June 2023
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CoverMe Fitness app launches to revolutionise group exercise cover
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Programme to support para-swimming athlete
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All the information you need to enter the 2023 National Fitness Awards
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Eliminating noise and vibration disturbances, caused by gym activities, by providing effective solutions such as:
Rubber floor finishes in sheet and tile formats.
Force attenuating mixed cellular acoustic underlays.
Agglomerated cork and rubber underlays.
Impact absorbing isolation pads for treadmills.
Sound absorbent ceiling tiles, baffles, rafts and acoustic wall panels.
Isolated subfloor systems.
DIRECT access to advice from a GP and a breastfeeding expert will be part of Horizon Leisure’s new Baby and Parent Group, which has launched at Waterlooville Leisure Centre in Havant.
The weekly drop-in sessions will run on Friday mornings during term times, where local GP, Rosemary Dudson from the Vine Medical Group, and Ginny Dupont from the Breastfeeding Network UK, will attend on alternate weeks.
There will be an opportunity for new parents to weigh their babies and ask the experts for guidance and support.
Mike Lyons, CEO, Horizon Leisure, a charitable trust that manages the facilities on behalf of Havant Council and uses any profits and assets for community benefit, said: “We were committed to creating a safe and welcoming space for parents and their young babies to come and meet other families and access expert help from health care professionals.
“Having a baby can sometimes feel very lonely and overwhelming and having a team of experts on hand will help new parents navigate this big life change.
“It is unfortunate that baby weighing services in the area have massively reduced, and we welcome parents to come and weigh their babies to ensure they are growing properly.
“Having experts on site really makes this baby and parent group a unique provision for families in the area.”
The baby and parent group is very informal; there is no need to book and baby toys and play mats are available. Both Mums and Dads are welcome, as well as older siblings. Horizon Leisure hopes the group will be an opportunity to meet other local families and make new friends too.
Mike added: “Horizon Leisure is passionate about the health and wellbeing of our community, from new born babies to those in their twilight years. Our services really are
WHEN was the last time you reviewed your leisure retail offer?
As the weather improves and we hurtle towards the school summer holidays, more and more people are starting to think about their warm weather active wardrobe.
Now is the time to refresh your facility retail offer with value for money, eye-catching swim and leisure wear essentials that appeal to everyone.
Blu Leisure has introduced several new garments to complement its classic collection. For the ladies, there is the new, must have, flattering Riviera halter neck swimsuit in olive green and for the men there are the smart two pocket Presto shorts, available in blue and black which look as good with a casual shirt as they do in the pool.
For the children, Blu Leisure offers a range of colourful swim accessories from googles and floatation aids to dive stick and swim hats. All the items can be carried to and from the pool or the beach in a new, stylish tote bag.
Vicki Peck, managing director, Blu Leisure, said: “Every individual item is designed to add value to the overall collection, ensuring all garments look great when displayed together.
“Our retail collection provides leisure facility operators with a complete retail offer that appeals to a wide range of consumers from both a price and a
design perspective.
“Our items are competitively priced to enable operators to set a retail price that delivers at least a 50 per cent mark-up whilst still offering incredible value to their customers.”
Blu Leisure works with a global network of suppliers to design, manufacture and supply quality Blu branded and custom branded swimwear, fitness apparel and accessories. Leisure operator partners include the Bannatyne Group, Everyone Active, Freedom Leisure and Macdonald Hotel group.
Vicki added: “Our partners benefit from quick and easy online ordering and next day delivery, thanks to the high volumes of stock held here in the UK. “
Blu Leisure is actively seeking new leisure retail partners.
If you are interested in finding out more about the product range and how a partnership could turbocharge income potential, contact the team on 01908 582525 or visit bluleisure.co.uk
cradle to grave. Health and wellbeing starts from the moment you are born, and these kinds of community initiatives are great foundations for a long, healthy and happy life.
“We want to help our community and new families get off to the best start, and these sessions will familiarise parents with our facilities and what offers we provide for children as they grow, including the creche, swimming, trampolining, gymnastics, soft play and holiday camps.”
Ginny Dupont, service manager, Breastfeeding Network South and
East Hampshire and The Isle of Wight, said: “The Breastfeeding Network has been supporting families within Havant and Waterlooville for more than eight years, and we are thrilled to be on hand at Horizon Leisure’s Baby and Parent Group to offer non-judgmental help and guidance to new parents.
“We know how challenging breast feeding can be, and we are here to help families make informed decisions about breastfeeding, to offer assistance when needed and to support parents to become confident in their choices.”
PILATES brand Heartcore has announced new expansion plans with the launch of an international franchise model seeking to open new studios across the globe.
Known as the experts in Dynamic Pilates, the Heartcore Method delivers transformative results for both mind and body. Improving mobility, flexibility and strength, Heartcore has had more than 100,000 people moving together since its doors opened.
Classes are low-impact, making them accessible to a wider demographic, and with a level of adaptability that makes it suitable for all body types.
Heartcore founder Jessie Blum said: “Over the last 17 years Heartcore has gone from strength to strength. From the success of our London studios, each unique to their neighbourhood, to the thousands of members that move with us from around the world; our success is in the results we continuously achieve.
“Now, we’re excited to replicate this success in markets across the globe by inviting those that share our values to
join our community.
“By doing so, not only will our partners gain a unique wellness offering and tailor-made equipment, but they will reap the knowledge and insight of a founder-led business nearly two decades
in the making.”
Franchisees will receive a tailor-made Heartcore franchise package, which includes expert support in business planning, studio management and marketing, alongside in-depth teacher training.
Teachers at franchise studios will also be part of Heartcore’s ongoing training programme, enabling them to continue their education and consistently deliver the most transformational workout.
Franchisees will also get access to the unique Coreformer, referred to as the Rolls Royce of reformers and designed by Jessie herself. The Coreformer is exclusive to Heartcore and its innovative design, including an extra-wide and long carriage, two platforms, and patented foot bar mechanism, make it easy to use and adaptable for every shape.
Each Heartcore studio is an expression of the brand – carefully designed to feel like a home away from home to make the member experience truly immersive, and its distinctive franchise opportunities
will enable like-minded entrepreneurs to establish a studio in their own market, joining on an international community passionate about mindful movement already established by Jessie.
As well as its studios, Heartcore has a thriving digital platform. Launched in 2020, Heartcore Online was initially launched to maintain operations during Covid lockdowns, but has led to the creation of a global community numbering in the tens of thousands, in markets including Oslo, Dubai, Cape Town, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Sydney and Tokyo.
This means franchisees will join the Heartcore business at an exciting point in the brand’s development, with the increasing international membership underpinned by a period of significant growth for the Pilates industry.
According to Mindbody, the global market is booming; figures show classes combining resistance training with Yoga/ Pilates saw an increase of 471 per cent year on year.
THE final steel beam to complete the structure of the new Platinum Jubilee Leisure Centre in West Drayton was installed on the site recently.
The ceremony is a traditional builders’ rite of passage marking the installation of the final beam in a new structure, but for local residents it means their modern leisure facility is one significant step closer to completion.
Deputy leader Councillor Jonathan Bianco said: “I was delighted to visit the leisure centre and see the very impressive build taking shape and now really look forward to seeing it
Director of Operations: Dominic Musgrave
Tel: 01226 734407 dm@scriptmediagroup.co.uk
Studio manager: Paul Hopkinson ph@scriptmediagroup.co.uk
Assistant studio manager: Scott Firth sf@scriptmediagroup.co.uk
when it’s fully finished and bustling with people.
“This building is a statement of our commitment to ensuring residents have access to first class health and leisure services that enable to them to live active, fulfilling lifestyles and I have no doubt the community will really enjoy this fantastic leisure centre once open.”
The new leisure centre will be a vital community amenity serving residents of Yiewsley and West Drayton and affirms the council’s commitment to ensuring thriving, healthy households.
The build is being undertaken by
developers Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd, who started work on site in spring 2022.
Among the leisure facilities there will be a 25-metre swimming pool, training pool, splash-zone, gym and health suite, soft play, youth and community hub, a café and terrace, and even a rooftop 3G turf football pitch.
Residents were consulted on the plans in September 2019 and their feedback has been incorporated into the design wherever possible.
The centre is expected to be completed in summer 2024.
A LEISURE centre in Dovercourt has reopened after water supplies were restored to the facility.
Dovercourt Bay Lifestyles had to close over the Easter bank holiday weekend after an issue with the external supply meant the amenity had no water.
