Workout November

ISSUE 331 November 2021 £3

Pulse completes gym transformation ...

Who doesn’t love a fitness challenge?

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How to create a fantastic buzz at your club page 22

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Fitpros invited to workshops to learn how best to include people with sight loss FITNESS professionals are being invited to a free online workshop to gain practical guidance on how to successfully engage people with sight loss into their physical activity sessions.

There is a choice of two 90-minute workshops taking place on Saturday October 23 at 2pm or Friday October 29 at 1pm.

The workshops will be delivered by Step Change Studios. Supporting the workshops will be one of the company’s visually impaired students who will be sharing her live experience.

“I have seen first-hand the physical, mental and social transformation among disabled people when they’re introduced to physical activity,” said Rashmi Becker MBE, founder of Step Change Studios.

“The aim of our workshops is to encourage fitpros to reflect on their current practice and to improve their insight, skills and confidence so they can support people with sight loss in their sessions.”

These sessions are in direct response to research that Step Change Studios undertook among 128 fitpros as part of its Dance Dosti programme in partnership with Metro Blind Sport.

Their answers revealed a clear lack of inclusive training and very low confidence in being able to support people with sight loss in their physical activities.

The research also showed a desire among fitpros to upskill in order to be

able to work with this demographic and an acceptance that it is currently not well catered-for within the leisure sector.

Key findings from the research showed: n Just 12.5 per cent of fitpros felt ‘very confident’ teaching someone with sight loss. n 77.3 per cent cited their lack of specialist training in supporting people with sight loss as a barrier to them being fully inclusive. n 72 per cent said hearing from someone with sight loss would be most helpful to them in supporting people with sight loss.

Furthermore: n 73.4 per cent rated the dance/fitness sector as ‘poor’ in terms of access and inclusion of people with sight loss. n The top three factors that fitpros believe are barriers for people with sight loss to take part in physical activity are: Accessibility of venue and equipment – 85.9 per cent.

Finding information about opportunities – 85.2 per cent.

Low confidence in the activity provider – 80.5 per cent The Dance Dosti workshops aim to break down these barriers and build

up skills and confidence among fitpros by providing practical guidance and exercises.

In the UK, there are almost two million people living with sight loss and every day 250 people begin to lose their sight.

In January 2021, Activity Alliance found that disabled people felt that they do not have the opportunity to be as active as they want to, compared to non-disabled people (29 per cent v 44 per cent).

Respondents said the lack of activity has led to both their physical and mental health being harder to manage while feelings of loneliness and social isolation were frequently voiced.

These findings tally with research from Blind Ambition that show people with sight loss are reported to have several associated conditions, including depression, anxiety and diabetes.

It is widely known that physical activity can help to improve all three of these conditions but, as the Activity Alliance states, disabled people are twice as likely to be inactive compared with nondisabled people.

The Dance Dosti programme was launched earlier this year to support people with sight loss to be active.

It is especially focused on participants from a South Asian background.

Central to this programme is understanding the views and experience of fitpros in supporting people with sight loss and enabling better practice.

Dance Dosti is supported by Vision Foundation.

South Downs Leisure introduces new PT offer SOUTH Downs Leisure has partnered with YOUR Personal Training to support its business development and recovery after a review identified service areas that could perform better.

The leisure group, which operates sport and leisure facilities across the South coast in Sussex, aims to create a dynamic and exciting personal training service that is accessible and deliverable across four of its sites.

The leisure group, which previously had an unthriving ‘in-house’ PT model across some clubs, is looking to YPT Group Editor: Judith Halkerston Tel: 01226 734639 jh@scriptmedia. co.uk Group production editor: Dominic Musgrave Tel: 01226 734407 dm@scriptmedia. co.uk

Sales and marketing director: Tony Barry Tel: 01226 734605 tb@scriptmedia. co.uk Sales manager: Louise BristoweHarrison Tel: 01226 734699 workout3@ scriptmedia.co.uk

Studio manager: Stewart Holt sth@scriptmedia. co.uk

www.workout-uk.co.uk

to completely reboot its PT offer.

YOUR Personal Training managing director Aaron McCulloch said: “South Downs’ previous PT offer wasn’t properly functioning, their PT service was unfortunately not widely available. We will be completely restarting South Downs ‘PT offer across a number of its gyms.

“We will be providing South Downs with up to 13 YPT personal trainers across its clubs, this offers local PTs the opportunity to build a long term, successful and sustainable business.”

Tom Austin, sales and marketing director at South Downs Leisure, added: “South Downs Leisure is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of its members, and firmly believes this partnership reflects these principles, as it will mean our members now have access to bespoke training and education on exercise and nutrition to help them reach their specific goals and improve their health.

“We chose YOUR Personal Training as our partner based on testimonials, feedback from other operators and

the professional integrity the YPT team brings to every meeting and consultation. Their values and ethos reflect our own, and together we plan to completely overhaul our PT offer.”

Aaron concluded: “Our team will deliver a professional, credible and friendly service to the customers of South Downs Leisure, and help support South Downs’ collective mission and objectives.

“Every operator within the leisure industry and each of its customers can benefit from expert and accessible 1-2-1 coaching.”

Volunteers get fighting fit for charity FITNESS fans have raised more than £200 for a mental health charity with a gruelling five-hour ‘body combatathon’.

The event, organised and led by Life Leisure instructor Jodie Bannerman, saw 42 volunteers take part in the high-octane fitness class at Houldsworth Village in return for a donation to charity.

Jodie said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have raised £238 for such a worthwhile charity.

“Body combat classes usually last around 45 minutes but many of our participants stuck at it for several hours which is a huge achievement, I’m so proud of everyone for taking part.”

The money will be donated to the charities Rethink Mental Illness and MIND, which both work to improve the lives of people severely affected by mental illness.

Jodie added: “It was a great day and I’m still recovering, but it is made all worthwhile to know that our money will go some way to help people in need.”

Houldsworth Village member Dawn Pickford.

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Pulse completes gym transformation THE Laura Trott Leisure Centre has undergone a significant transformation thanks to recent investment from Broxbourne Council and its partnership with Pulse Fitness.

The facility’s gym has been fully refurbished and upgraded to maintain its position as the premier fitness centre in the Borough of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire.

A connected solution Pulse Fitness was awarded the contract due to its fully connected fitness offering. The council were impressed to see that members will be able to use the internet, watch Netflix , stream online workouts and log into social media whilst exercising.

A modern gym-floor The team at Pulse has now completely modernised the fitness facility to incorporate the latest training trends as

well as providing an aesthetic makeover.

The gym has a completely new layout, which has been designed to maximise the available space over two storeys, and is now home to more than 120 stations of the latest Pulse Fitness cardio, strength, plate loaded, free weights and functional equipment including a dedicated area for an eGym circuit.

A number of new and innovative items have been selected including ski ergs, curved treadmills, StepMills, Airbikes and a tank sled.

The equipment mix has been carefully curated to strike a balance between new fitness trends such as greater demand for resistance and functional training, and the traditionally popular cardio and circuit style equipment.

In line with demands, the free weights area has doubled in size, and the functional space is now three times bigger than before.

Pulse Fitness has created a much more

user-friendly space for members to be able to set up their own circuits, and for the fitness team to run gym-based classes.

Aesthetic makeover As well as transforming the gym equipment, the Laura Trott Leisure Centre gym has received a full cosmetic makeover to future proof the site for the next ten years and beyond.

The gym has a new colour scheme, flooring and inspirational wall art throughout.

“It was really important for us to work with a supplier with a fully connected fitness solution so we could offer our members the best possible experience,” said fitness manager Mike Brown.

“Having worked previously with the Pulse Fitness team at another of our facilities we knew that they could deliver on exactly what we were after.

