Workout UK September 2020

ISSUE 320 SEPTEMBER 2020 ÂŁ3

First Great British Week of Sport to celebrate the power of being active

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Lessons learned from coronavirus Why is angry music popular at gyms?

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Life after lockdown: Home workouts and online personal training could be the new normal SINCE the UK lockdown began, Google searches for ‘home workouts’, ‘personal gym equipment’, and ‘learn yoga’ have skyrocketed.

And, though gyms have started to reopen, many feel remote training and online fitness content is here to stay.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered gyms to close with all non-essential shops on March 21 to slow the spread of Covid-19.

Gym goers and fitness professionals alike had to quickly to adapt to lockdown life.

Unsurprisingly, many turned to online fitness content to keep active and support themselves while sticking to strict social distancing rules.

This led to a huge rise in the number of people signing up to premium content sharing platforms like SoSpoilt.

In fact, during the first few months of the pandemic, SoSpoilt.com received thousands of new signs ups.

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way to earn from the safety of home. It could mean that remote training remains popular, even now that gyms have begun to reopen.

The benefits of online content Currently, SoSpoilt is the only platform that allows fitness instructors to charge by the minute for online live workouts and one-to-one remote training sessions.

Fans can also subscribe to see what their favourite trainers post on their feed,

such as inspirational photos, training tips, and nutritional advice.

Content creators get to set their own prices for fan subscriptions, live sessions, and direct messages, and have complete control over what and when they post.

For many fitness professionals, it has opened their eyes to a far more flexible

Gyms might never be the same The PM gave gyms, pools, and leisure facilities the go ahead to resume trading on Saturday, July 25.

However, these facilities have been hit with tough new safety guidelines.

Temperature checks at the door, regular sanitising stations, and limited member numbers are just a few of the rules currently being enforced.

Some worry these restrictions are putting members off returning to the gym.

After four months of working out from home, it seems many fitness fans are choosing to ditch costly membership fees and continue using online content.

It could change the way we exercise – and fitness professionals earn – forever.

INDEPENDENT training gym W10 has entered into a new partnership with The Performance Project, acquiring the semi-private gym in Haywards Heath.

The Performance Project is a wellknown and highly regarded gym in Sussex with a strong and loyal membership.

This thriving club has been part of the IFBA (a fitness industry business consultancy service) for more than four years.

The operation grew rapidly as a result of following the IFBA’s proven formula for success in the fitness industry, centred on the small group personal training model.

The Performance Project will rebrand to W10 and offer a similar combination of personal training and

small team training classes.

The Performance Project founder Jerome Bolze will continue with the day-to-day operations of the business, becoming a key member of a wider W10 team.

JC Vacassin, managing director of W10 said: “The Performance Project is an excellent gym, with some first rate trainers and an awesome client base. We’re thrilled to join forces with them.

“We launched W10 more than ten years ago when the fitness industry was booming but was in a bad place.

“Member needs came second; people joined, got bored or intimidated and then left. We wanted to shake the dust off this model and create a new fitness business model; this is how W10 was born.”

W10 is built on a foundation of personal training, creating an inclusive, customer centric experience which focuses on results pure and simple.

The key to W10’s success has been its dedication to outstanding customer experience, world class training delivered by the right team, a community based approach, and efficient systematised operations.

JC added: “We’re pleased to be expanding the W10 brand both in our physical clubs but also via a dedicated online training studio for members who want to take part at home.

“As the founding club of the IFBA, we’re delighted to build on our mission to make the fitness industry stronger for everyone involved.”

W10 acquires The Performance Project

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UK FITNESS SCENE

First Great British Week of Sport to celebrate the power of being active ukactive has announced the first edition of the Great British Week of Sport, celebrating the power that sport and activity has on our physical, mental and social wellbeing.

The celebration will take place from September 19 to 27, forming the bedrock of the UK’s delivery of the European Week of Sport.

A series of events across the week will showcase the huge variety of sports and activities which help people of all ages to be more active and reap the mental, social and physical benefits.

Across Britain, people will be encouraged to use #BeActive on social media during the week to share the activities they love most and help inspire others to get involved.

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, chair of ukactive, said: “We are living in challenging times, which makes it all the more important we celebrate the incredible spirit and unity through sport and activity that makes our communities stronger.

“Every day, taking part in physical activity and sport brings people together in a way that is very unique, making our gyms, leisure centres and sports venues part of our social fabric.

