Workout March 2014 by Script Media

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March 2014

The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazine

Group award to debut on NFAs’ Leicester return By Christina Eccles THE 2014 National Fitness Awards will be held at The Athena in Leicester on Friday November 28, Workout can reveal, and nominations are now open for this year’s awards. The awards, now in their fifth year, recognise achievement and excellence in all corners of the fitness industry and are organised by Script Events in partnership with Workout. Categories reward the great work going on in clubs around the country, with awards up for grabs including regional gym of the year and trophies for individuals such as gym based personal trainer and member achievement. New for 2014 is Group Exercise Gym of the Year; designed to recognise the valuable part classes can play in the running of a successful club. For this category, judges will be looking to see evidence of a comprehensive group exercise timetable, the ability to tap into new trends and any specialist qualifications held by staff, as well as conducting on site surveys of what members think about your group exercise offering. The awards are free to enter and criteria and nomination forms for all categories can be found on the dedicated website

www.nationalfitnessawards.co.uk Once nominations close later this year, the Workout team will cover thousands of miles to visit each shortlisted club, before passing comprehensive reports to our expert panel of judges, who will be revealed in a future issue of the magazine. Trophies will then be handed out at a glittering ceremony at The Athena, which last held the event in 2012, acting as a spectacular end of year industry party. Event director Judith Halkerston said: “We are absolutely delighted to be going back to Leicester. Of all the venues we have visited so far, the awards night at The Athena received the most compliments and when we were looking for this year's and gathering opinion and suggestions, it was the name that kept popping up again and again. “It is a fantastic place and with a larger capacity this time we are sure this is going to be a night to remember once again for the whole industry. “Thanks again to all of our sponsors, including our headline sponsor ServiceSport, who have supported us since the very first year. “And a big shout-out to all gyms to get your nominations in – we love hearing about all the great things that are going on in all corners of the UK.”

No 246 £3

Awards to recognise exceptional lifeguards

Sky Sports News presenter and keen sportswoman Kirsty Gallacher has been named as one of the official ambassadors for the UK’s only female consumer exhibition dedicated to women’s health, fitness and nutrition. Highlights of Be:Fit London will include free fitness classes, inspirational talks and the chance to discover the latest fitness trends and fashions. Kirsty will be formally opening the show, which takes place at Old Billingsgate, in association with The Telegraph, from March 28- 30. For full story see page 5.

EXCEPTIONAL pool lifeguards and exemplary pool safety will be recognised at this year’s Royal Life Saving Society UK and IQL UK National Awards – and there is still time to nominate an individual or leisure facility for an award. Nominations for Pool Lifeguard, Pool Trainer Assessor and Approved Training Centre of the Year have been gaining momentum since January and entries are being accepted until March 28. Executive director at IQL UK Tara Dillon said: “We’ve had a fantastic response for nominations so far and we’re looking forward to building on the success of last year’s event by exceeding the number of entries received in 2014. Our annual awards are vitally important to the aquatics professionals as they draw attention to the valuable contribution lifeguards make to the safety of pool users and also raise awareness of the need for water safety and water safety awareness. We are all very excited as this year is set to be even bigger and better than last year.”

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Members dance way to fitness By Christina Eccles A LADIES only gym in Sunderland has been helping members dance their way to fitness after its owner saw the first Fitsteps’ training days advertised in Workout – and decided to bring the concept to her club. Debra de Luen, who owns Club Zest, spotted the advert last year when the dance craze, which has been devised by Strictly Come Dancing professionals Natalie Lowe and Ian Waite and Olympic swimmer Mark Foster, had first launched. The concept caught her eye and Debra and a colleague hopped on a plane to Bristol to attend the first ever official instructor day. Since then Debra has been achieving great success with Fitsteps; teaching three classes a week at the club, which are all at full capacity of 20 people with a waiting list, and an additional class in a local school hall, which has attracted as many as 55 participants. She explained: “It’s now probably taken over as our busiest dance class. “People who like Zumba like the Latin tracks, but we’ve also found some people who tried Zumba and didn’t like it, love the ballroom side of things. And even if you can’t get it straight away, with Fitsteps, you still feel elegant and as though you are really dancing. “Overall people don’t realise how hard they are working. They very much feel like they are doing something they enjoy.” The classes are open to both members, who pay £1.50 per class and non members, who pay £3.50 per session and Debra added that they are being enjoyed by a mix of both. She added: “I’m not a trained dancer, but I’ve taught Zumba and other classes and learned ballroom and Latin as a child.

Debra with Fitsteps’ founders Natalie Lowe and Ian Waite. “It was a real passion and I thought it would be fantastic for me – and that my members would love the ballroom side as well.” As well as teaching the classes, Debra is also part of the Fitsteps UK training team, which she said has also been a great experience. She added: “For me, the biggest advantage as a club owner is that it’s a lovely way to switch off from work and dance. Whenever there is an instructor day in the North East, Scotland and Ireland, I work for the master trainer helping people learn the moves. “It’s brilliant and it’s been really exciting to be part of something from the initial stages and watch it grow. “If I hadn’t seen the advert in Workout, I wouldn’t be having this amazing experience.”

Dancing on Ice star Ray Quinn has been spotted training for skating success at a top independent gym. Ray recently went down to Krunch Gym in Waltham Abbey where he did a workout and filmed scenes in the club, which were then shown on the hit ITV show. Owner Neale Cranwell told Workout the club was recommended after the show’s film crew were on the look out for a funky, well known gym and Krunch fitted the bill. He added: “Ray has got really into training and loved training in a real gym.”

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Christian Thomson

Former world champ opens gym FORMER kickboxing world champion Christian Thomson is opening a new gym in London later this month, which will specialise in High Intensity Interval Training. HiiT Studios has been billed as a club where sports meets science and will offer over 200 classes per week, specialist cardio and free weights zones and the latest in science, including live blood analysis. Christian said: “HiiT Studios is founded on the principle that all

patrons should be able to train like an athlete. That is why we have spared no expense when kitting out the gym with top of the line equipment from Keiser. “That being said, we all lead such busy lives and struggle to fit everything in. “This is why HiiT Studios will, amongst other classes, specialise in HIIT training, which will allow our patrons to fit in a high intensity cardio blast into a 20-minute session.”

Be-Fit dedicated to female fitness By Christina Eccles EXCITING plans have been unveiled for Be:Fit London, a three-day show dedicated to female fitness, health and nutrition, which takes place in the capital from March 28-30. The exhibition is being supported by celebrity ambassadors Kirsty Gallacher, Denise Lewis, Victoria Pendleton and Jodie Kidd, and will include a range of activities, inspiring talks and a first look at the latest industry fashions and trends. Highlights of the show will include: Free fitness classes in a specially built studio with leading fitness experts including Nike’s global yoga ambassador Leah Kim. Talks from top industry experts including athletes and health conscious celebrities, such as Denise Lewis and Dr Christy Fergusson, covering health, nutrition and fitness as well as complimentary health checks. The chance to discover the latest trends from brands including Lorna Jane and luxe skincare names like Kinetic and Pretty Athletic. A dedicated nutrition area offering a wide range of healthy snacks, drinks and advice on healthy eating. Show and brand manager Leigh Fergus said: “We are delighted that Kirsty Gallacher, Denise Lewis OBE, Victoria Pendleton CBE and Jodie Kidd were keen to be ambassadors for

Denise Lewis OBE Be:Fit London this year. “They are fantastic role models for all women who aspire to get fit and healthy. Additionally, we are thrilled by the incredible experts and exciting brands that we have on board this year. They will all make this a quality, fun and inspirational visitor experience.” Previously known as The Vitality Show, Be:Fit London has annually attracted 30,000 women and after launching at the Business Design Centre in 1999, the show has continued to grow, showcasing some of the biggest brands in the health, beauty and wellbeing sector.

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Manager creates recruitment site to get right staff By Christina Eccles AN independent gym manager who was struggling to find the right staff has created the perfect solution to his problem – by setting up his own recruitment website to help himself and others. Mark Robinson from Emperors Health Club in York came up with the idea of www.viamia.co.uk, billing it as the country’s newest job site for the health and fitness industry. He explained: “From my experience of running a small independent health club I have always found the recruitment process one of my most challenging roles. “The major problem being, because we are a small company with a limited budget, we always struggle to find the perfect staff simply because we could not afford to continually advertise with specialist sites or recruiters. “This is where I had the idea to create my own job site specifically for the independent clubs in our industry.” According to Mark, the site’s main selling points include: It has an online application system – so everything is paper free. Recruiters only have to pay one annual fee, rather than paying separately for each job they post. Everyone can benefit from a free trial. Training providers can also use the

Mark Robinson site to post details of their courses. The site has only been up and running for a few weeks but is already providing popular with operators looking to recruit new staff. Up to now, Mark has posted details of current vacancies at Emperors, while low cost chain Xercise4Less has also come on board. The site is also being promoted via social media and Mark is now looking to spread the word further over the next few months to encourage more clubs – and jobseekers – to sign up.

A Les Mills Sh’BAM class.

Try a new Les Mills group class GROUP fitness provider Les Mills will be giving delegates at active-net 2014 the chance to try out three new classes at the event. On the evening of April 30, Les Mills will be running two group sessions for delegates; GRIT will offer an intense 30-minute interval training challenge, while Sh’BAM will feature a 45-minute dance inspired workout. The following morning, active-net attendees will have the opportunity to

try out the more sedate Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates workout, BODYBALANCE. active-net event director Mike Hill said: “It’s great that the world’s leading group exercise provider has decided to showcase some of their classes at the first ever active-net event. “It’s really important to combine an intensive networking event with the opportunity to let off some steam and do some exercise, so we’re thrilled Les Mills will be joining us.”

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Leisure company awarded Investors in People status A SOCIAL enterprise company behind some of the most popular sports, leisure and entertainment complexes in Cheshire West and Chester has achieved a national business accolade. Brio Leisure, which manages venues including The EPIC Leisure Centre in Ellesmere Port, has been awarded Investors In People status for its “continuous improvement” and “employee development.” Investors in People specialist Alan Morris reviewed the company’s business operations and performance and congratulated the Brio team on their achievement. He added: “The Standard represents

a true commitment to employees and demonstrates a solid foundation of good practice which remains challenging and aspirational for many organisations.” Picture shows: Alan Morris, Investors In People assessor; Coun Bob Crompton (chair of the Brio board) Elly McFahn (Brio managing director). In the background, left to right: Ian Connolly (staff director) Peter Overmeer (board member) Paul Donovan (board member) Mike Hobday (resource manager) Janet Hyde (HR business partner) Arthur Jones (operations manager) and Anthony Annakin-Smith (board member).

Latest kit installed at 37° A HEALTH and fitness club located in the heart of London has undergone a makeover – and is now home to the latest kit from Star Trac. 37°, Tower Bridge has installed equipment including treadmills, cross trainers and bikes from the e-series cardio range, the Concept2 Rower, eSpinners and a number of TreadClimbers. Sales and marketing manager at 37° Rebecca Terrell said: “We’re the biggest gym in the area and we also

strive to be the best, which is why we provide our members with the most cutting-edge equipment. We are proud to say that 37°, Tower Bridge now holds the most TreadClimbers in the UK. Our philosophy is that exercise and activity are essential to a healthy, balanced lifestyle and, as our members tend to be very busy professionals, our fitness offer has to be inspiring and motivating.” 37° is part of a chain of three clubs, which are independently owned.