“We are really pleased with the work

that has been carried out at the Laura Trott Leisure Centre, it’s well-used by the local community and subsequently was in much need of some TLC. “Pulse Fitness has proven themselves to be a reliable partner throughout this process.

“One of our key priorities is to get more people active, and we hope that the facility will continue to be enjoyed by the local community for years to come.”

“We’re delighted to have been able to support Broxbourne Council in their new vision for the Laura Trott Leisure Centre,” added Richard Sheen, commercial sales director for Pulse Fitness.

“Our market-leading, quality equipment incorporates the very best in British design alongside some of the most innovative and advanced ideas from around the world, so we are confident that we can support the local community in reaching their fitness goals.”

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson to hand over role as ukactive chair in 2022 ukactive has announced that Baroness Tanni GreyThompson will hand over her role as chair after more than six years with the organisation.

The 11-time gold medallist and Paralympian, who is now a Peer in the House of Lords, will end her term as chair of ukactive in August 2022.

Tanni used her last ukactive Conference speech to reflect on the progress made by the physical activity sector during her tenure, set out plans for her final year as ukactive chair, and look to the future growth of the industry.

She said: “It has been an honour and a pleasure to be chair of ukactive for the past six years and I still have an important year ahead.

“I am immensely proud of the progress we have made and the leadership ukactive has shown, from the development of a world-class Board to forming a uniquely talented team, developing innovative ways to add value to our members, and uniting the voice of the industry during the pandemic.

“I’d like to give a heartfelt thank you to all our members, partners and colleagues who have made this such a unique part of my life. I will always wear the ukactive badge and pursue its mission with pride.”

Tanni joined ukactive in 2015, taking over the reins from Fred Turok and steering ukactive to be the sector driving force it is today, working with its members and partners to raise the national profile of physical activity and importance of the sector in our mission to get more people, more active, more often.

Her leadership has been instrumental in supporting and navigating ukactive through the pandemic, working with the Board and the executive team to

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson. support the sector through its survival and recovery, and plotting the course for its development.

Tanni departs following an extended tenure as chair,

supporting ukactive and the sector to navigate the trials of the past 18 months.

In July this year she was elected as the president of the Local Government Association, an organisation which has worked in close partnership with ukactive over recent years, and particularly throughout the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, said: “Tanni has been the greatest champion our members could possibly have had over the past six years, with an unrivalled belief and enthusiasm for the role physical activity plays in improving people’s lives.

“She has taken this belief and enthusiasm into every meeting and every event she’s had on behalf of our members, unrelenting in her quest to help them grow and develop.

“Furthermore, her support to me, the team, and the wider sector in the past 18 months of the Covid pandemic has been fundamental to the survival and continued recovery of the sector.

“I know Tanni still has a considerable amount she wants to achieve in her final year, which she set out in her Conference speech, and she will have the full support of ukactive and the sector in achieving these ambitions.

“She should be really proud of her time as ukactive chair.”

An open and transparent recruitment process for the new chair of ukactive is planned through search firm, Starfish Search, with details to be announced in the near future.

The ukactive Board expects to confirm the appointment in Spring 2022.

UK FITNESS SCENE

Tickets selling fast for NFA awards’ dinner

THE countdown is on to the 2021 National Fitness Awards’ dinner in Leicester on November 26.

Tickets are selling fast for the fitness industry’s biggest end-ofyear celebration and finalists in this year’s National Fitness Awards sponsored by ServiceSport are now less than a month away from finding out who will be taking home the trophies.

The reports are now with our final judging panel, who have the difficult task of picking from the best the UK has to offer.

The awards will once again be held at the Athena in Leicester and the theme for this year’s entertainment theme is Cirque de Lumiere with aerial acrobatics and professional dance troupes.

Tickets are currently on sale for the event and include a welcoming drinks reception, a three-course meal and the glitzy awards ceremony itself hosted by fitness professional Joey Bull.

The evening ends with a party and the traditional Survivors’ breakfast for anyone who works up an appetite on the dance floor.

Script Events runs the NFAs in partnership with Workout.

NFA event director Judith Halkerston said: “We are really looking forward to welcoming everyone to the Athena especially after having to cancel last year’s event due to the pandemic. We’re working hard to make sure it is a night to remember and is a time to celebrate with the best in the industry."

The event is black tie and encourages attendees to turn up looking their most glam, as they potentially could be taking to the stage to collect a national award.

Group table bookings of ten can also be made. Tickets can be booked online https://script-events. co.uk/nfa-tickets For more information, visit www.nationalfitnessawards.co.uk or call Samantha or Megan on 01226 734630.

Perfect time for refresh AS WE are now approaching the winter months, an equipment refresh is essential as more people have time to visit the gym, this also means your equipment will be in even more use.

You need to prep your gym equipment ready for the extra winter use to prevent multiple machines breaking, tearing or going offline at the same time.

We recognise the purpose of gyms is to create a community and you want to show your passion for your members by encouraging them to work out on new, well looked after equipment.

But just like in any industry, there is also competition to consider. If your competition facilities have the most modern cardio, strength and group exercise equipment, you may start to see members drift away to join the ‘modern gym’.

Equipment is one of the biggest investments in your business, but as this equipment is used and abused, there will come a time where a refresh is needed. Members are accustomed to new fitness programmes and software so you don’t want to be lagging behind.

Deciding the best time to refresh your equipment can be difficult so you need to ask yourself ‘Are my members getting the best possible fitness experience?’.

If you have to think about this, the most likely answer is that you need to consider a refresh. Having too many complaints about machines not working or being worn down may mean it is time to upgrade.

Your members want to see equipment with uniformity and functionality as do prospective members when they are making the decision to invest their health in your facility.

New and improved equipment can drive the interest of new members so make sure to keep your equipment fresh and always take

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advantage of the latest fitness trends.

The saying ‘nothing lasts forever’ certainly applies to equipment in the gym. Machines are used repeatedly throughout the year and with such frequent use it is not surprising gym equipment can be susceptible to damage or failure.

Luckily, we have a highly trained and dedicated team at ServiceSport. Enhancing and innovating your current gym equipment and machines through our extensive refresh package can ensure to have your gym looking new in no time.

Our refresh package offers an affordable alternative to buying new fitness equipment.

During our refresh process, existing equipment is removed, fully remanufactured and undergoes strict diagnostic tests and checks before being sent back to site and installed.

If a full refresh isn’t for you, we offer a fantastic buyback service so if you don’t want to keep your outdated equipment, we offer competitive buyback prices and all prices include extraction from your site.

You can book your gym equipment in for a refresh today, to drive interest of new members and keep your current members happy.

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Keep your equipment in shape to maintain customer confidence NO matter what level your experience or fitness is at, a workout injury can happen to anyone.

Even walking on a treadmill can cause an injury. Most people do accept responsibility for their own safety while using weights, machines, and other fitness equipment.

But gyms, just like other commercial businesses, have a duty of care for their members.

To ignore this comes at hefty price – not just in terms of liability pay outs, but in customer confidence.

The IHRSA Health Club Equipment Report states that nearly 73.2 per cent of gym operators buy new equipment in order to keep existing members.

Daniel Jones, CEO of WeServiceGymEquipment and Orbit4, said: “Don’t take risks by doing the bare minimum maintenance routine, sign up with WeServiceGymEquipment, the industry’s favourite impartial bidding platform.

“The platform finds the best partner for you, at the best price. All well-known and reliable contractors are registered with our platform and ready to give you a quote.

“Our mobile app that allows you to raise service tickets for out of order products. Service providers respond to the open tickets via instant messaging

and complete tickets once the job is done and dusted.