“The Great British Week of Sport will show that physical activity is available to everyone, no matter what your background, age, gender, race or ability, and that being active together is an amazing thing.” ukactive, in partnership with Sport England, the UK Government and the European Commission, will work with a host of partners to deliver focussed activities supporting a diverse range of audiences throughout the week: Saturday, September 19: The Great British Week of Sport will kick off with ‘World United’. Spearheaded by leading fitness brand, Les Mills, World United is a global

festival of fitness that uses exclusive online workouts, filmed during lockdown by 300 instructors, to help fitness facilities encourage visitors back to their venues.

Sunday, September 20: StreetGames will begin a week of support through its local communities across the Midlands, helping to bring sports and activities to children, families and young people.

Monday, September 21: Mental health charity Mind will work alongside a number of its regional ‘Minds’ across the UK to provide people the chance to witness how being active can have a positive impact on many contributing factors that cause us stress, anxiety and fear.

Tuesday, September 22: ukactive will team up with RED Together, a national movement that empowers people to get active their way – celebrating the power of physical activity in bringing the nation together by encouraging everyone to wear red during their run, swim, cycle or favourite fitness activity.

Wednesday, September 23: The week plays host to National Fitness Day, which celebrates the fun of fitness and physical activity, as gyms, leisure centres and sports providers across the UK offer thousands of free activities for visitors to try. Bear Grylls, with BMF, will be kicking off the day this year with a special event, to be revealed closer to the date.

Thursday, September 24: Iron Man, Nike athlete and Great British Week of Sport ambassador John McAvoy will be working with Fulham Reach Boat Club to offer young people the chance to try some new activities, including rowing on the Thames, while sharing his experience of how sport changed his life.

Friday, September 25: ParaDance will support a day focussed on the inclusivity of sport, engaging a wide range of people to come together, be active and have fun through the power of dance virtually.

Saturday, September 26: A ‘Girls’ Night In’ will see music and fitness combine to engage women and girls to #BeActive. Supported by influencers and DJs, the night will bring a new meaning to the girls’ night.

Sunday, September 27: The week will be capped off by Ordnance Survey, with its Get Outside campaign to support and encourage Britain to get outside and discover new routes and green spaces to use for activity.

And throughout the week, people will be encouraged to get active using the free ‘Active 10’ walking and ‘Couch to 5k’ running apps, in partnership with Public Health England’s Better Health campaign.

Familiar faces including Team GB Hockey gold medallist Georgie Twigg; Paralympic gold medallists Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and David Smith; Nike triathlete John McAvoy; RED Together founder Hannah Beecham; and Football Beyond Borders coach Debra Nelson will help to promote the events.

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Why data holds the key to your member engagement success and engagement becomes much easier and cheaper.

By Andy Hall

WE ARE entering a bold new world of health club and gym operation, where everything’s to play for.

The future is unclear and not mapped out for us. But, there is still one constant and that’s that we need to service our members like never before.

We need to really understand and capture their mood and feeling as we navigate our way out of this global pandemic. To achieve this, it’s really quite simple and the answers lie in the data you have available at your fingertips.

Engaging with members is more than an email on their birthday or offering them a couple of guest passes each year. Effective member engagement goes deeper and is often about understanding your member needs, wants, issues and even worries and concerns, and creating solutions to help and support them.

For some clubs and operators this can sound quite a task but with datatracking, member engagement is far simpler than ever before. At the touch of a button – using a virtual hub (customised dashboard) – you can view trends, opportunities, issues and instantly capture the mood of your membership.

There’s no need to overhaul your current IT, tech or comms platforms.

Instead you can plug in the right dataapplication and start creating bespoke and personalised tactics that drive usage, engagement and outcomes that can all be tracked and monitored.

Ensuring you have the right data partner will enable and encourage you to use your current and future data in a more intuitive way in a bid to serve up recommendations and different products to support members achieve more. The simplest way we know how to do this in the first instance is to encourage and promote your assisted

Andy Hall products such as group exercise classes or PT. We know that this leads to increased retention and research by IHRSA showed that “the risk of cancelling is 56 per cent higher in gym-only members compared to group exercisers.”

Another study found that members who take part in just one group exercise class per week are “20 per cent more likely to be loyal members than those who visit three times per week and only workout on the gym floor”.

Using member usage statistics, you can identify which classes and PTs have the highest and lowest attendance levels.