The supply has now been restored and now, following water quality testing, the centre has reopened.
www.workoutuk.co.uk
Lee Heley, corporate director for place and economy at Tendring District Council, which runs the leisure centre, said he was pleased to see Dovercourt Bay Lifestyles re-open.
“Once again I would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused to our customers as a result of this unexpected closure, and we
look forward to welcoming people back,” he added.
“My thanks go to all of our staff who have worked tirelessly to get
the centre back open as quickly as possible, as well as the leisure centre staff who have helped out at other centres during the period of closure.”
BILLING can be one of the trickiest parts of running a gym.
You have to keep a record of which members are paying for which memberships, ensure the money is being collected on time and if a member is overdue, make sure they can’t access the club until they’ve paid for their membership.
Many gyms across the UK still collect membership payments manually because they feel the need to maintain control, but more often than not, it costs the gym owner a lot of time and energy that could be spent delighting customers and growing the business.
Here are the three ways that billing software will help your gym and set the business up for success:
Automatic recurring payments
Billing software will help your business by setting up automatic recurring payments, meaning you won’t need to manually oversee each transaction that comes in.
This is especially useful for clubs that need to collect things like regular membership payments or recurring sessions.
If new members join and agree to pay their monthly fee by Direct Debit or recurring card payment, the billing software will automatically set up a
monthly payment schedule for the selected amount once sign-up has been completed.
Automatically track member payments
In addition, billing software will help you track membership so that you can identify which members’ payments are up to date and which members still need to pay. The system will match up the payment to the correct member in such a way that there’s no need for you to do it manually.
You’ll even get an automatic alert when a member is overdue so that you can speak to them and collect their payment as quickly as possible. Imagine all the time that would save you.
Keep everything in one place
It also makes it possible for your business to sell products and merchandise (think protein bars and branded clothing) in the app, so everything is in one place.
Every aspect of your gym can be managed from a single system – which means you don’t need to switch between software and web pages to get the information you need.
Investing in gym billing software will set your business up for success and ensure your club stays in operation for years to come.
You’ll be able to build a sustainable monthly income and strive for business growth without worrying about the extra admin work it could lead to; along with having confidence that payments are being collected accurately and on time.
Ready to invest in gym billing software? Speak to ClubRight. We’re the go-to member management software that takes care of everything from automation and access control to class bookings and selling online - plus a whole lot more.
Give us a call today on 0203 884 977 to find out why we’re trusted by more than 750 fitness businesses across the UK.
THE LAUNCH of a new on-demand group exercise class cover app is set to revolutionise the fitness industry, allowing operators to source the best freelance exercise instructors and keep member experience high.
CoverMe’s algorithm works by matching inspirational, qualified and insured freelance instructors, vetted by CoverMe’s own in-house team, with gyms and studios to minimise timetable disruption, factoring in skills, proximity and availability – all in real time – so managers can source and book class cover in less than 30 seconds and three simple steps.
The innovative technology was first created as a prototype back in 2018 and has since attracted the attention of industry heavyweights including The Gym Group founder and executive chair John Treharne, and Emma Barry, global fitness authority and co-founder of Good Soul Hunting, who have both joined CoverMe as non-executive directors.
Emma said: “The advancement of technology puts everything at our fingertips 24/7: food, fashion, and fast cars.
“And now the same is true for group exercise instructors – CoverMe is the ‘Uber’ of class subbing.”
CoverMe’s head of sales Nik Leeke added: “Any club manager will tell you that one of their biggest headaches is
finding high-quality freelance cover when instructors are sick or absent.
“This can take up hours of precious time each week and usually has an unsatisfactory outcome, with another member of the team forced to stand in at the last minute or cancelled classes. Either way, it leads to dissatisfied members.
“CoverMe is more than an app, it’s a real-time community, streamlining cover provision quickly, reliably and safely.
“There’s no more desperately scrolling through contacts or calling in favours to cover classes; we make sure slickly choreographed, big-impact, big-fun group exercises classes actually happen, so the in-house team’s time can be
spent growing the business and looking after the member experience, which all contributes to a more positive NPS score.
“We know that members who take part in group exercise are 20 per cent more likely to be loyal than those who only use the gym, so keeping group exercisers happy is key for retention.
“We also know that instructors are critical to the group exercise experience, yet finding cover for them is one of the few areas of the fitness industry that has yet to benefit from technology.
“Most managers still rely on outof-date ways to source cover, such as WhatsApp groups and archaic paper lists, which are hugely time-consuming, inefficient and very likely breach GDPR.
CoverMe aims raise standards in the industry.”
On joining the app, all instructors’ qualifications and insurance certificates are verified, so managers can be assured their group exercise cover is certified, insured and of the highest quality.
The app’s unique QR code system enables instructors to scan in at the club, meaning managers can track exactly who is in the building and when, and can produce class cover reports and generate automatic, accurate invoices to save further time and administration. CoverMe can also be used to manage, engage and retain existing talent and to source new talent to lead permanent classes.
In an ongoing pilot study at a club with 150 live classes a week, jobs were posted within 72 hours of the CoverMe app going live with 95 per cent of cover roles accepted in less than 20 minutes of posting.
On average, 97 per cent of group exercise classes that require cover, get cover.
John Treharne, former CEO The Gym Group, and non-executive director of CoverMe, added: “This is a fantastic concept and exactly what all class operators need to enhance efficiency, member satisfaction levels and avoid the frustration of classes being cancelled or changed at short notice.”
IT IS vital that your gym is always in peak condition. From independent gyms to large Government bodies, we provide the same attention to detail to all of our customers.
We currently look after over 1,500 sites across the UK, including PureGym, JD Gyms, Anytime Fitness, Nuffield Health, Bannatyne’s and the Ministry of Defence.
Regular servicing of gym equipment is proven to reduce the number of breakdowns and increase the longevity of equipment, preventing costly repair and replacement.
We offer a range of services, including:
Preventative maintenance
ServiceSport UK’s team of engineers prolong the life of commercial gym equipment from leading manufacturers such as Technogym, Life Fitness, Precor, Matrix, Concept2, Star Trac and Pulse for gym operators across the UK.
During a service, our engineers will follow an in-depth checklist that includes examining key components and moving parts, checking the functionality of the equipment, applying lubricant, cleaning inside the equipment and much more. More importantly, our engineers will identify any potential risks to ensure your gym equipment is safe for all.
Whether you require an annual service or two preventative maintenance services a year, our engineers will provide a detailed report to confirm
which pieces of gym equipment have passed or failed.
Following this, our team will provide a quote that includes all parts and labour to repair the defects and an engineer will return to the site to ensure all the gym equipment is fit for use.
If you currently have gym equipment at your facility that’s out of order, then our engineers will visit your site to diagnose the issue and carry out repairs even if we’ve not originally serviced your gym equipment.
Once your gym equipment has been serviced and any defects repaired, we can maintain the equipment for a period of 12 months (or longer), inclusive of parts and labour, to give you complete peace of mind that your gym equipment is in safe hands.
Trust ServiceSport UK today. We are proud to be the heartbeat of your gym.
For further information, contact our team today. Simply call 01257 264 738, or email info@servicesport.co.uk.
IT COULD be claimed that the fitness industry has long been at the forefront of technological innovation, with the latest gadgets promising to revolutionise the way we approach health and fitness.
From wearable technology to advanced fitness apps, it’s clear that technology is trying to change the game in many ways.
However, while these advancements have certainly helped people achieve their fitness goals more efficiently, there is one area where technology seems to be falling short.
According to a recent report by UK Active and Sport England, 85 per cent of leisure management operators report feeling limited by the leisure management system they currently use.
Clearly software is falling short when it comes to aiding businesses in their digital transformation journey and providers need to do better. How should they begin to tackle this though?
Perhaps it’s time for the industry to start looking outside of their comfort zones to other sectors which have already experienced the pain of digital transformation, to companies like Netflix and Amazon.
How, you might wonder though, can the fitness industry learn from a company like Netflix, which uses technology to try to keep us glued to a screen?
Or from Amazon for that matter, which uses technology to remove the money from our pockets as efficiently and quickly as possible. Well, let’s take Netflix as an example.
Through necessity, Netflix was, and is, a pioneer in auto-scaling applications. When the world gets home from work and decides it’s time to watch the latest episode of Stranger Things, their platform must adapt quickly to this sudden spike in demand.
Phil DaviesThe fitness and leisure industry is no different to this in that it experience noticeable spikes in usage. They might come at a different frequency but those spikes will inevitably arrive.