“The platform is fully transparent and gives you instant access to the wider market. You’ll get the top three quotes via the most competitive bids. You’ll even be able to research the service standards of each bidder while you consider your decision.”

Gyms should inspect their equipment for signs of damage every single day according to government guidelines. It should then be thoroughly inspected by a professional service provider at least once a year as part of a maintenance regime.

A service maintenance contract ensures all equipment lasts longer and runs safely. If you’ve made an investment in a gym, then regular servicing and maintenance will ensure a better return.

Get into a habit of inspecting all your gym equipment on a daily, weekly and monthly basis and keep a record of all inspections. Also remove or make it clear that any broken, faulty or damaged equipment is out of use for any of your clients.

We hear a lot of businesses say their warranty covers all they need for their gym equipment, but did you know that it doesn’t include wear and tear? And the irony of it all; if you don’t look after your

assets, then your warranty becomes invalid.

A gym asset maintenance contract will protect your gym equipment from this issue as it will ensure you receive a priority level of call-out meaning you have limited downtime on your equipment. Members see quick responses and equipment back in action.

An important element to member retention. If you’ve chosen a fully inclusive contract, even spare parts are included to give you complete peace of mind.

An annual service contract also helps maximise the buy-back value of your equipment.

If you are looking to upgrade in the

future, then this is really going to help your service history rating.

With members or residents paying to use the gym, you need to make sure everything is in the best working order, not to mention safe to use. Equipment takes a good pounding during every workout.

But October and November are usually quieter periods for gyms so it’s a great time to take stock and assess what equipment needs to be upgraded, refreshed or serviced.

Make life easier and register as a gym operator or a service provider today. https://bid.weservicegymequipment.com/

Escaping our sector’s limits

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MF Press Ad – Oct 2021 - Quarter.indd 1

By Jamie Owens, Director of Fitness Partnerships at Hussle

LAST month, Hussle’s CEO Jamie Ward spoke on the Escape Your Limits podcast about how our collaboration with McDonald’s is encouraging the sector to consider using unexpected partners to create a unique take on marketing.

Asked by host Matthew Januszek about what he termed ‘a well-executed brand mash up’, Jamie Ward said: “McDonald’s might not be the first brand fitness would think of connecting with, but the more surprising collaborations are, often the more successful they’ll be.

Sometimes we must think a little bit out of the box.

“Having the confidence to partner with a brand not everyone would necessarily see as a clean fit – is it win win from a marketing perspective?”

We went on to explain: “Why would we work with McDonald’s? Am I driving more customers to them or driving more to be aware of fitness?

“My job is to get the 90-95% of the population that don’t use a gym into fitness. Where am I going to get them?

Fitness expos?

“No, because gym-timidation is real.

Customers starting on their fitness journey genuinely assume everyone is going to be uber fit and so they’ll feel embarrassed. Where I’m going to get them is

27/10/2021 08:25

places like McDonald’s.

“There’s a moral question: am I driving value to McDonald’s? Of course not, we’re nowhere near the size of McDonald’s. When I balance this up, the fitness industry is going to get a lot more value from being advertised in McDonald’s than they’re going to get from us working with them.

Plus the brand association is with Hussle, so gyms are one step removed and ultimately only stand to benefit.

“Our job is to bring gyms new customers and all too often those who find fitness intimidating are an overlooked segment. Success for us is getting those people to try fitness and, ultimately, change their routines and make activity a habit.

This is an amazing channel for us to achieve that. We don’t have all the results yet but whether it makes 100 new people or a thousand think about their health and give fitness a try, I’m a very happy man.

“I firmly believe the best medicine in the world is fitness, and this partnership is one way we get that out to the masses.

It’s a big opportunity – not just commercially but to change people’s lives.”

For Jamie Ward’s thoughts on how marketing will evolve in the post-pandemic sector and how to retain members in an ever-evolving and incredibly fast-paced market, listen to the full podcast at https://apple.co/3oc5Kt7.

MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN CASE STUDY CFM recently worked with Choices to help promote three of their Health Clubs in Derby, Allestree and Windermere.

THE RESULTS

CLUB MEMBERS Derby 378 Allestree 264 Windermere 230 THE METHOD CFM places two members of staff at the health clubs for 6 weeks.

Using a streamlined, 360 degree marketing approach the team not only drives leads, but manages those leads and converts them into sales at an exceptionally high close rate. The largest generator of new members was through targeted digital marketing campaigns predominately Facebook & their partner network, Google Ads and Instagram.

In order, the most successful marketing methods were: 1. Targeted Digital Media

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2. Direct Mail 3. Referrals 4. Open days 5. Promotional Signage 6. Corporate Outreach 7. Various Guerrilla Marketing methods such as Handouts, Stalls in Supermarkets, Slimming Clubs.

PRICING STRUCTURE CFM agreed a promotional price with the club and a share of the future direct debit income generated. CFM then arranged and paid for all the marketing and recouped this through the joining fees paid by the new members. The health club did not have to spend a single penny.

“Choices Health Club are happy to have completed our third promotion with CFM and yet again it has been a huge success generating over 360 members and a gross return of over £145,000.

This means in total CFM have brought Choices Health Club well over 800 new members in 3 years (in excess of £320,000).”

DUNCAN FOSTER, DIRECTOR To find out how we can help your club, request a free information pack on our website uk.cfm.net, call us on 0115 777 3333 or scan the QR code with your camera app.

UK FITNESS SCENE

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Operator shortlisted in Business Resilience category at British Franchise Awards FITNESS organisation Energie Fitness has been shortlisted in the Business Resilience category of the bfa HSBC British Franchise Awards.

One of the largest and fastest-growing low-cost fitness franchises, Energie Fitness is home to nearly 100 clubs across the UK. Known as the ‘Oscars’ of the franchising industry and set to take place on November 30 in Birmingham, the bfa HSBC British Franchise Awards evening is the flagship event in the franchising calendar.

Pip Wilkins, CEO of the British Franchising Association, said: “The gym and fitness industry was certainly one of the hardest hit by the pandemic with many businesses like Energie Fitness left with no choice but to close their doors.

“However, unlike other gym operators in the UK, Energie did not freeze all memberships over lockdown, but instead, created reasons for members to continue to pay fees while their gyms were closed.

“They invested more than £100,000 in the rapid building of an entire digital fitness platform, with more than 240 ‘on demand’ videos and 40 live classes per week.

“The new platform provided thousands

of members with good reason to continue paying and this resulted in the franchise network earning £6.2m of fee income over the pandemic closure periods.

“The team were quick to adapt and evolve with the times and it’s this that has helped them weather what was an exceptionally difficult time for the whole gym sector and put them in great stead

to secure the Business Resilience Award in November.”

This year saw a record number of entries submitted across all categories, leading to an overall increase of nearly 30 per cent when compared to 2020.

Despite what has been a challenging 18 months for most standalone businesses, the franchising sector has shown strength and resilience.

As a result, many bfa members have reported their highest ever level of franchisee recruitment and one of their most successful years for profitability and business development.

Energie Fitness will be battling it out against five other franchise brands to take home the coveted Business Resilience accolade.

The Business Resilience category seeks to celebrate the businesses that have shown great determination, creativity, and resilience in the face of exceptional challenges.

Andrew Brattesani, head of franchising at HSBC, added: “Energie Fitness has shown exceptionally high levels of resilience and determination during a period that was exceptionally difficult for the whole fitness industry.

“They were quick to adapt their operations despite having to close their doors and all their efforts and hard work are certainly commendable.

“While others closed down, Energie Fitness invested in innovation which allowed franchisees to offer amazing flexibility and support during lockdown periods. This award nomination is very well deserved and we’d like to congratulate the whole team for all their hard work over the past year.”

