new gym will do well as it has captured a niche in the market and he hopes to eventually attract about 800 members. He said: “If you analyse Worcester, it has not seen any new health clubs for a while but has seen a lot disappear. “This club will be a breath of fresh air to fit the market. “I think the secret of our success is ultimate customer service. They are nice looking clubs but that’s not the
be all and end all – it’s what dynamics you offer behind the scenes. “There is a lot of competition near our Malvern site, but we still have full capacity and our retention is good. “This is also down to the personalities I employ. I handpick my staff and look for the right personalities and ability to communicate.” Richard also has ambitious plans to expand the business and is looking to license the club to an interested operator and also build new clubs to franchise. He added: “After working in the franchising business, I’ve decided to develop PF2 as a licensing operation
to give more freedom to operators. A PF2 license can vary to suit the level of support and operation required. “With the Worcester club, I want to drive it to a level so it’s available for an operator to take over. “It will be a fantastic opportunity for someone who wants to take on a reputable, growing concern. “Opening PF2 Worcester in this current economic climate could possibly be construed as reckless, however with the proven successful dynamics of the PF2 brand and the carefully selected location, I truly believe we will have another profitable operation.”
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UK FITNESS SCENE When budget club The Gym launched in Hounslow earlier this year, 84 per cent of members signed up via the website before the doors even opened. Mary Ferguson spoke to operator John Treharne about how he makes his online membership system work.
Membership online system works for John CHARGING a set membership fee of £14.99 a month, The Gym’s aim is to keep things simple and cheap – which is why so much is done online. John said: “All of our marketing focuses people’s attention to the website. We make sure the process is really simple for people by having only one membership category, so the whole process of signing up takes less than five minutes. “We do also have membership kiosks in our sales offices and the gyms but we still get the vast majority of people signing up online.” As well as saving operating costs, John said that having an option to sign up via the website is a good sales tactic. “When people look round a gym they rarely sign up on the spot, so once they have gone away to think about it they are more likely to commit if they don’t have to physically go back to the club and do it. “And an online system means we are paperless which as well as cutting costs also helps the environment.” As well as using the website to sign up, people can also use it to manage their memberships, like they can do with their bank accounts. “There are password protected areas for members so they can book inductions and fill out Par-Q and sunbed questionnaires – and they can do it when they want. “Our data shows that there is a lot of website activity in the early hours of the morning – it’s not always conven-
John Treharne ient for people to call up during normal working hours, so it’s about offering choices.” The Gym’s online systems and administration are handled by independent web marketing experts White Hat Media, but John said it’s also easy for smaller gyms to do things in-house. “Setting up a web-based joining system is not expensive and it’s much easier to administer as you don’t need loads of people processing memberships – so it also saves money. “However most clubs that I’ve come across don’t lend themselves to the system very easily because they have so many membership options.” He added: “Online membership systems are a fantastic opportunity for operators but only if they simplify what they are offering.”
PCT invests £140k in fitness equipment WIRRAL Primary Care Trust has invested £140,000 in interactive fitness equipment for three leisure centres. Funding was granted after a bid showed how activity sessions in council sport centres could help to tackle local childhood obesity, gaps in life expectancy and mental health issues. A council spokesman said: “Activities across the leisure centres will be organised primarily for juniors living in the local area, but we also
intend to expand the programming for a range of other groups and sections of the community, such as children and adults with mental health issues, disabled groups, obese adults and rehabilitation classes, including people with cardiac problems.” The centres have been kitted out with 12 of ZigZag’s second-generation dance mats, as well as four Sportwall panels, a Makoto triangular combat arena and eight Trixter bikes.
‘Military’ team targets unhealthy towns A MILITARY style fitness provider is targeting some of the most unhealthy towns in the UK. British Military Fitness will target the towns that have been outlined as part of the government’s £30m Healthy Towns’ Initiative. It already runs sessions in four of the nine locations – Sheffield, Manchester, Portsmouth and Tower Hamlets – and will now expand to
every one. Barney Larkin, marketing manager at BMF, said: “We believe that with our support this campaign will be able to educate adults about the importance of activity. “More adults engaging in exercise means more role models for children, which will help promote healthier lifestyles in local communities across the UK.”
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John’s gym offers PE alternative By Christina Eccles A GYM in St Helens is hoping to boost future memberships by offering school children the chance to use it instead of PE lessons. John Tatlock, of St Helens Fitness 500 has been working with Sutton School Sport Partnership to offer an alternative to traditional school sports. On certain days, he closes his ladies-only section so the students can use it and he even gives them a reduced rate membership so they can train after school. John said: “The scheme is working well and quite a few of them have also joined after school. “Not everyone wants to do football and rugby and they like coming into this type of environment. “It is good for their health and fitness but we have also done it to help them mentally as some are doing their exams and coming to the gym helps with stress relief. “We have also been able to get their parents into the gym
as the kids go home and say what they have achieved and this encourages the parents to join too.” The gym opened in 1980 and has about 450 members and John also revealed how the challenges he faces as an independent gym owner have changed over the years. He added: “The gym almost takes care of itself. “In the first few years, the challenges were mostly with setting it up, now it is adding more new equipment. “About a third of our equipment is brand new in the last couple of years and we are trying to keep improving. “Our equipment to members ratio is a good balance, especially compared with some of the bigger gyms and our price is also a factor, especially the way things are going at the moment. “People also comment on the gym having such a nice atmosphere. “You can be the best gym in the world but if you don’t make an effort with your members, they are likely to drop off.”
John showing one of the pupils the gym’s equipment
Local authority talks held on how fitness industry can improve By Louise Cordell A MEETING has been held for local authorities and trusts to discuss how the fitness industry can improve. Expert speakers presented workshops on how the Eastern region can
get involved in the 2012 games and also to consider the implications of the government’s free swimming initiative. The workshop revealed that none of the operators could see free swimming continuing after Government funding ceases.
Many believed there would be few new swimmers and some were waiting on decisions as to whether sessions could be limited to a set number of sessions per week. Mike Hill, managing director of Leisure-net Solutions – which organ-
ised the event – said: “It is quite rare for the various deliverers of public sector leisure to attend the same event and this led to a lively debate on how do we get better at what we do.” More events are now planned for other regions.
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INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT Located in the heart of Soho and with celebrities tripping over themselves to join, The Third Space is one independent getting it right. Mary Ferguson paid a visit.
‘Members are often in tears when they have to leave’ THE club aims to be one of the biggest parts of its members’ lives – ‘the third space’ after home and work. And with a monthly fee of £118, users are serious about fitness and prepared to pay for quality. They work out to a live DJ who plays every lunchtime and evening and have the use of a private onsite medical centre, climbing wall, hypoxic chamber, flotation tank, boxing ring and table tennis. There are cardio, resistance and free weights floors, a 20m swimming pool, Pilates studio and padded rooms for wrestling and martial arts training. Members are very loyal – staying an average of 2.9 years – and because of its reputation, the club has never needed to advertise. Opened in 2001 by Joel Cadbury of the chocolate fame, the 45,000 sq ft club won an architectural award for its design and was recently voted ‘club with the most state-of-the-art facilities’ by Time Out magazine. Equipment comes from a range of suppliers and the operators refuse to sign contracts with any one company – pushing prices up but enabling them to cherry-pick the best from every range. Amanda Ellison is in charge of memberships and public relations. She said: “There are plans to expand because it’s such a great concept but any new club we do open will be totally bespoke, and probably very different aesthetically from this one. “People have even asked us if we can open one in New York, and members are often in tears when they have to leave because they are moving house. It really does become a big part of their lives.”
Above: The medical centre and below: the pool
When members join they get a free consultation with a GP at the medical centre and the club employs no gym floor staff, just personal trainers who all have their own specialities. Members can sign up to a self-motivation tool on the website, which automatically texts them if they have not been into the gym for a while. And they can choose their preferred level of aggression – some prefer a gentle reminder while others prefer a guilt-inducing telling off. “When the club first opened, it very much attracted the hip and trendy ‘Soho boho’ crowd – which we do still have – but since the influx of banks and private equity in Saville Row, we have a lot more ‘suits’ working out here too. “It actually makes for a nice atmosphere when you are working out – on one side you could have a Hollywood actor, and in front of you may be a banking director. “Although a lot of our members are young professionals the older market do come to us for our rehabilitation specialities. We don’t have many under 26 though, as they just can’t afford it.” Amanda said the credit crunch has not impacted business in the slightest – except for maybe increasing it. “We are seeing more members signing up as a way to unwind and relax in such hard times. Our members live the typical London lifestyle – working and playing hard – and they know they need to look after their health because of that.” She added: “Our motto is ‘healthy hedonism’ and that really sums us up.”