You can then adjust your offering to give members more of what they want, creating a positive uplift in club attendance, member engagement and LTV. This type of data also allows you to identify the best routes to take to help your members develop long-lasting habits with your brand and club.

The data will show you which type of fitness and fitness products your members need to consume, and when, in order to form those habits.

Once a habit loop is formed, retention

Your superstar team We’ve all been to a fitness class with a standout instructor; one who blows your mind and makes you want to return time after time.

How can you bottle up this magic and spread it amongst more members in a bid to inspire, motivate and ultimately drive more revenue? It’s pretty simple, you can use data and digital strategies to stream and host these classes and sessions 24/7.

We aren’t suggesting you change your model of operation to become the next Les Mills On Demand, but you should be capturing these magic moments and using them to engage and galvanize your current and future membership base.

A data-driven virtual hub gives more of your members access to the superstar coaches and trainers with opportunities to increase member-trainer touchpoints and interaction through online training, coaching, classes, and support. This can significantly boost engagement and retention rates not to mention giving you rich-data information to learn from.

Using a virtual hub, an operator can see the ‘full picture’ of how members are interacting with their business (both physically and digitally).

Through data, it becomes clear how your online and offline offer can work together to deliver a more ‘joinedup’ member experience that drives engagement and retention - perfect as we enter the era of the ‘hybrid’ gym, combining a virtual and physical presence. And with a central dashboard, an operator can see all areas of operation in one place - making it easy to be proactive and make smart business decisions.

Case study: Anytime Fitness is a great example of a brand that has been quick

to react to the changing landscape.

Following the news that each of their 120-plus on-site locations in the Philippines would temporarily shut because of Covid-19, Anytime Fitness selected Volution to design a virtual platform and mobile application that allowed it to deliver first-class personal training sessions from any location.

With the new platform in place, members can log in to a personalised portal to book virtual PT sessions, join live or pre-recorded classes or create their own at-home workouts, all within just a few clicks.

This has kept revenue flowing and engagement high, even when members couldn’t physically visit their local gym.

Senior managers were able to track key trends in user engagement, how many PT sessions had been sold, where penetration rates were high, which classes were proving more popular and how much revenue had been generated.

Shift managers also benefited directly by giving them a clear view of staff availability, which has since led to fewer complications in scheduling and far less risk of double-bookings.

Of the members currently using the Anytime Fitness platform, around 50 per cent of those hadn’t interacted with an ‘assisted product’ before – meaning a large proportion of ‘high risk’ members are now engaging more actively with the brand, which should lead to improved retention.

Having a purpose-built, bespoke digital platform means you won’t get left behind by the crowd. Instead, you’ll have new ways to engage members by connecting the dots between home and gym, new opportunities to develop additional revenue streams and secondary spend, and an overview of your business that you’ve never had before, enabling you to increase member acquisition and retention. Is it time you grew your virtual capabilities? n Andy Hall is sales director at Volution.

31 per cent aren’t returning to the gym, study finds A STUDY by Future Fit Training has revealed that more than a third (36 per cent) couldn’t wait to get back into the gym, 31 per cent wouldn’t be returning to the gym and 33 per cent are still undecided.

42 per cent of people said they were feeling nervous about going back to the gym.

A high number of 18-24 year olds were hesitant to return to gyms, with 82 per cent feeling nervous.

Only 16 per cent of 25-34 year olds said they were planning on going back to the gym, as well as a third (33 per cent) of 35-44 year olds.

41 per cent of 45-54 year olds and 64 per cent of 55-64 year olds were keen to get back to working out in the gyms.

Only 16 per cent of 65-plus year olds said they would be going back to the gym post-pandemic.

With this in mind, Future Fit Training has analysed some of the nation’s biggest towns and cities to reveal the PT and gym hotspots.

Bournemouth topped the ranking when it came to the number of gyms.

With 159 gyms and health centres overall and a relatively small population of 198,296, Bournemouth was revealed to have the highest number of gyms and health centres per person, with 80 per 100,000 people – more than anywhere else looked at.

Huddersfield was second on the list with 75, with Newcastle upon Tyne third (74), Bolton fourth (72) and Milton Keynes rounding off the top five with 71.

Plymouth proved to be the most popular city for personal training based on the number of courses purchased.

UK FITNESS SCENE

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As the fitness industry opens back up again and gyms across England, Wales and Northern Ireland welcome members through their doors, and gyms in Scotland due to open this month, we spoke to four industry experts to find out the lessons they’ve learned throughout this unprecedented time.