Brawn to host powerlifting’s first ever global virtual events BRAWN, dubbed the ‘Strava for Strength’, has created powerlifting’s inaugural global virtual events.

Taking place between November 29 and December 12, lifters will be able to participate via video submission on the app from anywhere in the world, in the comfort of their own home or gym.

For the first time ever, lifters across the globe can compete against each other with no qualifiers.

After two years of travel restrictions, being able to compete by uploading training videos from the gym, at home, or anywhere with a barbell and bench, makes this event offering the most accessible powerlifting

competition worldwide. New lifters who haven’t competed previously can enter without intimidation.

With more than 1,000 lifters already signed up from across the globe, Brawn has seen entries span from 16 countries across every continent – from the UK to the United States, Australia, India, Bangladesh, El Salvador and further afield.

Amongst those competing will be Karenjeet Kaur Bains – Team GB’s first female Sikh powerlifter and Commonwealth champion, as well as Tony Cliffe – an IPF world champion.

CEO and founder of Brawn, Sohail Rashid, gained a passion for powerlifting in his 30s and felt

support from the lifting community but thought it lacked the single point solution that brought everybody together.

Together with co-founder Andy Smith, a leading figure in the health and fitness industry, Brawn was founded, combining a unique skill set spanning tech, digital, sports and fitness – with more than 15 years’ experience between the pair as competitive powerlifters.

Sohail said: “The powerlifting community has been calling out for something like this.

“We will see participation from countries where lifters wouldn’t normally be able to compete

internationally because they don’t have the resource or means to do so.

“It is just brilliant that we can bring competitors together in this way and connect people with a shared interest internationally. It doesn’t matter if you are an experienced lifter or a relative novice, there is something for everyone.”

The events will feature separate male and female categories, streamlined even further by incorporating different weight and age categories.

Amongst the prizes available include gym equipment and coaching packages worth more than $50,000 in total.

New health app features both fitness and food AN entrepreneur personal fitness guru has launched a phone-app designed to help people live happier, healthier, fitter lives.

Targeting companies keen to lure staff back to the office, HubFiiiT aims to tap into a £3billion global fitness market, set to rise to £11billion.

“HubFiiiT offers every element of health, wellness and fitness in one affordable app,” said Hampshire-based founder and qualified coach, Shireen Davina Walker.

“Train at home, at the gym, at work and cook healthy nutritious meals with our chef all from our app. Track your calories, interact with our coaches and be part of a community.

“Not everyone has the time or can afford to go to the gym. And as we switch to flexi, remote and hybrid working, people want to integrate digital home-training with their workouts at traditional bricks and

mortar gyms.”

With businesses like BP luring staff back to offices with free breakfasts and fitness classes, Shireen’s focus is to offer firms a blended health and fitness programme.

One which lets workers combine online workouts and healthy meals with outdoor and in-gym training, just like their new emerging hybrid and flexi athome and in-office working patterns.

The app, available to all, from £4.99 a month, offers thousands of on-demand workouts plus personalised at-home video workouts - with and without equipment.

These range from cycling, cardio, core and kickboxing to weight training, HIIT, Pilates and dance. And like in a real-life gym, it offers a community where people can share their fitness journeys.

What makes HubFiiiT stand out from competitors is Shireen’s decision to take on a trained chef. Gino Fasolino, 31, has

been a chef for 12 years.

Living with Type 1 diabetes since he was 16, Gino, also a qualified personal trainer, integrates healthy eating with fitness personal health. His recipes are designed to help followers find cooking fun, engaging and rewarding.

“Focusing on his own health and fitness passion and goal gives Gino the ability to coach people going through similar health transitions in their lives,” added Shireen.

“After 15 years working in the health and fitness industry, I knew Gino was the chef who can to help the masses we want to help.”

HubFiiiT will soon introduce recipes and tips to help people in the diabetic community with their health and fitness.

The team plan to react to seasonal trends. It now features ‘back to school’ themed menus and Halloween recipes.

The App is available on iPhone and Android phones..

Shireen Walker

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Dedicated to creating strength training solutions AS AN industry leader, MYO Strength offers a broad range of fitness products for commercial gyms, workout spaces; and fitness studios; as well as mind-body studios and equipment for therapists.

For more than 20 years, MYO Strength has been dedicated to creating a strength training solution, not just for athletes, but for those that have the dedication to take their strength and fitness to new levels.

With over 350 product lines from dumbbells to olympic weights, boxing bags to plyometric boxes the MYO Strength range caters for a wide range of fitness needs. The brand is also constantly evolving to meet the demands of an ever-growing fitness movement and worldwide market.

If you’re looking for some of the most versatile equipment around, look no further than the MYO Strength range.

The MYO Strength C9 Multi-Gym allows you to perform a variety of exercises whilst saving space in any home or gym.

Its main functions include a Dual Adjustable Pulley, 3D Smith Station, Pulldown Station and Row Station to name a few!

The MYO Strength range also includes machines such as the combined Leg Press/ Hack Squat, not forgetting the steel calibrated plates These are accurate to within 10g in weight; perfect for power-lifting training.

View our full MYO Strength range on our website https://www.staffsfitness.co.uk/brands/myo/

Attack Fitness is a brand created by Staffs Fitness Ltd; a leader in the fitness industry for over 30 years.

The brand was created based on an understanding of the fitness industry and the current trend for stylish products that can be used in either a commercial gym or home user setting. The products are not only functional and reliable, but with an emphasis on the colour black, the brand has a cool and contemporary feel; perfect when upgrading your gym.

From strength equipment to functional fitness and benches, cardio and studio equipment, all products are designed to the highest standard, allowing customers to be able to fully measure their improvements and see results.

The Attack Cardio equipment is perfect for High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

The Row Attack machine is the same as machines used by Olympic and elite level athletes. This means the durable design will take the abuse of heavy workouts but is still guaranteed to increase your fitness levels and tone your physique.

Similarly, the Attack Strength range includes everything a gym would need, from Olympic Benches to the Plate Loaded Incline Row and the Seated Leg Press. All machines within this range are Urethane protected and include clear workout instructions. The fully adjustable machines ensure users of all sizes can achieve an effective, comfortable workout. View our full Attack Fitness range on our website https://www.staffsfitness.co.uk/ brands/attack-fitness/

Gruelling 48-hour challenge raises thousands for Help for Heroes charity PERSONAL Training management company, YOUR Personal Training (YPT), has smashed its fundraising target for Armed Forces charity, Help for Heroes, raising almost £2,000 to date, after successfully completing its daunting 48-hour gruelling challenge.

The YPT senior leadership team at the Waterside Hotel and Health Club in Manchester were joined by other YPT personal trainers and operators around the UK, including Halo Leisure and Sport Aberdeen, who also completed the 4 x 4 x 48 challenge in their locations at Stevenage, Belfast and Aberdeen.

The YPT team started their first run at midnight on October 20, with their last four-mile run taking place at 8pm the following day. They each ran a massive 48 miles in 48 hours; that’s almost two marathons in two days!

James Lorey, Operations Director at YOUR Personal Training, explains: “The 4 x 4 x 48 challenge was made famous by former US Navy Seal and ultra-marathon runner, David Goggins. Despite its

simplicity, this challenge is a real test of resilience, endurance and willpower. The sheer frequency of activity with limited recovery and lack of sleep makes it a test for any athlete. We started our first run feeling really excited and energised, but as the challenge progressed the physical impact really took hold and it became a challenge of mind over matter. It’s pretty brutal having to wake up at four am to run four miles, knowing you are going to have to do it all again four hours later.”

Help for Heroes beneficiary, Alan Izzard, and Help for Heroes Area Fundraising Manager, Trevor Fudger, visited the team at the Waterside Hotel and Leisure Club to cheer them on.

