Workout UK April 2017

April 2017

The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazine

‘Maximise’ your gym’s potential at conference

By Christina Eccles

OPERATORS from all corners of the fitness industry have been given the opportunity to maximise the potential of their facility, with the launch of the third National Fitness Conference.

Taking place at Leicester Racecourse on Friday December 1, this year’s event – organised by Script Events in partnership with Workout – will have the theme of maximise; offering clubs of all shapes and sizes the chance to learn how to get the best out of their business.

Focusing on four key themes, delegates will learn how to maximise their potential, presence, profile and profits, with informative speaker sessions from a range of experts.

Speakers already confirmed include Everyone Active regional director Duncan Jefford who will be revealing the golden rules of creating a profitable facility and multi-award winning gym owner Scott McGarry who will explain how a strong focus on staff training has paid off for both his members and his team.

Duncan said: “I’m thoroughly looking forward to being involved in the National Fitness Conference this year where I’ll be speaking about maximising profit in a facility.

“The conference offers a great

opportunity to pick up some valuable industry insights and is a great networking event.”

Delegates will also be able to enjoy a healthy networking lunch as well as the chance to discover the hottest industry products and services with dedicated time for exhibition viewing throughout the day.

National Fitness Conference director Judith Halkerston added: “We are really excited at the way this year’s National Fitness Conference is shaping up – we will be announcing the full line-up of speakers shortly but be assured that all our experts will know the industry inside out and will be bringing 100 per cent relevant experience to the event.

“The Maximise theme that will be running throughout this, the third National Fitness Conference, will offer an insight into maximising your profit, your potential, profile and presence.

“Our primary goal is to support and encourage operators and we strongly believe that you’ll leave this year’s event bursting with ideas, enthusiasm and information.” n Look out for more on the event coming up in the next few issues of Workout and follow @FitConference on Twitter for all the latest conference updates.

No 283 £3

Major new investment announced

Leading tennis coach Judy Murray is on a mission to get more kids playing tennis and encourage more families to enjoy physical activity together. Judy has become a coach consultant to David Lloyd Clubs for the next three years and spoke to Workout about the partnership and what role the fitness industry can play in increasing participation in sports. She said: “Sport has so many wide-ranging benefits in terms of life skills so I’m looking forward to sharing my knowledge and passion with the whole family.”

For full story see page 20

OPERATOR Fusion Lifestyle has announced a multi-million pound investment programme to upgrade facilities across its estate.

With a clear vision of making top class sport and fitness widely accessible and affordable, Fusion has reinvested £150m in recent years into improving facilities and is now commencing the next phase with a £14m refurbishment programme in three key areas.

Devon will see the greatest investment, totalling £10m spend across all six sites, with Fusion’s Ivybridge centre near Plymouth receiving the major share.

A £2m investment has already taken place in Bedford and in Southend, a £1.2m upgrade is underway to improve the gym and create new studios to complement the Olympic standard diving and tennis facilities currently on offer.

Commercial director Penny Arnold said: “We are totally committed to providing top quality, affordable sport and leisure facilities to local communities, who we hope will enjoy and benefit from the upgraded facilities and activities we will continue to offer.”

UK FITNESS SCENE

Operator expands group offering with own class

By Christina Eccles A FORWARD thinking operator has expanded its group exercise offering by devising its own brand fitness class.

Staff at New Forest Health and Leisure – part of New Forest District Council – have created Total Reshape, which has been rolled out across five sites.

The class combines the best of conditioning and bootcamp style classes and was originally created to tap into the 18-34 age group – a demographic the operator was keen to reach out to.

But according to health and fitness manager Toby White, it has been attracting a wide range of customers who have been keen to give it a try.

He said: “I wanted to create a class that delivered results and would attract the conventional body conditioning customers but also attract those who attend bootcamp/ circuit/ body pump sessions.

“We’d also noticed a drop off in attendance within some of our conventional conditioning classes so felt we needed to address this by offering something new.”

“I also noticed from watching lots of freelance conditioning classes that the session changed week by week and therefore what tangible benefits were customers seeing?

“We’d also noticed a drop off in attendance within some of our conventional conditioning classes so felt we needed to address this by offering something new.

“I’d spent some time researching what was working within the industry and noticed the bootcamp theme was extremely popular, so I wanted to base my class around the concept of repetition over a sustained time period.

“I also wanted to keep the class simple and removed any complicated choreography which may well put people off; so it’s grapevine free and not too much co-ordination is required.”

All the branding to promote the class was done with an in house marketing and graphics team, with all models used on promotional materials members of staff.

Each session includes six by six minute blocks of work, with one minute active recovery between each block – and participants are encouraged to work at their own pace.

Toby added: “We create a new release every month and four exercises are carried over from the last release so that participants will be

At Script Media, we try to get things right but occasionally, we make mistakes. If you have a complaint about a story featured in our magazine or on our website, please, in the first instance, contact us by email: ce@scriptmedia.co.uk We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice as demanded by the Independent Press Standards Organisation. For details on the code and what to do should you be unsatisfied with the way we handle your complaint, please visit www.ipso.co.uk

familiar with some of the routine.

“I find that training within blocks of time allows the participant to fully focus on what they need to do over that time period and I feel that people often work harder and push themselves more if they can work

within a set time. It’s the way I deliver my indoor cycling sessions too. It’s simple but effective.

“This is potentially just the start and we are already looking at other options for branded sessions for the future.”

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Editorial

Sales manager: Danielle Hornby Tel: 01226 734709 dlh@scriptmedia.co.uk

Editor: Christina Eccles Tel: 01226 734463 ce@scriptmedia.co.uk

Sales manager: Daniel Lloyd Tel: 01226 734699 dl@scriptmedia.co.uk

www.workout-uk.co.uk

Sales and marketing director: Tony Barry Tel: 01226 734605 tb@scriptmedia.co.uk

Group Editor: Judith Halkerston Tel: 01226 734639 jh@scriptmedia.co.uk

Reporter: Olivia Taylor ot@scriptmedia.co.uk Group production editor: Dominic Musgrave Tel: 01226 734407 dm@scriptmedia.co.uk

Script Media 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS

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UK FITNESS SCENE

College helps locals stay fit while training instructors

By Christina Eccles A TEESSIDE college is helping locals stay fit while training the next generation of fitness instructors.

Redcar and Cleveland College’s sport and fitness department has a new expanded fitness area within the college for use by students, staff and the local community.

The new gym has been fitted out with equipment including bikes, kettlebells, weights and boxing equipment, for use in personal routines or as part of a number of training classes put on by staff and students.

There has already been interest in using the gym from local businesses and associations such as Redcar Rugby Club as part of their training regimes and local special educational needs schools for their PE sessions.

Redcar and Cleveland College fitness lecturer Adam Livingston said: “The interest in the health and fitness industry has dramatically risen over the last few years and we wanted to create a modern facility for the people of Redcar to be able to come in and use.

“We have worked hard to get the right type of look and feel of a modern gym facility, putting together a number of different classes such as circuits and spinning which have been a huge hit.

“We are looking to continue working

A new expanded fitness area has been created within Redcar and Cleveland College. alongside the local community and “We have a very high turnover businesses in the area to tailor classes of students who complete fitness and facilities to clients’ changing courses here with us and then go out needs.” directly to work in fitness roles in the The new facility has also been local area. created to help students on fitness “So we want to make sure this courses at the college get ready for continues and they are up to date future employment in the fitness with not only their skills but the industry. environment they are going to work Working alongside local fitness in. clubs, the staff at the college have “We have created good links with courses to help students get the best employers in the local community, start to their careers. such as Everyone Active Redcar Adam added: “A huge point of and Saltburn, who have helped to creating this new gym was to make give us an insight into what local sure that students are being taught in employers want, alongside giving a modern environment and are ready work experience placements to our to go out and hit the ground running. students.”

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Industry urged to get behind walking event THE industry has been urged to get behind National Walking Month; a campaign which encourages people to walk for 20 minutes every day throughout May. Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, is urging the public to Try20 during National Walking Month and observe the big differences which taking small steps can make. The charity is also asking operators to get involved in the campaign by taking activities with their members outside or encouraging them to walk as part of their fitness regimes.

Living Streets’ media and PR coordinator, Kathryn Shaw, said: “Try setting up a walking group for clients or members to get them inspired – chatting away and walking with somebody else motivates us to walk faster and for longer. Being outside will also help with absorbing some much needed Vitamin D which will help build stronger bones and joints, boost immune systems and increase brain function.

“And for those who want to get a bit more out of their daily walk, get them walking on an incline to burn significantly more calories or mixing up their walking rhythm and speed to amplify their usual walk.”

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New fitness lifestyle show to launch in Bournemouth

By Christina Eccles

Escape Fitness has launched its first Escape your Limits App to motivate and help users incorporate functional fitness into their workouts wherever they are.

Available as a free download through Apple IOS and Android, Escape designed the app to provide the gymgoer, personal trainer or at-home enthusiast access to key workouts and exercises to help them get the most out of their Escape Fitness equipment.

The app demonstrates how to perform specific exercises plus provides workouts to achieve core improvement, strength, HIIT and weight loss goals.

Escape Fitness co-founder Matthew Januszek said: “The Escape Your Limits App provides engaging teaching tools to motivate users wherever they are in the world, so they can effectively perform their favourite workout routines with their favourite functional equipment without missing a beat.”

A NEW event will hit Bournemouth this September, offering over 50 classes to try, a range of speakers and an expo all designed to put the town on the map as a fitness destination.

FitLiving UK will hit Bournemouth beach and Bournemouth International Centre on September 9 and 10 and will include a wide programme to appeal to all ages.

In the fitness expo, visitors can get educated in the nutritional village, get the best deals in the shopping village, discover the latest fitness tech, learn new recipes in the demo kitchen and speak to a wide variety of health and fitness professionals.

Bournemouth Beach will house FitLiving UK’s main stage with fitness displays, a holistic and wellbeing tent offering free massages, a yoga tent and fitness stage directly on the beach.

Inside Bournemouth International Centre, a speaker stage, family zone and blogger stage will allow visitors to meet their favourite fitness bloggers and hear from nutritional chefs, sporting celebrities and fitness professionals.

James Dixon-Box, event manager at Lineup Media, who is running the event, said: “We wanted to create a show that would be completely interactive as well as demystifying the idea of a healthy lifestyle for people

who might be scared to take the leap into fitness and nutrition.

“There was a gap in the market for this type of event, with Bournemouth flourishing in fitness right now, as reportedly one of the most active towns in the UK.” Organisers have teamed up with operator BH Live to create the event and director of sport and leisure

Mike Lyons added: “We are thrilled to be part of FitLiving UK’s ambition to promote Bournemouth as a top wellness destination.

“This unique event will shine the spotlight on the region’s outstanding and thriving health and wellbeing activities and facilities, promoting them to a UK-wide audience of beginners, families and pros.”

UK FITNESS SCENE

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The new tropical island themed pool at Ribby Hall Village.

Village to open new £1.5m pool FIVE-star Ribby Hall Village in Lancashire is to open a new family swimming pool later this month, following investment of over £1.5m.