Centre’s facilities attracting visitors from across the UK FACILITIES at the Metrodome are attracting visitors from all over the country, according to research by operator Barnsley Premier Leisure. The figures show people are travelling from as far north as Edinburgh and from Brighton in the south to visit the centre, firmly positioning it among the best in the country. The data comes from the Calypso Cove Water Park and Metrodome Bowling website ticket bookings, measured from the 2013 school summer holidays onwards. In addition to the website data, sales in general show that the Water Park

has welcomed more than 280,000 people to the venue since the start of 2013. Chief executive of BPL Tim Wilson said: “2013 was a great year for BPL and Barnsley as a whole as we attracted people from right across the UK to visit the region. “It’s fantastic that the top class leisure facilities offered in the town are being recognised. “As we go forward we are always looking at ways to further develop and improve our leisure facilities for both our customers and fitness members.”

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Legacy Games wins Inspired accolade

A fitness instructor from West Sussex is calling on members of the public to challenge themselves for charity by walking 100k for Blind Veterans UK. Nikki Bailey is completing the charity’s annual London-to-Brighton walk to raise money to support blind and vision impaired veterans. She will be completing the walk, which will kick off in Putney on June 21, in memory of her grandfather, Charles Yonwin Cartwright, who served in a bomb disposal unit during the Second World War.

AN innovative project which aims to bridge the gap between schools, experts, communities and operators has been awarded the coveted Inspired by 2012 mark. The Legacy Games project, devised and delivered jointly by Fit for Sport and Everyone Active, has achieved the accolade from the Cabinet Office, awarded to organisations working in a range of areas – including sport, education and culture – for projects and events inspired by the London 2012 Games and their legacy. The aim of the Legacy Games is to have 500,000 under 16s engaged and active, and their key objective is to inspire and motivate youngsters to become active for their health, not just for competitive sport. Legacy Games days invite primary school children to take part, with up to 10 local schools and 1,000 children coming together to enjoy a free day of community sport. The children work in small groups to learn new skills and activities and the day ends with a series of races. The teachers accompany their pupils and by taking part learn new ways to work with the children to help continue an inspiring pro-

Gymnast Beth Tweddle gets local children warmed up at The Legacy Games. gramme of activity back at school. Everyone Active South East regional director Duncan Jefford said: “Inspired by 2012 is a brand that will reinforce our programme. “Children are at the heart of the London 2012 legacy and we are committed to delivering this promise. We realised very early on that partnerships with like-minded organisations would make our vision become a reality.” CEO and founder of Fit for Sport Dean Horridge added: “We are delighted to have been awarded the ‘Inspired by 2012’ mark and be recognised for our Legacy Games

project. Our partnership works in harmony with local councils who are also keen to engage youngsters in a healthy lifestyle. “Legacy Games days aren’t about playing sport at a competitive level; they are about engaging youngsters in an activity they enjoy in the hope they will continue to lead an active lifestyle into adulthood.” Three successful Legacy Games days have already been held in Carshalton, Watford and Harrow and seven more are booked for 2014 at Basildon, Ealing, Plymouth, Redcar, Havering, Brent and St Albans.

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Welcome to WorkOut Weigh In – it’s your chance to have your say and share your views on industry issues. You can email us at ce@scriptmedia.co.uk or you can message us on Facebook or Twitter.

This month’s top Tweets... @fitnessgarageuk: Thanks to @ChristinaEccles for sending our @WorkOutUK fantastic write-up! We just need you down here for a workout!

Over on our Facebook page, love was in the air in honour of Valentine’s Day, and we posted a lovely story about a couple from Barnsley who met at their local gym and are now engaged. Love blossomed for Scott Briggs and Olivia Thompson after they met at Fitness Flex Metrodome and the pair are now planning their wedding for May 2015. Anyone else found love at the gym? Or are you a club which has a similar story about your members? Get in touch and let us know.

@FitnessFlexGym: Hey @WorkOutUK we love you you know, we love that you're always fresh and fascinating! X #Valentine #barnsleyisbrill #gymlove

Editor’s Comment @Ollie_Upton: Great @BodyPower Expo invitation for gym managers/ owners in this month’s @WorkOutUK @TGO_ OutdoorGyms: @WorkOutUK thanks for the great article on TGO on page 45 @JacobsladderUK: Owners looking to invest in the next CV kit have seen our advert in @WorkOutUK Find out more about #Jacobsladder on http://www.futurefitness.uk.net @spiritfitnessuk: Good to see a feature on Pink Ladies Northampton in Feb's issue of @WorkOutUK. They will be getting two more treadmills Friday :) @TwistDrinks: Awesome review of Twist in this month's edition of @WorkOutUK magazine! @FitnessAwards: Looking forward to revealing some exciting news about the 2014 NFAs in the next issue of @WorkOutUK! @daldhaliwalPT: Great chatting to @WorkOutUK magazine today. Look forward to seeing my story in the March edition. @sweateeslondon: Have you seen ‘FIGHT’ Breast Cancer #gymvest in @WorkOutUK? Gyms and trainers keen to support and promote get in touch!

ALTHOUGH it only seems like yesterday we were at the 2013 National Fitness Awards in Manchester, we’re really excited to reveal details of this year’s event this issue – and open nominations for the 2014 awards. Year on year, we are delighted with the success of the NFAs and the standard of entries we receive; it’s great to see so much good work going on in clubs all around the country and we’re confident this year the standard will be equally as impressive – if not more so – than what we’ve seen in previous years. We’re also thrilled to be going back to The Athena in Leicester, which looked after us so well in 2012, for our

awards’ evening – make sure you get Friday November 28 in your diaries – and to launch a new category – Group Exercise Gym of the Year. Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing your entries for that one and I may even find some inspiration for future ‘Challenge Christina’ features. In other news this month, we have been finding out the secrets of several successful independent gyms. These include a ladies only club owner in the North East who has found a great niche with her Fitsteps classes; a Scottish club’s popular weight loss scheme, which is helping to keep the gym firmly in the local news, and a Lancashire health club

backing a group of inspirational members on their epic charity challenge. Hopefully their stories will give you some inspiration and ideas of things you could try in your club – and if you are already doing something exciting you would like to share with Workout readers – as always let us know. Good luck with your National Fitness Awards’ entries – all the details you need to know can be found at www.nationalfitness awards.co.uk – and keep checking the website, Twitter and Facebook for more exciting updates on the event throughout the month. Enjoy the issue! Christina Eccles

This month’s hot topic:

Do gyms have a duty to promote positive body image to the public? What can staff do to make members feel more confident – and how are you achieving this in your club? Send your answers to ce@scriptmedia.co.uk or contact us via Twitter or Facebook. We’ll print the best responses next issue.

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The ‘Biggest Loser’ group celebrate their weight loss (above) at the refurbished Think Fitness 4 Less in Hawick, which now has new Technogym equipment and MyZone technology.

Event and new kit get gym’s year off to a successful start By Christina Eccles A LONG standing Scottish independent gym has had a successful start to 2014; with the return of a popular weight loss competition and the introduction of new equipment both going down well with the local community. A group of 10 people are currently taking part in Think Fitness 4 Less’ ‘biggest loser’ competition, where they benefit from free exercise sessions and diet advice from experts at the club, with the aim of losing weight and improving their fitness levels and overall health. Anyone interested in taking part could enter before Christmas via a local newspaper competition, with the entrants invited to come to the

club for an interview before the lucky 10 were chosen. The paper will be tracking their progress and profiling members of the group each week until the contest ends in May – also keeping the club in the limelight throughout that period and helping them to educate local people on the benefits of exercise. Co-owner Greg Dalgleish explained: “This is the third year we have run the competition and the local paper back it. “They include a full page every second week with everyone’s picture and weight, and between those weeks, posts on an individual taking part. “After the (latest) weigh the group have lost a combined 11 stone, threequarters. Amazing.” This year, the competition has been

enhanced with the use of MyZone belts. Each participant was required to buy one before the programme started and Greg says using them has given the group a ‘massive boost’ as they can easily track their activity levels and progress. At the end of the contest, a winner will be crowned who will benefit from a year’s free membership to the Hawick-based club as their prize. Everyone who has taken part will also be eligible for a reduced membership rate, encouraging them to keep on track with their new found healthy lifestyles. Greg added: “Looking back to last year, out of the 10 people, at least seven or eight of them are still exercising.

“From a business point of view, it’s also keeping us in the local press and showing people that exercise and healthy eating works rather than extreme diets.” As well as achieving success with the competition, the club is also reaping the rewards of a refurbishment last summer, which saw it install a range of new equipment from Technogym and the latest technology including MyZone. Greg added: “Having the refurbishment allowed us to have a really good December. “Usually it tends to be quite quiet but it was one of the busiest we’ve had in 12 years. “January was also really good. We’ve made some changes and they’ve proved successful.”

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London PT launches networking events for city workers By Christina Eccles

Gym members and paraplegics Shaun Gash and Andrew Hartley at last year’s event.

Members aim to raise £20,000 for charities A TEAM of inspirational gym members is aiming to raise £20,000 for two local charities, with support from the independent club they train at spurring them on. Last year, paraplegics Shaun Gash and Andrew Hartley organised a 12 hour KRANKcycle spinathon at VVV Health and Leisure Club in Lancaster, which raised over £10,000 to buy new wheelchairs and equipment for the Lancaster Bulldogs Wheelchair Basketball Club. Now this year, they are aiming to go even better – doubling the length of the event to 24 hours and the amount they are hoping to raise – once again with backing from gym owner Simon Cranston and manufacturer of the KRANKcycles, Matrix Fitness. As with last year, other gym members have also come on board to take part, with plans to split the money raised between the wheelchair basketball club, where Shaun is a player and also coaches junior sessions, and children’s charity, Unique Kidz and Co. Shaun said: “I have been with VVV for a number of years now where I enjoy all the classes and free weights. “I originally only started using the free weights section in the gym, and then was persuaded to try one of the spin classes. “Very nervous at first as I was out of my comfort zone, but the trainers were totally supportive and ensured I was involved throughout. “Simon then went one step better and purchased a KRANKcycle that has completely changed my training and

involvement in the classes. Andrew started at the gym and Simon bought another cycle so that we could both attend the classes. “After last year’s event, we had a chat with Simon and decided we needed to go bigger and better and raise £20,000 to be split between the two charities. “Matrix has also been really supportive and supplied us with extra KRANKcycles – and are doing the same again this year.” Gym owner Simon has already committed to keeping the gym open for the full 24 hours when the event takes place in July and will be running other classes alongside, such as circuits and kettlebells. He added: “Shaun is a pretty driven character and we’ve been supporting him by offering the facility to run things. “It’s pretty inspiring to us and other members. I’ve had VVV for nearly 17 years and it’s nice to have people come along and inspire.” As well as this event, Shaun and Andrew will also be taking part in military obstacle course Born Survivor in April, again alongside Simon and members of the gym. Shaun added: “We will be put through our paces as we stampede in our wheelchairs over, under and through a series of military style obstacles set in 10k of brutal and unforgiving Lake District terrain. “We will be putting a team together to help us as we will be crawling, swimming, dragged, pulled and pushed throughout this challenge in our wheelchairs.”