James says: “It was great to be supported by Alan, a war veteran and beneficiary of Help for Heroes. It was inspiring to understand how the charity works to support their wellbeing.”

There’s still time to make a donation, please follow this link: https://www. justgiving.com/fundraising/yourpt

UNLOCK MORE FOR EVERY MEMBER Inspire positive change, create a fun environment and reward every member, every MEP of the way.

myzone.org | info@myzone.org

Scan QR code to find out more

UK FITNESS SCENE

Workout experience-themed Retention Convention to continue online in 2021 WORLD renowned retention expert Dr Paul Bedford will be continuing his popular annual event online after 1,700 people from around the globe attended the 2020 Retention Convention.

The 2021 Retention Convention will take place on December 9, where five sessions will cover how to craft online and offline customer experiences from a workout perspective to create exercise adherence, build loyalty and aid retention.

Paul said: “You only have to look at the investment big brands like Apple and Peloton have put into their experience to realise that if bricks and mortar facilities don’t ramp up their actual exercise experience the disparity will be so big it will be disappointing.

“These companies design everything around entertainment, compared to most fitness instructors who are fixated on heart rate, resistance and the number of reps.

“Some boutique brands have already nailed this, and whilst many operators have copied the facilities so they ‘look’ like a boutique, they haven’t evolved the workout experience, so they don’t ‘feel’ like a boutique.

“It’s time to look at what we can do to provide memorable workout experiences in the gym.”

Paul will open the event and set the scene by outlining the differences between experience and memory, detailing what we can do to design

Former Gold’s Gym CEO Adam Zeitsiff (left) and experienced videographer Richard Playfair ( right). experiences that leave a lasting positive capitalising on ideas for business impression, that encourages members to progress is vital for continued success.” come back for more.

Following Cullum will be former PT and Upstartr’s Samantha Cullum and Vicky experienced video producer, Richard Mahony will then give insights on how to Playfair. develop a product strategy and roadmap When lockdown forced the sector to to create, innovate and transform a take business online, Fairplay set up business, so its products and services a Facebook Group, helping operators Stand Out, Stand Up and Create Impact. adapt to virtual solutions and generate Upstartr is a boutique growth alternative income online. He is now consultancy, which supports a global go-to consultant for fitness organisations to create brand impact, professionals who realise video is vital to develop successful products and services both their short and long-term business and boost business growth. Cullum says: strategies.

“Everyone and every business has the In his session, The Studio to Screen capacity to be innovative; creativity is a Strategy, Playfair will explain how to habit people can develop. future-proof your business with on“Thinking differently and being demand workouts that leave participants prepared to fail or to learn are things feeling so successful that they can’t wait to be treasured, and capturing and to come back for more.

Your all-new, free marketing channel

Hussle brings gyms additional revenue via people who don’t currently engage with traditional memberships.

‘Try-before-you-buy’ customers, occasional users and customers requiring multi-venue workout options no single operator can provide.

Next to present will be Adam Zeitsiff, former CEO of Gold’s Gym, who is now the president and CEO of online fitness class platform, Intelivideo, as well as an Advisory Board Member of the recently launched US-based National Health and Fitness Alliance.

Closing the event will be Barry and Shay Kostabi, co-founders of Fitness Career Mastery, which teaches fitness creators and entrepreneurs how to build successful heart-led businesses and immersive workout experiences.

Unveiling the Secret Science to an Immersive Member Experience, the Kostabis will show delegates how to captivate the room, how to use music to create epic playlists and strong programming, how to coach in a way that brings everyone into an immersive flow state, and ultimately how to have an unforgettable impact on the lives of clients so they come back time after time.

Sponsors of the 2021 Retention Convention are Precor, which was recently bought by Peloton, Fitronics, which includes the well-known brands TRP and Cap2, and gym management software company ClubWise.

The event will take place from 1pmto 6pm.

Tickets will cost $29.95 and all attendees will have access to recordings of the event.

You can register your interest in the event via www.retentionguru.com

W W W. H U S S L E . C O M / L I S T- M Y- G Y M

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In the last 18 months Hussle has:

66,000 14,000 30,000 DISENGAGED E X- M E M B E R S BROUGHT BACK

C U STO M E R S ENCOURAGED I N TO GY M S

T R Y- B E F O R E -YO U B U Y C U STO M E R S C O N V E RT E D I N TO DIRECT MEMBERS

Club Management Made Easy A simple to use ‘all-in-one’ club management solution for fitness businesses

Simplify

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“

ClubWise is like an extra 10 members of staff, it's completely removed the stress from running my club.

Kate, Heros Fitness

“

”

To anyone considering setting up a club or moving providers, I would say choose ClubWise. We have tried and tested a few systems over the years and have found ClubWise to be the best there is.

”

Deena Gillan, 315 Health Club

Find out how ClubWise can free you up to focus on your members. Book a demo today! sales@clubwise.com

01844 348 300

www.clubwise.com

UK FITNESS SCENE

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As winter approaches, you may find that you experience staff shortages from time to time, particularly with members of your team having to self-isolate. This will undoubtedly bring added pressure as you rebuild. Technology that allows you to automate manual processes can help you not only overcome staff shortages but also maximise your staff’s time with members.

Technology can do a lot of heavy lifting to make your fitness club successful! Let’s take a look.

How we can help you out ...

New member sign up Traditionally, prospective members come to your club in person and your team signs them up using membership forms. Your staff goes through the terms and conditions and other paperwork with them.

But the traditional way isn’t well suited to the time we’re in, where passing pens and paper forms back and forth across a desk is seen as a risky, germ-spreading endeavour. And if your club is understaffed, that is an awful lot of one-onone attention going to the sign-up process.

With ClubWise’s In-App Joining feature, the prospective member simply downloads the Member App, inputs a club name, and then swiftly takes themselves through the sign-up process, making any payments online and digitally signing the necessary forms.

All their information will be stored in their member record. No fuss, no handholding – and the new member has already downloaded the app and is ready to access the club.

Check-in ClubWise’s app-based QR technology enables members to safely and efficiently check into your club without worrying that the fingerprint reader or pin pad they are being asked to used is rife with germs. Aside from the hygiene benefits, mobile check-in is fast and secure, and it completely frees up your reception staff, who now have the time to provide better service to members. If your reception is unmanned, you’ll find this solution that much more important.

Self-booking Get new members used to booking their own classes on their member app or through an online booking portal.

Allowing your members to sign up for classes digitally makes the process quick and easy for them and frees up your staff to focus their attention where it matters.

Member communication and retention We all know that members who aren’t frequenting your club are cancellation risks. Soon they’ll realise that they’re paying for something they’re not using, and even a contract won’t keep them loyal.

Instead of having staff members continually calling these members, put automated text and email communications to work. You can set your automations to remind members who haven’t been to the club in a while (say, a fortnight) that you’re still here and waiting to help them achieve their goals. Be creative.

Member acquisition cycle Now that staying fit is a major priority again, fitness clubs are chasing the same members. So how do you make sure you get your slice of the pie, especially if you don’t have a dedicated salesperson or a thoroughly planned out sales process?

Your current members are a great place to start. More than 90 per cent of people trust recommendations from family and friends. If you have happy members, they’re likely to tell others about their experience with you. Incentivising member

referrals sweetens the deal for them and for the club.

This is where the ClubWise Member Rewards programme can help. Most members would love a discount on their monthly membership.

Using a membership fee discount as an incentive keeps members engaged and connected with your club.

Give a member who refers a friend who joins this if they introduce someone to your club who then joins.

You set the monthly discount (for example, a £2 reward for your £30/ month membership) which the referring member will receive off their monthly membership fee for as long as the member they refer continues to pay their dues and doesn’t leave, freeze their membership, or miss a payment.in which case the referring member’s monthly fee goes back up by £2.