The new tropical island themed pool comes complete with interactive water features, themed children’s splash zone, water slide and a real thatched Tiki Hut, as well as a new adult only heat experience area with sauna, steam room and feature showers.

Managing director of Ribby Hall Village, Mark Partington, said: “The new family pool is an exciting new

addition to our facilities and the largest pool redevelopment in Ribby Hall Village history.

“Swimming is a popular activity for families staying on The Village and we felt it was time to redevelop our existing family swimming pool. The new pool is bright, fresh and fun and certainly offers an exciting swimming experience for the whole family.

“The pool redevelopment has cost in excess of £1.5m. We continue to reinvest and everything we do is about improving the holiday experience.”

Digme Fitness appoints CFO BOUTIQUE business Digme Fitness has expanded its team by appointing Steve Phillips as chief financial officer.

The appointment coincides with the company’s recent significant growth, having announced plans to launch new sites in London’s Moorgate and Blackfriars to join existing clubs in Richmond and Oxford.

Steve said: “I am joining Digme at a

very exciting juncture as we embark on a period of significant growth to roll out our world-class spin and high-intensity training studios to new locations across London and beyond. I am thrilled to be working alongside the founders, Geoff and Caoimhe and am looking forward to utilising the skills and experience I have gained through investing in leisure businesses over the last 15 years.”

EMDP is re-launched with a clear mission and brand identity

By Christina Eccles THE UK’s national governing body for group exercise has re-launched with increased support from Sport England, a new brand identity and clear mission for 2017.

Formally known as EMDP, EMD UK’s key goal is to grow the group exercise market by providing instructors, fitness brands and organisations with the training, support and development they need to engage and inspire people to take part in group exercise.

EMD UK’s key initiatives to engage the nation with group exercise will include: n Supporting “This Girl Can” via its Class Finder website to make it easier for people to connect with instructors and classes in their local area. n Further testing the model of group exercise as a GP referral route for suitable patients. Taking learnings from an initial project with GLL London, a further two programmes will be implemented in London/ South East. n Implementing a Workplace Health Package based on initial pilots run in London during 2016, championed by the County Sports Partnership Network. Five employers will work

“Group exercise is constantly evolving to reflect music and pop culture, making it current, engaging and fun.” with EMD UK initially to provide exercise classes for their workforce over a 10-week period.

CEO Ross Perriam said: “2017 will be an incredible year for the industry and we expect to break 4m people taking part in group exercise each week, thanks to the amazing brands and instructors who share our vision of a healthier nation.

“Group exercise is constantly evolving to reflect music and pop culture, making it current, engaging and fun.

“I expect to see greater integration of tech in both studios and clothing in the next year which will further enhance the user experience, along with a rise in ‘mind’ classes; workouts designed to boost mood and positivity.

“EMD UK will be at the heart of all this growth, supporting teachers and organisations to deliver excellence.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Leigh Helliwell taking a client on the pads during a session.

PT on a mission to make fitness accessible to all

By Christina Eccles

A DETERMINED personal trainer is on a mission to make fitness accessible to all; holding community based classes for both adults and kids and visiting workplaces to improve employees’ health.

Leigh Helliwell is also a qualified boxing coach and teaches classes to young people in local youth clubs, as well as educating them about healthy eating with cookery workshops.

She explained: “The kids really enjoy it and it gets them to try something they wouldn’t otherwise.

“A lot of people think boxing is about killing your opponent but those who box have a lot of respect for each other; it’s really about showing your skill.”

Leigh is also focusing on employee health and wellbeing with her workplace classes where she goes in to a working environment such as an office or a school to hold a fitness session and help staff with their exercise and nutrition goals.

And she told Workout, this is an area

of her business which she’d like to expand.

She added: “It’s definitely something worth looking at for companies – and it can get more productivity out of staff.

“For office workers who are sat down all day, it’s something to keep them moving. Pilates is also good for posture.”

As part of her company, Pennine Silhouette Fitness, Leigh also runs a range of classes in venues around South Yorkshire, as well as her successful, six-week bootcamps, which also have a strong focus on healthy eating and education.

She added: “It’s about being sustainable. There’s no quick, easy fix.

“Clients are encouraged to try different foods and we look at things like portion control and mindless eating.

“It’s about breaking bad habits. It’s not that people don’t know what to do, it’s having that someone there that makes it accountable. It’s not about eating less food. It’s about eating right.”

Low carb expert Atkins has launched a new low sugar protein bar – LIFT – after noticing a trend for low carb nutrition in athletes. The snack is available in Chocolate Almond, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Peanut Caramel flavours. Brand manager Mia Gambrell said: “We’re very proud to be able to launch a protein bar that offers fewer impact carbs and sugar, providing a steady energy source for an increasing number of athletes who are looking for a lower carb way to support their workout.”

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Advertiser’s announcement

Fitness Systems provides gym with top-of-the-range kit SITUATED at the side of the bustling M62 inside the AJ Bell Stadium, Your Gym offers an affordable gym membership and exceptional experience to the people of Salford for just £10.99 a month.

Your Gym’s core values – look after your team and look after your members – are apparent as soon as you enter the facility.

Already filled with a superb range of equipment, Your Gym contacted Fitness Systems with the idea to update what is an outstanding, established gym and give the club, its staff and members some new top

of the range equipment and training areas to help in their fitness journeys.

General manager James Taylor Scott said: “Looking around, we decided that re-arranging the equipment was going to be key and knowing Fitness Systems nearly 40 years’ trusted history, supplying, designing and fitting out gyms, their experience and knowledge was going to be essential to the start of this process.

“From the beginning of the project, we were really excited to start looking at a functional training area and sled track. The new group training area is set out so that staff and

members get the best group training experience. These new areas are the new focal points in the club and we’ve already received some really positive feedback from our staff and members, classes are always filling up quickly.

“Along with the functional areas, the addition of some more exciting new CV equipment including Fitness Systems’ own brand of indoor spin bikes and their own brand of strength equipment, Force, this new equipment has really helped boost our members’ experience and taken existing areas to another level.

“We are proud of the value for money that we represent, because here at YourGym, we feel that a premium product should not mean a premium price.

“Our vision is to provide a simple gym experience in a friendly environment. Our staff are motivated to help our customers to achieve their goals.

“We have removed the unnecessary frills and extras that members hardly ever use and replaced that with the very best equipment and employed a great team to work with members in a safe training environment.”

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Capitalise on public’s interest in strength training, urges Eddie

By Christina Eccles THE public’s increased interest in strength training and strongman events could provide a great opportunity for gyms to capitalise on, according to the UK’s strongest man Eddie Hall.

Eddie has become a new ambassador for Pulse Fitness and as part of his role will be hoping to inspire others into fitness and share the wisdom he has gained from his own training and hard work in the gym.

Eddie will also be representing the brand at key events and told Workout, he’s looking forward to working with

“The strength and conditioning sector has seen a huge growth in popularity, particularly with the strongman style of training becoming more mainstream in the gym environment.”

them.

He said: “In the last few years, the fitness industry has boomed, with gyms opening up on every high street corner. There’s been a lot of growth in the popularity of not just strongman but fitness in general.

“A lot more people are interested in fitness and want to train – and that’s great for the industry.”

Managing director at Pulse, Chris Johnson, is also pleased to have Eddie on board with the brand; believing it will help introduce Pulse equipment to a whole new audience.

He added: “The strength and conditioning sector has seen a huge growth in popularity, particularly with the strongman style of training becoming more mainstream in the gym environment.

“Eddie is a very well-known figure within this sphere and a huge inspiration to many fitness fans.

“We are delighted to be working with him going forward and know that he will be a fantastic addition to our growing ambassador programme, and someone who will open up the Pulse brand to a completely new audience.”

Over the next few months, Eddie is training hard with the aim of competition success – including his ultimate goal of winning the title of World’s Strongest Man.

UK’s strongest man Eddie Hall.

To help him on his quest, Pulse has also supplied a range of kit to Eddie’s home gym in order to support his gruelling training regime.

He added: “I’ve got my head down 24/7 and I’m training hard to be bigger, stronger, faster and fitter.

“Pulse are a very supportive brand and do great products so [the partnership] made sense.”

BH Live has appointed a regional head of operations to manage its venues in Portsmouth. Claire Oatridge has a well-established background in business development and contract management across the region and will be responsible for delivering a £3.4m capital investment and asset improvement plan; beginning with enhancements at Mountbatten Leisure Centre to refresh its public areas, catering and event spaces. BH Live’s chief executive Peter Gunn said: “This appointment is fundamental to making a big impact and Claire joins us at a very exciting time.”

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

This month’s top Tweets...

Picture of the month Model Kelly Brook, ex-cricketer Freddie Flintoff and dancer Louie Spence have been battling it out in the ultimate dance off for Comic Relief. As part of Fitbit’s Step Up, Get Down campaign, the dancing trio have been shoulder pumping and pom-pom shaking in an attempt to inspire the public to dance to donate. For every dance video uploaded to social media, which incorporates the brand’s signature move, the ‘Fitbit Flick’ and #StepUpGetDown, Fitbit will donate £15 to Red Nose Day. The campaign is part of a wider Fitbit mission for 2017 to inspire and encourage a more active lifestyle.

@time4official‬: Thank you ‪@ WorkOutUK for the article in March’s edition.

@debitfinance: We are proud to once again be sponsoring the National Fitness Awards! ‪@FitnessAwards.

Have you seen the all new National Fitness Conference website? Visit www.nationalfitnessconference.co.uk for all the latest information about this year’s theme, speakers, exhibitors and running order. You can also secure your tickets online by filling in the booking form. We’ll look forward to seeing you in Leicester on December 1!

@johnhayesPT: Working on that best newcomer 2017 for ‪@FitnessAwards ‪@ WorkOutUK ‪#LetsDoThis ‪#Fitness ‪#Gym ‪#Goals ‪#Ambition ‪#JHPT ‪#Performance ‪#Training @WorkOutUK: Have you seen the new look ‪@ FitnessAwards website? We think it looks great! Visit ‪www. nationalfitnessawards.co.uk to take a look or submit an entry. @PhysicalCompany: Proud to be sponsoring Combat Zone Gym of the Year at this year’s National Fitness Awards ‪#NFAs17. @ChristinaEccles: Thanks to the team ‪@iTrainGym for showing me around this morning! The club’s looking great! Look out for a feature soon in ‪@WorkOutUK! @WeAreResoluteUK: ‪@ WorkOutUK‪ have written an article about our story. Go to their site and sign up to read it in the March 2017 issue! #weareresolute‬ @_ThePulseGroup_: Thanks ‪@WorkOutUK for the mention in this month’s edition. We’re excited to have our ambassador ‪@ damekellyholmes join at us ‪@ FIBO_Show @HubLetchworth: HUGE MASSIVE THANK YOU ‪@ WorkOutUK for featuring our recent ‪#charity events in the March issue. And on page three too!

Editor’s Comment ARE you ready to maximise the potential of your facility?

That’s the question we are asking all of our readers this month as we launch our theme for the 2017 National Fitness Conference.

We’re really excited to announce plans for our third conference and with a new venue – Leicester Racecourse – and larger exhibition space, it’s shaping up to be the best one yet.