When the new year dawns, for example, and the guilt-ridden masses head in force to the gym, or their local gym’s latest membership offer strikes the right tone and coaxes an unexpected number of new members through the door, tried and trusted legacy software’s might just land gym owner’s in trouble.
There are two potential situations here. Either there is unused capacity sitting there waiting for such events, or there isn’t and systems will begin to creak.
Usually, it’s the latter and there is not much that can be done about it. If the software is running from a server sitting in a room at the back of a facility or, God forbid, on a PC sitting under the counter in reception, then there is no way it can respond.
This is why companies like Netflix invested heavily in auto-scaling technology.
Frameworks such as Kubernetes were created to harness the flexibility of the cloud, to scale an application up when it needs to and then back down again when the load has passed.
Pick an LMS which uses tech such as this and not only will your customers appreciate the uninterrupted service but you’re not going to be paying for all that capacity when you don’t need it.
A senior director at Gladstone Software once told me: “Hope is not a strategy.”
While he was referring to financial forecasting, his words hold true for technology as well.
Without utilising an auto-scaling technology such as Kubernetes, a business is adopting a “fly-by-theseat-of-your-pants” approach to seasonal demand. It’s just hoping it has enough capacity to cope when things get busy.
Digital transformation is starting to happen, of course. It is inevitable.
Phrases like containerised applications and microservices architecture are becoming more common when we talk about the next generation of LMS applications and such things can provide real value to business operating in the leisure sector. Again, these are technologies pushed forward by big hitters such as Netflix, Google and Amazon, but what are they and what can the leisure industry learn from them?
A microservices architecture, for example, effectively breaks down software into small elements and boxes these services up in neat little independent bundles.
This provides several benefits. Firstly, if one part of the application is having a problem, those issues will be isolated, and a problem with one part of the LMS won’t bring the whole application to its knees.
Secondly, when trying to fix a bug in some software, most of a developer’s time is spent finding it. If the application is broken down into small pieces like this, bugs become much easier and faster to find.
The fact that everything is in its own little isolated container helps ring fence where things scale too. For example, if the bookings microservices are busy but the new member ones aren’t, then why scale the whole application? You can just scale the part of it which is under
load.
It’s not just how these big hitters utilise technology we can learn from though.
There are cultural paradigms at work in companies like Netflix which we should adopt too. They put failure at the heart of what they do.
Everything they build is built knowing that it will, at some point, fail. Developers know this because someone else in business is going make it fail.
Enter the Chaos Monkey. This is a piece of software which goes around randomly terminating processes in their production environment. Yes, you read that correctly.
They deliberately cause chaos in their production environment. Why would they do such a thing? Well, if developers know that at some point their code is definitely going to fail then they are forced to build software which is resilient to such random acts of naughtiness.
There is rich stuff at work in these other businesses, both technically and culturally which we as an industry can appropriate.
We must learn from those who have already made this journey and unleash the chaos monkey.
We should acknowledge that these digital behemoths do not get everything right though.
A recent article by Fast Company highlighted the shortcomings in the user interface design of streaming platforms.
While modern consumer-facing applications in the fitness industry seek to streamline user experience, cutting away much of the nonsense, increasingly these platforms are making their customers jump through hoops to find what they are looking for, so perhaps there is something Netflix and Amazon can learn from us too.
n Phil Davies is the chief technical officer at Gladstone Ltd.
THAT’S one of many valuable messages from UFC GYM president Adam Sedlack, speaking on how we can all work to fill the void between vital areas of opportunity within the fitness industry moving forward.
Speaking to Matthew Januszek, cofounder of Escape Fitness and host of the Escape Your Limits podcast, Adam delved shared his insights on what it takes to engage that elusive majority of people who don’t currently exercise.
“There are more gyms opening than ever before, which is a good thing,” Adam said.
“Our job as an industry is to take this fitness penetration from 25 per cent to 50 per cent. As a group and as a collective, we can do that.
“Our job is to inspire people, motivate them, and give people a reason to at least try out a gym or be part of a fitness community.
“You can’t go wrong if you make decisions on what you think is best for the consumer and the team members.
“Every cost is going through the roof, so you definitely have to make sure that the offering you have is worth the money.
“We went out and invested into mics,
better music and Myzone. We’re doing this globally now.
“Coaches can now have, in their Myzone family, all of their clients, and connect with them on a much broader
level.
“They know when they’re outside of the club and when they’re on their own, so when they come in for the session, the coach can pull up their Myzone, look at their client, and create competition as well as seeing how many MEPs were earned in-between sessions.
“It creates that connectivity. Then customers start competing with other customers, and now you have something that’s very special and very unique.
“It didn’t cost a lot of money, but what it did was connect the dots; the void in our industry.
“This, to me, is what needs to happen in higher cost facilities in order to thrive in the right way.
“The connectivity for the consumer through technology; the connectivity of the coach, and the connectivity from client to client is going to be very important.”
Watch the full episode at https://youtu.be/U1rr1Tn1uA or find out more about Myzone by visiting myzone.org
BODY Fit Training, Australia’s fastest-growing fitness franchise, is accelerating the growth of its UK network with two new franchises in London.
Based in Hackney and South West London, the franchisees will launch their first studios in the autumn with further locations to follow over the next few years.
Following the success of Battersea and Leicester, BFT continues to expand in the UK and aims to have 150 state-of-the-art fitness studios open in the next three years.
BFT’s mission of spreading its results-driven progressive group training to the world, with a target of 1,000 studios globally, is rapidly becoming a reality.
As a brand, BFT attracts ambitious entrepreneurs, often with previous experience in the fitness industry.
The new franchisee of Hackney is no exception.
Co-owned by three certified personal trainers – Emile Kerim, Frankie Nieto and David Irvine – the trio will launch their first state-of-the-art fitness studio in the autumn.
Bringing their combined 50 years of experience to their new venture, the three managers will run the studio themselves with the support of a team of accredited coaches, delivering high-intensity group strength and conditioning fitness programmes to their
local community.
Hackney will be the first of three studios they plan to open within the next five years across London.
“BFT is a fresh, exciting and innovative brand and we all jumped at the opportunity to open the third studio in the UK,” said Emile Kerim.
“We are all so passionate about our new franchise and can’t wait to get started on our journey together.
“With our previous experience of working collectively for another global fitness brand, we know we can build a successful business as we share the same drive, commitment, and work ethic.
“We believe BFT offer unique and scientifically proven training techniques so people feel inspired and get the results they desire – it is much more than just a workout.
“Our aim is to give every one of our members a personal experience relevant to their own body, their level of fitness, limitations and flexibility, all in a community environment that builds lasting friendships and networks.”
Continuing to bring franchisees to the network, BFT has also welcomed Rosie Bogle who has identified South West London as an ideal location for her first studio in the autumn.
She added: “BFT is the perfect fit for me both professionally and personally.
“Fitness has always been a huge passion of mine, and I have seen first-hand how it can benefit you both physically and mentally.
“To have the opportunity to use my existing skillset of working with global brands, such as Unilever, and helping influencers to grow their audiences, will put me in good stead to manage my own franchise business.
“BFT is delivering a solution in the marketplace that is not only different, but in huge demand.
“We will be delivering a workout which is more than just scattered programming and results that also creates welcoming, inclusive, motivating and safe spaces for my local community.”
BFT offers workouts based on science-backed programmes previously reserved for elite athletes –
now made accessible for all, regardless of their fitness level.
The sessions are delivered through progressive 50-minute functional strength, cardio, and conditioning-based classes across 13 different programmes.
The custom-made technology used in the studio includes a bespoke heart rate monitor system – ‘BFT³’ – which allows members to track their progress and compare their performance to previous sessions, ensuring they are getting optimum results from each class.
“The UK fitness market is pumping, and with our strong and solid business foundations proven with more than 240 studios open and 55,000 members worldwide, we are ready to bring our world-class training programmes, practices, and education to every major town and city across the UK,” added Cameron Falloon, BFT’s founder.
“With more people aspiring to a healthier and more active lifestyle, we believe now is the perfect time to expand our network and make professional training accessible to the everyday person.
“We are delighted to announce two new franchisees in London and to build on the locations of Leicester and Battersea, both of which are seeing fantastic growth and interest since launching.”
GM Active has entered into a strategic partnership with Innerva, specialists in power-assisted exercise, to help people across Greater Manchester live healthy, happy and longer lives.
Over the next 12 months, Innerva will work with the GM Active consortium of leisure and community organisations to help engage harder to reach communities, particularly older adults and those with long term conditions, in regular and where appropriate rehabilitative, activity.