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Ban on women works for gym owner Mark By Mary Ferguson THE owner of a London gym that has banned women for over 20 years claims the concept works – but only for him. Body Works in Tottenham has been men-only since it opened and Mark Forrest has no plans to change things. He said: “We have limited floor space and to attract women we would need to install more CV equipment which we just haven’t got space for. “Men like it being female-free because they don’t have to care about things like rips in their tracksuit bottoms, or wearing the same T-shirt two days in a row. It also eliminates distractions.” But despite Mark being happy with the business, he said he wouldn’t do
‘It’s escapism for the men who often train to get away from their wives or girlfriends’ it again. “I don’t think that as a rule maleonly gyms work, I’ve just been lucky. It’s not like it was 25 years ago – more women exercise now and by excluding them you are seriously limiting your market. “If I opened another site I would open it to everyone.” The gym is 8,000 sq. ft with a mezzanine floor and comprises mostly strength equipment. It sells a wide variety of supplements as many members are serious or competitive
‘Men like it being female-free because they don’t have to care about things like rips in their tracksuit bottoms’
bodybuilders, and branded clothing provides an additional revenue stream. “It’s escapism for the men who often train to get away from their wives or girlfriends. It’s a social thing for them too and they often come in groups or pairs.” Mark, who runs the club with help from manager Mark Kirk, keeps the decor simple as he said fancy fittings and flower pots only appeal to women. “If someone is training then essentially they are torturing themselves, so it makes sense for the gym to look like a torture chamber.” He added: “If anyone asks me why I don’t allow women in this gym, I ask them how they would feel if their wife walked through the door. Then they understand.”
Mark Forrest
GymBoy range is designed especially for children A NEW range of equipment designed especially for children has been launched by On Site Fitness. GymBoy is a version of the switching system of strength equipment, comprising ten machines, providing a full body workout. Managing director, Graham Taylor, said: “The increase in popularity of electronic games and other entertainment has resulted in a sharp decline
in the level of activity that children undertake. “As an industry we have to share the responsibility for helping to engage children. It’s not about finger wagging, it’s about developing fun and entertaining ways to exercise. “We need to let children experience and understand the benefits that exercise can bring and show them the difference it can make.”
Paul Cluett has joined Alliance Leisure as commercial director. A management consultant with more than 20 years’ experience in the leisure industry, he will provide the design and build arm of the team with commercial and legal support, as well as overseeing Alliance Leisure’s partnering of more than 40 leisure centres across the UK. Paul was previously a director of Quality Leisure Management (QLM) and was previously managing director of facilities operator, Parkwood Leisure.
13-Service sport
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New products are awarded accreditation THREE new products from kit manufacturer Life Fitness have been awarded accreditation under Stage Two of the Inclusive Fitness Initiative. The products – from the new Elevation Series – are the 95C Inclusive Upright Lifecycle Exercise Bike, 95R Inclusive Recumbent Lifecycle Exercise Bike and the 95T Inclusive Treadmill. Lawra Joseph, marketing manager for Life Fitness, said: “This is the first time that our IFI accredited products will have fully integrated inclusive features. The new approach demonstrates the company’s continued dedication to the IFI and also reflects its growing importance for operators.” The new developments to the Lifecycle Exercise Bikes and the treadmill include a new console overlay and a keypad with dome switches accented by brighter colors making it easier for people with a visual impairment to navigate the console.
Punchy idea A NEW boxing themed facility has opened at Tamworth SnowDome. SnowDome Fitness (formerly Peaks Leisure Centre) has a gym, an exercise studio and a 25m swimming pool with a membership of 1,500. The most recent kit out, by Escape Fitness, has seen the Fitbox concept introduced which has a full-sized boxing ring, free-standing punch bags and a range of accessories from skipping ropes to medicine balls. Managing director Martin Smith said: “We are an entrepreneurial leisure business and wanted something to spark the imagination of our members.”
£1.8m gym opens A NEW gym has been opened at Yate Leisure Centre at a cost of £1.8m. The gym has 90 pieces of Technogym equipment and a new café, customer services area, reception and children’s softplay. A new dry and wetside changing rooms and a spinning studio will also be developed. A new simpler pricing structure has been introduced inline with the New Active Card scheme.
Sharon Clare at Bodycoach Fitness
Sharon pockets training plan ... By Louise Cordell AN INDEPENDENT gym in Suffolk is taking advantage of the latest internet fitness technology to recruit and retain members. Sharon Clare, an international natural bodybuilding champion and Miss Britain Physique 2004, opened Bodycoach Fitness last January after three years as a personal trainer. She said: “I had been in a lot of different clubs over the years and found that many members were not comfortable with the lack of individual attention – they felt that they wanted more support when trying to get fit and that is what I try to provide. “It will allow members and nonmembers to get all the benefits of a tailored training programme from myself, but at a fraction of the nor-
mal cost – just £12.50 per month rather than £25 for a one to one session – not everyone has that kind of money available but everyone can benefit from a personalised routine.” She will use software from the Pocket Personal Training System to offer training programmes which can be accessed via the club’s website and downloaded to a mobile phone or ipod. Sharon added: “This will be very helpful for those people who aren’t getting the best results because they can only make it to the gym once or twice a week, as it will allow them to make progress in between visits. “People work much better if they have a structure and a goal, but unless they are training for something specific then most people don’t have this – so it can help
them a lot. “Non members can also join up through the website and follow a programme at home and hopefully this will then encourage them to join up later on when they are feeling more confident.” Sharon is hoping to introduce nutritional seminars at the club to educate people about how important it is to eat healthily as well as taking exercise. She added: “The diet side of things is hard for people to adjust to as it means changing the habits of a lifetime but I want to let them know that it is equally as important as working out. “I think it will be a challenge, but hopefully if they can understand what it is all about and then try it for a while they will feel the benefits, and that will encourage them to continue.”
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Gym tees off with workout for golfers By Lyndsey Smith A WORKOUT to help golf players strengthen their bodies is being offered by an independent gym in Stroud. The conditioning programmes are usually reserved for the world’s leading players but – having qualified as a Titleist Performance Institute Certified Golf Fitness Instructor in Norway - James Darby, owner of the Fitness Mill, James Darby, will now be offering a completely revamped option of golf conditioning packages. James said: “I wanted to do something a little bit different. We are a bit behind with the times in this country and this programme shows where fitness can meet golf. “I have set up a specific area in the gym and there has been a terrific take up so far, helped by the fact we have a few golf clubs in the area.” The golf workout uses exercise techniques that helps reduce common golf injuries including back problems and shoulder injuries and increases strength, power and rotation.
“We have a professional screening program that enables us to pick up on any physical limitations,” said James. “And we can design a corrective programme to suit. “There is a choice of one to one training or home or gym exercise and we offer a free consultation to everyone. “During this we discuss why it's important to exercise correctly for golf, how we can improve rotation, posture and reduce injuries, and how we can improve their game.” There are only 20 qualified instructors in the country, and James was trained on the Golf Biomechanics course by Paul Chek, voted the most powerful person in fitness by Men’s Fitness magazine in February last year. Paul was one of the first people to use a Fitball for strength and conditioning and he uses the functional approach to fitness – where training replicates real-life or sport specific related movements using highly useful exercises including the woodchop.
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Message of wellbeing GYMS will now be able to promote strong messages of health and wellbeing to their members thanks to a partnership between the FIA and the Department of Health. The FIA is working with the Department of Health to promote phase two of the Know Your Limits campaign – which raises awareness of alcohol limits and the effects of heavy drinking. FIA members will have access to promotional materials and to the local healthcare community to help deliver the message – also giving them the chance to give added value for money by offering another service to members.