We chose the theme maximise as it ticked so many of the boxes that people were telling us they would like to hear more about.

Getting the best out of your club, your staff and your members is the goal for every operator and with speaker sessions focusing on maximising your profile, presence, potential and profits, there’s going to be something for everyone.

Whether you’re wanting to learn more about effective budgeting, successful branding or staff training, we hope we’ve pulled together an informative and inspirational day which gym owners, managers and instructors will all gain something valuable from.

We also have to say a big thank you

to the exhibitors who’ve signed up so far to be a part of the event.

Networking and the chance to discover new products and services is also an important part of the day, so if you’re a supplier thinking about getting involved, contact us for available exhibition and sponsorship opportunities.

It’s a great chance to meet key decision makers in the industry and do business before the National Fitness Awards in the evening.

As well as launching the conference, it’s always a busy time of year here as we prepare for the upcoming industry shows and events.

We have a busy diary over the next few weeks so are looking forward to getting out and about and seeing many of you to chat more about the magazine, conference and awards.

If you haven’t got your NFA entry in yet, there’s plenty of time but as always, we urge you not to leave it to the last minute!

The more information you can give us and the more detail you go into on your application, the better picture we can build up of your club when it comes to drawing up the shortlist.

So make sure you take the time

Christina Eccles to submit a thorough entry to give yourself the best chance of progressing to the next stage of the process.

Look out for more details coming very soon on both the conference and awards and if you have any suggestions of something you’d like to see at either event, please do let us know.

This month’s hot topic:

From kids’ classes to family memberships and kitting out high end gym facilities in colleges and universities, what are you doing to get the next generation active?

Send your answers to ce@scriptmedia.co.uk or contact us via Twitter or Facebook. We’ll print the best responses next issue.

Follow us on Twitter @WorkOutUK or contact us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/workoutmagazine

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Chain to ukactive chair calls for a rethink acquire of ‘archaic’ town planning laws 16 clubs

By Christina Eccles

DAVID Lloyd Leisure has exchanged contracts to acquire 16 health clubs from Virgin Active.

The transaction will bring the total number of David Lloyd Leisure clubs to 111 and is expected to complete in the second quarter of 2017.

CEO Glenn Earlam said: “The acquisition of these new sites will be a great move for us, and will greatly accelerate our medium term growth plans in the UK allowing us to concentrate more on our move into European markets.

“Most importantly they move David Lloyd Leisure into several important new areas of the country, reaching new local markets and meaning that far more of the UK’s population can take advantage of our health and fitness facilities.

Most importantly, we are committed to investing and developing these newly acquired clubs, which is great news for both team and members at these clubs.

“We look forward to welcoming them all to David Lloyd Clubs.”

UKACTIVE chair baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has called for an urgent rethink of England’s “archaic” town planning laws, which she believes are blocking fitness studios from boosting physical activity on the country’s high streets.

Speaking at the organisation’s Sweat conference, Tanni told delegates she wants to see a radical overhaul of planning regulations to make it easier for fitness businesses to have a positive health impact on England’s unhealthy high streets, which she said are “drowning in a sea of betting shops, fried chicken joints and empty shop windows.”

Under England’s National Planning Policy Framework, gyms and leisure centres can only occupy buildings designated under the ‘Class D2’ category – whereas shops and retail outlets sit in the far more abundant ‘Class A1’ category of building – leading many operators feeling ‘shutout’ from the high street.

She said: “Archaic planning laws currently make it easier to open takeaways and betting shops than businesses that make a positive contribution – economically, socially and physically – to the community.

“Fitness operators breathe life and vibrancy into high streets which are drowning in a sea of betting shops,

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson addresses ukactive’s Sweat conference. marketing, plus demonstrations from fried chicken joints and empty shop event partners including Technogym windows that they have the ability to and Mindbody. fill. ukactive executive director Steven “We need more flexible planning Ward added: “Boutique can be quite regulations and business rates to hard to define, particularly as the maximise the transformational health boutique fitness world seems to impact these venues can have on encompass a huge array of different communities. fitness offerings, from high-octane “Britain deserves more healthy spin studios to stripped down green high streets, with physical activity space gyms. businesses as their beating heart.”

“The definition for boutique may Tanni was one of the headline not be exact, but the ideas behind speakers at the conference, which it are something we can all identify brought together nearly 250 fitness with. experts to explore the key insights “Customer service excellence, and values that have driven the boom design-led thinking, product in boutique fitness across London specialism and the ability to build and beyond. communities through a powerful Other experts speaking at the brand – these are the core pillars of event included Innocent’s head of boutique fitness and a key driver in its UK brand Joe McEwan who shared success.” his simple tips to truly successful

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Advertiser’s announcement

Connectivity – driving growth and success ...

THE UK fitness industry is on the brink of an exciting revolution.

Technological and digital advancements have made it possible for gym owners to offer members a totally connected experience.

The industry now needs to work together to maximise this opportunity to ensure future success and growth for all.

For many years, the industry has been striving to break the penetration ceiling. Currently our facilities attract less than 15 per cent of the population.

To add to this, attrition and churn is a huge challenge. This sorry state of affairs can also be viewed as a huge opportunity.

If we can find ways to improve member engagement through making fitness more intuitive, fun, motivating and results-focused, we can make significant improvements to these statistics.

The good news is that technology and digitalisation offer almost endless opportunities to deliver a truly rewarding member experience.

The value of data collection and interrogation in this process is nothing new but until now, individuals have found it difficult to use the data in a way that adds true value.

What the sector now needs to achieve is how to present the data back to the individual in a way that motivates, inspires and makes them hungry for more.

We can only accomplish this by working together.

The more data collated and the more holistic the data, the bigger the impact on increasing activity.

The ability to collect data from multiple sources and then present it back to the individual in a simple, easy to understand format is the first step in this process.

Understanding the value of this has led eGym to develop a completely open platform.

We make it simple for other brands to integrate with eGym software and aggregate data which is then housed

in the eGym member account.

This creates a single location from which all data can be accessed and reviewed. eGym has dedicated huge resource to growing its portfolio of connected partners.

Currently eGym integrates with most of the major cardio equipment manufacturers including Life Fitness, Matrix, Precor and Pulse. eGym also syncs with fitness trackers (FitBit, Garmin and Polar) and fitness apps (Netpulse and Runkeeper).

All data is automatically uploaded, resulting in little or no manual input by the individual, producing an effortless, complete picture of an individual’s physical activity.

Powerful stuff, but the real magic happens at the next stage.

Gamification and rewards have been shown to drive engagement and repeat use.

We only need to look at how successful Pokémon GO has been at getting people off the sofa and into physically active to recognise the impact that fun and challenge setting has on engagement.

Add to this the chance to earn points and advance through a series of activity levels, with the opportunity to share success via social media channels, and, suddenly, the whole physical activity experience becomes more fun, informative and motivating. eGym software aggregates all

physical activity data and rewards points based on the entire picture – not just activities performed on the eGym strength circuit.

If a person goes for a run and records the activity on their tracker or on a connected partner’s treadmill, points are awarded according to the duration and intensity of the run. The aim is to advance through a series of six activity levels.

To reflect the reality of fitness, the system only considers the last 28 days of activity. So, if an individual stops or reduces their physical activity, points start to decrease. The activity levels help the user stay on track with their training and provide motivation to maintain or improve the level reached. eGym’s unique software also provides the individual with a constant stream of motivating facts, relating to their current physical activity output.

For example: ‘this level of activity can reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes or heart disease by x per cent’ or ‘without adjusting your diet, this level of exercise could help you lose up to x kilograms per year’.

This helps develop a better understanding of the health and wellbeing benefits of their hard work, again positively impacting motivation levels and encouraging regular activity.

The benefits of a totally connected gym do not stop there. Connectivity can also be used to drive interaction

between staff and members, again enhancing the member experience.

Imagine, a member, possible one of a few thousand, swipes their membership card at reception.

This informs the gym team that the member has entered the building – highlighting their individual profile, photo, workout history and any set tasks to be completed that visit.

That member is then greeted, by name, by a member of the gym team as they enter the workout space.

The trainer then has access, via a single location, to all the collated data reflecting the individual’s physical activity.

This enables a trainer, who may never have had previous contact with the individual, to provide bespoke help and guidance which will drive the individual towards the achievement of personal fitness and wellbeing goals.

Being able to access all this collated data will also enable the sector to create strong links with other sectors, helping to grow our value in terms of delivering Government health objectives.

Imagine the advantage of GPs and other Allied Health Professionals (Physiotherapists, Osteopaths, Chiropractors etc.) being able to access a patient’s entire physical activity back catalogue, via a single portal that contained information on sleep patterns, average resting heart rate intensity, type and duration of activity.

This would mean health care plans could be prescribed based on evidence-based data, collated over a time, rather than a quick on-the-spot assessment.

Connectivity is the key to the future success and growth of the physical activity sector. eGym is working hard to bring together as many partners as possible because the scenarios described here only succeed if suppliers and operators work together to deliver a service which is motivating and rewarding for every individual that walks through our doors.

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UK FITNESS SCENE Leading tennis coach Judy Murray has become a coach consultant to David Lloyd Clubs for the next three years, in a role which will see her, among other things, deliver a series of coach training workshops and junior masterclasses for kids. In a special feature, Workout spoke to Judy and DLL group racquets manager David Bulgin about the new partnership and how it will help drive up participation in physical activity across whole families.

Judy set to deliver workshops and masterclasses in new role Judy, can you tell us more about your partnership with David Lloyd? Why did you think the brand would be a good fit to work with?

It was a mutual thing. There are 86 David Lloyd Clubs across the country and about 450 tennis coaches and for the last three-and-a-half years I’ve been developing a programme called Tennis on the Road, which has been developing tennis in Scotland.

We’ve been trying to get more people coaching and to help those that are already coaching to deliver more effectively.

When David Lloyd approached me about working with their workforce and their position as the strongest and ablest facilitator of tennis across the country, I saw it is a great opportunity to help grow the game and influence a 450-strong coach workforce.

How have the junior masterclasses you’ve been hosting at David Lloyd Clubs been going?

The junior masterclasses have been great. We’ve been up and down the UK, starting in Woking and ending in Solihull – with a trip to Edinburgh in between!

It’s all about just having fun. The junior masterclass uses objects such as balloons and beanbags, as they’re accessible and familiar to the kids.

This works well as you’re able to easily adjust the level of difficulty, according to the individual. Our aim is to educate the parents on how they can develop their child’s core skills, which underpin all sports.

You don’t have to be really sporty either. The sessions really help develop a really close family bond and having that 10 minutes a day with your child is so precious.

I do believe that getting kids into sport starts at home though. This can then be carried through to a school

DLL group racquets manager David Bulgin.

environment, then through to a club.

If you achieve this, then your love for sport stays with you for your whole life.

Are you enjoying helping young people to get more active through tennis? Why do you think it’s so important to get kids into physical activity from a young age?

I love it. No two days are ever the same! This day and age kids are consumed with technology. It is really important that we offer kids a break from that.

The things that have become trendy involve sitting in front of a screen, which has led us to become a nation where kids are much less physically active and much less co-ordinated than they ever were before, which is a challenge for sports coaches.