With traditional gyms and fitness equipment failing to appeal to the majority of inactive older adults, power assisted exercise provides a viable active wellbeing solution for the growing ageing population of Greater Manchester.
Jon Hymus, commercial director at Innerva said: “In 15 years’ time it’s estimated that 1.1 million people in Greater Manchester will be over the age 50 – that’s 37 per cent of the city-region population.
“We are delighted to be working with
GM Active to support more people to be physically active as they age with a research-backed solution that is immediately accessible for older adults who are unwilling or unable to use traditional exercise equipment.”
Together, GM Active and Innerva will
share their knowledge and expertise to meet the needs of older adults and people with health conditions to improve local health outcomes and help people enjoy more years of good physical and mental health as they age.
Academic research shows that the
Innerva solution has proven health and wellbeing benefits for older adults and those with long term health and mobility issues, and also supports broader integrated health and social care priorities.
Seventy per cent of Innerva users say they can move better as a result of using the power assisted equipment, while 90 per cent report improvements in their mental health.
By targeting the older adult demographic, the Innerva solution attracts loyal new users to generate new sustainable revenue streams – research shows that three quarters of Innerva users visit three or more times a week.
Jon Keating, GM Active’s head of business operations, added: “Innerva and all our business partners have a niche role to play in our collective vision and mission.
“We are delighted to welcome Innerva aboard and look forward to working with the team, to mutually benefit from the knowledge and expertise they bring to the GM Active cause.”
CAROLINE Faithfull, three-time gold medallist at the British Down Syndrome Swimming Championships, has joined Parkwood Leisure’s Promising Athletes Programme through Hengrove Park Leisure Centre, as she prepares for the European Down Syndrome Swimming Championships in October.
Caroline, 28, who is an s14 classification swimmer competing in para-swimming events, first competed for Great Britain in 2012.
Since then she has competed at various World, European and British Championships for para-swimming, representing Team GB in 2018 as team captain.
In preparation for this October’s European Championships in Italy, Caroline trains at the Olympic-size swimming pool at Hengrove Park Leisure
Centre as part of Parkwood Leisure’s Promising Athletes Programme. Access to the competition-standard 50m long-course pool provides a
competitive environment for Caroline to train for upcoming competitions.
She said: “I’m incredibly grateful to Hengrove Park Leisure Centre and Parkwood Leisure for providing me with an amazing 50-metre swimming pool and facility to train in, which will give me the best opportunity to perform well at the upcoming European Championships.
“I have always loved swimming, and I believe that whether you have a disability or not, you can do anything you set your mind to.”
Launched by Parkwood Leisure, who manage Hengrove Park Leisure Centre, the Promising Athletes Programme supports athletes competing at a national or regional level to take the next step in their competitive careers and achieve their goals.
As a member of the programme,
Advertiser’s announcement
Caroline receives a range of benefits, including free access to all facilities at Hengrove Park.
This includes the pool, 180-station gym, and access to group exercise classes and activities.
Thomas Hunter, centre manager at Hengrove Park Leisure Centre, added: “We couldn’t be happier to support Caroline with free access to the facilities at Hengrove Park as part of the Promising Athlete Programme.
“She’s an incredible athlete and an inspiration to everyone at the facility.
“We’re proud to offer a truly competitive environment with our Olympic-standard swimming pool where Caroline can train for the upcoming European Championships, and accessible and inclusive facilities to cater to a wide range of visitors’ needs.”
IF YOU’RE looking for fresh ways to drive membership sales at your gym or health club, you might like to read this article.
Forest Hills Leisure Club recently completed a marketing campaign which resulted in 581 new members joining the club during an eight-week period.
The highlight of this campaign was the ‘open day’ where 76 new members joined on one day.
So how did they do it?
Building and retaining momentum was essential to the success of this campaign. Word of mouth spreads quickly so with any sales campaign it is important to create a buzz from the get-go and ensure the ‘early adopters’ (those keen beans who nab the offer as soon as it’s announced) have a great experience with your club.
This includes the full process from the targeted marketing to the first meeting of club staff, right through to their first day using the club.
Keeping this momentum going through the campaign is vital, which can be achieved through using new customer testimonials and reviews in
promotional material, as well as one-off giveaways designed to generate buzz around the brand.
The campaign was designed and carried out by agency Creative Fitness Marketing (CFM) who have worked with more than 1,000 gyms and health clubs in the UK and internationally.
During this time, they have learned that the skills and experience of the front-line team is crucial in the success of the campaigns.
Jonny Packard from CFM said: “Nowadays, it is very easy to find a digital agency who will provide you with sales leads.
“Unfortunately, however, many clubs in the UK don’t have the budget for a full-time sales person, so the ‘tour’ is often left to the receptionist or personal trainers who may lack the skills or motivation to ‘close the sale’.
“This can result in many ‘wasted’ leads.”
During the eight weeks, 475 members joined on the promotional campaign, with an additional 106 joining on the club’s regular membership offering.
Club manager Lindsey Plant added: “This is our fourth promotion with CFM, the second within 18 months and yet again we have been blown away with the response to the campaign.
“Running the CFM campaigns has been the best thing we have done to increase our membership base. We wouldn’t have been able to run a campaign on the same scale ourselves.”
Many clubs find using CFM a great complement to their ongoing marketing as CFM provide both the marketing and the sales staff during the six-to-eight week campaigns.
To find out if your club is suitable for a CFM campaign, check out www.cfm.net or call Jonny or Harry on 0115 777 3333.
THE average person has about 40 apps on their phone, comprising everything from banking to video games. More and more, people expect to be able to manage their days using self-service functions of phone apps.
Providing a mobile app for your members is not only convenient for them but provides a crucial avenue to build client retention for your fitness business.
Why apps work
In the tech world, companies try to make their products more “sticky;” in other words, how do you make a customer keep using your product and make it so integral to their life that they won’t want to cancel?
Apps are often one of the top ways product teams try to engage customers and extend their time as customers.
There are a few different ways that apps achieve company growth and retention goals:
1. Apps help you stay connected
It’s harder and harder to get in front of your customers – whether it’s through email, mail, or social media. But apps can help you stay connected by sending relevant push notifications.
Consider using pushes to remind members that they have an upcoming class or to prompt them to sign up for a personal training session.
2. Apps help people save time
Think about the times when you get an email which tells you to go to a website, where you need to remember a password and then verify your identity on another app. It makes you want to never log in again, right? Compare that to the experience of opening an app you know well – a couple of taps later, and you’re able to do what you need to.
In addition to the simplicity, apps also offer a level of convenience you won’t get elsewhere. You give members the ability to check gym hours while waiting in the line at the grocery store. By making client engagement quick and easy, you’re more likely to have those clients engage.
3. Apps give you more opportunities
When you implement an app, you also get access to a wealth of data about your members.
You’ll be able to see who is using the app and who is making purchases.
You can use this information to fuel your outreach and try to engage people who haven’t been visiting or ask common gym-goers for referrals.
How to get a custom branded app
It’s clear that implementing an app for your business
can not only aid in growing your business but also improve client satisfaction.
So, what’s next? EZFacility gym membership software can provide custom branded apps that integrate seamlessly with your other gym management tools. When they all speak to each other, it makes it easy to schedule classes, manage members, and handle purchases and billing. sales@ezfacility.co.uk 0203 3270480 www.ezfacility.co.uk
WITH the current cost of living crisis, finding affordable ways to stay fit has become more important than ever. Keeping fit on a budget is possible and in fact, there are plenty of fun and creative ways to stay active without breaking the bank.
Whether you prefer walking, swimming, running, yoga, or more adventurous outdoor activities – there’s plenty of options to choose from.
To add some excitement to your workouts, Dean Zweck, product development manager at Total Fitness, has shared his tips on how to make the most of your wallet-friendly workouts while still having fun.
Workout from home – as well as the gym
You might wonder why an expert from a leading health club is telling you to work out from home, but don’t be surprised – pairing home workouts with a gym routine is a great combination.
One of the biggest benefits of working out at home is the convenience factor. You don’t have to worry about travelling to the gym or finding time to fit a workout into your schedule.
You can work out whenever you feel like it, whether that’s early in the morning, late at night, or during a lunch break.
Try to alternate between the gym and working out at home so you can benefit from the variety of machines and heavier weights at the gym but also the convenience of home workouts.
When you exercise at home, you have more control over your workout routine. You can customise your workout to your fitness level and goals with the help
of online sites or streaming services. They offer free workout routines, meaning you can experiment with different exercises and equipment to find what works best for you.