Gym kick-off
James Darby – with a client
A NEW gym has opened at Manchester City Football Club, kitted out by Escape Fitness. The fitness suite at the Carrington Training ground is divided into three areas – preparation, CV and performance. Kit includes half racks, lifting platforms, dumbbells, kettlebells, bosus, medicine balls, racks as well as a selection of Reebok equipment in the preparation and performance areas. The gym also features equipment from Technogym, Keiser and Powerplate. The upgrade, which was managed by Pro Leisure, follows the recent takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group and is part of plans to make Manchester City one of leading football clubs in the world.
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University nightclub turns fitness centre By Lyndsey Smith
The first youth-only gym in the North East has been opened at Lightfoot Leisure Centre. The gym, kitted out by Shokk, features interactive X-ertain products, IGNITION cardiovascular equipment and FTL (Functioning Lifting Technology) resistance equipment. Fitness manager Rob Graham said: “With the current threat of childhood obesity, I feel it is absolutely crucial to get youngsters more active. Our pri-
mary objective is to make sport and physical activity more accessible and attractive to the young people of Newcastle by offering a place they will enjoy attending with equipment and programmes that will engage and interest them. Targeting children is the only way we are going to beat the current problem.” The gym was opened by Mayor of Newcastle David Leslie Wood
A FORMER university nightclub has been turned into a state-of-the-art fitness centre in a bid to help students keep fit and healthy. The Queen Mary University of London, Mile End, has spent £5m developing the Qmotion health and fitness centre, on the site of the student union entertainment facilities. Manager Charlotte Kendrick said the aim was to provide students with an improvement on the small gym that the university relied on before. She added: “It has proved to be an extremely positive development and the gym has over 2000 members already and we only opened in September. “The health and fitness issue is constantly in the news and the university are trying to do their bit in developing this gym. “Because it’s a brand new concept for us we have to put our own mark on it as we aren’t inheriting someone else’s ideas. We aim to be successful but not at the cost of our members which a lot of gyms do. I come from a fitness background and have worked
in an environment where prices are being continually hiked up. We need to take stock of how things work and find out what the students, staff and public want as we are also available for external membership and hire.” The gym offers a fitness area along with a sports specific area, two studios, a sports hall, squash court and dedicated ladies only gym. There is also a treatment section that provides acupuncture, homeopathy, sports and remedial massage therapy and the Bowen Technique which is a gentle and non-invasive series of soft tissue moves performed over muscles, ligaments and tendons. Charlotte added: “We hope to keep adding and developing as we go along. The students have really taken to the concept and although we are open to the public our members are predominantly from the student body. “We offer great membership rates for them and the feedback so far has been exceptionally positive. It is a case of trial and error but if we can continue in this vein hopefully we will continue from strength to strength.”
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UK FITNESS SCENE
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The first gym to open under the SHOKK youth franchise has opened in Scotland. The gym in Dundee offers specially designed equipment for kids, along with a chill out room, featuring healthy vending options and an adult free zone. Spokesman Catherine Weir said: “We were really keen to open a youth gym, offering equipment that is specifically designed for children.”
Derek (right) and Wayne
While most gyms fall over themselves to sign people up to contracts, Fitness and Physique steer clear of direct debits and say they are reaping the rewards. Mary Ferguson reports.
No contracts paying off for gym duo DURING seven years of co-owning their South Leeds gym, Derek Horton and Wayne I-Anson have never offered contracts and say they have never suffered because of it. Derek said: “This is quite a low income area so if you try and force contracts on people they run a mile. “And that’s why they come to us and not the bigger gyms nearby. We get lads coming three or four times a week, paying £3.50 each time and buying a protein bar. But they don’t want to be tied into a contract and are happy to pay a bit more instead – which is great for us.” The gym currently has 1300 users paying £35 a month, then gets at least 1,000 people who ‘pay and train’ per week. “We are very busy in the evenings but we could do with boosting business at other times. We used to get women bringing their kids in during the day but we had to draw the line when they’d drag five along – we haven’t got a big reception area and it just wasn’t working. “We even had one woman with a baby wanting to go on the sunbed – and take her child on there with her.” The gym does a good trade in supplements and because they buy in bulk, say they can offer it 30 per
cent cheaper than most places. Wayne said: “We get a lot of people that come in just to buy products from us and we are always shopping around for the best deal. At the moment we stock a lot of Sci-MX but if another brand offered us a better price, we would go with them. Because we sell so much we buy in bulk and then pass the savings on to our customers.” The gym is split into two areas – meaning other users aren’t intimidated by men using the strength equipment and free weights, which go up to 61.5kg. And one of their most regular users is a fitness instructor from a nearby chain – who wants to train with heavier weights. Derek said that the friendly atmosphere and personal attention keeps people coming back, without the need for a contract. He added: “Lots of people have offered to pay me decent money for personal training but I’ve had to turn it down because when it’s your own gym, you need to be there for everyone – especially when they walk through the door. “So I spend as much time as I can with everyone and end up effectively doing lots of personal training for free.”
Ministry of Justice kitted out with £90k fitness suite THE MINISTRY of Justice in London has been kitted out with a £90,000 fitness suite by Physique. The gym, at the government offices in Petty France, has a full range of Hoist’s resistance equipment, Roc-It, which is distributed by Physique in the UK, as well as Life Fitness cardiovascular stations. The contract to run the centre was won by Energy Fitness Professionals who manage 42 sites across the coun-
try, including 20 Royal Mail gyms, the Cabinet Office, the HM Treasury and the Royal Courts of Justice. Alan Gallacher, managing director, said: “We were challenged with delivering a bespoke solution for this new contract within a very short time frame, and worked closely with Physique to ensure the gym, which exceeded its member target within its first week, looked fantastic.”
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VIRTUAL GYM ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT
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Why does it require refurbishment? WHEN a decision has been made to refurbish a changing room it is worth considering many aspects otherwise an opportunity to improve the operational efficiency and ambiance could be wasted. Without a little thought it is easy to replicate the shortcomings that may be present in the current format. Could the existing locker foot print be improved to reduce bottlenecks and improve traffic flow? If no improvements can be made, go ahead and replace the lockers like for like with new ones. If the answer is yes, consider the following points otherwise you may have lost an opportunity to transform your facilities and remove those unsatisfactory aspects that you and your clients have lived with in the past
Floor Is the existing floor in good condition or will it need retiling? Are the locker plinths part of the floor ie made of concrete and tiled? Will the floor be replaced? If not, any existing solid plinths will prevent improving the layout. If one of the objectives was to improve the floor plan this additional work will need to be carried out.
Changing room requirements Are the lockers the right size and configuration? Do I have too many or two few? Do I want seats in front of the lock-
A refurbishment is not only an opportunity to freshen up the facilities it is an opportunity to create changing rooms that will remove existing problems and provide an environment that your members will enjoy for years and will protect the capital expenditure. ers or freestanding seats? Do I need changing cubicle? Do I conform with the DDA? Do I need mirrors, vanity units within the changing area? Do I need towel shelves and dirty towel drops? Do I need a television? Do I need a product display cabinet?
Locker and furnishings Make a wish list of the changing room requirements listed above, like most things in life you may have to compromise, in which case select the most important to your facilities.
Locker layout To create traffic flows, imagine where people will enter and where will they go when they are in the changing room. If the room is poolside or near is there a wet and dry entrance?
Ceilings Are the ceilings in good condition and only need decorating or would a new suspended ceiling throughout
cover up all those cracks and peeling paint. Suspended ceilings can be inexpensive and designed to house lighting and heating units within the grids
Lighting Is the lighting, low energy, low maintenance and adequate. If I change my locker layout foot print will the lighting be in the aisles and not over the lockers. If a suspended ceiling is fitted, the lighting units can be positioned easily in the right places.
Ventilation Is the ventilation satisfactory or is the atmosphere unpleasant? If so consider installing an energy efficient air conditioning / heating unit within the grid of a new suspended ceiling.
Windows The best starting place to position lockers is against the walls. If there are any windows, are they high level, do they open, what function do they serve? Are they a security risk? Could the windows be covered
up by lockers and the lighting and ventilation is handled as above.
Heating Under floor heating will keep the floors dry in the wet areas. A combination of under floor heating and modern air handling systems is the ideal solution. However if there is old large bore pipe work which cannot be economically removed can the lockers and seating be adapted to deal with this?