This is because you’re generally having to teach the basic motor skills before you can get them into your sport. I’m a huge believer in getting kids loving physical activity at a young age and I’m also a firm believer that the process begins at home – it begins with the parents.

The session I’ve been doing with David Lloyd Clubs is a parent, child session, where we are showing the parents lots of ideas and ways that they can help their kids develop the skills you need to play tennis or any other sport – because they’re all interchangeable.

How can gyms and the fitness industry help with this? How do you think David Lloyd’s ethos as a family friendly club helps with getting both kids and parents into physical activity?

The gym and fitness industry have a vital role to play as facilitators. What’s most important is that facilities are close by, which makes it easy for people to play sport.

The outreach programmes are equally important – going into local schools and opening their doors when the clubs are quieter is an important initiative.

The communication is also vital.

This comes down to the skill of the coach, being the pied piper, making sure that the coach is someone the kids want to be around.

It’s important kids have an environment in which they feel safe, confident and empowered.

Here at David Lloyd Clubs, the All Star Tennis Coaching Programme offers kids an opportunity to enrol in a unique tennis programme for all abilities.

There are currently over 13,000 kids who play on The All Stars Programme a week, so it is really important these types of programmes are maintained and we help grow them.

Do you have any other joint projects or plans coming up which you can tell us about?

My role with David Lloyd Clubs is an ongoing project. I’ve been brought on

Judy Murray with youngsters on one of the masterclasses. board as a coach consultant for David Lloyd Clubs for three years, so it’s really exciting to be able to directly enhance the levels of coaching and get more kids, adults and families into tennis and sport in general.

David, what effect do you think Judy will have on the tennis programme at DLL? The appointment of Judy demonstrates David Lloyds Clubs’ investment at club level in their tennis workforce so they can provide the highest levels of tennis coaching to adult and junior members throughout the UK. Our tennis coaches will spend a day on-court with Judy, who has designed a fun and interactive coach training workshop session to enable them to deliver engaging skills based training to children.

Judy will pass on her 20 years plus of coaching experience, passion and knowledge to our team of coaches and also to the parents and junior sessions as well.

Judy’s tennis coaching content means David Lloyd Clubs’ tennis coaches will have new drills and more expertise to deliver fun and engaging lessons for both junior and adult members, which ultimately will improve participation levels across the UK. Why is tennis a good sport for kids to get into?

Tennis is a great way for kids to become more active, play a fun and social sport with friends and family.

All sport helps to build a kid’s confidence, where they can learn to play in a safe, engaging and fun environment.

David Lloyd Clubs is the UK’s leading health club choice for families, offering a great range of

activities and lessons for children of all ages, so we’re perfectly placed to help kids make their first step into sport.

What is the best way to get kids and families engaged in playing tennis?

The best way is to put the emphasis on fun. Judy has devised a number of exercises in which the primary objective is fun.

By doing this and using familiar objects such as balloons and bean bags as props, the kids subconsciously develop the core skills that are so important in tennis.

The philosophy is to create the game or exercise that will do the teaching for you, which is referred to as secret learning.

By tailoring the sessions to suit all ages and abilities, this creates an inclusive environment in which the whole family can enjoy playing tennis together.

Do you believe DLL’s tennis programmes are helping inactive people to get active?

The great thing about the tennis programmes is that it’s not heavily focused on technique.

Many people are put off by the technical aspect of tennis, as they struggle with the execution. The serve is a good example of this.

By introducing core skills exercises, participants will inadvertently develop the technical aspects needed, while having lots of fun!

Aside from the tennis programme, we offer a range of other activities, including yoga, swimming and Spinning.

We pride ourselves on the fact we offer something for everybody and are able to cater all activities according to the person’s specification and ability.

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Food delivery service to make lives easier

By Christina Eccles

Warrington based operator LiveWire celebrated International Women’s Day with a free exercise session. The ladies only aerobics class took place at Westy Community Centre where women of all ages and abilities were invited to take part. Health inclusion and engagement officer at LiveWire Louise Shannon said: “It was fantastic to see so many ladies taking part in the dance aerobic session to celebrate International Women’s Day. “We decided to put on these free classes as we believe that it’s so important to reduce the gender gap within physical activity, and encourage women and girls to use the strength and courage they get from trying new activities to improve their everyday lives.”

A NEW fitness food delivery service has launched to make life easier for people struggling to balance busy lifestyles with their training and nutrition goals.

Fit Kitchen was founded by aesthetic bodybuilder, athlete and entrepreneur Amar Lodhia who stepped down as CEO of a successful business to launch the concept when his 100 hour working weeks made it virtually impossible to prepare healthy meals that supported his fitness goals.

Once an obese teenager, Amar has transformed his own life through diet and exercise and is now determined to help others do the same.

With delivery available within the M25, customers find their perfect meals by answering a short series of questions, before the system breaks down their daily macro allowance across their chosen quantity of daily meals, offering suggested combinations for each meal alongside nutritional information.

From there, a unique ‘pick n’ mix’ format lets customers switch ingredients for healthy alternatives to match their cravings.

Once they’ve created their perfect combination, customers can duplicate the order for ease the following week, allowing them to

Amar Lodhia re-order their favourites with the click of a button.

Amar said: “Whether you’re hoping to gain muscle, slim down, or simply maintain a healthy weight, eating in line with your optimal calorie intake is invaluable, but so many people don’t have the time or knowledge to prepare their meals with such specificity.

“We appreciate our founding customers lead busy lives and simply don’t always have time to prepare their own meals. They love that Fit Kitchen lets them enjoy the convenience of healthy foods delivered to their door, whilst still enjoying delicious and varied meals - which they can amend at any time using our unique system.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE Millennials seem to be the ‘go to’ generation when clubs develop their offerings and marketing campaigns. But the over fifties are also interested in their fitness and wellbeing and offer a huge opportunity for clubs that can provide the right experience. Matthew Januszek of Escape Fitness looks at what this generation is looking for and how clubs can respond.

How can facilities meet the needs of the baby boomer generation?

THE UK has an ageing population: about 23 per cent are aged 50-70 and the proportion is rising. This is focusing the minds of companies across many sectors and they are responding by developing products and services with older people in mind.

Failing eyesight among older drivers was even one of the factors that led Ford, Toyota and others to invest in driverless car technology.

Our industry is also all about meeting the needs of customers, and the over-50 generation has a fundamental need to stay fit. The NHS advice is spot-on: “If you want to stay pain-free, reduce your risk of mental illness, and be able to go out and stay independent well into old age, you are advised to keep moving.”

Activity suggested by the NHS includes walking fast, cycling, weight training and yoga – all things that regular use of a health club enables.

Today’s baby boomers generally expect to stay fitter as they age and

Matthew Januszek

wish to remain in work for much longer. They also see regular exercise as an integral part of their lifestyle.

They want to stay healthy and energetic, and increasingly understand that being inactive is believed to increase the risk of obesity, heart disease, stroke, type two diabetes, depression, dementia and so on.

There is also a desire to remain socially active and that’s another need that involvement with a health club meets.

Quality matters to baby boomers But clubs need to do more than simply provide facilities for workouts.

A sizeable proportion of the baby boomer generation are fairly affluent – about 75 per cent of them own their own homes, compared with less than a third of 25-34 year olds – and they expect high quality in return for their money.

This is why fitness experiences for the over fifties must be to a high standard, from customer service levels to the equipment used and the design of the club itself. Quality counts for this generation, maybe even more than for millennials.

If you want more insights into what works for baby boomers, look across the Atlantic.

The owners of California boutique club Gymnazo decided in 2010 to cater more to the baby boomer population. Today, 48 per cent of this thriving club’s members are aged over 50.

As well as ensuring the equipment in its club is of a high standard, Gymnazo believe that the quality of the trainers and the programming they deliver is just important.

Founder Michael Hughes said: “Baby Boomers need to know that a club’s coaches are intelligent and can modify workouts for their specific needs.

“This demographic is more challenging to train because they

are far more likely to walk in the door with significant movement dysfunctions.

“A club’s programming and coaching staff must be equipped to handle this professionally and quickly. You cannot ride on your personality with this demographic.”

Adjusting programming for older bodies Michael also points out that baby boomers do not want the workout to ‘break them’.

He added: “Their goals are less aggressive and more sustainable than younger generations.

“This is why at Gymnazo we offer what we call ‘vitality workouts’ that seek to command the body’s many capabilities to continually thrive in

each session, and not just survive it.

“It’s in contrast to fitness workouts that more often than not continually push the body to the edge of capacity.”

Getting the formula right It’s clear that much thought needs to go into creating suitable experiences for baby boomers. The environment, equipment and training all have to be right.

But the reward for developing a great experience is potentially huge: loyal, satisfied customers with a longterm commitment to their health.

The opportunity is simply too big to ignore. n Matthew Januszek is customer solutions director at Escape Fitness.

UK FITNESS SCENE

Dance lovers to roll out their concept to a wider audience

By Christina Eccles TWO friends and dance lovers are looking to roll out their fitness class concept to a wider audience after achieving success leading their own sessions.

Trained dancers Fiona Leonard and Dominique Monty created Flowetic because they wanted dance to be accessible for everyone, regardless of age and ability; choosing the name because it was broad enough to encompass all the different dance styles they include.

Each session combines dance, toning and strengthening exercises alongside stretching and relaxation; with the classes aiming to offer participants fitness and wellbeing for both body and mind.

Fiona said: “We have known each other for 20 years. We were at school

“Flowetic is for anyone but in terms of instructors, it involves a little bit more technique so we’re looking for trained dancers to teach it.”

together and worked as professional dancers.

“About four years ago we started thinking about a different dance fitness concept, incorporating some of the exercises we had used in training. Lots of the sequences are used by dancers all over the world.

“Crucially, the biggest difference is the music. We have spent hours listening to the music that we really love.”

After their own classes around London proved popular, the pair have now started training instructors to deliver the sessions and are looking for more people to get involved with teaching Flowetic.

Eventually they would like to see the classes rolled out into gyms but because the concept is so heavily dance focused, they’re ideally looking for people who are trained dancers or have a strong dance background to become instructors.

Dominique added: “Flowetic is for anyone but in terms of instructors, it involves a little bit more technique so we’re looking for trained dancers to teach it.

“We’ve been teaching about four years and have got four classes with about 25 to 35 people in the class; it’s proving really popular.”

Flowetic creators Fiona Leonard and Dominique Monty.

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INDOOR CYCLING AND ROWING

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Cycle Rhythm in Loughton offers a mix of classes on over 50 Keiser bikes, and the family run club’s niche is its strong community focus.

Essex studio offers alternative way to workout AN ESSEX based cycling studio is leading the way in the local area, offering the community a different way to workout.

Cycle Rhythm in Loughton opened about two-and-a-half years ago after its owners expanded their offering; taking over an adjacent premises to their existing yoga studio.

With over 50 bikes from Keiser available for users, Cycle Rhythm offers a mix of classes, from its

signature 45 minute Rhythm Ride to an extended 60 minute version and a ‘Sunday Session’ – an energetic Sunday afternoon class accompanied by a live DJ, percussionist or a special guest instructor.