A LONDON personal trainer has launched a series of networking events to give city workers a chance to talk business – and fitness – with likeminded people. Ben Camara, who runs personal training studio No1 Fitness, had the idea after spotting an opportunity to help busy professionals learn more about health and fitness in informal surroundings. So far he has held two events, open to clients and their guests, where his team of fitness specialists were on hand to keep the conversation flowing with exercise, nutrition and health related topics. Ben explained: “For too long business networking has been based around just work, work, work. “We know that City Fit 4 Business will attract people with an interest in getting and staying fit and keeping

their minds in peak condition. Having common ground that will interest people is the starting point, the business networking and social element of the group will follow naturally. “So far it’s been great and we’ve had some really useful feedback and questions.” The events are free – participants just need to register online to attend – and after a successful start, Ben is now hoping to run one networking event per month. He added: “We live in the real world and businesspeople do deals and meet over food and drink. But we know from the many hundreds of City workers we have helped to transform their health and wellbeing that they want to share the experience with likeminded people. “Food, drink, health and fitness are much better ice breakers at a business networking event than the weather after all.”

£3m investment in centres starts WORK is well underway on the redevelopments of Abbey Pools and Parkside Pools in Cambridge, which are due for completion next month. Leisure design and build specialist Createability is a carrying out the work on the leisure centres, which are managed by leisure trust GLL. Creatability MD Ian Cotgrave said:

“The project has been technically and structurally complicated as we have been knocking lots of small spaces into one big area, but Parkside Pools is an iconic building in the centre of Cambridge, well known by local residents, and the new and upgraded services will massively enhance the leisure facilities on offer.”

Spa director’s role for Carly

Carly St John

ST Pancras Renaissance hotel has appointed a new director of spa; Carly St John. Carly joins the team from Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park where she was the regional treatment manager for London and Europe. Prior to this she was treatment manager at Mandarin Oriental’s Hong Kong flagship. Carly said: “I look forward to working with the team in continuing to position St Pancras Spa as one of the city’s most unique locations for relaxation and rejuvenation.”

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Innes appointed to lead Prime’s Irish expansion

Active Newham has bought into a wide range of Gladstone’s support services.

Gladstone wins Trust’s contract GLADSTONE Health and Leisure has won a five-year contract to supply leisure trust Active Newham with its membership management systems. Active Newham, which runs three leisure centres in the London Borough of Newham has bought into a wide range of Gladstone’s support services over and above the Plus2 membership management software, including Connect online bookings, Join@Home online membership sign up, MobilePro smartphone app, Learn2 course management for its

swimming, football and trampolining classes and Contact Manager for prospecting members. Gladstone’s sales and marketing director Tom Withers said: “The change over at Active Newham went incredibly smoothly. “As an early adopter of two of our new products, Contact Manager and MobilePro, we are confident we can boost Active Newham’s credibility and professionalism even further, supporting them in gaining and retaining new members well into the future.”

EXPERIENCED fitness industry professional Innes Kerr has been appointed as managing director of Prime Fitness, a member company of Abbey Fitness and Wellness in Ireland. Innes, who brings over 30 years’ experience in operations, sales, marketing, customer service and retention in the fitness and leisure industry, moves from his position as group operations director at the énergie Group in the UK to assume his new role. He has relocated to Dublin to oversee the role out and growth of énergie brands across all Ireland territories, following the announcement of Abbey’s exclusive deal with the énergie Group to take control of and invest in the énergie Fitness Clubs, énergie Fitness for Women and Fit4less Brands across Ireland. Innes originally moved to Ireland in 2012 on a secondment to protect the énergie Group’s interests in the country, and his leadership has now become a key driver for future growth. He said: “I am delighted to be asked to join the énergie Ireland team permanently and I look forward to being able to apply my experience and expertise to achieve a very exciting

Innes Kerr and innovative strategy for growth.” Abbey plans to open 14 new clubs over the next five years, bringing the Ireland estate to 30. Innes added: “We are not simply going to open fitness clubs and leave them to run themselves. We are investing heavily in educating people about fitness, making them realise the benefits and removing perceptions that these are places for people who are already fit and healthy. “Our national campaigns deliver this message in a fun and engaging way and have been created by one of the biggest advertising agencies in the world, another show of our commitment to delivering the highest standards in our operations throughout Ireland.”

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A major new ukactive report has laid bare the growing problem which physical inactivity is placing on the nation. Here Workout takes a look at some of the key findings...

Study investigates the biggest causes of inactivity in England TURNING the Tide of Inactivity is the first ever borough by borough analysis of increasing levels of physical inactivity across England – and the steps being taken to combat the issue. Using new FOI data and fresh data analysis, ukactive has investigated the biggest causes of inactivity and profiled some of the projects taking place around the country which are effectively dealing with the problem. The report reveals important findings such as: In the most deprived areas in England, one in three people fail to raise their heartbeat for 30 minutes across a month, even in separate 10minute bursts. This number decreases to one in four in the least deprived areas. Where inactivity levels are the highest, premature mortality rates are also the highest. In the 15 most inactive local authorities, there is an average of 342 premature deaths per 100,000 people per year, compared with 242 in the least inactive.

Green spaces actually showed no significant correlation with levels of inactivity in the analysis. For example, Islington has the least green space of any local authority but is among the most physically active areas in England, suggesting it is the programming, promotion and utilisation of green space that is key, rather than the volume available to local people. Areas with the highest levels of inactivity have a third fewer leisure facilities per person compared with areas of low inactivity. However, the report also shows numbers aren’t always necessarily the answer – in some cases fewer, high quality, well designed leisure facilities have been effective in driving down inactivity levels. English local authorities spent on average just two per cent of public health budgets on physical activity promotion and investment in 2012. This is in stark contrast to the 38 per cent spent on sexual health and 12 per cent on alcohol misuse.

ukactive CEO David Stalker. Leisure operators are in a position to make a major impact on the health of the nation. Key recommendations for the sector include encouraging activity and community sports providers to focus on engaging with inactive people. They have also been

Aquaterra project praised for innovative approach ONE of the initiatives praised in the report is Aquaterra’s Saturday Night Project, which has been recognised for its innovative approach to promoting physical activity among young people. Held on the last Saturday of each month at Sobell Leisure Centre in Islington, the project is aimed at young people aged between the ages of 13 and 19. Each event attracts up to 550 attendees who can enjoy a variety of activities in a safe and enjoyable

environment. Aquaterra’s chief executive Antony Kildare added: “Aquaterra is thrilled that our innovative Saturday Night Project has been recognised by ukactive. “Throughout our long association with Islington, Aquaterra has put the needs of the community first. “This vital project is one of the few in the borough to provide a fun, safe and inspiring environment for Islington’s young people to socialise and get active.”

Aquaterra’s Saturday Night Project.

urged to better record, analyse and evaluate the users of their facilities and effectiveness of their programmes to improve the evidence base available. To help turn the tide of inactivity and save lives, ukactive is now calling for a national ambition – implemented locally by local authorities – to reduce levels of physical inactivity by one per cent a year over the next five years, potentially saving the UK economy £1.2b. ukactive CEO David Stalker said: “Turning the Tide of Inactivity seeks to support local authorities, public health professionals and the activity sector to better understand inactivity as a distinct risk to public health. “It comes at a time when local authorities have the opportunity to shape how they begin to turn the tide of inactivity. We look forward to working with them, Public Health England and a huge range of other partners to make the positive impact we all want to achieve.”

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The value of retention? By Dr Paul Bedford

WHILE many operators try to explain their attrition percentage to their boards, managers and savvy operators recognise the value in measuring retention or how long people stay a member. While attrition gives some indication of how many members are leaving, retention provides an indication of the actual value of a member. Retention measured in the method used in the 2002, the ukactive (formally the Fitness Industry Association) 2008 research, and my most recent national retention report, measures the length of membership – the difference in months between the join date and the last payment date. This figure allows you to calculate two related measures; the average (median) length of membership and the percentage of members that stay for a given length of time. So why do we measure the median and not the mean? The median represents the average length of time that 50 per cent of your members stay and is used because health club members are not evenly distributed in months of membership. The mean would be used if they were evenly distributed. At the end of a month an operator can count the total number of members that have quit, which can be a combination of those out of contract, those who have stopped paying and those that have left for other reasons, such as an illness. In table one we can see the number of members who have left each month over a six-month period. We can calculate the total loss of income by multiplying the total number of members that have left by the monthly fee. So if the club charges £30 per month the total loss of income in March would be £960. But this provides us with little information about how valuable the member has been to the business. Table two provides the operator

Total quit 32 42 31 34 51 47

Month March April May June July August

Income loss £960 £1,260 £930 £1,020 £1,530 £1,410

Table one

Member 001 002 003

Join date 01-10-13 01-08-13 02-01-13

Quit date 31-12-13 31-12-13 31-12-13

Months 3 5 12

Income £90 £150 £360

Table two with additional information about the individuals. Taking just three members who all quit on the same day in December we can begin to identify their value to the business and can see that member 003 is worth more money than members one and two combined. If member three has different characteristics to members one and two it will be useful when looking at the types of members you market to and recruit. If I could tell you that member one was aged 16-24 and member three was 45-54, you may be in a position to change your marketing and sales process to recruit older members. In just membership fees the older member is worth almost four times more than the younger member. My most recent retention report (The White Report) has identified the industry average length of stay is 12.2 months, which means 50 per cent of members are still paying at 12 months and 50 per cent have left. With 12.2 months indicating the

average, we also have to consider the worst performing quartile (25 per cent) where members are staying less than six months and the best performing clubs, where members stay beyond 23.5 months. Taking 1,000 members as the size of the club and £30 as the monthly fee, the income for the membership fee is illustrated below: Lowest 25 per cent: 1000 x £30 x six months = £180,000 Average: 1000 x £30 x 12 months = £360,000 Top 25 per cent: 1000 x £30 x 23.5 months = 705,000 So the best performing clubs are generating more than £525,000 extra in membership fees than the worst performing clubs. Even if clubs operating in the lowest 25 per cent moved to the average bracket they would double their income from membership fees, not to mention additional revenue generated in secondary spend from members who use your facilities for an additional 17.5 months.

Dr Paul Bedford The analysis of members can be taken further to identify characteristics such as age, joining fee and membership type, and then focus marketing spend and sales promotions to attract and recruit the most valuable customers. Before you run out and spend money on the latest, greatest, most hyped retention solution you need to identify just how long your members are staying. The clubs with the worst retention have a very different problem to solve than those with the best retention and some products are designed to improve the situation in very specific ways that may not be suitable for your problem. I’m not suggesting we can keep members indefinitely, but a significant increase in income can be achieved by simply improving membership length by one month. Dr Paul Bedford is the fitness industry’s leading authority on retention, attrition and customer experience management and the author of The National Retention Report. You can find out more at www.retentionguru.co.uk or by following @guru_paul on Twitter.

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Small group training could make you a very successful fitness professional.

More money in less time? Yes please By Mark Laws, Jordan Fitness LET’S not beat around the bush, the state of the economy isn’t great and we are all feeling the pinch in one way or another. As fitness professionals we know how important our services are for the health and wellbeing of our clients. However, at an average of £30£50 per hour, our services are seen as ‘luxury’ items and are in danger of being dropped by money-conscious clients. I am going to use some basic figures to show you how and why Small Group Training (SGT) could make you a very successful fitness professional. If I charge £40 per hour, and train my clients three times per week – I need five clients to earn £600 per week (five people x three sessions x £40 = £600). This will take up 15 hours of actual training time, plus around the same amount of time for planning, preparation and setting up time. Not to mention, there will be long gaps in between these sessions which will mean you would be doing roughly 40 hours per week in total. This is a nice modest income for doing something that you love, but what happens if you can’t find five clients who can now afford to pay £120 a week? You could lower your prices? But nobody wants to be seen as a ‘cheap’ trainer – you have a reputation to uphold and you don’t ever want to lower your hourly rate. Instead you just need to think smarter. I bet you could find a lot of people willing to take advantage of your expertise for £15 per session. How about if you trained them in a small group? Small Group Training is becoming really popular and you can take advantage if you act quickly before everyone starts doing it. Not only is it cheaper for the client, but it’s more fun for them to have some competition during sessions. If you have

Mark Laws five people training together, three times per week at £15 per session, you make £225…in three hours of training time!! Now, imagine if you had five of those groups running at full capacity…£1125 per week for the same amount of work you were doing for £600. The only catch is you would need to find 25 people willing to pay £45 a week for your services. The reality is you only need to find 14 people to make more money this way than you were making with the 1:2:1 system. But think about how many more referrals you will get working with small groups rather than individuals? Having five clients paying full price at the beginning was good, but you only have five ‘salesmen’ selling you to their friends/colleagues – with a hefty price tag too. Imagine how easy it would be for 10 ‘salesmen’ to sell you to their friends/colleagues with a much lower price tag? If you are as good as you say you are, and people enjoy your sessions as much as you think they do, you can easily change your business model from 1:2:1 to SGT and almost double your income in the mean time. No need to thank me, you haven’t got time – you have a new business model to implement!