Additionally, you can put on your favourite playlist and do simple exercises such as push-ups, squats, sit-ups, jumping jacks, and burpees – these can be done anywhere with no equipment needed.
Unlike other forms of exercise that require expensive equipment, swimming requires minimal equipment apart from swimwear and a pair of goggles.
Of course, some people choose to invest in additional gear but that’s not necessary to reap the benefits of a good swim. Swimming is a versatile form of exercise that can be adapted to meet the
needs of the swimmer.
Whether you’re a beginner or experienced in the water, there are many different workouts and swimming techniques that you can try to keep your workouts interesting and challenging.
Swimming is an excellent form of exercise as not only do all the major muscle groups receive a great workout, but it is also low impact compared to other cardio options such as running, meaning less stress is put on your joints.
If you’re lucky enough to live by the sea, going for a morning swim doesn’t cost a penny.
Join a gym with variety and value
Gyms that offer a variety of ways for members to workout, from swimming pools to group classes, are worth the cost.
Total Fitness offers various membership discounts available for anyone looking to get active, including students, couples and over 65s.
Many gyms also offer free trial periods for new members too meaning you can try before you buy and make sure it’s the right gym for you.
Once you sign up for a gym membership, be sure to take advantage of all the classes and facilities available.
You’ll be able to explore which workouts work for you, no matter your goal. Gyms offer great value as they provide a variety of ways to work out, allowing you to mix up your exercise routine to avoid any boredom and keep you engaged whatever your fitness journey.
What works for you one day, may not work the next, so being able to adapt
and change your routine means you can always get the best out of your workout.
Join a class
Joining a class can be another moneysaving way to get fit and have some fun.
With many gyms offering a variety of classes from high-intensity workouts such as Bootcamp or Spin, to the more relaxing forms of fitness with Yoga, Thai Chi and Pilates – there is always a class to suit your mood.
The great thing about classes is you can shake up your weekly session, allowing you to try out different workouts that you may never have tried before, as well as helping you to find new workouts that you can build into your everyday fitness routine.
They can give you exercises to try outside of the class and build up your confidence too.
Classes are also fantastic ways to socialise, meaning you could find a workout buddy who is also looking for ways to get fit for less.
With the rise of group exercise classes, whether you’re attending with current friends, or looking to make new ones, classes give you a chance to spend time with like-minded people, whilst also helping you to reach your goals.
Finally, don’t forget that getting fit on a budget doesn’t mean your workouts have to be boring. Embrace the variety of ways to work out and find something to suit your needs, whether that’s traditional forms of exercise such as weight training or running, to alternative ways to move your body, such as hiking, climbing, rowing, dance classes – or even roller skating.
SPORT for Confidence CIC has teamed up with Golf in Society to deliver a research project exploring how golfing interventions can improve health and strength in those who are frail and living with dementia.
The project is being delivered courtesy of a funding grant provided through the UK Research and Innovations’ Scaling Social Ventures competition, designed to support social enterprises in developing products and services that tackle the impact of ageing.
Golf in Society is on a mission to transform the lives of our ageing population by reimagining and repurposing golf clubs as community-based outpatient clinics.
The social enterprise is currently running inclusive golf sessions at 6 venues focused on improving the mental, physical and social health of participants whilst also providing much needed respite to carers and supporters.
Using a unique Direct Social Value method, Golf In Society has evidenced, for every £1 invested, the programme delivers a return of £16.46 in social value.
Anthony Blackburn, founder of Golf in Society, said: “This funding will enable us to run a research programme measuring the positive impact golf can have, when applied as a therapeutic tool, on those who are frail and living with dementia.
“To design and deliver the programme we have teamed up with Sport For Confidence, a Community Interest Company operating out of Essex, dedicated to unlocking the potential of occupational therapists in a prevention rather than cure, community-based health care system.
“Our research programme will evaluate the impact of prescribed and administered physical activity on strength, life satisfaction, self-esteem
and confidence as well as the added value this programme delivers to carers and supporters, in terms of enabling respite.”
The 12-week research programme will begin in the summer and will take place at two existing Golf in Society venues, Hillsborough Golf Club and Rotherham Golf Club.
Each programme will cater for 10 individuals referred through local NHS services.
Sessions will be delivered by a Golf in Society coach, working alongside a Sport For Confidence occupational therapist and physiotherapist.
Every session will be tailored to the individual needs of participants and success will be measured through a series of participant surveys and health assessments designed by our research
partners, the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre and Sport Industry Research Centre.
Liz Fletcher, national team lead at Sport For Confidence, added: “There are some great synergies between what Sport For Confidence and Golf in Society.
“We are already evidencing the positive impact of moving treatment from a clinical to a community environment and placing physical activity at the heart of therapeutic practice.
“I am confident that this latest research programme with Golf in Society will add to the evidence we have already collated, further strengthening the case for more physical activitybased, community preventative health initiatives to help alleviate the pressures on the NHS and drive a healthier, happier and more prosperous society.”
SPORT England’s ‘This Girl Can’ campaign and ukactive have released new guidance to help fitness and leisure facilities create safer spaces for women and girls to be active.
The latest initiative from This Girl Can has put the spotlight on the ‘Enjoyment Gap’ experienced by women, with a significant proportion of women reporting safety concerns in its November 2022 survey in relation to exercising in well-lit streets or public spaces alone after dark (65 per cent), non-supervised public facilities (53 per cent), and supervised public facilities (19 per cent).
This in turn contributes to an overall trend of women reportedly enjoying exercise less than men.
Sport England’s Active Lives Survey shows gyms and leisure centres play an essential role in supporting women to be active, finding that more than seven million women had taken part in facilitybased activities, like using exercise machines or indoor swimming, at least twice in the past 28 days.
However, the survey also found that, overall, women’s activity levels remain lower than men’s, growing by only one percentage point last year compared to 2.5 percentage points for men.
Now, a new guide has been produced to help tackle this gender activity gap, called ‘How to make your spaces safer for women: A call to action from the 51’, which aims to address safety concerns experienced by women while getting active.
It builds on the work set out in the previous guide, ‘How to improve your services for women and girls: As told by the 51%’, published in November 2021, by providing practical steps for facilities to help create an environment where women and girls can feel safer and more confident being active.
A mixed-methodology approach including a survey of more than 900 women conducted by Walnut for ukactive and This Girl Can provides the basis of this new guidance, focusing
on women’s experience of sexual harassment and intimidation in fitness and leisure facilities.
While only five per cent of female gym users reported feeling ‘unsafe’ in relation to sexual harassment and intimidation within facilities, four in 10 (42 per cent) women said they have experienced at least one form of sexual harassment or intimidation in their fitness or leisure centre – such as inappropriate comments, staring, or encroachment of personal space.
This almost doubles for those aged 16 to 24, increasing to 83 per cent.
Among those who experienced sexual harassment or intimidation, 76 per cent reported they had changed their behaviour as a result, which varied from changing the time they visited facilities to the way they dressed.
Only around half (55 per cent) of women said that it was clear how to report sexual harassment or intimidation at their fitness or leisure centre, and just a quarter of women who experienced an incidence of this at a fitness or leisure facility reported the behaviour.
More than a third (39 per cent) of incidents were experienced in the weights area.
Research shows that sexual harassment is an issue with prevalence across
society, with 71 per cent of women of all ages having experienced some form of sexual harassment in a public space.
It is important that all industries play their role in tackling this issue, and the new guide and research findings will support fitness facilities to create safer spaces so that more women and girls can confidently reap the benefits of physical activity.
The guidance covers a range of practical advice, including the following areas for fitness and leisure facilities to help women feel safer and more confident:
n Checklists on what a code of conduct should include.
n Advice on how to communicate existing policies, codes of conduct and reporting procedures to members about sexual harassment.
n Details on what reporting processes should include and how to make sure they are easily accessible, so all members know how to report harassment and what to expect from the process.
Marianne Boyle, director of membership and sector development at ukactive, said: “Working with This Girl Can, we continue to seek the views of women so we can support gyms and leisure centres with high quality and reliable insight to ensure women feel
safer and more confident when using these facilities.
“There is already a significant amount of exemplary work taking place across the sector to address what is sadly a societal issue. With this guidance, our aim is to continue this journey of improvement and to increase women’s enjoyment of exercise by fostering an environment where they feel able to report incidents and feel safe in the knowledge that these issues will be taken seriously.
“Any form of harassment in gyms and leisure centres is totally unacceptable and we expect operators to take a zerotolerance approach to sexual harassment and intimidation.