You can make those discounts stackable. Suppose someone refers a number of their friends, and several join. Give them the discount for each one.

Yes, the member may get down to a £0 membership fee, but, using our £30/ month membership, at £2 a pop they will have had to refer 15 joiners to your club – that’s £450 of revenue per month for a cost of £30.

The beauty of this process is that it’s fully automated. Your members can use the ClubWise Member App to refer someone, linking them in the system.

When the referral joins, the discount is automatic, as are the ‘thank you’ emails.

Sit back and watch the new memberships and revenue flow. There’s no downside.

These are just some of the ways ClubWise can help you maximise your resources and time during these tough times.

If you’d like to know more about how we can help your club meet the demands of today, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01844 348300 or email sales@clubwise.com

‘The beauty of this process is that it’s fully automated.

Your members can use the ClubWise Member App to refer someone, linking them in the system. When the referral joins, the discount is automatic, as are the ‘thank you’ emails. Sit back and watch the new memberships and revenue flow. There’s no downside.’

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Finding new ways for customers to keep their gym doors wide open FOR the past two years, the fitness industry has fought hard to come out on top of what has been its most difficult time yet.

Studios and gyms have transitioned through numerous lockdowns, instructors and owners have gone online to stay afloat, and booking systems and platforms have had to innovate unlike ever before to support their customers.

No one is more familiar with the demands of this time than TeamUp fitness management software who continues to find and deliver the best ways for its customers to keep their doors wide open.

“As businesses emerge from the era of lockdowns, we see a quickly evolving landscape where consumers are searching more than ever for a sense of community and context,” said Tim Green, TeamUp head of marketing and partnerships.

“Independent fitness businesses are best placed to serve this demand and we’re seeing a strong and positive future for the businesses that invest in the best customer experience.

“This is an exciting time with such opportunity ahead and we look forward to sharing what we’ve learned and developed with our customers and community.”

Since March 2020, TeamUp has announced some of its largest, most powerful features yet: Online classes, On Demand, and Appointments.

From being the first platform to integrate with Zoom to enable its customers to provide online classes during the pandemic, to partnering with on-demand integrations to deliver a new elevated service, to the newest release of appointments to enhance the oneon-one booking experience between providers and

their customers, TeamUp has seen the growing needs of its customers and responded with features and tools that will help them stay open as well as will grow and evolve their businesses in ways they hadn’t previously considered.

Serving more than 3,000 businesses worldwide, TeamUp’s growth has only increased their desire to keep innovating and anticipate what customers will soon come to need in order to run the best version of their businesses.

Where other software requires customers to pay a higher price to experience the value of their services, TeamUp continues to provide its customers with everything they need right from the start, pricing their system on the number of active customers a business has monthly.

With a scalable pricing model, fitness providers are encouraged and enabled to deliver their customers a valuable experience while also having the opportunity they need to build and grow.

Supporting healthy longevity

By David Minton IN 2019 there were more than 14.3 million Baby Boomers in the UK making it the largest generational group.

Boomers, born between 1946-1964 in 2021 are aged 57 to 75. Boomers do not want to get old.

Boomers follow the Silent Generation, 1928-1945, known as the wealthiest elderly generation ever seen.

The cohort preceding the Silent is the Greatest Generation, defined as people born from 1901 to 1927. Females across England in 2020 have a life expectancy of just 82.7 years, or 78.7 for males.

Local authorities, like Sandwell MBC, have improved the way social care, health, community and leisure services are brought together to support independent active ageing through social prescribing, which forms part of the NHS Long Term Plan.

Social prescribing, care homes and care packages are multi billion pound opportunities for the fitness industry.

An ageing society means more of us will come across these terms where ‘care’ usually means feeding, washing and personal hygiene, whilst sitting for long hours in a chair.

During lockdown Power Plate and the Berkley Care Group shared the outcomes of encouraging healthy movement including simple stretches to counter the negative effects of inactivity. Over 12 weeks six homes and around 250 residents were involved in the programme and key outcomes were tracked.

David Minton Measurable improvements to functional independence, activities of daily living and fall prevention were achieved in as little as five minutes vibration training a day.

Research papers show the older you get the more likely you are to be inactive, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Research presented at the cardiology conference ESC Congress 2021 from a study of 33,576 patients with an average age of 62 showed that it’s never too late to start exercising to reduce the risk of dying from heart disease.

If the fitness industry grew its membership base from the current one per cent to 15 per cent of members aged over 65 it would double the value and size of the industry.

It would also become a major partner with local care provision. Are training providers ready to upskill for this specialist generational gold mine where

health and activities merge.

Ageing is now the predominant cause of disease worldwide and yet it remains poorly understood. Two fitness suppliers, Keiser and Power Plate, join Harvard Health and American Society for Bone and Mineral Research in publishing a considerable amount of research on older adult fitness including fall prevention, increasing bone density, preventing and controlling osteoporosis and increasing strength and muscle

mass, to name a few.

As people move from a work-life balance to a healthy movement-life balance, staying fit and healthy is crucial to enjoy this age of perfection yet where and what to do for the best?

Improving personal fitness levels could be Covid’s greatest gift as new industries spring up to cope with the pent-up demand. n David Minton is director of The Leisure Database Company.

UK FITNESS SCENE

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Advertiser’s announcement

Panatta Free Weight Special The Super Hack Squat

The Panatta Super Hack Squat is a specific machine for training the lower limbs that allows the squat movement to be performed in a fully guided manner with maximum safety for the back.

The exercise performed on the Super Hack Squat allows for greater isolation of the quadriceps femoris muscle, when compared to the free execution with the barbell; the large platform, adjustable to three different inclinations, allows for greater freedom in positioning of the feet and legs, making this machine extremely versatile and PATENT PENDING user-friendly for everyone no matter your build and stature.

The uniqueness of the new Panatta Super Hack Squat compared to competing products is in the backrest as it offers the possibility of adjusting the inclination (patent pending) on 4 different positions, from 0 to 21° with a step of 7°; the headrest itself is adjustable in inclination on 4 positions. n POSITION 1 (Backrest parallel to the movement direction): This is the configuration of the traditional Hack Squat, with greater focus on the quadriceps femoris and less activation of the gluteus and hamstrings. n POSITION 4 (Backrest inclined by 21° with respect to the movement direction): The forward inclination of the torso increases hip flexion therefore involving the gluteus and hamstrings; the increased activation of the latter also reduces the strain on the knee ligaments..

DISCOVER MORE Panatta Srl – Via Madonna della Fonte 3/c , Apiro (MC) Italy +39 0733611824 infouk@panattasport.it @panattasport @panattaofficial

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Who doesn’t love a fitness challenge?

THE world of fitness and physical activity is steeped in overcoming challenges and obstacles, both figuratively and literally.

Whether it’s the endorphin rush after achieving a distance record, or the shared high fives after an exciting class experience, there’s little that feels better than getting through the hard work and coming out the other side as a better person.

Gyms and fitness facilities can find simple ways to offer their member base more value by creating and hosting community challenges every month at a local level to create a buzz that’s more than just about getting a regular workout in.

While many gyms and studios are already doing this, it doesn’t have to be left down to the go-to number of themes that apply throughout the year.

Creating a culture of healthy competition can be just as effective

when you keep it simple and easy to understand for all – a challenge for the sole purpose of encouraging movement.

The main thing to remember is, work from the same metric each month such as MEPs (Myzone effort points) when it comes to the leaderboard.

Don’t be afraid to challenge other gyms or partner with local business owners for prizes, either.

Some of the most exciting and engaging social media threads – and therefore brand awareness opportunities – have come from entrepreneurs and fitpros that have come together for the benefit of both communities.