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Last issue, Workout summarised Oxygen Consulting managing director Ray Algar’s new report, which looks at how the industry performed in 2013 – and predictions for this year. This month, we take a look at one of the main issues raised in more detail and hear how clubs could react to these potential changes.

Operators need to look out for rise of ‘salami slicers’ ACCORDING to Ray’s report, one of the biggest things traditional operators need to look out for during 2014 is the rise of ‘salami slicers’. These can be described as niche clubs whose offering tempts away different groups of members who are looking for something specific from a gym – for a example a budget club or a dedicated indoor cycling studio – ‘slicing’ away at a membership base until that business is no longer viable. In the report, Ray said: “The idea of the traditional health and fitness club being slowly ‘salami-sliced’ by nimble and highly focused operators was very powerful when Frank

Napolitano, CEO of HealthFit, sketched the image on a blackboard during a conference we were speaking at in Barcelona. “The simple idea was to take a traditional operator who provides a broad range of services under one roof. “Then along comes a new specialist operator with a concept which focuses solely on group exercise – slice – 200 members walk out of their existing club because all along, what they really wanted was just a great group exercise experience. “Next a low cost gym comes along and – slice – another 400 members leave because all they wanted was a

simple ‘machine only’ experience. Slice after slice until what is left is simply not viable.” So what can gyms do to keep up with this new type of operator...? Ray believes that although dropping prices is one move, this could be seen as “reactive and lazy” and almost impossible to reverse. He added: “Instead I hope that 2014, the year in which the web becomes 25 years old, is the year when large parts of the industry and especially the independent clubs begin to reconfigure their future. Change is hard, really hard, but running an irrelevant business is no fun at all.”

Ray Algar

What do you think? Are you an independent operator who has experienced this trend at your club? If so, we would love to hear how you coped with an increase in competition. Or are you a specialist operator who is successfully carving out a niche in your local area? Send your thoughts to ce@scriptmedia.co.uk or contact us on Facebook or Twitter. We’ll include a round-up of the best responses next month, as well as picking out another key point of the report to focus on.

Best practice discussed on Innovation Tour University gym opens HUNDREDS of representatives from the fitness industry gathered in four European cities to discuss best practice, hear about the latest trends and see what some of this year’s FIBO exhibitors will have to offer at the show. The FIBO Innovation Tour took place in Helsinki, Stockholm, London and Warsaw, with the national fitness associations SKY, FRISK, ukactive and PZFW co-hosting the events with FIBO and EHFA, the European Health and Fitness Association. FIBO director Ralph Scholz said: “We’re thrilled by the great turnout in all four countries. The premiere was a success. The cooperation between EHFA, FIBO and the national associations was very rewarding and successful in providing participants with information on the European fitness market as well as an extensive review of the market situation in their partic-

Events took place in Helsinki, Stockholm, London and Warsaw. ular country.” EHFA board member Herman Rutgers added: “In all four cities the number of participants exceeded our expectations. "It was clear that the participating companies have a lot of great new ideas to further innovate the sector, so that we can improve retention and

can attract more consumers in our exciting health and fitness market.” Following the success of the tour, plans are already underway for the FIBO Innovation Tour 2015. The next joint FIBO and EHFA event, the First European Health and Fitness Forum, will take place in Cologne on April 2.

STUDENTS in Winchester can now benefit from quality gym facilities, situated within the university’s newly built Burma Road Student Village. The gym, which is based across two floors and kitted out with Life Fitness equipment, is open to members of the local community, as well as staff and students. A free weights area, changing rooms and 600sqft. studio complete the basement, with a 1,600sqft. fitness suite to the ground floor. The design and build was completed by Createability. Managing director Ian Cotgrave said: “It was a small shell facility that we fitted out from scratch. The university is really pleased with the work we did and we are hoping this will put us on the map to gain more work with similar establishments.”

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Initiative to help gyms give back EQUIPMENT company Technogym has created an innovative campaign to help gyms give something back to their local community and promote physical activity and wellness to local people. From March 10 to April 7, gym members in clubs around the world will be able to train, share and donate their movement to the Let’s Move for a Better World campaign. Technogym’s cloud-computing platform, mywellness, will allow gym goers to collect MOVEs – the company’s movement unit of measure and share their training with the online community, as part of a global challenge tracked via the mywellness cloud platform. The most active club in each country, which accumulates the highest number of MOVEs, will win the chance to donate a Technogym funded gym to the school of their choice in the local area. Online advertising through social media sites will promote the campaign, which will also have a dedicated website where users can be guided towards participating clubs.

Team hopes campaign will develop business By Christina Eccles THE team behind gym comparison website GymBuzz is hoping to raise £40,000 to develop the business, via a three-month long crowdfunding campaign. The concept involves encouraging a large number of people to invest smaller amounts of money to get a business to its target, with investors in return receiving shares in the company. The company has written a pitch on crowdfunding website www.seedrs.com which tells potential investors everything they need to know about the business, plans going forward and how they can actually invest. GymBuzz founder Brett Sanders said: “We decided to go down the crowdfunding route because we like to think of ourselves as an innovative company and to keep on top of the trends within the fitness industry. “Crowdfunding is also a fairly new and innovative method of raising investment and we thought this matched our brand well.” So far, GymBuzz has raised just over £1,400 and has until April 13 when the campaign ends to reach their target. If the crowdfunding campaign is

“Overall, I am pleased with the campaign because we have had only positive feedback about GymBuzz.” successful, the money will be used in areas including PR and marketing – to spread the word further about the company – and technical developments such as creating new features on the site for users. Brett added: “Overall, I am pleased with the campaign because we have had only positive feedback about GymBuzz from potential investors and our community, however I am disappointed not to have raised more investment thus far. “My initial focus has been on mobilising my friends and family to invest and get the campaign started – but as you can see this has not been too fruitful. This has motivated us to

GymBuzz founder Brett Sanders. aggressively pursue more targeted, offline networks who can help us get the word out about the campaign. “While we are of course trying to tell investors about the potential for us as a business, we are keen to highlight our passion for fitness and the community that are already behind us and our mission. “We are planning a monthly fitness challenge, where users can take part in simple gym exercises, upload their time/score/weight/etc to social media using our hashtags, and be in for a chance of winning some prizes.”

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FIBO PREVIEW Over 100,000 visitors attended last year’s FIBO, making it even bigger and better than organisers expected. Now with this year’s show just weeks away, they are gearing up for another busy event. Workout takes a look at how plans are going...

Organisers keen to capitalise on success already achieved

A range of international presenters and instructors have confirmed their participation at this year’s FIBO, among them Sarina Jain, founder of Bollywood inspired workout Masala Bhangra. Demonstrations of the workout form part of the FIBOactive programme, which is split into themed blocks including functional training and group fitness.

LAST year’s new and improved FIBO kicked off its return to Cologne with an exhibitor increase of 10 per cent, floor space expansion of 20 per cent and a visitor boost of over 30 per cent – meaning this year the show has a lot to live up to. But with a motto for this year of “After moving venues in the first year, let’s actually move in in the second” organisers are keen to capitalise on the success they’ve already achieved. Show director Ralph Scholz explained: “We’ll offer our trade visitors a much clearer structure at the trade fair, and this year we’ll address gym owners in an even more targeted way through FIBO Expert in halls six to nine.” One of the key themes for this year will be exercise as the medicine of the 21st century. The idea of fitness creating health will apply to both the conference programme and the trade fair itself, which will be positioned in a much more issue-orientated, specialised and technical way, with the FIBOmed Congress, taking place for the second time on April 4

and 5. Similar themes will also be picked up on Physio Day on April 5 and at the workshop on health management at the workplace on April 3. Functional training will also be a focus at the show, with major industry suppliers such as Les Mills and Escape Fitness exhibiting their latest offerings. The FIBO Functional Forum will be a new addition, presenting the functional training trend through expert lectures and theoretical and practical training sessions, and there has already been great interest in this area from operators. Once again, innovation will be a major focus across all FIBO areas

and FIBO Innovation Awards will be presented in five categories; Training Equipment for Fitness, Rehabilitation and Prevention, Health Promotion, Interior and Design, Training Concepts and Wellness and Beauty. On the day before the start of the trade fair, FIBO and the European Health and Fitness Association will host the summit of the European fitness industry. Top representatives have accepted the invitation to the first European Health and Fitness Forum – Europe Active 2025 – among them the CEOs of Precor and Life Fitness, major fitness centre chains such as Holmes Place and Fitness First and participants from politics, research, associations and the healthcare and insurance sector. Besides the Plan for Growth/Europe Active 2025, the key points of the new EHFA/Deloitte study on the European fitness market 2014 and other items will also be presented. Participation requires a separate registration.

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European launch for FitQuest FIBO 2014 will see the European launch of FitQuest, a new concept in fitness measurement from the wellestablished research and development organisation, MIE Medical Research. Launched in the UK at LIW 2013, FitQuest is already receiving a lot of interest and positive feedback from UK operators, and the team is hoping for the same success at FIBO. Brian Firth from MIE Medical Research said: “FIBO is such a prestigious event and we’re really excited to showcase this unique and sophisticated measurement device and demonstrate the benefits of investing in such a powerful and accurate measure-

ment tool.” Not only will FitQuest be demonstrated in Hall Seven on stand B017, but it will also be on display in Hall Six as it’s been shortlisted to win the coveted innovation award. Brian added: “Being nominated, let alone shortlisted for this award in such a short amount time after launch is an incredible achievement, and it’s something that the team and I are incredibly honoured by. “We’re up against some strong competition, but look forward to hearing the judges’ final decision.” To see FitQuest in action and have your own fitness levels tested visit the team in Hall Seven, stand B017.

Fit For Fun is hosting the Fit For Fun Cycling Festival for the 10th time.

Cycling fun at FIBO VISITORS and exhibitors can work up a sweat at the show, by taking part in a cycling festival. For the 10th time, Fit For Fun is hosting the Fit For Fun Cycling Festival jointly with FIBO and Pure Emotion. More than 300 Tomahawk bikes will be set up in Hall 5.1 for the festival. Accompanied by impressive lighting effects and music and motivated by experienced presenters, participants can push the ped-

als with all their might from Friday to Sunday. Up to five people can form a team and take part in six different individual classes from 10am to 3.50pm on the FIBO Saturday. Both professionals and beginners can participate. The Friday and Sunday events are for individual athletes with a high level of fitness and experience. The participation fee includes admission to FIBO.