Participants are also able to track their progress, thanks to the club’s innovative Rhythm Board technology, allowing them to challenge themselves and compete with others in the class.

Studio manager Lucy Edwards said: “The performance technology gives classes a competitive aspect.

Members love seeing their data improving and racing against their friends.”

As well as tapping into the trend for boutique fitness businesses and flexible, pay as you go classes, the family run club’s niche is its strong community focus.

And with an inclusive environment

and supportive instructors, everyone is welcome through the doors whether they are new to indoor cycling or a dedicated fitness fan looking to push themselves further.

Lucy added: “There’s a good atmosphere here. We know everyone by name and most people live and work locally.

“We love seeing our customers enjoying it and getting fit – it’s a really nice environment.”

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New Zone provides members with designated cycling area

Staff from Urban Fitness near Birmingham joined forces with Sainsburys employees to take on a charity indoor cycling challenge. The team completed a Land’s End to John O’Groats challenge on the bikes at Sainsburys in Northfield – raising about £400 for Comic Relief. n Look out for a full round up of how the industry got involved with Comic Relief coming up next issue. If you held an event for the charity or took on a challenge, email details and a picture to ce@scriptmedia.co.uk and we’ll include the best in our feature.

THE installation of a Wattbike Zone has provided members at a Crawley gym with a designated area to fully focus on their indoor cycling workouts.

Members training at Nuffield Crawley Fitness and Wellbeing Gym can now enjoy the atmosphere of small group training on the gym floor after the club installed 10 Wattbikes and Power Cycling software.

Fitness manager John Thornley said: “We wanted the Wattbikes to be accessible for all our members whether they were beginners or trained athletes. By bringing the Wattbikes out onto the gym floor space, the Zone has become a focal point and a source of energetic atmosphere for the gym.

“The zone enables us to offer

a variety of training including individual or group training which focuses on technique and improving performance, competitive races, one to one personal training sessions and sport specific training. The Zone has been a hugely popular aspect within the gym and we have even started running regular training and testing sessions for a local-tri club.

“Our members like to see the gym space constantly innovating and evolving, and we’ve even seen new members join as a result of the Wattbike Zone installation.

“The bikes are a fantastic tool to benchmark fitness levels, and set programmes to improve. And for our cycling and triathlete enthusiasts, they are a must have piece of equipment.”

TRAIN WITH

COACH BY COLOR®

5 TRAINING ZONES TO GET FITTER, FASTER!

Get the most from your Indoor Cycling workouts with Coach By Color® - an intensity guide displayed in 5 colored zones, making it easier and fun to interpret the data and integrate it in your training! These color zones are connected to your individual FTP value (fitness level). Ensuring that power and heart rate based training, are easily and quickly applicable for pros and beginners.

Ask your trainer for more information or download the ICG® Training App and try it yourself.

V E RY L I G H T

Tel: +44(0)1683-666017 Email: life@lifefitness.com

L IGHT

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INDOOR CYCLING AND ROWING

Scottish international footballer Suzanne Grant using the Bodymax R100 folding rowing machine.

Rowing a vital part of Suzanne’s regime SCOTTISH international footballer Suzanne Grant has revealed why indoor rowing is such an important part of her workout regime.

Suzanne, who plays for Motherwell Ladies, previously played in the English FA Women’s Premier League for Arsenal Ladies and has won over 100 caps for Scotland.

She said: “As an athletic footballer and mum, staying fit is important to me. I enjoy training and often take part in weight training, stamina exercise and endurance training as these exercises are key in building muscle in order to minimise risk of injury, which is crucial for any athlete.

“I’ve been a fan of rowing and being

spurred on by team GB’s Olympic success, I have been using rowing machines more often as they’re great for endurance training.

“I am a big fan of the new Bodymax R100 folding rowing machine, it provides a great workout, is comfortable to use and can be easily stored away at home as its foldable.”

Public encouraged to take part in operator’s challenge DAVID Lloyd Clubs have been encouraging the public to get fitter and do their bit for charity by taking part in an indoor rowing challenge.

The Great Row – organised by

Cancer Research UK – can be taken on by individuals or teams who have been challenged by the charity to row any distance from 2,000m up to a full marathon between January 6 and April 1.

To spur more people on to get involved, Cancer Research UK partnered with David Lloyd Clubs, giving anyone who takes on the challenge free access to their clubs every Friday throughout March.

College goes extra mile for charity STAFF and students from Redcar and Cleveland College have gone the extra mile to help raise funds for a local charity.

College business support and apprenticeship teams, along with students, went head-to-head in two teams in a static bike ride to Nottingham, with funds raised going towards Middlesbrough Powerchair Football Club.

Taking place in the college’s atrium, the teams cycled 149 miles to the home of the National Powerchair Football League.

After a fierce competition, it was the business support team that came out on top, with the event raising over £1,000 for charity.

Exams assistant Emma Haytack said: “Some members of staff were looking at ways to keep fit when we decided to take up the new spinning classes at the college, which we have been really enjoying.

“When we were asked about ideas for fundraising for the local area, we came up with the idea of a spin-athon as we felt this was a fun idea to get everyone working together, staff and students alike, for a fantastic

Redcar and Cleveland College staff and students who took part in the static bike ride. cause. The main focus was raising money for the football club. We hope to help them buy a new powerchair to give more disabled people within the local area the opportunity to take part in sport.

“We had a fantastic day of fun competition with both teams determined to come out on top and we’ve already started to plan more fundraising activities for the rest of the year.”

INDOOR CYCLING AND ROWING

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Club invests £10,000 in bikes AN award winning health club and spa has installed the latest in indoor cycling technology.

National Fitness Award winner theclub at Cadbury house in Congresbury has invested £10,000 in four Wattbikes.

The bikes also link up to a screen housed on the health club wall, which show the rider where they are in relation to users on the other bikes;

meaning they can race against each other for a more competitive workout.

General manager Jason Eaton said: “These new bikes really are the next generation in terms of health club fitness.

“We’re constantly looking for ways to improve our members’ experience and is why we have invested in these new bikes. It’s what sets us apart from all other health clubs.”

Wattbike at forefront of indoor cycling evolution Two determined fitness fans have completed a charity rowathon for a cause close to their hearts. The event at Lister Hospital in Stevenage was organised by Andrew Hall and Glyn Doggett who both have children who were cared for by the hospital’s Neonatal Unit. The aim was to keep a rowing machine going for 12 hours, with local gym The Hub Letchworth lending the pair two machines for the challenge and giving them a month’s free gym membership to help with their training. Around 10 other people came along throughout the day to take part and over £2,000 was raised via a Just Giving page and through a bucket collection.

THE face of indoor cycling is changing and Wattbike is at the forefront of the cycling evolution.

Performance monitoring is key, and gone are the days of standalone bikes on the gym floor.

Consumers now demand destination fitness for exercise that’s motivational, cathartic and inspiring.

Knowing that no studio or gym floor space is the same, Wattbike has created a series of Zone concepts for facilities to choose from so they can create an individualised, bespoke zone to elevate their space and member experience.

Wattbike has been working closely

with both operators and independent studios to find the best fit for each. As early adopters of the Wattbike, David Lloyd has been using the bikes across their portfolio in a number of ways, experimenting to find the best fit in each facility.

Group health and fitness manager at David Lloyd, Michelle Dand, said: “All of our Wattbikes are on the gym floor, some have their own zones and some have been mixed in with other equipment to form a ‘Performance Zone’ as part of our gym innovation programme.”

For more information visit www.wattbike.com

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Newport Live appoints Life Fitness preferred supplier LIFE Fitness has been appointed preferred supplier by Newport Live, the not-for-profit charitable leisure trust, for the delivery of ICG indoor cycling equipment and a dedicated cycle studio at Newport International Sports Village including the Wales National Velodrome.

The agreement has seen the installation of 50 award-winning IC7 indoor cycling bikes at the newlycreated ICG indoor cycling studio located in the Newport Velodrome along with the introduction of group exercise products Myride virtual classes and Coach by Color.

Located in the Newport International Sports Village, a multisport complex, the Velodrome is Wales’ official national Velodrome and hosts national and international competitions, including being used by British Cycling for practice

sessions. The training venue has also been used by Team GB and Paralympics GB for final Olympic and Paralympic preparation.

Chief executive at Newport Live, Steve Ward, said: “We wanted our members and customers to enjoy an indoor cycle experience like no other.

“As leading providers of indoor cycling equipment, the ICG bikes are revolutionary as they combine a unique design with an enhanced technology experience.

“Athletes from all over the world train in Newport and the introduction of premium ICG equipment and innovative products really strengthens our world-class facility, making the indoor cycle experience more physically and socially engaging.”

For more information visit www.lifefitness.co.uk

Business founders Robert and Hilary Rowland.

Boom Cycle set to expand

PIONEERING boutique business Boom Cycle has announced plans to open two new studios.

Launching in May, Hammersmith will be the third site under the Boom Cycle umbrella, located a stone’s throw away from Hammersmith station.

June will then see the launch of Boom Cycle’s flagship studio at London’s iconic Battersea Power Station redevelopment.

Robert Rowland, who founded the business with wife Hilary, said: “Following enormous growth, Hilary

and I are so excited to embark on this next leap of Boom Cycle’s journey.

“We started in humble beginnings with our original studio that we built ourselves, to six years later opening flagship sites in two of our top priority locations.

“It’s been a long but thrilling ride and being able to deliver Boom Cycle’s message of a fun and empowering workout to London’s riders has been an honour and a joy and we can’t wait to spread the gospel even wider.”

INDOOR CYCLING AND ROWING

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Campaign highlights benefits of indoor rowing to operators

By Christina Eccles A DRIVE to promote indoor rowing is highlighting the benefits of participation for both operators and their members.

British Rowing’s Go Row indoor campaign aims to get everyone rowing whether for fun, fitness or competition and the organisation has developed a range of dedicated resources to support fitness professionals in promoting the activity in their clubs.

Director of innovation at British Rowing Helen Rowbotham said: “We’re really looking at our whole indoor rowing strategy with a new approach. It’s a very important discipline in our sport.

“We’ve developed a whole range of products for the health and fitness sector including training for fitness professionals and supporting resources.”

As part of the plan to get more people enjoying indoor rowing, British Rowing has also recently appointed five master trainers who will assist in delivering a new REPs accredited instructor training programme.

As well as being taught correct rowing technique, instructors signing up to the course will also learn about a range of training plans and how to

Helen Rowbotham deliver three new indoor rowing class formats. These include two gym floor classes lasting 20 and 30 minutes, along with a 45-minute studio session combining circuit exercises and indoor rowing.

Helen added: “The appointment of these five master trainers marks

a significant milestone in the development of indoor rowing as we seek to take our Go Row Indoor initiative to the broader health and fitness market.

“One of the benefits of Go Row Indoor is its flexible approach to training – we can cater to individual operators’ needs. Whether that means our master trainers deliver training sessions on site or we run workshops for their staff to attend, we can be fully flexible to their needs.”

Helen also told Workout that indoor rowing is a great way to get a whole body workout – making it appealing both in the gym and also as a home piece of kit – and that with a range of resources available online, it’s easy for clubs to take part in the campaign and promote it to their members.