Lessons learned from coronavirus THE Covid-19 lockdown has proved that digital learning and assessment can be highly effective and does not mean poor quality. Flexibility and creativity are key, but remote and adapted assessment models for our centres, learners and apprentices have worked well.

We’ve proved it’s possible to deliver optimum customer service and fulfil the necessary functions of a regulated awarding organisation without a physical office presence. Even better, remote visits with our centres can maintain vital lines of communication and genuinely support their use of digital delivery and adapted assessments.

Rather than adapt products, packages and assessment protocols to ‘just get through’ the lockdown, we successfully updated and future-proofed our suite of services including eLearning, eManuals, Proctored exams, online assessments and digital certificates.

These have supported our training provider customers and brought us a new group of learners, particularly parttime students. For the first time ever, we launched a qualification – Working with Clients with Long-term Conditions – as an online option in lockdown before making the face-to-face version available.

Another revelation has been our success in completing remote visits with our centres and developing business

Jenny Patrickson

opportunities through virtual meetings.

The time regained from not travelling and the convenience of scheduling has been very welcome. We won’t switch 100 per cent to this as in-person contact is vital but dovetailing meetings with virtual sessions will become standard after lockdown.

Jenny Patrickson, managing director, Active IQ WE learned that we could pivot fast and online fitness is most definitely here to stay. No longer the poor relation to physical activity facilities, the creativity, ingenuity and sheer demand for digital workouts seen during lockdown has reshaped the leisure industry.

We learned that each of our clients

has a different pain point with varying abilities to adapt their business model to the new circumstances. We quickly realised our digital solutions had to be both flexible and diverse to engage Gympass members in a variety of ways.

That’s why we have everything from HIIT to mindfulness, family fitness to meditation and live group classes to oneto-one PT. No one size fits all with online wellness any more than it does on the ground.

Our digital services were brought forward in lockdown and our intention was always to add them to our fullservice platform long-term. The uptake and response have assured us we are most definitely on the right track. After lockdown lifts we will see people enjoy the best of both worlds – in the gyms, leisure centres and clubs and online whenever and wherever it suits them.

Covid-19 has taught us resilience and patience: we have enjoyed the challenge, not only holding our own but growing our business with solutions that will stand the test of time.

Eamon Lloyd, senior director – head of partnerships for UK&IE, Gympass THE biggest learning we’ve had through this time has been insight into the transition to offer a digital service.

Moving into digital has been a huge learning curve – something that was always important to us, but we had prioritised physical studio growth in the first instance, with digital growth being part of our longer term plan. Covid-19 changed that plan overnight.”

We are best known for our high standard Reformer Pilates and physiotherapy, both services that have traditionally been delivered face-to-face.

We had to move quickly and flexibly to pivot the business to enable us to focus on our digital offering, not just in terms of classes but also, more significantly, to offer Physiotherapy and Clinical Exercise Prescription consultations online.

Before lockdown, we had much fewer digital assets that we could rely on. Now, through delivering regular Instagram and streamed sessions, along with a significant investment in filming on-demand classes, we have a real wealth of content we are able to share.”

We’ve seen a huge appetite for online physio and clinical exercise during this time. Those with musculoskeletal issues or life-altering health conditions such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes have still been able to benefit from exercise prescription without needing to be in a studio. There has been a huge uptake in our mat-based classes too.

Delivering this combination of services online is important to us. We are known for our Circle of Care, which enables us to manage clients’ progress seamlessly from injury and treatment to full functional fitness. We’re now able to expand that Circle of care to include both online and face-to-face services, giving us an additional point of contact to support our clients though their journey, wherever they happen to be.”

The positive response from our customers has been overwhelming, we’re now excited to expand our new virtual and digital credentials and grow this element of the business further. Covid-19

has helped us tap into this new skillset as a business” Going forward we’re committed to delivering a blended online and offline service at Ten Health & Fitness. People’s lives are changing for the long term and the services they could access before might not always be accessible, so for us to be able to start someone in studio and then transition them to online is a huge opportunity.

Justin Rodgers, creative director, Ten Health & Fitness Martin Franklin

THE biggest development in recent months has been the importance of becoming more agile and responsive to our customers’ needs as they rapidly evolve. We’ve spent a great deal of time listening to exactly what our club partners and Instructors need to evolve and stay relevant in the face of changing consumer habits, then adapting our solutions to ensure we remain truly customer-centric.