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Exercise for all – bridging the gap By Jules Twells, Inclusive Fitness Initiative AT the beginning of the year, the leisure industry will no doubt have seen its usual spike in new gym members. But as we move further into the year, membership sales may be starting to decline as New Year’s Resolutions fade from people’s minds. Out of those new gym members, what percentage of disabled people contemplated or put into action joining their local gym? It’s a rhetorical question but one that the leisure industry should be considering, bearing in mind there are over 11m disabled people in the UK. The Inclusive Fitness Initiative (IFI) – a project managed by the English Federation of Disability Sport – has over the last 10 years been fundamental in addressing inequalities faced by disabled people and providing opportunities for participation in physical activity. Funded by the Department of Health, the IFI continues to change perceptions and influence venue accessibility for everyone. The project focuses on promoting the health benefits of regular physical activity to encourage more disabled people to choose an active lifestyle and bridge the gap of inactivity. The IFI Mark assessment supports

continuous improvement of leisure provision; to deliver high quality inclusive services and accessible fitness so that disabled people can more easily access physical activity. The project also continues to increase the number of IFI Mark facilities nationally. The IFI Mark considers physical access of the venue, ease of use of the fitness equipment, inclusive policies and service provision, marketing and variety and choice of activity to suit all abilities. But even if accessible leisure provision exists, if disabled people aren’t choosing physical activity as a lifestyle choice, it could be because the industry isn’t doing its best selling it to them. To resolve this, last year the IFI developed a series of resources to support the leisure industry to be more accessible to disabled people within a gym setting – these are available on our website www.efds.co.uk/ inclusive_fitness/staff_training/useful_resources – and in addition to this, an online kitbag – Marketing Gyms to Disabled People to sell the proposition of physical activity to disabled people. This kitbag focuses on adapting promotional activity to be inclusive of disabled people, in terms of inclusive marketing and communication by making simple changes, such as:

Jules Twells Planning outreach activities to engage with the local disability community, groups and organisations. Provide classes and a timetable to suit all levels of ability. Produce accessible marketing literature; increase the font size on printed material, use of inclusive imagery. Advertise the IFI logo on facility literature, online etc. Marketing is a powerful tool in terms of triggering people’s behaviour

and the leisure industry lends itself to stereotypes of Adonis and aspirational images of lean, muscular athletic body shapes. Therefore, no wonder most of us can’t associate with these images, and this goes someway in explaining why gym membership over the last 20 years hasn’t changed significantly and continues to attract the same population. It certainly contributes to the main barrier for participation for disabled people – psychological barriers and their perceptions of themselves and the activity. EFDS recently carried out a lifestyle survey to identify disabled people’s interests and hobbies to find out how sport and physical activity forms part of disabled people’s lifestyle choices. The report, which can be downloaded via the EFDS website, also highlights how sport and physical activity interventions can be made more appealing to disabled people. So what’s next? Accessible fitness does exist, even though the industry is still not shouting about it. If you want to develop your service provision to be more inclusive to disabled people and attract a relatively untapped market then get on board with the IFI Mark. You can find further information at: www.efds.co.uk/inclusive_fitness/the _ifi_mark

Manager role for Matt

The Varsity Hotel and Spa in Cambridge has redeveloped its gym and spa concept, positioning the venue as a destination wellness centre. The Glassworks Spa is housed in an 18th century glass warehouse, complete with high ceilings, original brickwork and timber trussed ceiling. Equipment on offer in the gym includes The Life Fitness Synrgy360T and Kinesis, with a range of classes also available; including three different types of yoga. Gym membership costs from £54.50 per month, with hotel guests receiving complimentary membership during their stay.

TRX has appointed Matt Gleed, previously the UK’s TRX senior master trainer, to the new role of education and sales manager for the UK TRX team. Matt has been a TRX senior master trainer and an international educator within the fitness industry for 12 years and has played a key role in the growth of TRX in the UK. He said: “My role has largely evolved based on the feedback from the commercial markets we serve. Supporting the product, programming and education needs of our key accounts will be my primary focus, but I will also be the main contact for any independent or public sector facilities looking to introduce or enhance a TRX offering. “Education sits at the heart of our business and this is certainly an area

Matt Gleed we are looking to expand in 2014, offering more courses across the UK to personal trainers and instructors keen to enhance their TRX knowledge, exercise and programming portfolio.”

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Body Perfect Personal Training studio.

Dal lands own TV show following Twitter chat By Christina Eccles THE owner of a Coventry personal training studio is celebrating after a conversation on Twitter led to her being picked to host her own TV show. Dal Dhaliwal, who owns Body Perfect Personal Training, has become the first health and fitness TV presenter on Sky Channel BritAsia UK, which broadcasts to an audience of 4m people in the UK, across Europe and Canada. Dal has already recorded two shows at her studio, which are due to be broadcast in the spring, and when Workout spoke to her, she had just found out the TV company would like her to record more – 12 episodes altogether to start with. The 30-minute shows – called FitAsia – are structured to include a 10-minute workout, followed by a five-minute talk on a health issue, such as sugar addiction or how to stay motivated in your workouts. Following a break, the second half of the show includes a 10-minute Bhangra fitness workout and finishes off with a question and answer session. Dal said: “I got spotted on Twitter and started communicating with producers who asked if I would like to do some kind of show. “I’ve never done anything like this before. I was a bit nervous but it was a

Dal Dhaliwal really good experience. “I’ve had loads of press interest about it and hopefully it will help to raise my profile.” Dal, who has also recently been nominated for an Asian businesswoman of the year award, said that one of the most important things for her when making these shows is to promote positive messages about health and fitness among the Asian community – and she hopes it may lead to more TV work. She added: “I’m hoping it will lead to a permanent position and maybe into more mainstream TV. This is a great platform.”

A luxury gym and spa will be at the heart of a new five-star coastal resort, which is opening in Cornwall this summer. The first phase of Una St Ives will open in August and will comprise 41 luxury properties, available to buy and rent, across a 20-acre site. Leisure facilities will include a gym – kitted out with the latest equipment from Life Fitness – a spa featuring 100 per cent organic, made in Cornwall products and a 15m infinity pool. Sales director at Una St Ives Sean Hodgson said: “The welcoming, open and calming space at the centre of Una is what will really set it apart; the accessible spa, leisure amenities plus a dynamic restaurant and deli means guests can have everything as and when they need it.”

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From old favourites like Zumba to new concepts such as Fitsteps, dance based fitness classes are a consistently popular draw for operators. And with the appetite for this type of workout showing no sign of slowing down, one fitness expert tapping into the trend is Joey Bull, who has just released her latest ballet DVD. Christina Eccles spoke to her – and gave it a go.

Joey shares her expertise with a wider audience AS an experienced fitness trainer and classically trained dancer, Joey is well versed in the benefits of ballet... Now with the release of her latest DVD – Ballet Steps Inch Loss Workout – she can share her expertise with a wider audience, who get the benefits of learning from a dance expert, without even having to leave the comfort of their own living room. As a former student of the world renowned Elmhurst Ballet School, dancing has always been a big part of Joey’s life, and she told Workout there are many reasons why people of all abilities should give dance based classes a go. She explained: "Some people might perceive ballet to be a bit twee and delicate. “But the physical requirements to do it properly are immense and it has the most fantastic applications to fitness, health, body shaping and physical performance, which is why it has

even been adapted into professional training of top flight sports such as rugby, soccer, American football and boxing. “Quite a few ladies are taking up ballet in later life and really feeling the benefits of having more trust in their body movement and balance. Also, improved posture, grace, better than average level fitness and, of course, weight management.” According to Joey, the many benefits of taking part in regular ballet classes include toning, strengthening, posture improvements and fat burning, with sessions providing a great all round workout. And she revealed that with dance classes attracting all types of people – and not just dedicated fitness fans – they can be a great addition to any gym’s timetable. She added: “Dance of all styles is big these days, we all have more exposure to it and it’s accessible to all, not just

those who could afford the Opera House. “So many people won't do fitness but will do dance, because it is creative, artistic and musical.

“It also transports the mind more than many activities, so gyms offering dance is bringing a new clientele in and broadening the umbrella of health and fitness.”

DVDs combine focus on ballet techniques with element of fun AFTER trying – and loving – Fitsteps for my challenge a couple of issues ago, I was eager to give another dance based activity a try – and ballet seemed to fit the bill perfectly. Presenter Joey has already released several DVDs including a circuit training workout, a body reshape plan and a workout specifically designed to ease back pain and improve posture, but she said that out of all of them, her ballet DVDs always seem to do well, as they are quite different to anything else out there in the market. A collaboration between Joey and fitness and lifestyle specialists IMC Vision, her latest DVD, Ballet Steps Inch Loss Workout, is designed to appeal to both dancers and non dancers alike. And although I have the enthusiasm, my lack of coordination means I definitely fall into the second category! I liked the fact the DVD was split into different routines – some more intense than others – as it gave me a chance to try out a range of different choreography. There’s also a fun element to it, as although Joey focuses a lot on technique and getting things right, she

also encourages participants to enjoy the workout, the different styles of music and the freedom of movement which ballet brings. One of the disadvantages of working out at home can be getting motivated in the first place to start, so in that sense, I do prefer the atmosphere of a group exercise class and actually having an instructor in front of you. But on days when you can’t get to the gym, or just fancy trying out something different, Joey’s DVDs are definitely a good place to start.

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Flappy Bird and your gym’s success ... By Dave Wright SOMETHING weird happened a couple of weeks ago after I'd purchased what I thought was a very basic (and actually annoying) smartphone app called Flappy Bird. It became a brilliant lesson in sales and marketing and something that I think weirdly is applicable to today’s health club operator. First and foremost, if you'd not heard of Flappy Bird it is a very simple game that involves you having to touch the screen to allow a bird fly through gaps in pipes at varying heights. Very simple and there are a lot of copycat games out there that achieve almost the identical functionality. However, the creator decided to withdraw it from the smartphone stores so it’s actually no longer being able to be purchased. It’s worth noting that it was a free game that generated roughly £30,000 per month in advertising revenue for its creator. Lesson one. Don’t discount the value of your members’ eyeballs. The rule on technology is that if you are not paying for it, then someone is making money off your eyeballs. So when your members are in the bathroom – what marketing messages could you ‘talk’ to them about? Also think about where your potential members may be looking. Is there a roundabout that attracts a lot of cars? Is there a coffee shop that would welcome a poster about your club? Secondly, not only was it all over the international news, but if you think about it, you are reading about it right now. Arguably it’s ‘newsworthy’. The fact that the game creator decided to take it down, created a global ‘story’. Whether this was an extremely cleaver marketing ‘play’ it certainly had the desired effect. Lesson two. What are you doing to have people in your market ‘talk’ about you? The press are hungry for newsworthy stories – for them it’s easy work. So how are you creating a ‘conversation’ in your town? A simple way is to follow the news and then tie in with the news. Valentine’s Day, Easter promotions, Change4Life, Sport Relief are all national stories that you can spin off for your own club. Thirdly, instantly the value of Flappy Bird rose so much that people were prepared to pay thousands of pounds

Dave Wright for a phone with the game pre-loaded on it. All of a sudden, a once free game became worth a lot of money due to the value being externally raised. Lesson three. When value outweighs cost then you get the sale every time. People actually don’t buy on price, but they buy on value. Irrespective of how much equipment you have and what your price is, if your potential member doesn’t think that you can help them get results then you won’t get the sale. We are very lucky in that the very nature of our industry is so valuable. Someone’s health, energy, vitality and the ability to functionally make people feel good is something that should be focused on when you are showing prospective clients your club. However, make sure you find out what is valuable to the client – what and why is it they want to achieve their goal and then present your club to solve that solution. And if all that doesn’t work to improve your club, purchase a phone with Flappy Bird and see if you can get past my massive score of 31. Dave Wright is the CEO of CFM, a global company with offices in the UK, Australia and North America that has served the international fitness community for over 24 years; focusing on either getting new members and/or keeping existing ones. Dave is also the owner of 11 health clubs across two continents, a board director of UK Active, founder of IOU (Independent Operators Unite) and the creator of the revolutionary industry tracking tool MYZONE. He may be contacted on Dave.Wright@cfm.net

£350,000 makeover for site SALFORD Community Leisure has opened its largest ever fitness facility, following a £350,000 investment in the former Fit City Pendlebury. Now known as Swinton and Pendlebury Leisure, the centre has been transformed into a state-ofthe-art leisure facility, which benefits from an enlarged gym, with 86 pieces of equipment for cardio and strength training spread over two floors. The centre also has new functional training equipment and a dedicated spin area with 20 bikes.