Locking system Even if the existing locker locking system meets with your current requirements look at the alternatives that are available. Locks are not easy to retrofit if you change your mind and money will be wasted. A refurbishment is not only an opportunity to freshen up the facilities it is an opportunity to create changing rooms that will remove existing problems and provide an environment that your members will enjoy for years and will protect the capital expenditure. Replicating what is there will only replicate any existing problems and an opportunity will be lost. Don’t forget – the changing room is the first place your members will see after the reception area and the last place before the reception area when leaving. Make sure they are equal to and complement the rest of the facilities.
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Collection critical to any fitness operator MEMBERSHIP collection is critical to the stability of any health and fitness operator and if you are looking for a company with a reputation for excellence then look no further. Harlands Group is the leading UK provider of membership collection services, a status which stems from the quality of service we provide both our clients and their members combined with the flexible solutions on offer. Our investment in technology has also uniquely placed us at the forefront of our industry delivering membership and payment solutions to the most innovative of leisure industry operators.
Maximum collection We are a company that will support your existing systems and work with
you to help increase the profitability of your business. Our experience allows us to help our clients make informed decisions about structuring their membership packages. We will deliver maximum revenue on any form of membership agreement or contract and collection rates for existing customers can run in excess of 97 per cent.
ing budget clubs where all sales are made online such as The Gym Group places Harlands Group in the unique position of understanding the potential in this sector and therefore able to better assist our clients in either adapting or understanding such new markets.
Online sales
Our recent upgrade to the Snap system offers increased functionality and the ability to take the online sign up data and send seamlessly into club management software on site. Snapdda enables clients to have a white labelled online portal and the increased functionality now includes pro-rata payments and promotional code discounting and more.
Our online sales and direct debit portal Snap is increasing profitability for many organisations in the UK and it is clear that online sales will be the fastest growing new element in the armoury of leisure operators in improving their commercial offering. Our current clients report increases in sales of up to 20 cent with the introduction of a Snap site. Offering integrated online payment systems to many of the new emerg-
Developments
Client support During this economic downturn
clubs need to maximise revenue from members and choose a membership price structure that is attractive. Harlands Group can both advise on the likely returns on any membership pricing policy and then also capitalise on the potential revenue. Outsourcing payment collections will always result in a net gain in revenue for the club and it is our role to provide more flexible and efficient systems at the right price.
Debt recovery Many of our clients require a debt recovery service only which we offer on a no fee basis. Our working relationship with Experian and track and trace facilities combined with professional telephone negotiators allows for an efficient and effective service which further increases collection rates whilst ensuring our actions have only a positive effect on your business.
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VIRTUAL GYM ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT
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York Fitness – from strength to strength YORK Fitness is a company that has been built on over 75 years of history. Being one of the major players in the UK home fitness market York has now re-focused on its commercial product offering since introducing its full commercial range from the USA into the UK five years ago. With the appointment of Darren Wright into the commercial brand manager role just over a year ago York has now concentrated on getting both its trade and direct sales business working together strengthening the sales and awareness of the brand. Emphasis on functional lifting has always been the message of York Fitness Commercial range in the USA working with many professional teams such as the New York Giants, Chicago Bears and the LA Lakers basketball team. Since launching the range in the UK five years ago many professional teams within both the rugby and football market in the UK have also realised the benefits of working with York Fitness. York Fitness now has installs in the UK and equipment in facilities such as Northampton Saints Rugby Sale Sharks Rugby, Oxford University, Leeds Rhinos and Birmingham City FC. York has also been requested to tender for major contracts that are com-
ing up with a view to 2012 which shows that it is now taken very seriously within the commercial world. The product offering – all that you need. York Fitness has been successful in the market due to a Focus on a core product range. This includes all of the key factors that make up a true strength and conditioning facility and studio based workouts. Power racks, dumbells, olympic bars and free-weights working along side lifting platforms and plyo-metric boxes has seen York gain continued success over the past year. York Commercial now has a dedicated 6000sq ft showroom with the complete range on display ready for trainers and gym managers to test. Its own commercial based website www.yorkstrength.com will be dedicated to the commercial product range – information on the product, sales, service info, testimonials and images of site installs. York Fitness Direct showroom is based at York Way Daventry and the showroom is open Mon – Fri 10 – 6 and Sat 9 – 4. Open to the general public and trade you can ring 01327 701852 and arrange a visit with a member of the team to walk you through the range or just visit and browse the store.
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VIRTUAL GYM – ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT
Top technology for London gym-goers GYM-GOERS in West London are being treated to the top technology available in cycling as the first gym in the country introduces the revolutionary new Wattbike to its equipment range. The Hogarth Group, with health clubs in Acton and Chiswick have invested in six Wattbikes for their members in order to provide them with the best training tool available in cycling today. The Wattbike, which has been over seven years in the making, is an exercise bike, testing bike, competition bike and a rehabilitation bike all wrapped up in one. It is the first product of its kind to
be endorsed by British Cycling, which has played a key role in its development. The Hogarth Group decided to invest in the Wattbike, as opposed to more spinning and exercise bikes, because of the potential that lies within it for training and development. The Wattbike is currently being used by elite athletes and in talent identification programmes but there are so many features within it that can benefit everyone who has an interest in keeping fit. Terry Rodhamel, Hogarth Group’s fitness manager, was instrumental in the decision to take on the
Wattbikes. He said: “We have a strong spinning and cycling following here and there is a culture of performance, which is driven by the MD, Dan White, who is a keen duathlete. “So when I heard about the Wattbike, I thought it would fit in perfectly. The big difference is the geometry of the Wattbike, it is the closest thing you will get to an actual road bike. “Also, the information you get on the monitor is relevant to training and improving your performance on a bike.” The Wattbike’s ground-breaking
computer console delivers the quality of feedback that, until now, only the world’s best cyclists have been privileged to receive. It reproduces the challenges of the open road with participants able to spin along lightly at a comfortable pace or push themselves to their limits. It measures every pedal turn from start to finish and offers scope to compete online, or in an indoor arena, with the bikes linked together for racing. No other product of its type accurately measures power output – watts and it is suitable for riders of all ages and abilities.
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VIRTUAL GYM PRODUCT NEWS
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Splash out on a water fountain ...
Drinking Water Fountains and Plumbedin Watercoolers from Glug Glug Glug. We offer reliable, modern designs at extremely competitive prices. UK local call centres. One monthly fixed cost. We pride ourselves on our exceptional service and professional installations. Contact us for a quote for a new machine and pay less than you currently do now. Enquiries: www.glugglugglug.com or call 01932 873366.
Reflex Nutrition has launched a new energy drink called The Edge. Using research from scientific findings, it contains a precise combination of glucose polymers and pure crystalline fructose which has been scientifically proven to supply an extra 30 per cent energy compared to just glucose polymers alone. A company spokesman said: “It is probably the first product in the world to contain a stable probiotic proven to be capable of boosting the immune system which intensive exercise can subdue.”
Display showcase ideal for merchandising food and drink THE Display Showcase from Porkka UK is ideal for merchandising foods and drinks and combines a contemporary design and large display area with minimum demand for floor space. Key features include a digital temperature display and five adjustable shelves, which can be tilted through 15 degrees, with lighting to the top and sides to display goods to best effect. Forced air cooling achieves the required temperature in minimum time, while a double air screen ensures excellent case temperature stability and reduced operating costs. All of the models in the range are 1965mm high, with widths of 1060mm, 1310mm and 2060mm (including double glazed panorama end walls) and a depth of 769mm. Standard exterior finishes are grey with white trim or stainless steel, with interiors in either white plastified steel or stainless steel.
Hot, appetising food for hours
Further information is available at www.porkka.co.uk or call Gordon MacBride, 01923 779929, sales@porkka.co.uk.