“The fitness and leisure sector is proud of the role it plays in supporting millions of women and girls to be active, and we all want to make sure that every one of them feels as safe and as confident as possible.”
Claire Edwards, head of campaign activation at Sport England, added: “This Girl Can exists so that all women feel they have the opportunity to be active in ways that they love.
“As is shown by our research, however, we know that more can and should be done to stamp out harassment and intimidation and support women in feeling safe when stepping through the doors of gyms and leisure centres.
“In February, we launched ‘This Girl Can With You’, a call-to-arms to sport and activity providers to dismantle the barriers that contribute to the Enjoyment Gap.
“This work is a great example of how we are working with the sector to help tackle the barriers that may prevent women enjoying being active and we are thrilled to be partnering with ukactive to help achieve this.
“Women deserve to get active as much as men – that is why this guidance has the power to play an important role in helping gyms and leisure centres tackle unacceptable behaviour.”
ALLIANCE Leisure will shortly start work on a multi-million-pound development to improve leisure and learning opportunities for residents in Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire.
And to mark the occasion, a group of stakeholders, partners and the local community came together to official break ground at the construction site.
A new 3,000m² Leisure and Learning Hub, made possible by a £14million investment from Towns Funding, will replace the existing Station Sports Centre, adding a six lane, 25-metre swimming pool and changing village, a gym and fitness studio as well as a TAGactive indoor adventure play area and outdoor play facilities.
In addition, the site will incorporate a digital inclusion learning centre to enable people of all ages to upskill through access to information and distance learning courses.
This will be supported by a series of dedicated meeting rooms and a large café area to encourage social interactions.
The multi-functional community development, designed by lead architects, Pozzoni, will be managed by Alliance Leisure through the UK Leisure Framework, owned and managed by Denbighshire Leisure, with ISG named as principle build contractor.
“This is an exciting project because of the integration of leisure and education services,” said Sean Nolan, business development manager at Alliance
Leisure. “Located just behind the High Street in Mablethorpe, with its own dedicated car park, the development offers good accessibility creating a much-needed activity and learning provision for everyone to enjoy.
“Residents have been calling for an indoor swimming provision for many years so it is fantastic to finally be able to deliver this.”
East Lindsey District Council is leading
the development with the support of Boston Borough Council and South Holland District Council through the South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership.
Councillor Richard Fry, the political lead for the Leisure and Learning Hub Towns Deal project, added: “This scheme will help improve the health and wellbeing of residents in Mablethorpe for years to come as well as providing new opportunities for learning in the town.
“It’s no secret that a swimming pool has been a desire of many residents in Mablethorpe over the years. This scheme, thanks to the Towns Deal funding, now makes that possible.
“I am delighted the Planning Committee approved the application and I look forward to seeing the benefits the scheme will bring to Mablethorpe.”
The Station Sports Centre, currently managed by Magna Vitae Trust for Leisure and Culture, will remain open throughout the construction of the new facility to minimise disruption to the community.
ClubRight has announced the launch of its brand-new product, ClubRight Pay: a BACScompliant, FCA-regulated Direct Debit payments service which is fully integrated with the ClubRight platform.
Powered by London and Zurich, ClubRight Pay gives independent businesses in the fitness industry the power to collect Direct Debits with no fuss and honest, transparent pricing. Collections are safe, secure and compliant.
Born from a desire to help fitness businesses thrive in the current economic climate, ClubRight Pay boasts low transaction fees while offering some of the most advanced functionality in the Direct Debit collections space.
Plus, users benefit from money paid into their bank account just three working days after it’s been collected from customers.
Simply put, ClubRight believes that your hardearned money should be yours - not lining the pockets of collection agencies.
Perhaps the most impressive perk is that you’ll never have to chase debt again, helping to avoid those awkward conversations at the front desk. ClubRight Pay enables you to automatically retry failed payments and receive an immediate notification of a Direct Debit cancellation so that you can address any at-risk members before the collection date.
In addition to great features, you’ll also get access to a fully-managed concierge migration service if you’re switching from another collections agency, complete with a dedicated migration specialist. If you’re paying extortionate transaction fees, it’s
easier than ever to migrate existing Direct Debit mandates to ClubRight Pay.
It’s the perfect option for fitness businesses of all shapes and sizes, whether you’re new to Direct Debits or looking for a more cost-effective solution.
There’s no setup fee, no hidden costs and no gimmicks.
Just honest, transparent pricing from 40p per successful transaction.
You pay the same flat fee regardless of the amount being collected, you’re only charged for
successful transactions there are no nasty hidden charges.
On average, businesses that collect 350 Direct Debits per month could save more than £1,000 on their transaction fees every year by switching to ClubRight Pay.
Whether you’re new to direct debits or searching for a more competitive collections service, ClubRight can help.
Get in contact with their experts at 0203 884 9777 or visit www.clubright.co.uk/clubright-pay for more info
ELEVATE is the UK’s leading B2B trade show for physical activity, showcasing the latest innovations and technology across the sport, sports therapy and fitness sectors.
On June 14 and 15 at ExCeL, thousands of decision makers from gyms, studios, sport clubs, universities, personal training, schools and private practice will meet more than 200 leading suppliers, exhibiting solutions and product innovations specially designed to ‘elevate’ the UK’s physical activity levels.
Exhibitors and sponsors including Freemotion, Xn Leisure, Myzone, Technogym, Gantner, FitTech, Orbit 4, Innovatise, miha bodytec, xplor gym, Life Fitness, EZ Facility, Swim England, Myzone, Active IQ, Powerplate, Precor, Technogym, Zoggs, Balanced Body, Randox and Hydrohex will be hosting meetings, thought-provoking content and demonstrations of their latest products on the exhibition floor.
The Elevate speaker programme is
another game-changer, with more than 200 renowned experts, influential thought leaders, and inspirational figures taking the stage to share their knowledge, insights, and experiences. With topics spanning fitness training, nutrition, mental health, and workplace wellness, Elevate is the essential crosssector learning platform, with something beneficial for everyone.
Leave with a wealth of cutting-edge industry knowledge and practical tips to implement into your business.
Another reason thousands of professionals attend Elevate is the face-to-face, immersive opportunity that inspires, educates, and transforms. Brace yourself for interactive workshops, masterclasses and hands-
on demonstrations led industry experts. Gain practical skills, in-depth knowledge and discover the latest techniques.
An Elevate first this year is the interbrand HYROX Physical Fitness Test, where gyms, health clubs and leisure centres can compete, representing their companies while experiencing the HYROX race.
Above all, Elevate is an unparalleled business-to-business, cross-sector networking platform, connecting you with professionals, allowing for idea exchange, and building relationships that may shape the trajectory of your career or personal aspirations within the workout space.
Meet the fitness industry face-to-face, free of charge, this June.
In a world where health and well-being are increasingly prioritised, but the fitness industry faces fresh financial and in-person challenges, Elevate stands as a beacon of innovation and inspiration. Register free at www.elevatearena.com
SPORT for Confidence CIC has teamed up with East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust to integrate a communitybased pathway to support people experiencing long Covid.
Long Covid describes when a person is experiencing symptoms 12 weeks after the first suspected Covid-19 infection. According to the Office of National Statistics, as of January 2023 there were two million cases of self-reported long Covid in the UK (three per cent of the population).
Most common symptoms include fatigue, muscle soreness, shortness of breath, cognitive issues, anxiety and depression.
“Long Covid is a complex condition that affects every individual differently, with symptoms often presenting in clusters of varying degree,” said Sarah Fowler, coclinical lead at Suffolk and North East Essex Long Covid Assessment Service.
“This makes the treatment and support of the condition equally complex, requiring a flexible, easy access, person-centred approach. All participants accepted onto this pathway had experienced symptoms for at least 12 weeks since their initial Covid-19 symptoms.
“Through our partnership with Sport For Confidence, the Suffolk and North East Essex Long Covid Assessment Service refers people to local leisure centre-based occupational therapists who conduct an initial one-to-one assessment which then determines an appropriate intervention route.
“This may include educational sessions, physical activity sessions, clinical referral or a mix of all options. Every case is different so every pathway is unique.
“After the initial one-to-one
consultation, assessment is ongoing with official one-to-one consultations scheduled at week six and 12 months.”
The pathway launched last October. The pilot started in Colchester and has now expanded to Clacton.
Robert Walker, clinical lead, occupational therapist at Sport For Confidence, added: “ONS data from 2021 reports that long Covid adversely affects the day-to-day ability of around two thirds of people experiencing the condition.