In addition to the 25m swimming pool, which regularly holds swimming classes for 600 children a week, there is now a bespoke fitness studio offering more than 35 classes per week, a refurbished multi-purpose sports hall and renovated changing rooms. Head of sport and leisure at Salford Community Leisure Mark Chew said: “We are really excited about our new Swinton and Pendlebury Leisure Centre. The top of the range equipment will help us get more people active which is our top priority.”

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Last year’s National Lottery awards show was presented by John Barrowman.

Sector benefits from £196m of Lottery grants THE sports sector benefited from more than £196m of National Lottery funding in the last financial year, according to figures. 7,180 grants were awarded to sports projects around the UK, providing a vital boost to both elite and grassroot sports. Projects supported include £290,000 to British Athletics Charitable Trust to offer sporting opportunities to hundreds of young people and £150,000 to Torbay Council for Torquay’s Community Swimming Pool refurbishment. These projects, and any organisation which has received Lottery funding in the last 19 years, now have a chance to gain national recognition in the National Lottery Awards 2014, which can be entered online. The winners will receive a £2,000 cash prize and national recognition at a star-studded event broadcast on BBC One later this year.

If you’ve got a story for Workout email Christina Eccles at ce@scriptmedia.co.uk

The new leisure and fitness facilities at The Gleneagles Hotel have cost £5m.

Upgrade coincides with hotel’s 90th anniversary By Christina Eccles PRESTIGIOUS resort The Gleneagles Hotel has invested £5m into upgrading its leisure and fitness facilities, with improvements coinciding with the hotel’s 90th anniversary. The new-look club features a refreshed reception with a viewing gallery overlooking the pool hall and waiting area with comfortable seating for visitors. The ‘dry’ and ‘wet’ stairs connecting the various levels allow swimmers and gym users to remain separated, while changing facilities have been enlarged with more lockers, vanity tables and added space for adult and toddler changing cubicles. Other changes include transforming the former lap pool into an adult zone with a more calming atmosphere and the latest heat

The existing leisure pool has been completely remodelled. experiences including a jacuzzistyle tub, sauna and steam room and heated loungers arranged around a water font. The existing leisure pool has also been completely remodelled, with a waterfall feature, fun bubble jet

crossing and bubble pool for all the family. Undergoing a complete transformation, the old outdoor pool is now an ‘Alpine Onsen’. This combines the look and feel of a hot mountain pool with the tranquillity of a highland landscape. General manager of Gleneagles Bernard Murphy said: “We are delighted with the new look of The Club, which seamlessly combines modern, luxury facilities with a real step up in terms of design. “We’re particularly excited about the introduction of a new adultsonly pool and relaxation area, and a new outdoor Alpine Onsen – they will be a fantastic asset for the resort, and provide some really beautiful new spaces for our guests to enjoy.” The refurbishment is part of an ongoing development programme for Gleneagles, which is hosting the 2014 Ryder Cup in September.

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First gym-specific risk management guide is launched CHARTERED insurance broker, Independents, who have specialised in insuring gyms for nearly 15 years, have produced the first ever risk management guide specifically aimed at the gym sector. Joe Ryan, managing director of RDHS, has provided consultancy throughout the guide’s development. He said: “I was really excited to work with Independents on this project. In my 22 years in the leisure sector I have not come across a guide of this nature, which is specific to gym and health club risk management. The guide helps operators to consider many of the key risks facing them and how to deal with them.” Using expert input from insurers, RDHS and sources from leading organisations in each area, the guide aims to provide specialist advice in a highly readable, jargon-free style. It covers all the essential areas gyms need to consider such as induction training, fire safety, first aid and issues around unmanned and 24 hour gyms. Independents have also drawn on the experience of arranging insurance for over 350 gyms and health clubs to incorporate claims examples and practical application of the many risk

management measures recommended. Director of Independents Neil Adebowale added: “Particularly given the spike in personal injury claims, it is more crucial than ever that gym operators focus on risk management issues. This will help to prevent serious accidents occurring, improve legal compliance, protect the reputation of the business and help to manage the insurance premium levels in the long term.” The guide is now being finalised and will be available free of charge to all existing clients from April. Independents are also offering a copy of the guide to anyone obtaining a quotation after March 7 2014. For more information on the guide or to obtain insurance advice or quotations please contact Independents on 01189 875100 or email info@independents-ins.com

Representative body wins top award for its pension scheme SPORTA – the representative body for leisure and cultural trusts – has won a top award for its innovative collaborative pension scheme. The scheme won the Best Adviser Auto-Enrolment Proposition category in the 2014 Corporate Adviser Awards. The award focuses on outstanding propositions for pension scheme arrangements. This includes offering effective ways of enabling employees to save costs, while showing a clear understanding of the needs of both employers and employees. sporta’s collaborative pension scheme created a framework where sporta members could join forces to buy in expert advice from pensions advisors, Punter Southall, and get access to a high quality pension scheme. This enabled them to prepare for their legal obligations to automatically enrol employees into workplace pensions. The project led to the development of the auto-enrolment toolkit, which allowed trust employers to tailor the level of support needed as they approach their key dates. By working collectively, sporta members were able to gain access to

this high quality advice, as well as assisting each trust to control costs and keep pension contributions as low as possible without compromising on the quality of the scheme. sporta’s collaborative pensions advice project is overseen by a panel of senior representatives from eight trusts. The 41 trusts participating in the project represent more than 20,000 members of staff and this enabled them to benefit from advice from a highly respected pension provider who they would not have been able to contract with on their own. CEO of sporta Brian Leonard said: “Winning this prestigious award has provided great recognition for the way in which sporta trusts have worked together for mutual benefit. “Auto-enrolment is a challenge for many organisations and being able to respond well is especially important for sporta members which are charitable bodies. “By using a creative approach we have supported our member trusts and their employees and helped to show that trusts in the leisure and cultural sector are a great place to work.”

The reception area at Trafford Community Leisure Trust.

Recouping membership fees the easy way ... INNOVATIVE technology from Gladstone Health and Leisure has been helping Trafford Community Leisure Trust to recoup lost membership fees. Gladstone’s Electronic Funds Transfer system is integral to its Plus2 management software and covers all aspects of the direct debit process, from electronically submitting direct debit instructions to customers’ banks to collecting direct debits and, finally, chasing rejections and cancellations. According to the trust, a particularly useful feature of the EFT system is the way it puts all the processes involved in debt collection in one place, allowing the user to initiate a range of dif-

ferent actions with just a couple of clicks of a button. The trust’s head of business development Rob Lilley said: “Currently, around 2.5 per cent of the trust’s direct debit collection requests are rejected. “However, once the debts have been chased and payments collected using the EFT system, the final rejection rate comes in at only one per cent. “The trust has certainly invested a significant amount of time and resources into developing the way it uses the EFT system for debt collection. “However, the enhanced collection rates we’ve achieved easily make that investment worthwhile.”

Protecting your income and ability to work By Andrew Liddle MBS DipPFS, director of Financial Fitness Ltd I AM often asked for my personal opinion, as a professional financial adviser working exclusively in the fitness industry “What is the most important thing people in the fitness industry should be thinking about?” And my answer has been the same for the last 10 years now… protecting your income, and your inability to work due to accident or illness. I’ve seen so many personal trainers have their movement severely restricted by back/knee/shoulder injuries etc, and this is one industry where you need all your faculties to be able to perform at your best. Cover costs as little as £25 per month (one hour’s personal training) and the perception is that cover costs a lot more.

It amazes me that people protect their property, mobiles, even cats and dogs – before they think about insuring their most important asset – their ability to work and earn an income. This ability underpins everything your do, including paying the rent or mortgage and putting food on the table. Of course I understand “It will never happen to me”, who are you kidding? Everyone knows someone that is off work right now, there are millions claiming benefits – that is if you qualify for benefits (many don’t) and of course benefit levels are very low. For more information call 0800 6127 789 or visit www.fflimited.com

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Core Fit puts its member Do you know your members have paid? success down to ‘Join DO you spend time crosschecking membership payments? Or do you pay a bookkeeper to do it? Save that overhead and spend that time more productively in developing your business. How? Use Ashbourne’s Membership Validation System (MVS), which gives you an entry control and reporting system that shows the exact payment status of any member at any time online. Michael Hogan of Ozone Health and Fitness said: “Using Ashbourne, we save so much time by not having to manually check whether payment has been received or having to chase those who are defaulting.” Getting money from defaulters requires focus and persistence, as occasional chasing just doesn’t work. So, by outsourcing this difficult task to Ashbourne, you can ensure that persistent, systematic but fair pursuit of payment takes place and achieve a much higher recovery success rate. Think of the time, money and effort you could save… To find out more, call Ashbourne on 0871 271 2088.

Online’ FASTDD portal CORE Fit UK opened in January 2012 and have seen a huge number of people join their club. Director Henry Cleminson puts this down to the fantastic way they outreach their ‘Join Online’ FASTDD portal provided by Debit Finance Collections Plc to potential members. The portal allows Henry to send the link for the signup page via media such as social networks, within emails and on his website. Henry explained many people do not want to commit straight away and instead of them possibly never coming back, he directs them to the website and says they can join online from home. He is then able to concentrate on spending more time training his existing members and providing a fantastic level of service. Research shows people do not use the Yellow Pages to find information on their local gyms anymore and instead are searching the internet. If clubs have a website they are halfway there, but as Core Fit UK have shown, if you also allow people to join online, it takes them out of the marketplace much quicker as it is often an impulse decision. Henry said: “Once someone joins online, I receive an automated email from the portal. I then make the effort

to call them and say thank you for joining and I often arrange to meet them on their first visit too. It is all part of the service.” Over the past few weeks Henry said every time someone calls or comes into the club with an enquiry, he asks for their email address. He explains he is trying to become a paperless facility and he will email the information to them. When replying to their initial enquiry he ends every email with the fact they could join online and to click on the link below. He added: “If they don’t join the first time I am not too worried as I have their email address for future promotions and membership drives and the best thing about this kind of promotion is, it’s free!” The portal page is made to look like it belongs to the club, created using its colours and logo. It can be created to take the joining fee and pro rata payments with the first direct debit and conforms to banking regulations. The portal has its own html link which can be inserted in to an email, blogged and posted on to Facebook and many other social networking sites. If it is of interest to people they will repost it to their friends, who will repost to theirs and so on. The results are staggering!