THE ability of Porkka’s patented DHMC serving range to keep cooked food hot and appetising for hours is proving very popular in diverse servery applications. Very close control of both temperature and humidity ensures that food does not dry out and retains its texture, flavour, appearance and nutritional value for many hours, with only negligible weight loss. Fully compliant with EU food hygiene regulations and offering full HACCP facilities, highly insulated DHMC (digital heat and moisture control) cabinets also feature precise
control of air flows to prevent hot or cold spots. The modular DHMC family offers a wide range of sizes and configurations, all allowing monitoring, control and adjustment via a local PC network, across the internet or direct to mobile phones in real time. The 1660mm wide DHMC cabinets are able to hold up to 28 x GN 1x1x65mm containers, around twice the load of most conventional cabinets. Details from Gordon MacBride, 01923 77992, sales@porkka.co.uk, www.porkka.co.uk
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TRAINING & RECRUITMENT
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£28million one-stop training shop for the fitness industry By Lyndsey Smith
Florence Orban
THE GOVERNMENT has invested £28m in a national academy to provide a one-stop shop for training for the fitness industry. The National Skills Academy for Sport and Active Leisure will offer training for 85,000 new entrants, existing staff and volunteers each year until 2013. It will also offer employers better quality training and improved access to government funding, and Florence Orban, interim chief executive said: “The skills academy will bring clarity to a confused training picture. “Currently learners have to choose from around 490 existing qualifications specific to our sector and these have historically been delivered through an uncoordinated mix of providers. “It can be very confusing and makes it difficult for learners to be sure they are signing up for courses which will provide them with the best chance of employment post qualification.” There has also been the launch of an online academy which will be the
first port of call for learners keen to find out about the skills needed to enter the sector or to progress their career. They will be able to sign up to courses as well as access career maps, a directory of qualifications recognised by employers, and a directory of approved training providers. The website will provide clarity about recognised training providers, training on site, plus advice and resources on how to make the most effective use of staff training budgets. Simon Robinson, online academy manager said: “Predominantly people who come into the industry aren’t naturally managers – they come into the industry because they love sport and are active. Online is already live in the North West, London, and Yorkshire and Humberside and there are plans to expand, but it is a three year plan, a phased approach. “Training as it stands is a bit of a minefield and there are good and bad trainers. This initiative will bring clarity to qualifications and sort the wheat from the chaff in terms of training providers.”
Steve Newell has been appointed to Keiser to develop new markets. Steve has worked as a sales executive for the North East at Technogym, and was also a health and fitness manager and PT coordinator at Fitness First. He has over eight years’ experience in the health and fitness industry.
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ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT
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Is it hamstrings or leg biceps? by Alan Runacres WE ALL know that hamstrings is now the universally accepted name for the muscles at the back of the leg, but just how correct or misleading is this? Just like any body part, there are correct names for each and every one of the 650 muscles and 206 bones in the human body, and then there are the more common or popular generic names adopted by the public at large. Leg biceps (correct anatomical name biceps femoris) is the term to describe the main muscle group on the back of the upper leg. This muscle group forms the main “belly” of all the muscles situated in this region. It is the largest and strongest muscle group at the back of the upper leg. Muscle names often give a clue about themselves in their name, for instance the word “biceps” is a mod-
ern Latin term with ‘bi’ meaning two whilst ‘cep’ means head. This means that any muscle group that has the word biceps in its name has two parts or “heads” that make up its structure. In the case of the biceps femoris muscle group they are called the biceps femoris short and long heads. Looking at the back of the leg, the biceps femoris short head is on the outside edge, with the larger biceps femoris long head being situated more centrally towards the middle of the back of the upper leg. Hamstrings (correct anatomical names semitendinosis and semimembranosus) are the term given to describe the secondary muscle group on the back of the upper leg. These muscles do not form the main “belly” of the muscles situated in this region, but are the smaller weaker muscles within the group. Looking at the back of the leg, the
semitendinosis and semimembranosus are situated more towards the inside (medial) edge of the back of the leg. They begin (medially) on the inside edge of the biceps femoris long head with the semitendinosis muscle. Going further inwards is where the semimembranosus muscle can be primarily found, leading more towards the very inside edge of the leg next to the gracilis muscle. The hamstrings look similar to long strap-like “belt muscles” running down the back of the inside half of the rear upper leg. In truth, today everyone now calls the muscles at the back of the leg hamstrings, more than possibly following the television coverage of sporting events where commentators affectionately refer to players with injuries to the back of the leg automatically as a suspected “hamstring injury”
Alan Runacres More often than not, it will be a leg bicep (biceps femoris) injury, as this is the main muscle belly which is often very “tight and inflexible” with many sports players who focus large amounts of training and work on the much stronger front thigh muscles, the quadriceps. When we train in the gym, we should focus equal amounts of work onto the weaker leg bicep muscles to prevent these common muscle imbalances. Alan has been WABBA director of training for 14 years.
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REHABILITATION
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People with chronic health conditions in West Yorkshire are being given the chance to get fit thanks to a private GP referral consultancy. Louise Cordell reports.
Tracy shows right way to people with health issues FIT For Life was set up by Tracy Baldwin to provide exercise programmes and lifestyle advice for those with cardiac and respiratory programmes and other health issues. She previously worked in pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation in the NHS and now sees private clients as well as running classes for her local GP referral scheme. Many of her clients have serious conditions like COPD or asthma and need a specialist fitness programme to exercise safely. She said: “I carefully screen everyone who comes to me before taking them on as a client and if any health-related issues come up I will get in touch with their GP to make sure they are happy with the programme. “All the GPs I have spoken to so far have been very helpful and positive about getting their patients involved in a healthier lifestyle.
“Some people particularly like the one-to-one attention and motivation that comes from the private sessions with me, but others like to work in groups and so will be quite happy with the GP referral scheme – it is great for them to have options.” Tracy’s clients also sign a disclaimer stating that they have disclosed all of their medical information honestly and will inform her if anything changes. The groups she deals with include those that have suffered from heart failure, weight management and men’s only groups. Tracy said: “Different conditions and their corresponding medications can all have an impact on the effect the exercises have – so the instructor needs to know about any possible side effects. “For example, a client with a condition like osteoporosis shouldn’t be doing certain
movements and getting up and down off the floor can be a problem for someone with cardiac issues. “Knowing your group is one thing, but remembering all their separate conditions and corresponding limitations is a real challenge – instructors have to be on the ball.” This also means that instructors need to know a wide variety of workout options for each type of exercise, to work around any problems and provide for each member of the class individually. Tracy added: “It is all about keeping people safe, while making sure what you are doing is appropriate and beneficial. Lots of people are scared to exercise if they have a serious condition, so it is great to be able to reassure them that there are lots of ways they can keep fit – they just need to know the right way to do it.”
Tracy Baldwin
A charity gym which runs a successful GP referral programme across Hertfordshire is to install a range of new kit. Halo Leisure, a ‘not for profit’ organisation and charity, will fit a complete range of Matrix Fitness cardiovascular machines in six of its sites. It will be used to provide a variety of classes – including the LIFT (Lifestyle Improvements For Today) GP referral scheme. Kit will also be installed at Leominster Leisure Centre, Ledbury Swimming Pool, Ross Swimming Pool and the Bromyard Centre.
Physiotherapists in gym referral campaign By Lyndsey Smith PHYSIOTHERAPISTS are campaigning to be allowed to refer patients to gyms as part of rehabilitation projects, Workout can reveal. Liz Cavan, chair of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists, believes that exercise referral to gyms and leisure centres would be the next appropiate step in treatment. She added: “Physiotherapists are uniquely placed to refer people and it is a win-win situation for the patient, the physio, and the fitness industry.
“It can prove to be an extremely beneficial link up and needs to be built up from the grassroots. Fitness professionals need to go to the physio department at the hospitals or local clinics, need to go make friends with them and see if this scheme could benefit their area. If they are not coming to you, go to them build up a relationship.” Liz says the scheme has been running in her home country of Northern Ireland for a number of years and has proved extremely successful. “To be honest I thought everyone
was doing it but when I came over here I realised that was not the case. We have run pilot schemes – Over to You – and discovered a number of things, the main one being that trust has to be built up on both sides. “There needs to be communication and training as both parties will be interested but a little wary. Physios in terms of willingness to refer their patient elsewhere and the fitness industry on whether they can cope with a patient’s condition.” There are many types of conditions that can be referred including
post-cardio patients, respiratory rehabilitation, recovery from injuries and long term conditions such as MS or arthritis, with mental health being another important area. Liz believes it can be a really excellent partnership. “When we held our first audit we found that 60 per cent of those referred carried on with some form of physical exercise, something that was suitable for them and we thought that was a pretty good effort for the first three years, and there is no reason if the scheme becomes more widespread, why this cannot continue.”