We’re all pushing for the same result, and a league table has never looked so exciting as when it’s gym versus gym, in a battle of positivity and physical activity.

Pick your method of rewarding effort,

set the ground rules and watch your members work for you in promoting your brand, your community and your

leadership in bringing more people to move more often. https://www.myzone.org

Why brand identity is crucial ...

HAVING a smart, branded uniform is essential if you are wanting your staff to appear professional while strengthening company identity.

One of the biggest ways to identify your brand is by branded workwear. Think about it, you identify a football team by their crest or colour, so why not do the same for your business?

When employees wear a uniform, it becomes a walking advertisement for your company. Whether it’s nipping to the shop on your dinner or going to an appointment after work, uniforms are a way of pushing your brand out into the world.

Brand identity is crucial as we know that keeping a professional impression is everything. Instyle Clothing offer a huge range of colour and clothing options to fit your brand perfectly, while also offering the option for embroidery, text or logo personalisation.

Some uniforms may not be the most fashionable but that is because they are made to follow

health and safety standards.

Complying with health and safety regulations doesn’t have to be dull because at Instyle Clothing, we offer a wide choice of clothing such as hi-vis jackets and face masks which promote health and safety while also still being part of the brand identity.

Not only do uniforms look professional, but they also provide a sense of loyalty and unity in the workplace. Uniforms allow people to feel equal without the worry of being overly or under dressed.

The worry of not being dressed appropriately for their role will be eliminated and make your staff feel much more relaxed and comfortable and therefore complete work to a higher standard.

Any type of clothing can be customised into a work uniform so no matter what industry you are from, there are clothing options for you.

T-shirts and polos are a popular option as they can be branded fairly cheap and quickly with different printing techniques. Or if you are

from an office based team, formal wear such as customised shirts or blouses can be stylishly embroidered to add business class.

Instyle Clothing fix the problem of deciding what to wear for work every single morning, while also saving you money on new outfits for every day of the week.

For many people, the struggle of trying to piece together a smart and professional outfit can be very time consuming and a stressful situation. An unnecessary amount of pressure may be placed on staff and they may be uncomfortable for the rest of the day and instead of focusing on work, they are focusing on how they look – having a negative impact on their mindset all day.

Whether you are looking to increase productivity in your company or trying to create a brand identity, get in touch with our team to discuss your customised uniform and business wear.

Telephone: 01257 447338 Email: info@instyleclothing.co.uk

Get your members ‘Covid-fit’ with Tanita IT WAS with great interest that I read an article by Dr Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer for the UK, encouraging Brits to ‘get fit and lose weight this summer, in preparation for the predicted return of Covid-19 in the winter months.’

There are some eye opening statistics contained within this article including ‘Research from the University of Liverpool has shown that being obese increases the risk of dying from SARSCoV-2 by 38 per cent’ and ‘Data from the NHS also indicates that 75 per cent of people who have been hospitalised with Covid-19 were overweight or obese’.

What is clearer than ever, is the message to the public is ‘get healthy’ and what a great message that is for us in the fitness industry.

I have previously spoken about health

over aesthetics becoming prevalent, but now health over fitness will be a priority for so many people.

There is going to be an influx of gym going newbies who need more help and support on their journey than many members have in the past.

Have you considered how you can target this potential new membership group?

A question from many fitness facilities and professionals is ‘how’ do we support these newbies and our existing members in becoming healthier and not just fitter.

The absolute best way to monitor people’s health for a fitness facility is to utilise Tanita body composition technology.

By doing this you can show the clear impact you are having on members’ health including muscle mass, body fat, hydration, visceral fat and metabolic age.

Looking beyond merely weight allows you to have a detailed conversation about health, demonstrating to members that their body fat is reducing, their muscle mass is increasing, they have a younger metabolic age is hugely motivating and a happy member stays a member, right?

Part of the fight against another outbreak will be reliant on the health of the nation and as a fitness industry we couldn’t have a bigger role to play.

Talk to and promote health and immunity to your members and prospective members.

Use Tanita to show them more information about their bodies than they’ll have ever seen before.

What could add more value right now? n Simon Wilkinson is the sport and fitness Lead, UK at Tanita.

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UK FITNESS SCENE

How to create a fantastic buzz ...

IF YOU’RE looking to give your membership numbers a boost, an open day is a great way to do this, all while creating a fantastic buzz in your club for current and new members alike.

Creative Fitness Marketing recently organised and managed three open days at Foss Fit, Bodyworx and Unit 24 Fitness and signed up 25, 22 and 19 new members respectively at each club on the day.

But it wasn’t just the new members which made the day a success. It was the buzz and atmosphere created in the club that really got people talking and put these clubs on the map in their local community.

All three clubs reported an increase in the number of enquiries to their club following on from the event.

Plus, it gave a great sense of community within the clubs,

with long-time members getting involved in the events on the day, with some bringing their friends and family along.

A fantastic tool for member engagement and retention.

So how do you create a successful open day?

Advertising accounts manager Kate Landers said: “Organise something worth talking about and promote it well.

Gym competitions, free refreshments, giveaways, personal training, supplement discounts, live DJs and discounted massage are all good crowd pullers.

“But it also needs to be marketed well across multiple platforms e.g. in-club and outdoor signage, digital, e-mail and SMS to your database, even direct mail if your budget allows.

“Facebook and Instagram are particularly good channels to create a good buzz around the

event. Set up a Facebook event, use stories, lives, photo and video content to show off all the great things you will be offering on the day.”

As well as the above, all clubs involved their staff and members in the promotion of the event. Word-of-mouth is your best form of advertising and your members and staff are the biggest advocate of your club, so utilise them, get them on-board and involved in the event and you will see fantastic results.

Creative Fitness Marketing (CFM) are experts in getting new members for health clubs through multi-faceted marketing campaigns and outside-thebox flash sales and events like open days.

Find out more by about CFM by downloading an information pack at https://uk.cfm.net or call Jonny or Harry on 0115 777 3333.

Providing insight safely and accurately Why there should be a place for this body analysis machine in every gym ...

AFTER the past two years of the health and fitness industry almost falling to its knees, the industry needed to comeback with a bang. There’s never been a more important time to motivate our clients and customers than now.

Pre lockdown, members would usually get on the scales each week either in the gym or at a weight loss club. When I spotted the Corevue I immediately knew there was a place for it within the gym sector.

Customers and clients are demanding results and as we all know, the scales don’t always tell the truth. It simply tells someone if their weight is up or down.

Having the ability to determine body fat, muscle mass, water percentage, as well as giving people guidance on calorie needs, is something that would usually have taken a qualified personal trainer hours of time calculating formulas and years of experience.

The Corevue is a state of the art body analysis machine that not only gives our members the results and answers but also allows them to track their results within the Corevue app. Since having the Corevue installed I have found members become focussed and driven.

It gives them a sense of accountability.

It allows them to set goals and reach targets. In honesty I didn’t think I’d be saying this as I’m pretty old school when it comes to the fitness industry, but I do believe the advanced features that the Corevue offers massively helps with member retention and offers something that other gyms don’t. At the cost of only £2 for a full body analysis, members are getting weighed weekly and I’ve found that members are actually competing against each other to get the best results. In terms of revenue, we have a membership base of over 400, so far approximately 100 people per week are using the Corevue. That’s a potential income of £200 per week, £866 per month and £10,400 per year. This has made the Corevue a great business investment as we all know how important additional revenue becomes within our industry.

Not only that but I’ve seen members invest more in personal training and nutrition because the Corevue gives them the accountability.

In terms of the cost, most gyms will spend the cost of the Corevue on one single machine or piece of equipment.

