01
25/7/12
15:42
Page 1
August 2012
The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazine
Treatment by exercise is key to lasting legacy By Christina Eccles MORE widespread use of exercise to treat diseases will be among the key factors in helping to achieve a lasting public health legacy as a result of hosting the Olympics, experts have claimed. When the country bid for the Games, one of the then Government’s main objectives was to host the first Olympics which could create a long term health legacy for the host countr y. But a recent report from The House of Lords science and technology select committee expresses disappointment in a lack of joined up thinking in go vernment on delivering this legacy. The report – Sport and Exercise Science and Medicine: Building on the Olympic Legacy to Improve the Nation’s Health – said evidence received by the committee suggested barriers preventing the treatment of ill health by exercise include a lack of awareness by health professionals, inadequate training and guidance for these pr ofessionals, and lack of confidence in exer cise referral schemes. And it recommended more should be done to look into the benefits of exercise to prevent and treat diseases. The report said: “Given the estimated
costs of inactivity and the potential benefits of the use of exercise as a preventative measure and treatment for chronic diseases, we recommend that the National Institute for Health Research and other research funders should stimulate research to translate findings of sport and exercise science and medicine to public health benefits.” FIA CEO David Stalker commented on the findings. “As the Royal College of Physicians highlighted in their report Exercise for Life, there remains a lot of work to be done if we are to establish exercise as a routine part in the treatment and management of chronic disease,” he said. “This report only serves to reinforce the importance of the health agenda for the sports and physical activity sector. “Understanding the contribution that professionals in our sector can make is important but we have to recognise we are only one aspect of this challenge and that working with the medical professions is absolutely crucial. “Building further understanding and awareness of our shared objective – a healthier and more active nation – is the key first step in the collabor ation that is so vital to this agenda.”
No 227 £3
Blackpool plays host to fitness conference
Global sportswear brand adidas and video games publisher 505 Games have launched the adidas miCoach console game to aspiring athletes across Europe. The game – available on XBox 360 and Sony Playstation three – allows users who currently interact with the system through mobile apps and online to e xtend their training programme into their living rooms. miCoach features 18 of adidas’ globally recognised athletes, including Olympic heptathlete Jessica Ennis (pictured), allowing users to train side by side with their heroes via discs and downloadable content.
A MUST-attend conference is taking place in Blackpool later this year, aimed at independent operators who want to improve their businesses. The conference, Maximising Potential with Minimum Outlay, is being held at the town’s Hilton Hotel on October 18 and will include presentations from some of the fitness industry’s most well respected figures, as well as opportunities to network and share ideas with other independent gym owners and key suppliers. Speakers already signed up include top personal trainer and international fitness presenter Dean Hodgkin, CEO of CFM Dave Wright, successful independent operator Andy Peacock from Warehouse gym near Huddersfield, and social media expert Matt Bradney, with topics up for discussion ranging from marketing tips to successfully generating secondary spend. The seminar is being organised by Script Events – the company behind the successful annual National Fitness Awards – in conjunction with Workout, the UK’s number one magazine for independent gyms. To find out more or book your place at the event, visit www.scriptmedia.co.uk/events