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Reading-based group fitness and personal training company Progressive Fitness was established in 2003 by exarmy physical training instructor James Parker, who decided to re-train and strike out alone in business rather than start from scratch as an employee of a gym. Since then, ‘The Boot Camp Man’ has developed as a businessman too, using his time and resources more smartly, making the most of website optimisation and online accounting software. Here he reveals his top tips for setting up a successful fitness business...

James shares his secrets to setting up a successful fitness business I WAS 28 when I started out on my own. Financially I simply couldn’t afford to start at the bottom of the career ladder. At the time, the whole boot camp phenomenon hadn’t really taken off and I figured that, with my army background, I would be well-placed to make a success of this. Initially, I ran the classes as a sideline as I built up my personal training clients, but soon these sessions made up a substantial part of my income. Getting the business off the ground was challenging and hard work. I didn’t have any funding or budget for marketing. I had to do what I could on a shoestring budget, such as putting branded magnets on my car. What money I was able to save I put back into developing the business, particularly the website. One of the early lessons I learned was to concentrate on using my

strengths and experience and use third-parties, rather than trying to do everything myself. This included, for example, paying someone to do the many hundreds of leaflet drops I had been doing, so that I had more time to spend with clients and ultimately bring in more money. From an operational perspective, I’ve found there are some areas where it’s worth bringing in expert help. For example, part of the reason my website has been so successful is the work and investment that’s gone into search engine optimisation. This has really paid off – over the last six years I’ve topped the Google rankings for boot camps and other keyword searches. Dealing with finances has also become a lot easier since I started using online accounting software. I’ve been able to set up automated invoicing which helps with cashflow and

also looks really professional. Previously, I had to spend hours dealing with spreadsheets but, since moving to Xero’s online accounting software, this admin burden has reduced significantly too. When you’re self-employed, your time is really valuable and it can be hard to juggle work and family commitments. In terms of future development, I’m satisfied with the success I’ve achieved on a local scale and don’t plan to expand the boot camp and personal training business much more. However, I have been working with local schools on children’s fitness and parent and child classes and this is proving increasingly successful. In the longer term, I could see that being something we teach other trainers to do as a franchise model that’s rolled out on a national basis.

James Parker

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SUSTAINABILITY As focus falls on reducing the carbon footprint of businesses, gym operators are increasingly turning to new technologies to become more eco-friendly. Ian Cotgrave, MD of design and build specialist Createability, explains how this can help save money as well as the planet…

The Academy Health Club in Harrogate.

Club aims to reduce its carbon footprint AN independent club in Harrogate is having a makeover to reduce its carbon footprint by 306 tonnes per year, equivalent to the environmental benefit of removing more than 100 cars off the road. The Academy Health Club has partnered with energy management specialist ENER-G to replace its ageing energy infrastructure. Old boilers, pumps and lighting are being replaced with highly efficient new systems that will reduce energy bills as well as carbon emissions. An initial site energy audit undertaken by ENER-G to explore possible energy efficiency measures also showed that The Academy could cut its water bill. This will further improve its green

performance by introducing special tap and shower controls to reduce consumption. Managing director at The Academy Philippa Shackleton said: “Working with ENER-G has allowed us to implement many energy efficient changes in one go, enabling us to run a more efficient health club. If we were to have done this by ourselves the huge capital costs would have meant we could only do it little-by-little, which would have been disruptive and delayed the energy saving benefits. “ENER-G's knowledge and experience, and ability to fund the entire project upfront, via a 10-year services agreement, has helped us make positive changes that will benefit both the environment and our members.”

Ben Dhesi (head of energy management at energy brokers Pulse), Sharon Morfitt (procurement manager for Freedom Leisure) and Simon Davey (environmental manager for Freedom Leisure).

Trust chooses renewable energy NOT for profit trust Freedom Leisure has opted to use renewable energy in a third of its centres. The trust will make the switch in 12 out of the 35 clubs it operates, which will equate to a saving of over 4m kilos of CO2 across the group. These centres will now be using electricity supplied by Haven Power, who generate a proportion of their energy from biomass, with the amount of CO2 saved equivalent to driving a car around the earth 569

times or filling more than 900 hot air balloons. Freedom Leisure’s environmental manager Simon Davey said: “We have worked hard to make our centres more environmentally friendly and the move to renewable energy marks a major milestone on our journey. “We are committed to improving the health and wellbeing of all our communities and doing our part to reduce CO2 emissions helps us to achieve this objective.”

New eco-friendly technology can save you money and the planet SOME elements of gym design will never change but the big development we have seen recently is in technology. This has definitely moved on... We are now putting in air conditioning units that use heat from the gym to heat the water. Although it’s a bigger initial investment it saves on running costs and, because of an increased demand and mass production, the price is coming down at a rate of knots. A few years ago, operators would have to wait up to 15 years to see a return on investment but now the capital investment is coming back in just two to three years, in terms of the reduced running costs. There are now intelligent ventilation systems that use sensors to detect the need for decreased or increased fan speeds, saving energy and becoming far more efficient. We are also putting in more LED lighting, using technology that automatically adapts to an increase or decrease of natural light. Underfloor heating, although more of an initial cost, is considered to be much more efficient. Water saving measures are a further example. Taps that switch off automatically, efficient showers, which reduce water output by 50 per cent, and toilet cisterns that require less water to flush, all reduce running costs. Much of this trend is dictated by building legislation, as we are having to build more sustainable facilities. Building Regulations Part L, which is concerned with energy conservation, is affecting all new build health and fitness facilities, as well as major extensions. A revision in 2010 has seen CO2 emissions set 25 per cent lower than in 2006. The government’s target is for all new commercial buildings to be ‘zero carbon’ by 2019. The building standards have, therefore, been raised to ensure all new buildings and large extensions meet better insulation targets and that there is a degree of renewable energy built into the property. The legislation in Part L falls into two parts: Specific, which looks at the thermal element of the actual building itself.

Ian Cotgrave Its external walls, floor and roof. Consequential, which focuses on any increases in energy levels during redevelopment. For example, if a gym is introducing air con that creates a carbon footprint they must also offset that by improving efficiency elsewhere, for example in ventilation. With new builds, there is a scoring system that must be met with points being awarded for things like underfloor heating. Increasingly, the new technologies are being used to meet these thresholds. Whilst these regulations bring extra cost they also offer plenty of longterm benefits. One example was our £1.5m redevelopment of Lewsey Sports Park, a fitness, squash and boxing facility, managed by Active Luton. Developed from an old snooker and squash club, a new heating and cooling system was required. The system we used incorporated heat recovery ventilation equipment to recycle any latent heat, which reduced the running costs. 10 per cent of the cost of the new system was then spent on ‘consequential improvements’, in this case new lighting and double glazed PVC windows to maximise energy efficiency. As Lewsey Sports Park has seen, in spite of the initial outlay on these energy saving measures, new environmentally friendly technologies can reap benefits and reduce operators’ costs in the long-term.

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Kit provider relocates to support further growth By Christina Eccles EQUIPMENT provider Cybex International UK has relocated to new headquarters in Coalville, Leicestershire, to support further growth of the company’s UK arm. The new site will be home to the UK sales and operations teams and includes 5,500sqft of office space including new training facilities and specially built training room, 5,500sqft of expandable warehouse storage space, plus 3,000sqft dedicated to spare parts storage. The onsite gym will be used day-today by Cybex staff and as a showcase site for the manufacturer’s range of fitness equipment. The gym has been built in partnership with Premier Logistics, a UK and European transport company, who are also based on the Coalville site and whose 100 staff will share the training facility with Cybex. Commercial director for Cybex International UK Rob Thurston said: “The move to the new office represents the progress that the UK business has witnessed over recent years; globally, Cybex International achieved

Cybex has moved to new headquarters in Coalville, Leicestershire. a record turnover in 2013 and Cybex UK contributed to this success. “The new facility allows us to better serve our clients by bringing the management of our customer service, operations and sales teams all under one roof; with the added storage space we will often be able to respond

quicker to customers’ demands for products and parts. We can also showcase our equipment and latest innovations onsite, in a fully working gym environment and as soon as they are released to market, which is something that will hugely benefit our sales team and their customers.”

3d Leisure to manage hotel chain’s seven clubs 3d Leisure has been awarded a contract by the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group to manage the leisure clubs located within seven Park Inn by Radisson Hotels in the UK. The clubs will all be rebranded as Pace to fall in line with other facilities within the portfolio of sister brand Radisson Blu, which 3d also manages.

3d operations director Paul Ramsay said: “We are delighted to develop our relationship with Carlson Rezidor working with the Park Inn by Radisson brand and with the vote of confidence in our experience to deliver a quality service into the hotel sector. “The market is currently challeng-

ing, with increased budget competition, but it’s important to understand and appreciate the hotel guest’s expectations, as well as providing a quality experience to the paying membership base.” The contract means 3d now operates 72 clubs across the UK and Ireland.

Retention guru’s new report unlocks decision processes RETENTION guru Dr Paul Bedford has launched his black report, which focuses on the decision processes members go through when deciding to join, stay or leave a gym. It forms the second part of his National Retention Report and is the result of face-to-face interviews with 1,000 people who have been a member of two or more health clubs or leisure centres, who between them have more than 6,500 years of health club membership. The document focuses on: Decisions on joining, staying and leaving. The importance of brand. Perceived value for money. Quality of services offered. The sense of community. What motivates behaviours. This latest part is a follow-up to the white report, launched at LIW in 2013, which sampled and analysed more than 342,000 member records to give valuable insight into the retention and attrition rates of the UK fitness market over a four-year period. The longest and largest study of its

Dr Paul Bedford has launched the second part of his National Retention Report. type is broken down into five key measurements that also provide a benchmark for companies to compare themselves against. Paul said: “Together, the black and white reports aim to help health club and leisure centre operators understand the when and why of member

behaviour, fees, contracts, demographics and branding, and the effect of service on member retention. “They help to unravel the complexity of developing an effective retention strategy and explain why so many operators fail to make lasting changes to improve retention.”

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Sue Barham, strategic director at Woking Borough Council, with Coun Anne Roberts, the Mayor of Woking and Matt Hunt, Freedom Leisure group operations director.

Centre visits double after £2m upgrade Spectacular views at water sports facility’s new gym The new gym at the National Water Sports Centre.

VISITS to Woking Leisure Centre have increased by almost 50 per cent since the facility was upgraded in May last year. Visits to the centre’s new facilities increased from just above 100,000 in 2012 to 152,720 in 2013. The 131-station gym saw an increase of around 30,000 more visits, 14,000 more places were filled in studio classes and over 6,000 more indoor cycling places were taken. The centre has also experienced a 33 per cent rise in membership, attracting over 1,000 new members since the works were completed.

Freedom Leisure centre manager Jon Hames said: “We’re thrilled that the upgraded facilities are being utilised and enjoyed. “By extending the gym and increasing the studios threefold we have been better able to cater for the increased demand. “What’s more, investment continues with the addition of four new 3G football pitches and 260 additional car parking spaces with funding from Woking Borough Council. “Work is well underway for both and is expected to be completed in May 2014.”

BRITAIN’S premier water sports facility has opened a new gym, offering fitness fans spectacular lakeside views and access to the latest Life Fitness equipment. Last April, Serco was appointed as the managing agent to the newly formed Holme Pierrepont Leisure Trust tasked with operating, managing and developing the National Water Sports Centre in partnership with Nottinghamshire County Council for the next 21 years. The new gym includes several key Life Fitness product ranges including

the Signature Series, Circuit Series, HD Elite, Hammer Strength and a Synrgy360T. Serco director of leisure Ian Phelps said: “Our capital investment programme is well underway and the gym is one of the first phases to have been completed and re-opened to customers. When designing the facility a key requirement was its ability to cater for a wide range of fitness levels, sporting abilities and performance goals and I’m pleased to say that with the help of our partner Life Fitness we have managed to achieve this.”