“This has demonstrated a negative impact on a person’s mental, physical and social wellbeing.
“With implementation of occupation-focused approaches, this enables people to selfmanage common symptoms and consequences of long Covid, such as fatigue, cognitive issues, anxiety and depression.
“Through this pathway every participant embarks on a bespoke recovery journey, tailored to their
individual needs.
“Also, some people place a negative association on a clinical environment so moving to community-based locations such as the home or leisure centre removes this potential barrier, improving acceptance and accessibility.
“The introduction of this pathway is all about putting the individual in touch with the right people, in the right place at the right time to optimise recovery.”
The pathway is funded by the Suffolk and North East Essex Long Covid Assessment Service and has, so far, supported 48 individuals. Success will be measured via the outcomes achieved by each participant.
In addition to recording qualitative feedback received throughout the pathway from each participant on how they perceive their improvements, the EQ-5D-5L and Fatigue severity scale will be utilised at initial assessment, six week and
12 weeks to record changes in health and wellbeing.
The programme will be continually fine-tuned in response to learnings relating to success of individual interventions based on these outcomes and qualitative feedback received.
Using allied health professionals, most commonly occupational therapists, within the pathway, ensures throughout a participant’s journey – the occupational therapist is on site and available weekly to help manage and asses post exertional malaise when participants take part in the physical activity components of the pathway. This ensures that the needs of individuals are continually supported and reviewed.
Jamie Squires, an occupational therapist at Sport For Confidence who is also delivering the pathway, added: “Interventions delivered by Sport For Confidence address a range of symptoms associated with long Covid, including fatigue and pain, impaired cognitive function and issues with sleep. Some sessions are practical, employing tailored physical activity whilst others are theoretical.
“All sessions are designed to help the individual understand and selfmanage their own recovery.
“Taking ownership of their recovery through practical application and education encourages longer term behavioural change that will not only help them manage long Covid, but also boost their immunity and mental resilience to protect against future infection and disease.”
The partnership is currently supporting people in Colchester and Clacton referred through SNELCAS with Sport For Confidence occupational therapists based at Leisure World Colchester and Clacton Leisure Centre.
WE’RE thrilled to introduce you to ClubRight’s newest recruit, Jenni Miles!
She’ll be working as our new account executive, helping to spread the word about what ClubRight can do for business owners in the fitness industry
Get to know Jenni
Jenni has worked in the leisure industry for more than thirteen years and even owned multiple gyms for eight of those years.
“I owned and operated my own gyms and more recently I even helped other businesses create content and manage their social media channels,” said Jenni.
“I’m most looking forward to making a difference in gym owners’ lives in my new position.
“As someone that’s been in their shoes, I completely relate to the dayto-day challenges that come with running a gym.”
Both of Jenni’s gyms had previously been recognised for various accolades, ranging from performance to customer service. She even picked up Gym of the Year.
She added: “Perhaps my proudest professional achievement to date has been doubling my gym’s membership base throughout the pandemic.”
When asked what she’s most looking forward to at ClubRight, Jenni said: “I’m excited to show people what’s possible in their business with the right tools in place.
“ClubRight is a system that’s affordable, uncomplicated and effective - more clubs would do well to take a look.
“When I’m not at my desk, you’ll find me taking my two Hungarian Vizslas on a long walk or doing a bit of horse riding.
“Naturally I love exercising and going to the gym. I especially love doing classes because I really enjoy the community aspect and exercising with others helps to keep me motivated.”
We’re so excited to have you on board, Jenni.
You can speak to Jenni directly by giving her a call at 07919 491480 or via email at jenni@clubright.co.uk Alternatively, you can book a chat with Jenni to learn more about what ClubRight can do for your club.
“ What another awesome industr y night. Our staff loved it, our clients loved it and the sheer number of operators and suppliers still k ick ing on until the early hours indicated that they loved it too The complete cross sec tion of facilities (small, large, independent, community, private) ack nowledged and rewarded was fantastic "
Dave Wright, founder and owner of Myzone and owner of Creative Fitness Marketing
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LOUGHBOROUGH University has officially opened the doors to its new Powerbase gym extension following significant financial investment.
Officially opened by UK Sport CEO Sally Munday, the new facility spans a combined 3,200 m2 , doubling the size of the University’s elite strength and conditioning environment home to Loughborough’s multiple Olympic, Paralympic and world champions.
The world-leading gym space has been equipped with the highest level of training equipment from a variety of sport’s leading gym providers and is fully integrated with the latest technology and training equipment.
The new venue has been developed in collaboration with partners from PLAE, BLKBOX, Life Fitness, Eleiko, Output Sports, VALD and Technogym.
From its outset the facility has been designed to be fully inclusive and accessible, setting new benchmarks in the sector.
Key accessibility designs include entry through new wide access Speed Gates, no raised platforms, increased space around equipment and a single level training environment.
Platform and equipment colour and contrast differentiation has been incorporated throughout to support athletes with visual impairments.
Focus groups with practitioners from national governing bodies, English Institute of Sport and Loughborough Sport has helped to define new accessible rack designs from BLKBOX. These innovations include moving weights to a one level central toaster storage design, wider dip bars and moveable pull up bars – all key
innovations to allow easier access and training for wheelchair users.
The new space includes 46 lifting platforms (combined from both sides of the gym), eight fully instrumented racks and platforms with integrated VALD force plates, Output Sports velocitybased training systems, and the latest in performance analysis technology.
Designed to be a hub for world-leading academic development and athletic achievement, the training space has been created as a robust environment for elite-level sport with the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 now well on the horizon.
The upper mezzanine of the facility, covering 500m2, is also now home to the University’s Boxing Centre of Excellence and the Athletic Union Boxing club
The state-of-the-art dedicated venue
includes two brand-new boxing rings measuring at 20ft and 14ft respectively. Jo Simpson, commercial and facilities director for Loughborough Sport, said: “This new facility further enhances the world-leading sporting infrastructure at Loughborough University. We’ve worked with our partners to set a new benchmark for accessible and instrumented training environments.
“Together we have created one of the world’s leading elite strength and conditioning centres. It will enable students, athletes, and squads the opportunity to train together without compromise, whilst creating an important teaching and research environment for our academic ambitions globally.
“Already we are seeing the positive impact of this new facility. With
innovations in accessible training equipment being implemented across our partners networks and longer-term research projects helping to create more accessible training environments across the sector.
“I am incredibly proud of the whole team and our wider network of partners who have worked to create this sector defining facility.”
Professor Nick Jennings, vicechancellor and president of Loughborough University, added: “Today underlines the important role that Loughborough’s facilities play in the UK sport ecosystem.
“Through continual development, innovation, and sector-leading thinking, this incredible new facility will undoubtedly be of great benefit to the future of sport nationwide.
“Not only will this world-leading training environment inspire individual users and campus partners, but it will also provide a long-term impact through both academic research and wider campus inclusivity including our Para sport offer.
“As we look ahead to Paris 2024 and beyond, the whole university community will be immensely proud to see athletes who train within this facility competing on the global stage.”
Powerbase will continue to host Loughborough’s network of 15 performance partners and national governing bodies, including British Weightlifting, NFL Academy, LTA, and the English Institute of Sport.
The University’s wider student body will also benefit from the facility which will be open to all Loughborough Sport gold members.
RHYTHM, an upscale womens’ only gym in Bahrain, is on a mission to turbocharge its member experience through digitalisation.
By implementing a digital ecosystem, designed and built by UK-based, fitness business management system specialist Fisikal, Rhythm is creating a frictionless, convenient environment where members feel more connected to the brand 24/7 and can take more responsibility for the management of their own Rhythm experience.
Sitting at the heart of the new offer – launched in club recently – is a new member app.
The app – available to apple and android users, will become the heartbeat of the members’ experience from day one of their membership.
In addition to bookings and payments, functionality will include access control and a means of two-way communication between club and member.
Operations manager Shirley Louw said: “The introduction of the app will revolutionise the way our members interact with our brand.
“The app will mean, even when our
members are not on the premises they will be connected to the gym and empowered to self-manage their bookings and payments across all aspects of our offer from inductions and
classes to personal training.
“This creates more of a wraparound relationship, enabling us to play a much more intrinsic role in our members wellbeing journey.
“The app will also empower us to provide a more bespoke experience for members through the enablement of sending relevant information direct to specific member segments.
“For example, we could send an attractive personal trainer ‘try-me’ offer to all our ladies who have yet to engage in the service.