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The motivational support worker will work with people who have dropped out of the project
Support group looking for Mr (or Mrs) Motivator By Louise Cordell A LIFESTYLE support group is trying to prevent people slipping through the GP referral net by hiring a new motivational officer. The Durham and Chester-le-Street Lifestyle Initiative, which runs the PCT’s exercise referral scheme, is creating a post for a motivational support worker to deal with people who drop out of the project. Melissa Roach, physical activity officer, said: “We are hoping to provide someone who can pick up on those who don’t complete the course, speak to them and find out why they didn’t finish.
“This should allow us to adapt the service we provide and improve our retention rate in the future and will also give us the chance to signpost the client towards some different activities. “This is important because the gym isn’t for everyone and in fact we currently tell our instructors to get in touch with anyone who drops out as soon as possible.
Lifestyles circuit classes which are open to all and two walking programmes, Footsteps to Fitness and Next Steps. People can be referred onto the scheme by any participating health professional, including GPs, social workers, physiotherapists and community mental health teams.
“They can then suggest something different – but just as beneficial.”
They are then assigned to a local leisure centre and a lifestyle officer who will set them up on their fitness programme.
The Initiative also runs several other projects within six local authority leisure centres including Healthy Horizons classes for the over 50s,
The course last for 20 weeks at a cost of £1.50 per session and when completed, the majority take up a full time membership at their club.
Melissa added: “We have at least three GP referral qualified instructors at each of our six leisure sites which allow us to get between 500 and 600 people every year through the programme. “Most people start out having done no exercise at all, so we introduce it slowly and by the end of the programme nearly everyone has significantly increased their activity level. “We also aim to keep improving through questionnaires and have recently increased the availability of session times and decreased the session price – removing what we found were two key barriers.”
Successful referral scheme has a waiting list AN exercise referral scheme in Dundee has been so successful, patients are now facing a four-week waiting list to join up. The ‘Active for Life’ project has been running since 2002 and targets people who are currently inactive but keen to get involved in a fitness programme. Dundee is classed as a deprived area with higher than average unemployment, heart disease, smoking and child obesity rates and the scheme was introduced in an attempt to tackle these issues and encourage people to take up a healthier lifestyle. Patients are referred by health professionals including all of the area’s
28 GPs, as well as health visitors, nurses and pharmacists. However, anyone who wants to become a referrer must attend a two hour training session first as, due to its popularity, it is important the right people are introduced to the project. Mary Colvin, NHS Tayside health promotion programmes manager, said: “We want to make sure that all the referrals made are appropriate so it is important that they know which patients will be suitable and what the scheme involves. “We want to get the right help to the right people, and we are keen to avoid anyone being disappointed and making sure the referrers are well trained helps to achieve this.”
People taking part in the scheme pay £1.50 per session, and they can return for a second 12 week programme for £2 per session. They are then offered the chance to take up a suitable membership package with a local authority gym. There is also an ongoing evaluation programme which has shown good results for almost everyone taking part. Mary added: “Unfortunately only about one third of the referred patients complete the full 12 week course. “We are working on finding out the reasons behind this and it seems to be a combination of factors, from a lack of time or other commitments to low confidence or enthusiasm.”
However, everyone who does complete the course receives a full progress report and this is also sent to the health professional who initially referred them, which encourages further referrals.” In the future the organisation are hoping to introduce separate ‘feeder’ programmes for the Active for Life scheme including smoking cessation and weight management groups. Mary added: “Additional funding would allow us to expand the programme, but until that is available we are working on refining and improving what we do. “The aim is to involve as many people as possible and help them make real and lasting lifestyle changes.”
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CORPORATE
28 London based company Lomax Bespoke Fitness is aiming to get workers healthy with the introduction of its new corporate contracts. Christina Eccles spoke to co-founder Danielle Levy to find out more.
Corporate contracts on the rise ACCORDING to Danielle, corporate contracts are becoming more popular as businesses are starting to see how they benefit employees both inside and outside the workplace. She said allowing staff time out from their working day to take part in personal training sessions is good for their personal health and wellbeing and this is then reflected in their performance and energy levels at work. Danielle said: “We initially started training a couple of hedge fund owners and they saw the benefits which this had for them. We discussed the opportunity of allowing the rest of their staff to have one personal training session per week during the day and the business would allocate the time and cover the cost. They wanted their staff to feel like they were being well taken care of but they also realised that it can help employees to produce better results in work. “This started about six months ago and has organically grown from there – we now service about four companies. “I think corporate training will become more popular over time. We are ambassadors for Transport for London and we did a presentation to a lot of their staff on this. A lot of people look at personal training as a luxury service so this was a chance for us to get involved and reach out to those who may not be able to afford it.” Danielle also said that although gyms could potentially cash in on this boom, there are reasons why they may struggle to do so. She added: “It is about tailoring your business accordingly. But gyms could be limited because it is an actual place where people have to go to. With what we are offering, we can train within the office. There are a lot of reasons why people avoid going to the gym and one of them is because they have to go somewhere else. Training in the workplace takes away that excuse. “I think everyone should do it. Being in the gym can be soul destroying if you don’t know what you are doing. Having an hour face to face specifically for one person means we can give them tips and direction. “It is also good from a business perspective as our business is not about promoting a single trainer but promoting a philosophy through our brand. This scheme helps to drive new business – a lot of our business depends on referral and we have never actually paid for advertising.”
Corporate fitness group Let’s Get Healthy was launched two years ago with the ambitious aim of getting 50,000 of the country’s employees working out. Louise Cordell reports.
Maria’s aim to get staff working out MARIA Bourke saw the success of corporate wellness programmes in America and decided to launch Let’s Get Healthy in the UK. Clients have ranged from government offices and police forces to city banks and call centres, using a 12 month tailored programme to promote a healthier lifestyle. Maria said: “In the US, companies tend to pay their employees’ health insurance, so they have a vested interest in keeping them healthy. “I saw that corporate fitness programmes could increase morale, reduce absence and attrition and improve productivity but in this country, despite the government focus on health, there was not really a solution with a broad appeal.” The company aims to provide a way forward for businesses who want to get their employees on the first step to health, but don’t know where to start. Staff fill in a lifestyle questionnaire and take part in a health check which helps to pinpoint where the workplace’s main health issues are. A programme is tailored to the company and focusses on specific problem areas. Four leaders from Let’s Get Healthy are on site for two days a month, running sessions on everything from nutrition and stress to exercise and posture. A set of workplace health champions – employees who will be able to continue running the scheme at the end of the year – are also trained up. Classes take 20 minutes, so they can fit into breaks, lunchtimes or at the end of a shift – many employers give staff time off specifically for the programme. Maria said: “We do everything we can to make sure that people take part, from reorganising schedules to making our exercise classes ‘work clothes friendly’ so that people don’t have to get changed. “It seems to work, as one company told us that on the two days a month we visit they have no absences at all – everyone turns up to take part, which is great. “Other long terms clients have told us that the reduction in employees taking time off sick means that the scheme pays for itself, and the staff themselves report more energy and enthusiasm for their work in just a few days.” Let’s Get Healthy has also had gym instructors and managers attending its programmes to learn new ways of engaging people, and reaching potential customers that may not have been
Maria Bourke and Ed Balls
Echo-U in Newcastle attending posture sessions attracted to gyms before. Maria added: “The reason people come to us is because they see us as less intimidating option. “We don’t have any fancy equipment and the exercises we do are very much entry level, we start off small, so they feel comfortable coming along. “It doesn’t take long to build their confidence up and they can then think about progressing to a more mainstream fitness programmes. “We are hoping to link up with more gym managers and produce joint programmes, especially for those employees who already have a basic level of fitness and want to progress faster.” Would corporate fitness be a possiblity for your gym? Send your comments to Nicola Hyde at 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS or email her at nl@whpl.net.
Employees join up to get healthy EMPLOYEES at Liverpool company Vertex joined up to the Let’s Get Healthy scheme last month. The customer management firm in Knowsley wanted to help its staff get fitter after research was released showing that local people’s health was below the national average. Figures showed an increased rate of hospital stays related to alcohol, early deaths from heart disease and stroke and a death rate from smoking that was among the worst in England.