This only allows members to perform a certain exercise or train a specific

muscle group. I would advise other gym owners to invest the money in a Corevue because this state of the art machine will also improve the health of our members and customers as well as the fitness, a part of our industry which is often overlooked.

This is an honest review of a piece of equipment that I believe in. I have not been paid to promote or advertise this product but can honestly say that it’s something which has a home in my club and will play a part in helping my members. The one part of this I haven’t mentioned and is a fantastic asset is the weight limit. Many of my clients face life or death weight loss journeys, the one you may know of is my client Dibsy, the 40 stone guy who had to lose 20 stone within a year for a lifesaving operation.

We appeared on international TV around the world. The challenge I faced was finding scales that were capable of weighing him at 40 stone, there was nothing on the market. I had to take him to the hospital and have him weighed on a weighbridge. This was not only a massive inconvenience but also pretty degrading. Had I had the Corevue back then, this would not have been an issue.

Mike Hind MBE

THE Corevue 360 kiosk by Healthcheck Services, offers the very latest technology in intelligent body composition measurement.

It provides the perfect solution for public and private fitness, health and leisure operators as well as elite sports teams and universities.

It uses Multi Frequency Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, a safe and accurate way of providing insight into your customer’s health and fitness.

Among other things, it shows their body fat percentage, muscle mass, visceral fat, hydration level and metabolic age. This allows it to deliver a full body composition analysis in approximately 15 seconds.

The new app along with the Corevue kiosks, have grown in popularity throughout the last two years, as the very real threat of Covid-19 has motivated the nation to take a long hard look at their health and fitness levels.

With the Corevue 360 you can find out exactly what you are made of, set your goals and use the new and improved Corevue App (which is free to use to help you achieve your optimal fitness level and improve your health and wellbeing).

The innovative app’s dashboard shows both metrics, and graphs helping you to visibly monitor your health, updating the app with your results each time you use a corevue kiosk.

The app also offers the opportunity to set individual targets, making it easier to set goals and therefore achieve them.

Track your health and wellbeing at more than 4,500 locations using one of our many types of health kiosks.

Visit www.healthcheckservices.co.uk and www.corevuekiosk.com Download the Corevue app in the App Store.

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Unlocking secondary spend potential

By James Taylor AS the sector bounces back after months of restrictions and extended periods of closure, most operators are focusing attention on driving revenue through membership subscriptions.

This is, of course, a key driver to ‘building back better’ but it’s not the only opportunity on the table.

Secondary spend, through the sale of complementary products, can have a hugely positive impact on that all important bottom line.

The question is, are you optimising your revenue generating opportunities or is there more that you could do to encourage your members to supplement their visit with some additional spend?

When we think about merchandise, there is a tendency to focus on stocking obvious products such as towels, water bottles, protein bars and goggles.

Supplying these essentials plays an important role in service provision, as well as generating additional income, often answering a need for a member who has forgotten to bring a similar product from home on their visit.

Despite Taylor Made Designs selling literally thousands of these items every year, none of these top the podium as our biggest selling product.

This accolade is reserved for the

Imogen Cox, membership administrator and Dan Pike, fitness instructor and personal trainer at Zone Fitness in Weymouth. humble padlock.

How many times do people visit the gym and forget to bring their locker

padlock? We sell padlocks from between £1.45 and £1.95 depending on the quality and specifications which can be

sold on to members for around £5.

Typically, an operator can sell a padlock to 10 per cent of members, more if the sale is built into the member onboarding process. Are you missing a trick here?

TMD has been providing merchandise to Zone Fitness, Weymouth since the site opened back in early 2018, providing a range of branded and generic products including; campaign t-shirts, water bottles, towels, padlocks as well as uniforms.

Customer experience manager Kirsty van Deurs Goss said: “Secondary spend accounts for a considerable percentage of our monthly income generation.

“It’s amazing what our members forget to bring with them and need to purchase in order to make the most of their visit.

“Working with TMD, utilising their online ordering solution, we ensure we maintain adequate stock levels to be able to always answer demand and are assured that the goods provided are of a quality standard that reflects our brand and service provision.”

To find out more about the merchandise products available, contact TMD on 01202 473311 or visit www. taylormadedesigns.co.uk n James Taylor is the MD of Taylor Made Designs.

University’s new court has star appeal THE University of Kent can now practice and play on one of the world’s finest basketball courts after learning a lesson from stars of America’s hugely popular NBA. Kent is the first UK university to have an MFMA PUR certified and EN14904 compliant Robbins solid maple wood floor installed by its UK-based partner TVS Sports Surfaces.

Robbins, which was founded in 1894, is a preferred supplier of competition or training surfaces to a significant number

of teams in the billion-dollar NBA and of the last 27 NBA Championships contested, 22 were won by teams who play and train on Robbins courts.

“After around two decades of use as a multi-sport facility, the university’s old court was badly in need of an upgrade,” said TVS sports surfacing specialist Jason Lewis-Lamb.

“A survey revealed significant issues with the sub-floor which had caused failures in the existing floor and needed to be rectified prior to the installation of

the new court.”

The TVS/Robbins partnership was chosen after an exhaustive evaluation by the University of Kent with quality and longevity being major factors in the final decision along with the need to meet stringent international and UK sports standards.

The new Robbins court in Canterbury is expected to last between 50 and 75 years.

The long-term benefits also include the active reduction of injuries and player

fatigue through the Robbins maximum vibration protection (MVP) patented system.

The sub-structure work and the new flooring installation, using northern hard maple from the USA and Canada, was completed by TVS Sports Surfaces within 6 working weeks.

As well as basketball, TVS also ensured that specific markings were added for netball and badminton to ensure that the new court could continue to be used as a multi-sport facility.

Your Space brand is launched across Bassetlaw LEISURE operator BPL has celebrated the rebranding of its fitness facilities across Bassetlaw with an official launch event to coincide with National Fitness Day on September 22.

Over the last couple of years, BPL, in partnership with Bassetlaw District Council, has invested heavily into its fitness facilities across all its sites.

This includes rebranding them to Your Space and upgrading to offer the latest gym equipment and group exercise classes, all in a fun and friendly atmosphere.

As part of the launch event, invited guests from BPL, the council and other partners enjoyed a tour to showcase the improvements, starting at Your Space Worksop before moving on to sites at Bircotes and Retford.

To tie in with nationwide celebrations to mark National Fitness Day, Your Space Worksop also held a free Les Mills event where members and friends could try out the latest Body Pump, Body Combat, Body Attack and Sh’bam group exercise releases and donate to raise money for Weston Park Cancer Charity.

BPL contract manager for Bassetlaw Glyn Davies said: “We are thrilled to officially launch our rebranded Your Space sites across Bassetlaw.

“We pride ourselves on playing a vital role in supporting our local communities and with these latest upgrades, can now offer members even better value for

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money by providing the latest state of the art equipment and group exercise classes alongside the fun and friendly atmosphere they know and love.

“However you enjoy getting active, our centres are your space to feel good and we’re looking forward to welcoming regular customers and new faces through our doors to enjoy the great range of activities on offer.”

Councillor Julie Leigh, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, added: “We have come a long way since we first started working in partnership with BPL in 2010, and this has enabled us to continually improve the facilities we offer and the quality of service provided to local people.

“Over the years, our gyms have been expanded, health improvement programmes have been developed and a wider circle of engaged partners from all sectors of the community has been created.

“This is the latest stepping stone on our journey of continuous improvement, in terms of services and facilities, with plans already being drawn up for the refurbishment of the swimming pool changing facilities at Bircotes Leisure Centre.

“Congratulations to everyone involved in the journey so far and thank you for your efforts in fulfilling our joint vision of providing the best possible opportunities to our local communities.”

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