“This type of targeted marketing is not only better for the members since it only pushes messages relevant to them, it also has the potential to drive more revenue for the club which is obviously great for the sustainability and growth of the business.”
The app will also link to Fisikal’s access control system and negates the need for physical membership cards.
Moving forwards, all transactions and member identification will take place through the app.
Fisikal CEO Rob Lander added:
“Rhythm has been an absolute pleasure to work with. The team has fully embraced digitalisation and have supported our integration 100 per cent.
“This has enabled us to get the app up and running within a matter of weeks.”
By Jonathan Tustain
TOM Merrick, aka the Bodyweight Warrior, is a well-known fitness expert who shares his tips, follow-alongs and training with his 900,000 + YouTube subscribers.
Tom’s life direction changed nine years ago, as he went through his own weight loss, strength, and flexibility journey, driven by the desire to be stronger when surfing.
Tom started his YouTube channel seven years ago with a transformation video. Unfortunately, a bout of glandular fever put a dramatic stop to that, wiping out two years’ worth of gains, but after four weeks of recovery, and to avoid heading back into powerlifting too fast, Tom switched to bodyweight-only training. This ultimately led to where Tom is today, with a focus on the ‘basics’ – core strength, form and building the right foundation for safe workouts, with a long-term mindset of consistency and guidance, rather than short-term gains. In this interview, I started by asking Tom if he had an ‘epiphany’ moment that led him on the path he is on today.
TM: It was when I was surfing. I was too unfit to do the thing I enjoyed doing. I wasn’t fit enough to paddle out through the swell. I was like, well, I should probably do something about this. One thing led to another, and I got very carried away.
JT: In one of your videos, you said you had a bad experience drinking. Would you be happy to share that?
TM: I just drank too much when I was 18 during my dad’s birthday. I had a bad time, passed out and ended up having a three or four-day hangover. And I thought, “You know what? it’s just not worth it.”
I haven’t got anything against drinking. I still go to the pub with friends. But it’s not something I’m prepared to sacrifice the next day for.
For me I don’t think drinking is the best way to spend time, but I do value spending time with my friends. So, I must weigh that up. If you do it once a week it’s not going to be the end of the world.
JT: When fitness is your career, is there any room for vices, such as alcohol? Or is it that dreaded word – moderation?
TM: I think it really depends on the person. Some people are all-ornothing people. And if that is the case, moderation is not going to work for you. It’s just going to tempt you down a path that doesn’t fit with the values you have.
JT: Is there anything wrong with being motivated by simply wanting to look good?
TM: I think it would be wrong of me to say that I don’t care about how I look. I
think everyone does to some extent. But certainly, I got into swimming and fitness because of surfing.
And then it was weightlifting. I was like 18 or so. You want to look good and impress girls. So that was definitely a thing.
I got into the whole aesthetics of it, and I still enjoy that. I think it’s a funny culture. And I do think it’s got some positives to it. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look and feel strong and athletic.
I think that does an incredible thing for a lot of people’s confidence. I think as with anything – similar to the vices – you need to understand what the motivation is for you doing that.
As long as you have that selfawareness though I don’t think it’s at all detrimental.
I think it’s when you have that lack of body positivity and you’re coming at it from a “I hate myself and I don’t want to be this way” sort of thing rather than, “Okay I’m actually going to try and be strong and fit and healthy” - that’s unhealthy.
JT: You’ve gone through a major transformation. For some it can lead to a slight obsession out of fear of losing the results. Was that ever something you battled with?
TM: There was definitely a period when I was much stricter on things and I wouldn’t go out with friends for dinner or I’d make different choices, probably for the benefit of the goal that I had.
But then I asked myself – “Am I going to do this forever?” so I decided to think more long-term.
I was in that hyper phase, but I found as much as it gave good benefits it may only be topping up the progress by five percent.
So now I am more relaxed. If I’m out, I’ll go eat something. If I’m with a friend at a coffee shop, I’ll have a croissant.
This is why I say you need to understand yourself. If you’re the sort of person who can have a little bit and then go back to doing the things that align with your values that’s fine.
But if you’re the sort of person where one cheap meal leads to a cheap weekend, then you need to sort that out.
JT: You’ve had 82 million views on your YouTube channel. Can you remember when and how the channel skyrocketed?
TM: Yes. I’m part of a Reddit community called Reddit Bodyweight Fitness and I would share some videos I was making back then.
At that time I had about 20,000 subscribers and was happy with how I was doing. I made a video that was a five-minute morning mobility routine.
That was the first kind of flexibility routine I posted that wasn’t a long-
format video, and it got about three thousand upvotes on Reddit.
That video went from my usual views, which were maybe four or 5,000 to 100,000.
And then a load of people were like “This is great but it should be done as a follow-along.”
So, I looked into it and made a followalong for that five-minute video and that did really well. And I was like “okay – people enjoy this.”
The follow-alongs were really the thing that made the channel popular and grow. So, it was all thanks to all the people on Reddit.
JT: When you have so many subscribers, why have you shied away from monetisation such as Membership, Patreon, Superchats etc?
TM: I make money through the app and my coaching. I always started this channel with the premise of giving stuff out for free.
If someone wants to support me, I appreciate that and then maybe they go buy a membership to the app or products or something. I want to have a fair exchange of value. I don’t want to just be handed money.
JT: I really noticed that you don’t post paid promotion videos or produce sponsored segments.
TM: I hate that. If I was watching a YouTube video and I was getting sold stuff all the time I would just not watch it.
I don’t do advertisements on my channel. I don’t do sponsorships. Because I don’t like how that feels. It doesn’t feel authentic.
I make a video about a topic because somebody’s asked for it and I know it will help them.
Or I enjoy it and I feel passionate about it.
There’s no other reason. I can’t say I do it for no money because I do it for a job now. But I always make sure that’s not the motivation for making a video.
JT: You said you spend five to 10 hours on a video – do you feel there’s a bit of pressure now to constantly give subscribers content?
TM: Yes. I recently gave myself three months of not doing too much. I think I posted two or three videos in the space of three or four months which is way less than I have done in the past.
I needed to give myself some space to think and decide what I want to do. I used to do three videos a week whereas now I’ll do two a month and make them really good quality and something I’m proud of. It took a little bit of time to understand this and have the confidence to say to myself – if I stop doing this it’s not going to completely fizzle out and die.
JT: Do you truly believe your app, YouTube and online coaching can be as effective as ‘real life’ gym, PT style training?
TM: Yeah but it depends on the person and it depends on the instruction. PT is good because you can give somebody advice there and then at the moment. That’s important for some people. Some people can reflect on or asses their own training if they have the information.
Hopefully, when you sell a program, you provide the information of “This is right. This is wrong.” They can judge that for themselves but overall, I think you get better progress with one-to-one training.
JT: With the pandemic being over is there a place for the permanent delivery of online fitness?
TM: To be honest the majority of coaching I do is online. It’s purely down to the fact that if I coached in person where I live, I would have two clients. There just aren’t enough people in my area into handstands. For me to do what I love I must do it online and I have clients that are literally all around the world. And that’s the benefit of it. I have been coaching most of my clients for four or five years now. My focus is on how I can help or provide my service to more people.
JT: You have said that you are heavily influenced by the book King, Warrior, Magician, Lover (KWML) by Dr Robert Moore. In the book, when describing the warrior archetype Moore says: “A man has to have a clear and definite purpose in life.” What is your definite purpose?
TM: I think I have a pretty clear purpose. I care about helping people and providing the best information I can.
I’m at a little bit of a crossroads personally because I love renovating properties. I’m on the third one currently, so I’m torn between the two at the moment. I’m doing three days one, three days the other. Where do I see myself in the next 10 years? – I don’t know.
I understand that YouTube is not going to be forever. Online is not going to be forever. As much as I can be of value to people I will be there, and I will share my message. But the back-up plan is the house renovations.
YouTube channel – https://www. youtube.com/@BodyweightWarrior Instagram – https://www.instagram. com/thebodyweightwarrior/
Website for resources, online coaching, video consultations and workshop bookings – https://www. bodyweightwarrior.co.uk/
Bodyweight Warrior online – https:// bodyweightwarrior.trybe.do/
Or you can download the Trybe app on Google Play and Apple App Store.
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MYZONE has welcomed Lyndon Wood to its team as director of business development (Europe).
With strong opportunity for fitness and wellbeing across Europe, one main focus for Lyndon (pictured) when he joins on June 1 is to further develop support for both distributors and direct operations alike in DACH and Iberia.
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