However, staff have now taken part in health checks including blood pressure, hydration and cholesterol and are getting involved in activities from pedometer challenges to nutrition sessions. Pete Collins, Vertex’s head of operations, said: “The wellbeing of our employees is really important to us. “So much so, that we are being proactive in offering our support to those who may feel uncomfortable doing exercise, and want to be more active but aren’t sure how
to start. By bringing the health element into our operation, contact centre advisers and team leaders alike can feel supported in their approach to becoming more active and we may even help towards the agenda of tackling health inequalities in the local area.” So far 12 members of staff at Vertex have joined the Let’s Get Healthy ‘workplace health champion’ training programme and over 180 employees a day have attended each day of activities.
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WOMEN
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Barnsley Premier Leisure was set up to allow the local community access to sporting and leisure facilities. Christina Eccles paid a visit to discover what its venues are doing to support women and families.
Ladies first ... at the Metrodome THE organisation looks after 11 local venues – with the biggest being the Metrodome Leisure Complex in Barnsley town centre – and about 4,500 members. Health and well being manager Kevan Riggett says the key to achieving success across the board is looking after members – something which also helps with retention. As part of this ethos, BPL has developed a number of ways to support pre and post natal women and their families, which Kevan feels strongly that other gyms should also provide. He explained: “By working with organisations such as Fit for the Future and listening to the experiences of mothers and fathers, we realised we needed to change in order to improve our service. There was a big market that we were not tapping into. “More gyms should be doing this especially in voluntary sector leisure centres. We can’t compete with the bigger chains so need to work on retention. Voluntary organisations struggle to compete in the private sector so they need to start thinking outside the box.” After consultations with trainers and their midwife and GP, pregnant members are encouraged to exercise and join in with the gym, swimming facilities or classes. There are even dedicated classes for pregnant women in aquacise and
Pilates. Kevan said the secret to making pregnant women comfortable in the gym environment is by making sure staff are fully trained to deal with their needs and can provide any relevant information. He added: “Exercise is very positive for both mother and baby. Our ethos is all staff are trained and encouraged to go to seminars to keep constantly up to date and aware. Your staff are the front line people who need to have the knowledge and information to take care of mother and child.” BPL has also overhauled its changing areas to make sure they are accessible to parent and child and that includes dads as well as mums. “We were having the changing rooms redesigned and as a single dad myself, I was annoyed at the poor facilities that fathers had for bringing their children into leisure centres. We have introduced baby changing facilities in all of our cubicles and toilets and also in our male changing facilities. We looked at what facilities could be improved for both mother and father. “It is far easier to keep customers who are happy than to spend money on marketing tools. “The biggest retention tool you can possibly have is to love your customers.”
Top tips for gym owners
The gym at the Metrodome
KEVAN’S top tips for gym owners wanting to introduce pre and post natal facilities: Staff training is a key issue. Make sure staff are trained in this area and attend regular seminars. Contact organisations such as FitPro for information and advice. Work towards breastfeeding awards – which BPL sites are already accredited with. Introduce baby changing facilities in all cubicles and toilets, including male changing facilities. If you have swimming facilities contact the Swimming Teachers’ Association to deliver a full aquacise training programme.
Kevan Riggett
Women and sport: an uneasy alliance? Andrée Deane comments on why teenage girls are so at risk from lack of exercise and what health clubs and leisure centres can do to encourage them. WOMEN and sport have not always had an easy relationship. Revealing gym knickers, punishing hockey fields, the general lack of encouragement for girls to get stuck in to sport and exercise; all of this means the situation has become hazardous. Over 80 per cent of women do not do enough physical activity to benefit their health. In the health and fitness industry we are ideally placed to remedy this. And there are plenty of examples of how this can be beneficial to bottom lines. Women only clubs have been
springing up all over the place. Independent operators have long been innovating in this area and tailoring their offers to women. Curves operate 9000 clubs worldwide; DC Leisure opened their first women only club in Malden in September and Fitness First operates 11 women only clubs across the UK. For mixed facilities there is still plenty you can do; offering girls only classes or girls only afternoons and using female role models all help. But it’s also vital to get to the root of what motivates young women. By
tapping into their concerns and aspiration will mean you can effectively convert them to healthy and fit lifestyles. First of all, young women are likely to be particularly concerned with how they look, as this unfortunately tends to be how society judges them. This can mean a great deal of selfconsciousness around the clothing worn during exercise, perspiration, spoiling hair and makeup during exercise. Try to create an environment in which women can feel less self conscious and learn that exercise can be a positive experience in which they can still feel attractive. This may mean restricting the amount of mirrors in your studios (women generally do not like watching themselves exercise) and you should also consid-
er that windows and doors that would allow outsider to ‘watch’ could also inhibit movement. Building relationships with other members is also key to increasing confidence and providing young women with a perfect excuse for continuing to come to the club. Perhaps you could design your classes to facilitate engagement and get people chatting, encourage group activity, or create buddy schemes. Make sure praise and encouragement is a key part of the process, perhaps even offering rewards and incentives to attend or reach a target. Without doubt the current economic climate is forcing us all to work that bit harder to encourage and retain members. Making your club female friendly will almost certainly pay off.
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NUTRITION
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Nutrition developments presented to universities By Lyndsey Smith SPORTS science universities across the country have been presented with the latest developments in nutrition after visits from The Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI). Run in conjunction with the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES), the sessions were led by Dr Jeff Zachwieja, research fellow and GSSI scientist, with his presentation – Nutrition for muscle function during and after exercise. The tour included visits to Leeds Metropolitan University, Sheffield Hallam, the University of Birmingham, St Mary’s College University, Brunel University and the University of Bath. Dr James Betts, lecturer at Bath, said: “I felt the talk provided a really current account of the state of scientific understanding regarding sports nutrition.” Dr Zachwieja added: “The tour was a huge success as it gave us the opportunity to interact directly with the future leaders in sports science. “It was great to visit so many leading sports science departments and to see the work that is being undertaken in the UK.”
Teresa Doherty has been involved in the fitness industry for 25 years. For 16 of those she has lectured on nutrition, and worked as a nutritional therapist. Lyndsey Smith found out more.
Nutritionist branches out into Green Apple FOLLOWING the decision by Reading College to cut its nutrition courses, lecturer Teresa was inspired to start up her own business. She launched Green Apple: The Nutrition Specialists just over a year ago and says working as a fitness instructor for LA Fitness, Burnham and David Lloyd, High Wycombe, allows her to offer nutritional support to members, after an initial 90minute consultation. She said: “This discussion enables me to really get to know the person and I can track their health throughout their life, including health concerns, family history, diet and lifestyle, past and present health, food and fluid intake, medication and physical activity. “I prescribe a diet plan looking at various food groups and structure guidelines for these with some restricted or removed altogether. “We take into consideration what the member wants and what we feel they need and we can focus on understanding and treating underlying issues, and once assessed we can set realistic goals that fit into their
lifestyles.” A supplementation plan can also be offered, starting with a low dose and working up. Members are reviewed every six to eight weeks and Teresa feels it is vital to show the important link between nutrition and exercise. She added: “The two go hand in hand. How many people do we see that go to the gym constantly but remain the same shape? That to me says there is obviously something else wrong. “We need to give people the skills to change their lives and educate through teaching not telling, promoting healthy eating, healthy lifestyle, exercise and fitness.” Nutritionists are as important to the gym environment as any other professional according to Teresa and it is her goal to see more of them within the health and fitness industry. “You see gyms with physiotherapists, beauty therapists but never nutritionists which is an important component and can really help a person’s overall well being. “Smaller gyms that don’t have a massive budget can still offer their
Teresa Doherty members nutritional advice – they can build in tips to newsletters or on a webpage. “I have done presentations like these in the clubs I work in and would like to branch out as I feel what we do is important.”