The upcoming launch of an app and online exercise videos will also help to further educate consumers and potentially open indoor rowing up to an even wider audience.

She added: “For operators there are really sound commercial reasons for getting involved. Most already have rowing machines in their gyms but utilisation rates can be low.

“From our research, we’ve found people want to take part in indoor rowing and there’s a real opportunity to address the barriers to participation.”

Technogym launches SkillrowTM TECHNOGYM has launched Skillrow; the first indoor rowing equipment designed to improve anaerobic power, aerobic capacity and neuromuscular abilities in one solution.

Skillrow has been designed to provide a feeling that simulates the actual act of rowing on water – Aquafeel.

Skillrow resistance follows the natural curve of the stroke in the water and with Aquafeel, the resistance is gradual, making the movement fluid.

Users can also benefit from the Skillrow app which gives them a more motivating digital experience by offering a variety of training tools and programmes.

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A new studio concept is aiming to revolutionise the way we work out; claiming just 20 minutes once a week is enough to achieve results. Christina Eccles found out more about Fit20 and visited the first UK site near Sheffield.

Workout editor Christina Eccles with Niri Patel (left), and put through her paces during a session by master trainer Deborah Sparks-Kerrs (right).

20-minute concept aiming to transform way we exercise THE recent opening of Fox Valley in Stocksbridge marked a new era for the area and a regeneration for local people to be proud of.

From retail outlets to food and drink and even fitness, the development is aiming to offer something for everyone and when businessman Niri Patel heard about the plans, he knew it was something he wanted to be part of.

He explained: “We picked Yorkshire [for our first location] as that’s where we live and we thought it would be great for us to give something back.

“When we knew about what was happening here at Fox Valley, we thought we could be part of that story and regeneration.”

The idea for Fit20 originated in Holland where the concept has boomed, with over 90 studios now open there and thousands of people every week enjoying what’s been billed as a personal wellness boutique studio, rather than a traditional gym.

Niri, who has a background in successful start ups and franchising, was introduced to the business through a friend and was so impressed by the idea that he decided to bring it over to the United Kingdom.

The Fox Valley site opened in January and has already built up a loyal following of clients, who love the boutique style studio space, one-

to-one time they get with a dedicated instructor and the fact their workout is complete in just 20 minutes.

And with people travelling from as far afield as Leeds and Harrogate to take part in sessions, Niri told Workout, he believes the concept will work in many other locations moving forwards.

He added: “The plan is to franchise around Yorkshire first so it’s easier for us to be hands on and fine tune things.

“We’re typically targeting people who may feel intimidated by the traditional gym set up.

“Here we meet people where they’re at rather than where they need to be.”

Christina on a Fit20 machine.

Workout left me feeling like I’d achieved a lot 20 minutes, once a week. It doesn’t sound like very much, does it?

Yet the experts at Fit20 believe that using their training method, this is all the time you need to devote to exercising to achieve results.

And you don’t even need to get changed into your gym kit!

Surely it sounds too good to be true?

Intrigued and full of questions, I went along to the first UK based Fit20 studio, conveniently located just a few miles away from the Workout office near Sheffield to give it a try first hand.

On arrival at the studio, I was really impressed with the look of the branding and how everything followed through to create a high end, appealing space; perfect for a training

session.

After a thorough consultation, I was introduced to my trainer Deborah who would be working with me throughout the 20 minutes and was ready to begin.

So how does it work...?

The fit20 circuit consists of six exercises that are performed until reaching Momentary Muscle Failure – or the point at which you can’t perform any more reps.

Through the high intensity of the training, which is performed in slow motion, all the various muscle fibre types are addressed sequentially in a short time.

Also, the entire spectrum of available muscle fuels, including glycogen and the energy released by adrenaline, are used up, after which, there is no energy left to continue

with the exercise. On each machine, you really do get the feeling that you can’t do a single more rep!

The professional supervision means an entire programme can be completed within 20 minutes and having a trainer on hand also ensures users always have someone help with setting up the machines, correcting technique and that all important motivation and personal service.

When it comes to an overall verdict, it’s hard to say after just one session, as it’s impossible to see any tangible results.

But judging by some of the testimonials and feedback already received by happy clients, the team definitely must be doing something right.

I’m not sure about exercising in my normal work clothes – I’d

prefer the comfort of my gym leggings and trainers if I did the circuit again – but I would definitely give it another go.

Overall, I enjoyed the workout and after it was finished, really felt like I’d achieved a lot in a short space of time.

The studio was also a very professional looking set up, the induction process was detailed and staff were friendly, encouraging and helpful; all big plus points, especially for those new to exercise.

Fit20 is an interesting concept and in today’s time poor society where people are always looking for the next big thing, I can see a clear gap in the market for this kind of offering.

And with big plans for expansion over the next few years, I can’t wait to see how the studios take off.

UK FITNESS SCENE Advertiser’s announcement

With quirky fitness classes having a huge impact on the fitness industry, we take time out to speak to Michael Ross, founder and creator of KETTFusion.

Fuse your fitness styles What is KETTFusion?

KETTFusion is a 60-minute class that fuses lightweight kettlebells with martial arts exercises to deliver a full body cardio, strength, stamina and conditioning workout.

How did you come up with the concept?

I’m a second Dan Shotokan martial artist and have been for many years, so I know from experience how demanding this form of training is on your cardio fitness.

I’m also a qualified advanced Kettlercise instructor and soon identified a gap in the market for a workout that would deliver the cardio aspect of martial arts with the strength and conditioning that comes with kettlebell training.

And so KETTFusion was born!

Why do you think the class has become so popular?

The music and its specific BPM is an integral part of what makes a KETTFusion class – we use a variety of different music genres to help get people in the zone, from popular or retro music for the kettlebell element and then African tribal rhythms for the martial arts exercises.

It’s also a little different and not something people will have tried before. Most of all, it’s fun.

I really wanted to create a class that would appeal to everyone, regardless of their age, size or ability.

KETTFusion’s Road to Success...

KETTFusion is being widely recognised as a unique stand-alone fitness program, not just here in the UK, but also now in Spain, France, Italy and Ireland.

We came runners up in the 2016 UK Community Fitness Awards as ‘Best Fitness Brand.’

Any other plans we should know about?

I currently have two new class concepts in the planning stage but I can’t say much more than that. My lips are sealed!

Both will still heavily feature the use of kettlebells but in a slightly different format. It’s an exciting time for the brand so watch this space!

Why should instructors qualify to teach KETTFusion?

KETTfusion is a unique and dynamic fitness class that isn’t available anywhere else in the world.

It’s unique, it’s dynamic and instructors get to learn and master two proven fitness disciplines in one class to deliver a knockout workout that their clients will want to keep coming back for.

51 Boutique studio DigMe Fitness in Richmond celebrated St Patrick’s Day with an Irish themed ride. 22 people took part in the class, led by head of fitness Dan Little, which featured some traditional Irish music and even a track from Riverdance.

Afterwards participants enjoyed a well earned tipple of Guinness.

New strength kit for centre

YMCA Fylde Coast has improved its community fitness offering following an investment of £215,000.

A new suite of premium strength and cardio equipment from Life Fitness has been installed at the operator’s YMCA St Anne’s leisure centre as part of a major refurbishment programme, with the club now being recognised as an official Hammer Strength Training Centre.

Leisure director at YMCA Fylde Coast, Mike Vernon, said: “For over a decade YMCA Fylde Coast and Life Fitness have enjoyed a positive and successful relationship, developing engaging and motivational fitness facilities for our local community.

“The introduction of Life Fitness equipment, including newly acquired brands such as Cybex and SCIFIT, will

YMCA St Anne’s leisure centre is now recognised as an official Hammer Strength Training Centre. add tremendous value to our current membership and give exercisers even greater choice and entertainment options when working out.”

UK FITNESS SCENE

Popular gym goes from strength to strength ...

By Christina Eccles

A POPULAR independent gym is still leading the way in the industry after over a decade in business.

Since opening in 2005, Monster Gym in Cheshunt has gone from strength to strength, with its status as an official Hammer Strength centre, a range of bespoke equipment and a healthy eating cafe just some of the features keeping people flocking through the doors.

Run by Steve and Angie Collins, the club prides itself on offering the best equipment for everyone from beginners to bodybuilding champions in a friendly, supportive atmosphere and has built up a reputation as one of the most popular gyms around.

Angie said: “One of our biggest challenges has been trying to stay on top of our game.

“We’re constantly looking at what we have got, introducing new equipment and listening to our customers; letting them have a voice on what they would like to have in their gym.”

As one of the first gyms in the area to heavily focus on strength training, over the years the pair have also seen other gym owners come to them for advice on how to build a successful business.

But rather than be threatened by

Monster Gym in Cheshunt is an official Hammer Strength centre. new gyms, Steve told Workout they more clubs springing up in the local are flattered to be asked for help and area, business is still going well. are happy to support others.

Angie added: “We’re most proud of He added: “As far as we are the fact we are still here over 11 years concerned, competition is good – it down the line and we’ve just signed keeps us on our toes. There’s enough a lease for another 10 years, so we’re room in the market for everyone and going to be around for a long time to we’ve not got anyone who’s that close come. to us.”

“All we ever wanted to do was keep In a crowded marketplace, the gym our customers satisfied; that’s all has stood the test of time and despite anyone can ever ask for.”

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Life Fitness expands its sales team

LIFE Fitness has expanded its UK sales team with three new appointments.

The strategic restructure follows the successful integration of Cybex International, which joined the company’s family of brands in January 2016.

Continuing its commitment to further developing the Life Fitness brand, the company has created a single sales team which has grown to incorporate the newly-created health, education and dealer division.

Craig Cocking, who was previously UK vertical markets manager and worked with the education and private sector accounts, is now UK head of health, education and dealer sales.

Dave Connolly has taken up the position of UK local authority and trust manager and reports to Rob Jones, who remains UK head of core and vertical sales.

Marc Jones, who joined Life Fitness in 2013 and was previously public sector account manager, has been promoted to the role of UK vertical markets manager to oversee new business development and account services with national vertical market accounts.

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RETENTION

Why does retention continue to be the biggest challenge?

YOU don’t need to be told that retention continues to be the biggest challenge faced by clubs… it goes way back.

Retention has been a challenge since the first YMCA gym opened in the UK in 1881, with George Williams quickly cottoning on that the boys were losing interest due to lack of variety, and struggled to keep attendance levels up.

But why has this challenge always existed?

Well, gyms and fitness clubs are selling a goal, a lifestyle change, a journey, all of which are precious offerings that are incredibly difficult to actually deliver.

It’s a challenging process for both the club and the member because the customer requires a huge amount of support and resource.

The level of support that would require investment in additional team members on the gym floor and the level of interaction that frankly no gym has the capacity to offer because let’s face it, you want to change people’s lives but also need to earn a crust while doing so.

You’ve turned your passion for helping people into a business, a business that needs to be commercially viable.

The industry talks about intervention being key to retaining members, but in reality, just how possible is this intervention with limited resource and a large membership base?

Well, I believe preventing the need for intervention in the first place, by implementing a comprehensive engagement strategy is the key to retention success.

By doing this, you are ensuring that the member is receiving regular interaction and support, as well as creating an open communication culture.