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Southall Sports Centre’s management has been taken over by Everyone Active.

Centre to be updated SOUTHALL Sports Centre is set to benefit from a major £500,000 upgrade following an investment from Everyone Active, which has recently taken over management of the facility in partnership with Ealing Council. The investment will see state-of-theart fitness equipment installed to enhance customer experience and encourage more people to be active. As part of the plans, a new cardio zone will be added to the main gym with Precor CV equipment and an upgraded weights section. The centre will also benefit from the

development of a new dedicated group cycling studio, an extended women’s only gym and an enhanced group exercise programme. Everyone Active contract manager James Bowden said: “Re-investment is one of our core principles and visitors to Southall Sports Centre will start to see this ethos in action right away. “The redevelopment will offer a greater range of affordable activities for the local community. We hope that the new facilities will encourage many more people to be active in 2014.” The upgrade is due for completion later this month.

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Sailing legend Ben helps to launch energy drink

Horsemeat requests increase as health benefits revealed ONLINE retailer Musclefood.com has noticed a massive increase in requests for horsemeat, after publicity about its health benefits caused a surge in demand. The specialist retailer, which supplies lean steaks and other foods to sports fans and the health conscious, decided to trial horse after receiving over 5,000 requests for it in the last 12 months. Its first horsemeat range, including fillet steaks, lean mince and meatballs, sold out in just over two hours of going on sale, with over 1000 purchases made. The site has since restocked but bosses say they are struggling to keep up with demand. MuscleFood.com’s Darren Beale said: “Ever since horsemeat was in the news last year we have been getting a steady flow of requests to stock it. “It seems the message of the nutritional benefits of horsemeat and its

relative cost effectiveness compared to similar quality beef, has really gotten through to consumers. “We decided to trial the meat and let our customers decide for themselves, so we sourced the highest quality horsemeat available and we have been amazed by the results. “The publicity that came from the horsemeat scandal led to a greater understanding of the health benefits of the meat, its low fat and cholesterol content and its leanness. “Most customers order for that reason and because they are curious to try something new but then they come back and re-order because it tastes so great. “It’s such a cost effective option that consumers are coming to understand it’s a great way to get a superior meat product at a better price. I’m convinced we are seeing the start of a fundamental change in the way British people view horsemeat.”

Coffee protein drink is ideal breakfast accompaniment PREMIUM Protein Coffee is a delicious, high-quality protein supplement made with 100 per cent instantised whey protein concentrate, plus real coffee. Premium Protein Coffee can be enjoyed warm or cold, and is the perfect complement to your breakfast eggs and porridge, or as an after lunch protein packed "pick me up." Key facts:

Over 17g of high-quality protein per cup – and just 84 calories. Available in three delicious flavours made with real coffee; caramel macchiato, mochaccino, cappuccino. Premium Protein Coffee contains a naturally occurring 90mg of caffeine per serving. Call or email now for pricing on 0161 236 1588 or Trade@bodybuildingWarehouse.co.uk

A NEW electrolyte replacement drink has been launched in the UK by cofounder and former Team England runner James Mayo and investor and ambassador, sailing legend Sir Ben Ainslie. SOS Rehydrate offers healthy hydration for active lifestyles that is comparable to an IV drip at combatting mild to moderate dehydration. SOS was founded by James and Tom Mayo, two former elite runners, while the brains behind the formula is Dr Blanca Lizaola, a qualified doctor who is currently working in research at a top US hospital. Launched successfully last April in New Zealand and the USA, SOS activates the body’s premier rehydration mechanism – the sodium glucose cotransport system – to effectively ensure that people who use the product are properly hydrated. James explained: “We all get thirsty and while the marketplace is filled with sports, coconut waters and energy drinks, SOS offers the consumer a medically proven rehydration option that stands alone in its category and ensures that people get the most out of their active lifestyles.

Sir Ben Ainslie and James Mayo. “We are pleased to welcome the UK to our rehydrated world and introduce what we call lifestyle survival.” SOS Rehydrate can be purchased exclusively in Sweatshop stores across the UK until May.

Firms take Alliance up to 40 SPORTS nutrition companies DCC Health and Beauty and Healthspark have joined The European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance, bringing its membership number up to 40. ESSNA is the voice of the sports nutrition industry and engages in dialogue with regulators, policy

makers, the media and consumers. Chair of ESSNA Dr Adam Carey said: “I would like to welcome both DCC Health and Beauty and Healthspark to the ESSNA fold, which is truly representative of a European industry in excellent health.”

Personalised nutrition machines – boosting secondary revenue MITONICS machines have been shown to increase secondary revenue streams in gyms around the UK. Being a unique new system that delivers high quality tailored recovery shakes, the MiTonics machine can raise awareness around recovery nutrition and hence increase spend from members. As an example, The Marlow club in Buckinghamshire replaced their previous offering of ready to drink (RTD) shakes with a MiTonics vending machine and immediately saw a dramatic increase in sales. MiTonics strong margins and increased clinical buy in from the fitness team ensured that sales remained high through into 2014. The net result is a 450 per cent increase in revenue gained from protein supplements sales over the first five months when compared year on year. Operations manager at the Marlow Club Kerena Lines said: “We have had the MiTONICS machine for five months now and are delighted with the results. “Sales are consistently high. Anyone serious about generating more revenue from their protein offering should consider a MiTONICS machine.” Other sites too have seen tremen-

dous gains from having the MiTonics proposition within their clubs. If you would like to know more about how to drive revenue from a MiTonics machine, please contact the MiTonics team on 08432 549019 or email: info@mitonics.com

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PRODUCT NEWS

Get to the Core ... WHEN it comes to functional training equipment the Escape Fitness CoreBag is in a league of its own. It is the perfect training tool for use in one-on-one PT sessions, small group training sessions and, with the nights starting to stay lighter for longer, can even be used outdoors. Whether you’re a club or PT targeting professional athletes or fitness beginners, the CoreBag is up to the challenge. Unlike “traditional” weight training, it enlists the use of stabilising muscles, teaching the body to use a high level of co-ordination and power to achieve the workout movements. It is the complete functional fitness tool, a welcome bonus to any facility looking to boost their free weight area. The bag itself, available in five different weights, has a smooth vinyl finish to avoid abrasions to arms or the body and has additional handles to help create more varied workouts. The colour-coded bags mean it is easy

Jordan Fitness launches range of dumbells and barbells to identify the weight you need and lends itself perfectly to a busy studio environment. For more information visit www.escapefitness.com or call 01733 313535.

Codelocks’ latest digital locker lock on show AT this year’s FIBO exhibition, find out how you can prevent clients from claiming changing room lockers as their own with the latest digital locker lock from Codelocks. The problem of ‘locker hogging’ is a common one, especially in gyms with limited locker space. Simply replacing locks and keys with a KitLock digital lock will help solve this problem. KitLock is frequently used as a more convenient and functional alternative to standard keyed cam locks supplied with many changing room lockers in gyms, spas and leisure centres. Clients simply enter a four-digit code, ‘lock and go’ – no need to carry keys or use coins or tokens. If a code is forgotten, the lock can be opened using a ‘technician code.’ With this code, the locker can be checked for contents without affecting the code selected by the client. The locker doesn’t have to be broken into or placed ‘out of action’ while another key is cut. The KitLock 1500 is a sleek-looking lock that can be fitted in any orienta-

tion due to its patented keypad design. It boasts a ‘real time’ clock that can be programmed to automatically open after a set period of time, which deters clients from leaving their belongings in the locker. It also means the lockers are always accessible for cleaning. For additional convenience, the keypad on the KL1500 can be replaced with iButton for access control with a wristband. Visit Codelocks in Hall Eight stand D50 or visit www.kitlock.com/products/kl1500/

Providing you with the best TELJU Commercial Fitness’ focus is to continue to research and develop our commercial gym range to provide the very best in construction, design and function for both you and your gym user. Our current Shock range is the product of 25 years of expertise and development. We operate our own factory and commercial design studio to complete the process to enable us to ensure detail at every stage of the design, production and delivery. Shock Commercial Plate Loaded. Our design and machine function provide user friendly, high quality and performance based machines for all ages and levels of users. Shock Commercial Disc Loaded. Our innovative designs produce an ergonomically correct movement trajectory to provide an unrivaled purity

of movement. Shock strength machines provide independent arm movement, with arcs of converging and diverging movements. Telju Commercial Fitness provides the design and support as standard with bespoke branding a option to ensure the inside of your gym reflects your brand look. Arrange to meet Craig Ingley at FIBO – Hall Five Stand D50 to discuss your needs, or for more information visit www.teljucommercialfitness.com 15 per cent off order discount at FIBO; quote FIBOCR14

FUNCTIONAL specialists Jordan Fitness have introduced a new range of studio dumbells and barbells. The Ignite range is available for pre-order now, with three new products for use in the studio. The Ignite Neoprene Studio Dumbells range from 0.5kg – 10kgs. A set of 42 pairs and a rack will allow the user to comfortably deliver sessions for at least 30 people, potentially more depending how much space they have. The Ignite Rubber Studio Barbells come with 2 x 1.25kg, 2 x 2.5kg and 2 x 5kg colour coded plates and spring collars – plus as an optional extra there are 2 x 10kg plates available. They can be purchased as individual

sets, however for best value they come in sets of 12 for small/medium studios or 30 sets for large studios. For those wanting the best quality, the Ignite Urethane Studio Barbells are the perfect product. The weight increments and colour coding are the same as the Ignite Rubber Studio Barbell range, but Urethane is highly durable, impact resistant and shock absorbing. In addition, Urethane has higher tear strength than rubber, so Urethane Dumbells/Barbells will generally last much longer. For more information visit www.jordanfitness.co.uk, call 01553 763285 or email sales@jordanfitness.co.uk

How to take your fitness business to the next level By Stephanie Jennings

GIVEN that running a business requires a lot of time and commitment, you might assume that growing your business requires even more time and commitment. Good news – it doesn’t have to be that way. By paying attention to the aspects of your business planning and strategy below, you can ready your business to grow on its own – bringing new clients to you and opening up new revenue streams in the long run. Keep your eye on technology Embrace new technologies, and keep an eye on new innovations in your industry. Your clients expect to be able to book online, find you on social media, read reviews and write reviews about your location, check-in via a tablet or computer, and receive helpful perks like automated emails and text reminders when they book a class with you. Using the latest technology – from web and mobile management solutions, to social media monitoring services and marketing tools, will keep your business competitive in the marketplace. Maintain your website Your website is your front door. Your clients make impressions about you and your services based on your site’s images, content, functionality and updates.

Take care of your website like your business depends on it. Update images regularly, maintain your class schedule daily, and always be assessing your call to action buttons. Can your clients “book now,” “contact us” and “read staff bios”? Your website should give your clients a feel for your unique services, staff, and brand. Consider running a daily or weekly blog to attract clients and prospects to your website to read relevant content.

Focus on client retention Retaining your clients is considered more important than generating new clients. Current clients like your services – they mingle, market and network, spreading your brand by word of mouth – the most powerful marketing tool around. Assess your customer service regularly. Are you showing your clients appreciation, attention and dedication? Business management programs like MINDBODY facilitate relationship building – through automated emails and texts, storing client profiles and histories, and tracking notes for clients like preferred trainer or bad back. Showing your clients appreciation and care will go a long way in the long run. Stephanie Jennings is VP of sales at MINDBODY.

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