Trainer Anthony to launch e-book By Mary Ferguson A BARNSLEY personal trainer is using the internet to expand his business by launching an e-book. Anthony Chapman wrote ‘Seven Steps to Fat Loss Every Ten Days’ following six years of teaching his clients about nutrition and is in the process of setting up a website to promote the product. He told Workout he came up with the idea in July and has so far spent £700 on research. He said: “I was looking at ways of expanding my business and thought of opening another studio, but the overheads would be too much. “So I decided to look into the successful American trainers and how they make their money – and they all seemed to do it online. “So many diets are aimed at middle aged women but this book teaches healthy eating to everyone, especially young people. “It’s about encouraging them to take responsibility for their health.” Anthony is also planning to set up another website that offers ‘virtual’ personal training packages, where people pay for daily tasks and tips to be sent via email, including exercise videos and nutrition help. Because the daily contact is automatic – and customers won’t be able
Anthony Chapman to contact Anthony personally – it gives him more time to spend with clients in his studio. “The fitness industry in America seems to utilise online technology a lot and although there are quite a few e-books written by trainers in the UK, most people aren’t doing it successfully.” He added: “Ultimately I’m trying to build a lifestyle business, but I think there will always be a place for a ‘real life’ personal trainer – you just can’t get the commitment any other way.”
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NUTRITION
Gyms failing to get best results by ignoring the importance of nutrition By Mary Ferguson GYMS must take more interest in their members’ nutrition if they are to boost retention and attract new business, it has been warned. Simon Lovell, personal trainer and author of The Lunchbox Diet, told Workout that operators are failing to get the best results for their members by ignoring the importance of diet when it comes to losing weight and increasing fitness. He said: “In this economic time when people may be hesitating when it comes to joining a gym, nutrition is of paramount importance. When people come through the door, whether you are a small independent or a big chain, the persons nutrition needs need to be taken care of just as much as their exercise needs.” Simon said gym owners need to start thinking differently when it comes to promoting personal training and that nutrition can help. “Free consultations with personal trainers is very old hat and peo-
Simon Lovell ple see through that now. But if you give out a food diary to a member when they sign up and ask them to fill it in for a week – then incorporate the analysis into the session – it shows you care. “It also helps develop a bond between the trainer and member, meaning they are more likely to take up their services.”
He also suggests holding nutrition seminars for members and even putting on cooking demonstrations. “Gym owners could charge extra for nutrition sessions but if they included them free it would attract more members. “They could link up with a local nutritionist who could deliver the seminar for free then try to sell their services to members afterwards, meaning it works for both sides.” Simon believes that long term, nutrition has an impact on retention but all operators think about at the moment is getting people through the door. “Knowledge is a huge problem, especially for smaller gyms who only have a handful of staff. It’s worth investing in basic nutrition training and it will pay off.” He added: “The independents need to dig deep and look at different ways to boost business. Nutrition is so often a second thought for operators but it’s massively important when it comes to attracting and keeping members.”
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Huge appetite for lunchbox diet idea SIMON has devised his own nutrition plan, launched in the new year, which is set to kick-start his media career. The Lunchbox Diet consists of the follower eating a balanced breakfast and dinner, then ‘grazing’ on a lunchbox during the day. The box should contain lots of fresh vegetables and protein and the amount of carbohydrate varies depending on how active the person is. The diet has received lots of media coverage so far and Simon has been screen-tested to become the fitness expert for a prime-time TV programme. He said he discovered the diet by accident, when working with his clients: “As a personal trainer, my day is split into hourly sessions so I used to take a lunchbox to work to pick from during the day. When my clients asked how I ate, I put together the basics in a three-page document and suddenly people were coming up to me at parties telling me they’d lost loads of weight on my ‘diet’. “So I published it on my website and it was picked up by national newspapers and women’s magazines, as well as the American media. Then five of the biggest publishers in the UK fought it out and I got a deal with Harper Collins.” He added: “I think the diet will gain the respect of the fitness industry too because of how healthy it is. It’s been an amazing journey.”
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UK FITNESS SCENE
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Gym hoping to increase female numbers A GYM in Normanton is hoping to increase its number of female members following a £200,000 refurbishment. The Fitness Zone, owned by Paul Wombwell and Mark Kelly, have almost doubled the size of the facility after purchasing a derelict building behind their existing premises. This has allowed a larger ladies only section to be developed and Paul said: “The thing with bodybuilders and weightlifters is they don’t promote the gym. “Don’t get me wrong they are our main member base and it is great for business that they come and use the facility. “We even have one of our own instructors in training for competition but the fact is they are interested in coming and doing their own specific training. It is very self-disciplined. “Women talk a lot more. They will come here and then hopefully go tell their friends and word of mouth promotion is what we want.” The refurbishment – carried out by Fitness Systems – has incorporated a new cardiovascular room and studio, and there are plans to begin grappling, cage fighting, mixed martial arts and boxing. Paul is hoping they can begin to compete with bigger gyms in surrounding areas such as Fitness First, Bannatynes and Greenes. He added: “You can go to the bigger chains and pay £50 a month and we are trying to offer facilities as good for half the price. “The only way we could have even started to be on a par is by having this refurbishment. It sounds like a lot to pay out but we are sure it will be worthwhile.”
Richard Crow
Members shed pounds to raise charity cash By Louise Cordell AN INDEPENDENT gym owner has made a splash in the local paper after launching a sponsored diet to raise money for charity. Richard Crow, of New Era Gym in Skegness, came up with the scheme after losing a close friend to cancer and has been working hard to get members involved. He said: “The idea seemed to make sense because people are always trying to lose weight in January anyway – so why not support a good cause while you are doing it? “People don’t need to be a member to get involved but we are supplying everyone with diet plans and exercise programmes free of charge to help them reach their goal weight. “There is no time pressure on people - we want them to slim in a healthy way – but hopefully it will result in a steady stream of donations to the Anthony Nolan Trust throughout the year.” The newspaper is planning on following the participants’ progress over the next few months with diet diaries and success stories from those taking part.
Richard has also come up with a range of other ideas to help keep members happy and attract new customers. Before the club was even open he had set up a Facebook networking site to get local people excited about the development which led to over 100 sign ups within the first week of opening. He said: “I wanted the club to work for everyone, so I decided to keep the Powerzone strength equipment downstairs to create a men’s area and the Service Sport cardio stations on our second floor. “A lot of women had also told me that they would rather work out in private, so I created a ladies only section to help them feel more comfortable.” Another popular idea has been the introduction of a Tradesman’s Corner in the club, where any members who run a local business can leave their business cards. Anyone who attends the gym can then get a discount on their services and the tradesmen benefit from more local business. Richard added: “The idea is that both parties end up with more
New Era Gym money than they would otherwise – which they can then put towards their gym membership. “It is all part of our main aim, which is to create a corporate quality club, but with a real community atmosphere.”
No cost, high return marketing – publicity By Dave Wright, Creative Fitness Marketing MEDIA exposure is considered the most effective method of marketing a business for three basic reasons: No cost, high value: Unlike all other marketing, the exposure is free. Instant credibility: The public believe that marketing that has been paid for means that someone is trying to sell you something. And although there is nothing wrong with this, it’s likened to the fact that third party credibility is going to say a lot more than what you say about yourself. The media is actually considered a trustworthy and unbiased representation of the events in the community and to be mentioned for the right reasons ads instant credibility. Huge reach: Although alerting local consumers to your services is a great and often immediately
rewarding reason to go after media exposure, you can also market yourself and declare your expertise to a worldwide audience such as world wide journals or TV. Now that we understand why this method is so good, the next step is to work with a press release to get it. A press release is a document that alerts the media to your services or message that you are hoping will be reported about. Here are some basic tips for writing an effective press release: Have an interesting topic: Don’t go blatantly promoting your business your story needs to be newsworthy. A member who has lost two stone might not cut the mustard, however if the member had lost their job in the credit crunch, put on weight, then lost the two stone and ended up getting a job in a fitness centre, it has a story to it. Present your take on the matter:
Be innovative and provide a fresh piece for the media to consider. Think outside the box when putting your ideas together- think of what you would find interesting in the paper if it was not your business. Keep it short: A good press release is an outline. Use short paragraphs with the right grammar and don’t ramble on too much. Try to keep to the main points but exciting enough so that they keep coming back for more. Create a media list: Keep all your local contacts on file and don’t be scared to keep sending through press releases via email or fax. When your press release is published then you can hold onto that and use that in your brochures, on your website and display in your gym. The great thing about it is that it can relatively timeless and can be used as a credibility establisher for many years to come.
Dave Wright
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CLASSIFIED EQUIPMENT
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