Another important element here is the quality of this interaction, it needs to be personal to your members, it needs to be relevant and timely without being intrusive.

That’s all well and good I hear you say, but this still sounds very time intensive and costly… wrong.

ClubWise has recently introduced FitSense to their portfolio, a member app that has been designed with one sole purpose, to boost retention through engagement, whilst working

seamlessly with the ClubWise Club Management software.

It is scalable, cost effective, quick and easy to use and super simple to set up.

Here’s what FitSense can do: Upon sign in to FitSense, your members will have access to goal oriented workouts, so they can get started straight away.

They can set their weekly points goal, which gives them something to work towards, perfect for staying motivated.

As a trainer, you can create and send goal orientated user specific workouts, at critical points during the

member journey, for example you can send a workout at the induction stage and then further workouts at four-to-six-week intervals.

You can also use challenges to motivate members and incentivise them to take part in other club activities – this will drive engagement across multiple services at your club.

The FitSense feed provides a powerful platform for regular interaction; you simply schedule content in Campaign Manager, or send ad-hoc messages when required.

FitSense also provides pre-defined content including nutrition advice, meal plans and motivation.

You can also use this feature to promote new classes, recommend PTs, welcome new members and much more. The possibilities are endless.

The FitSense social tool allows your members to follow other users, which facilitates engagement with likeminded people at your club, going a long way to building a strong and happy gym community.

Your members can also contact the trainers at your club at any point in their journey via the messaging feature, creating an open communication culture within your facility.

FitSense can be personalised to your club including branding and allows you to offer a scalable, truly personalised service to every one of your members. n For more information on how ClubWise and FitSense can boost your retention through continued effective engagement, contact us on 01844 348300 or email fitsense@ clubwise.com

Australian expert to speak at Convention WORLD leading retention expert Dr. Paul Bedford will host his third Retention Convention next month, where speakers will share their secrets to retaining a happy workforce – and ultimately more members.

Paul will be joined by Australia’s Justin Tamsett, Lexie Griffiths and Keith Smith and between them the speakers have delivered more than 750 presentations in 43 different countries.

Justin will share the seven keys to building a winning team, sharing practical ideas from outside the

“We can use a game of sport as an analogy for the retention challenge.

Our staff are the players on the field, competing hard and carrying out our game plan.”

industry that can be implemented to stay ahead of the curve and grow profitability.

Key areas covered will include culture, consistency and communication.

He said: “We can use a game of sport as an analogy for the retention challenge. Our staff are the players on the field, competing hard and carrying out our game plan.

“The strategies we build will win the game. But as any sportsman knows, many games are won (or lost) on what happens on the practice pitch and in the locker room.”

Latest research shows the main reason customers leave is because staff don’t engage with them.

Global presenter, best-selling author and owner of the professional development programme Sizzle Maker, Lexie Griffiths will deliver a session entitled ‘Sizzling Customer Service – Engage and retain life long members by creating an outrageous customer service organisation.’

Training and education specialist, Keith Smith will talk about How to get a Return on Your Education

Justin Tamsett Investment, explaining the importance of making education stick with further coaching back at site.

He added: “Most companies

send their staff on training courses and then just assume the skills are embedded and will be delivered in the facility, with no thought to how that training sits in the customer experience journey the company is trying to achieve.

“My presentation will explore how further coaching in the working environment can help to ensure an improved and consistent member experience.”

Paul added: “This year we want to take a different focus and concentrate on the impact a happy workforce has on membership retention.

“Some health club chains turn over more than 90 per cent of their staff every year and the impact retaining these people has on keeping members, as well as the company’s bottom line, is quite staggering.

“Throughout the day delegates will hear from our world-class speakers, who will share their expertise on staff retention strategies.”

The 2017 Retention Convention will take place at the Manchester Conference Centre on May 18.

UK FITNESS SCENE

Industry guru to share expertise on larger scale

By Olivia Taylor A FITNESS industry guru has announced plans for his latest event, where he will be sharing his expertise with both a studio audience and on a larger scale.

Industry membership specialist Doug Miller is passionate about providing clubs with the information they need to improve the operation and profit of their facilities.

The Virtual Roadshow he is organising will see expert speakers including Adrian Marks, Frank Furness, Mark Slavin, Robin Gargrave and Sandy Coffman address key issues such as marketing, social media, programming for profit and retention.

Unlike other informative sector events and conferences, the Virtual Roadshow will take place in a live TV studio, meaning it can be live streamed and recorded, so more members of staff can gain knowledge from the speakers.

Doug said: “It’s better this way. In other circumstances you have one person there trying to explain what they heard to their staff, this way the

CEO can be at the event, and other members of staff can be watching live from the gym.

“It has to be virtual because that’s the way that the world is going.

“It’s the quickest way of getting your message across to the masses. The bottom line is, it has to be accessible for everyone.”

The Virtual Roadshow will take place on Friday May 19 at Z Film Studios, Stockport, with live streaming and downloadable viewing options available online.

All funds raised from the sales of downloads will be donated to Life Fitness CEO Augie Nieto’s charity, Augie’s Quest.

Doug added: “The concept of the roadshow is to bring the best education to clubs so they can improve their business.

“People still need to get their head around the fact that this is virtual, you don’t need to be there to gain and learn.

“It can be huge, people all over the world can be there and that’s the coolest thing.

“It could be the biggest convention in the world, in the smallest space.”

MOSSA UK delivered eight new releases to fitness fans at the recent IFS event at The Winter Gardens in Blackpool. Hundreds of participants attended the MOSSA sessions over the three days, which began with the ViPR Workout and also included MOSSA Group Core, Group Power and Group Groove sessions. National MOSSA trainer Lee Valentine said: “It truly was an honour to share Group Power and Group Core at IFS this year. The participants were incredible to coach and it was an absolute pleasure to be on that stage presenting with my fellow MOSSA trainers.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE

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IHRSA launch for FOD’s new virtual system FITNESS On Demand has unveiled its latest virtual fitness system, GROUP, at the International Health Racquet and Sports Association (IHRSA) trade show in Los Angeles, California.

Like its predecessors, this new system includes over 1,500 fitness video options that can be accessed on-demand or scheduled by the facility, now in a much smaller form factor.

Possibly the most exciting new feature being unveiled is the Fitness On Demand mobile app.

Available in the App store and on Google Play, the FOD mobile app is an extension of the GROUP solution, and is the first mobile app in the industry to seamlessly blend the commercial and consumer experience.

For Fitness On Demand commercial clients, the mobile app immediately expands their reach to their members by offering a complete mobile app timetable (live and virtual) to manage bookings, collecting class and instructor feedback to optimise offerings and logging users’ workouts for added accountability.

The all new kiosk is included at no cost with a Fitness On Demand membership.

Visit www.fitnessondemand247.com

PT hosts sessions to celebrate International Women’s Day

By Christina Eccles PERSONAL trainer and fitness tutor Jacqueline Hooton has hosted a day of free fitness sessions for women to coincide with International Women’s Day. Taking place at her West Sussex training studio, Her Garden Gym, Jacqueline encouraged women to join her for the day; waiving her usual fees and instead inviting attendees to donate to a local women’s organisation, My Sister’s House.

She said: “International Women’s Day is about promoting inclusion and equality; it’s a time for women to come together and support one another.

“My work is focused on helping other women improve their health and fitness so offering free fitness sessions is a great way to celebrate and contribute to International Women’s Day.” The event raised £225 for My Sister’s House and as well as taking part in the fitness sessions, everyone who attended enjoyed a range of healthy home-made snacks.

Jacqueline added: “Some of the women who attended have never worked with a personal trainer before and were a little apprehensive but they soon relaxed and really enjoyed the supportive atmosphere.

“We had women of all ages and abilities come along, as well as mums

Jacqueline Hooton with some of the women who took part in the fitness sessions that raised £225 for My Sister’s House. valuable role working with vulnerable with babies. It was wonderful that women in my local community. the event encouraged lots of women “I’m pleased to have supported to get active for the day, as well as them with the fitness fundraiser and raising much needed funds for My I plan to run similar events in the Sister’s House future.”

“My Sister’s House perform a

PRODUCT NEWS

The Sync Box prevents bumps and bruises PLYOMETRIC training can give you a great workout.

All that jumping and stepping is perfect for boosting power, strength, stamina, balance and your cardiovascular system.

But while the movement’s good, the landing’s less so. If you’re using a hard box, the impact going up through your feet, ankles, knees, hips and lower back is significant. And if you miss your footing, hard sides, corners and edges can hurt like hell!

That’s why we’ve focused on the landing as well as the motion of jumping with the Sync Box. The Sync Box’s strong, sturdy platform is covered in soft but hard-wearing, impact absorbing and non-slip materials. So the sides, corners and edges are all forgiving to prevent bumps and bruises.

In fact, the real fitness magic is in this impact absorbing cover.

It minimises the shock to your joints and maximises the benefits to your core, forcing your muscles to adapt quickly while improving your balance.

The Sync Box. You’ll find it’s a hit, even if you miss your footing. So jump right in. n Impact absorbing platform boosts balance, core strength and muscle adaptability. n Soft sides, corners and edges prevent joint stress and minor knock injuries. n Sturdy platform and non-slip base ensure safe landing – ideal for all ages and abilities. n Lightweight, so easy to move and use. n Choice of colours – red or black. n Size: 800mm x 800mm x 500mm.

For more information visit www.jordanfitness.com

Leisure Solutions NW appointed distributor of Adgen TV software RICK Fowler is now the managing director of Leisure Solutions NW Ltd which as been appointed the sole distributor of Adgen TV software to the fitness industry.

Adgen TV is a cloud based digital signage software that allows users the ability to update their digital signage stations online anywhere in the world.

The member information boards can be updated easily for one site or for multi site operators, they can be controlled centrally so head office can control the content the members can see.

Gone are the days of print and posters which is very costly as members do not engage in print.

Customers are five times more likely to engage with digital signage.

We have been creating live group class timetables detailing spaces available and who the instructor will be.

This allows members to see which classes have spaces and which are full. Our customers are also using the product to promote secondary spend on things like supplements and clothing.

It’s a great way to keep members informed of upcoming events such as member outings or that new equipment is being installed.

Adgen TV also has the ability to deliver video content; in effect we can create a facility or chain’s own TV channel.

Customer Debbie Kelly, general manager at Change Gym, Hove.

Hardware and software packages are available from as little as £8 per week. We have a UK network of installation engineers and provide a fully managed service.

For further information contact Rick Fowler on 07947 300401, email rick@leisureolutionsnw.com or visit www.leisuresolutionsnw.com

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UK FITNESS SCENE With important changes coming into force which all employers need to be aware of, Jenny Patrickson answers Workout’s questions about the Apprenticeship Levy and its implications and opportunities for the sector.

Understanding the new Apprenticeship Levy ...

Can you tell us more about the Apprenticeship Levy and how it will work?

It comes into effect on April 6 and is being introduced to all types of businesses – not just our favourite active leisure industry – that have a pay bill of £3m or more.

Those businesses will be obliged to spend 0.5 per cent of their total pay bill to help fund apprenticeship training moving forwards.

When a business pays the levy, they’ll receive the value of the money they’ve paid in the form of vouchers into a digital account.

When the business comes to paying for apprenticeship training – be that in-house or externally – they take the funds from this digital account where, effectively, apprenticeship funds have been ring-fenced.

This ensures that the money is both prioritised and protected, ready to be spent on the training of apprentices, but there are also financial benefits.

Employers will benefit from a 10 per cent top up to monthly funds that enter this digital account, so for example, for every £100 that a company pays, the Government will top this up by £10.

The funds, or, ‘vouchers’, in the digital accounts will expire after 24 months – so organisations should use them while they can otherwise they will simply be a ‘tax’.

How is the new format different to the existing system?

Previously, employers didn’t contribute from a cash perspective to apprenticeship training, as the training was funded by the government, with funds transferred directly to the training providers that were involved in the delivery of training for the employers that they

Jenny Patrickson worked with.

Moving forwards, employers will need to negotiate the price of training and assessment for apprenticeships with any training providers they wish to use.

The Government will pay 80 per cent of the negotiated price on a monthly basis, and the remaining 20 per cent of each month’s cost will be paid at the end of the apprenticeship.

What are the key points/timescales which employers need to be aware of?

The Apprenticeship Levy is being introduced on April 6 2017 and the new apprenticeship funding system will be implemented from May 1 2017 – this will apply to all employers, both those paying the levy and those that do not.

How will the changes affect businesses in the fitness industry?

A number of the larger operators within our sector will fall into the

Employers and employees should embrace the change of the Apprenticeship Levy.

levy paying category, so they need to prepare themselves for this in advance.

Employers should register for a digital account with the Digital Apprenticeship Service and once they have declared the levy to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) they will be able to access funding for apprenticeships through their digital account.

As many of the larger operators already employ apprentices, they should be well briefed in terms of what they need to do from April onwards.

However, the change they’ll face is the need to engage even more closely with training providers to negotiate the price of training and assessment moving forwards to ensure that it falls within the government’s new funding bands.

Will the changes affect smaller, independent operators in a different way to the larger chains? What do they need to be aware of?

Smaller independent operators, with a pay bill of less than £3m will not be required to pay the levy.

However, they will still benefit from government funding to support their commitment to apprenticeships.

Smaller operators who employ more than 50 people will not pay the levy.

If they would like to train an apprentice, they will need to co-invest 10 per cent and the Government will fund the remaining 90 per cent of the cost.

Even smaller operators with fewer than 50 people working for them will be able to train 16 to 18-year-old apprentices without making a contribution towards the costs of training and assessment (as long as the costs don’t exceed the Government funding band maximum).

The Government will pay 100 per cent of the training costs for these individuals as part of its commitment to supporting smaller businesses.

All that said, the smaller operators should engage with training providers that have expertise in the area of apprenticeships to ensure that they fully understand what funding is available from the May 1 2017 for the range of apprenticeships available within our sector.

What opportunities will the levy bring to the sector?

The Government sees an employer cash contribution towards the costs of training as an essential part of apprenticeship reform, designed to increase the quality of apprenticeships and the engagement of employers.

For our sector, as with any other, this means that employers should have a greater say in how apprenticeship training is delivered and as they are contributing

financially throughout the process, there should be more incentive to be involved in the training of apprentices throughout their organisation.

It’s also possible for employers to become ‘employer-providers’ to deliver their own apprenticeship training in-house, so our fitness industry employers have the opportunity to create their own tailored apprenticeship programmes in a way that is cost effective for them to deliver without the need to outsource training.

Why should operators of all sizes consider apprenticeships? What are the benefits to a gym or fitness business of taking on and developing staff in this way?

The main aim of the Apprenticeship Levy from the Government’s perspective is to support employers in growing the quality and number of apprenticeships in their own workforce.

Apprenticeships can benefit both employers and individuals, and by boosting the skills of the workforce they also help to improve economic productivity.

From an operator perspective, offering apprenticeships enables a business to attract new talent, and provides individuals with the opportunity to pursue a successful career in the active leisure sector, whether that’s a first step on the employment ladder or as a progression with a current employer.

It also gives employers the opportunity to develop staff in a way that enables individuals to ‘learn on the job’ and to apply their own look and feel in terms of the culture of the organisation to the training that each apprentice undergoes.

For those large employers that are required to pay the levy from April onwards, it would be a real shame if those funds were not used for the purpose for which they’ve been designed and just lost in the system as a tax; and for small employers it would also be a shame for those businesses not to take advantage of the co-investment pledged by Government for apprenticeship training.

Employers and employees in our sector stand to benefit from this combining of work with education and should embrace this change, whatever initial complexities they may face. n Jenny Patrickson is managing director of Active IQ; a long established awarding body for apprenticeships in the leisure industry.

The company is working closely with operators, independent training providers and employer/ provider businesses to ensure their apprenticeship provision training meets the strict criteria and that they are able to fulfil the Government’s requirements of the new levy.

PRODUCT NEWS

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Spirit Fitness to launch cardio range at Elevate SPIRIT Fitness UK is to officially launch its new range of state-of-theart cardio equipment at industry trade show Elevate.

The 900 Series is the brand’s flagship commercial fitness line, offering clients the highest specification of design, engineering and quality.

Building on Spirit Fitness’ existing reputation for performance and reliability, the products will set a new standard in commercial fitness, while still offering the same industryleading warranties and excellent customer service.

Managing director of Spirit Fitness UK Jamie Burton will unveil the 900 Series to the UK market for the first time at Elevate, held on May 10-11 at the Excel Arena in London.

He said: “The 900 Series has been a long time coming, but we believe that it is more than worth the wait.

“We have been working hard to establish Spirit Fitness in the marketplace, as well as develop our brand, so are delighted that our product development now reflects this hard work.

“Being well received at IHRSA and making its European debut at FIBO,

we want people to join us at Elevate and learn more about the 900 Series, as well as Spirit’s aspirations for the future.

“We hope that clients will recognise that they are buying more than just equipment, they are investing in an experience for both them and their members.”

The 900 series consists of treadmills, ellipticals, upright bikes, recumbent bikes and steppers, all with ‘ultrabright’ LED consoles or new TFT touch screens.

Consoles feature large grill cooling fans, accessory trays and economically positioned heart rate grips, whilst the touch screens come with an electronics package allowing users to watch TV, browse the web, stream music and enjoy a range of workout programmes and fitness tests.

In addition to the 900 Series, a complementary 80-piece highspecification strength equipment range has been developed and the brand has recently undergone a facelift, including a new logo and website.

For more information visit www.spiritfitnessuk.co.uk

Tyre training with a twist THERE’S nothing like tossing a tyre around to give you a raw all over body workout – perfect for developing strength and power.

The trouble is, tyres can be difficult to control and are inherently unstable, meaning it’s not easy to work safely, with the correct form.

So say hello to TufNut. There’s six sides to this innovative story. In fact, it’s just the right shape to help you get into the right shape.

TufNut gives you all the challenge of a tyre with all the control you want.

There are straps on various faces – and various weights are available – so you can jump, flip, roll, lift, push, pull and walk until your heart and muscles are content.

And we don’t call it TufNut for nothing. With a hexagonal sturdy steel frame surrounded by super resilient foam and covered with a strong PVC cover, it can take as much as you can give.

Managing director at Jordan Fitness Zak Pitt said: “With the TufNut, we feel we’ve developed a product equally at home in a boutique gym or at an outdoor boot camp.

Everyone at Jordan absolutely loves this product – we hope you do too.”

For more information visit www.jordanfitness.com

Looking to enhance your gym space this spring?

FROM state-of-the-art cardiovascular machines to best-selling strength training equipment, the UK’s leading specialist fitness equipment supplier, Fitness Superstore, is proud to offer an extensive range of commercial equipment designed by world renowned brands including Matrix, FluidRower, Body-Solid, Power Plate, Octane Fitness and more.

Shop online or book an appointment to visit our dedicated commercial showroom, located at our

head office in Northampton.

During your in-store visit, our dedicated commercial sales department will advise you on everything from product selection to planning and design, induction and training, preventative maintenance and technical training.

Ready to book your commercial showroom appointment? Give us a call on 01604 673000.

For more information or to view our commercial range online please visit www.fitness-superstore.co.uk

Cybex Eagle NX: selectorised strength training reimagined WITH its company heritage in sports science and human performance, Cybex leads the way with technologically advanced and engineered selectorised strength equipment to help users at every level get strong and stay fit.

Aesthetically pleasing yet highly durable, the Cybex Eagle NX selectorised strength line offers gyms 15 unique premium pieces to transform facilities and workouts.

Every piece in the Eagle NX range has been designed to withstand rigorous movement yet be gentle on joints, and support users of all fitness

levels and training goals.

Its patented Dual Axis Technology allows users to train in either a predefined or user-defined pattern of motion, supported by independent arm motion in all upper body equipment to encourage symmetrical strength development.

Cybex’s build-to-order policy also means the Eagle NX’s frame, upholstery and enclosure options gives facilities extensive customisation options to create the perfect look for any gym.

For more information visit www.cybexintl.com

Warrior CRUNCH – salted caramel, low-carb, high protein treat!

WARRIOR has released what it says is the best-tasting low-carb, high protein bar ever made.

The Warrior CRUNCH bar is a triple layered, low-carb, high-protein bar with acres of gooey caramel wrapped in crisp, milk chocolate.

Each bar contains 20g of high quality protein, yet just 2.3g of impact carbs and sugar.

Warrior’s founder Kieran Fisher said: “The Warrior CRUNCH is the result of over 12 months of research and development. We wanted to create a bar that tastes better than a traditional candy bar, yet that you could enjoy every day.

“Each Warrior CRUNCH bar contains more protein than three whole eggs, but less sugar than an apple. It also tastes ridiculously good, we challenge anyone not to fall in love with this bar.”

Warrior is so confident about

their new bar that they’re offering free samples of it to all gyms and supplement stores – if you own or manage a gym or supplement store, contact their distributors today and ask for a free sample.

Call 0161 359 4943 or email Trade@bodybuildingwarehouse.co.uk to get your free sample. Warrior is also looking for international distributors and can be contacted on the same details.

Does your membership offering nurture loyalty?

WITH the first quarter of the year behind us, gyms will see an inevitable drop in members as New Year resolutions tail off.

This is arguably the trickiest time of the year for the leisure industry.

If you want members to consider your gym on a more serious basis, it’s time to start thinking about your membership selection.

The way you market this will affect how regularly members use your facilities.

Like any organisation, it’s cheaper to retain members than recruit new ones. Increasing retention rates by just five per cent can increase profits significantly.

So if your offering is focused primarily on flexible memberships

or pay-as-you-go, you might want to start considering 12-month contracts.

With fewer members coming and going, you can spend less time on admin and more time on your business.

Time-consigned agreements will also ensure a guaranteed monthly income and make it easier to track and maintain cashflow – particularly if you use Direct Debit to collect payments.

Direct Debits are simple to implement for customers and businesses.

They’re also cheaper than other methods, so this gives you a great excuse to offer incentives and discounts. It’s win-win!

Find out more about debit finance collections at www.debitfinance.co.uk

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