I’m really proud of how our team was able to pivot and move much of our Instructor education and courses online in a matter of weeks.

This was a huge positive for everyone, both in the immediate and longerterm as we know that digital learning helps to remove boundaries and create opportunities for a much broader section of society. Another way we supported our instructors was by creating a new collection of workouts that enabled them to livestream workouts during lockdown.

It’s been a real gamechanger for Instructors to still be able to deliver classes and programmes throughout the pandemic, creating opportunities for them to earn, keep their skills sharp and maintain the connections they’ve worked hard to forge with club members.

We had to make rapid progress in a few short weeks to bring this solution to market and looking back now it’s something we probably should have considered even before Covid-19.

In addition to the livestream solution for keeping members engaged, we were quick to provide our club partners with access to a wealth of digital content within a few days of lockdown.

Through our digital fitness platform Les Mills On Demand we gave club partners a solution to provide their members with access to 1,000 world-class workouts completely free for 60 days – at substantial cost to our business in terms of tech set-up and licensing.

Going forward, on demand content and livestream classes will certainly remain a part of the new fitness landscape and present a golden opportunity for clubs to expand their reach beyond their traditional membership base.

Martin Franklin, CEO, Les Mills Europe

UK FITNESS SCENE

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EXI AND REFERALL COLLABORATE TO DELIVER PERSONALISED PROGRAMMES TO PATIENTS

EXi, the award-winning evidencebased exercise prescription App, has announced a new partnership with data management platform ReferAll to help significantly modernise and streamline the way in which exercise is prescribed to patients.

ReferAll is a data management platform used by more than 300 public health services.

The platform is widely used by Exercise Referral Schemes, which links referred patients to physical gyms and exercise groups. This new partnership enables the delivery of a digital programme, which will vastly improve uptake and provide greater choice when patients cannot attend in person.

EXi, which is NHS-approved, is the world’s first App to provide an automated yet personalised exercise prescription, based on the latest scientific evidence for safety and effectiveness to those suffering from 21 long-term conditions.

Chief executive of EXi, Carron Manning, said: “In the UK we are facing a stark health crisis and ultimately we must

place significantly more value on how we view the importance of healthy lifestyles as the first line of defence against some chronic conditions and sedentary lifestyles.

“There is a large volume of evidence to support the use of physical activity as an intervention and our partnership with ReferAll will help us to grow our network to enable increasingly more GP’s and patients, as well as members of the public, to make use of a digital personalised exercise programme.

“We want to see the prescription of personalised exercise programmes for patients become the norm as the advantages of making this happen are immeasurable.

“Being able to demonstrate an increase in ERS uptake rates, especially in those groups that are hard to reach currently, would be an outstanding outcome that would go some way to improving the population’s general health and alleviate mounting pressures on our healthcare system.”

EXi will sit as a link on the ReferAll platform so that when a Scheme

Administrator is speaking to a patient, they can give the option of using EXi as an exercise solution either independently or in conjunction with a traditional gymbased programme.

The ReferAll platform will then send the patient an invitation to download EXi and the patient will get started on the programme.

As they use the programme, EXi will pass health and exercise metrics seamlessly back to ReferAll, which the ERS administrator will have access to, allowing them to help manage and encourage the patient and report back on outcomes.

Stuart Stokes, MD at ReferAll, added: “We are thrilled our partnership will enable ReferAll to offer a digital programme to our clients.

“As many of our customers look to re-start their services, capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions is going to be a real issue.

“Offering EXi as an option alongside face-to-face and remote sessions delivered via telephone or video conferencing will be a game changer in

Advertiser’s announcement

the fight to tackle rising referral rates and capacity concerns.”

In the UK more than 20 million people are classed as living an inactive, sedentary lifestyle, and almost as many are diagnosed with at least one chronic disease.

The management of people with chronic conditions accounts for 70 per cent of the annual NHS budget and 50 per cent of GP appointments.

The EXi app automates a personalised exercise programme for the management or prevention of multiple chronic diseases and/or people with sedentary lifestyles.

It analyses health, current fitness level, disease status and resting heart rate, and produces a personalised physical activity plan that gradually and safely helps increase activity levels and improve health.

It is considered the most evidencebased behaviour change application currently available with backing from Apple, ukactive, Sport England, NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme and many more global health organisations.

Company sees an increase in demand despite the pandemic WITH more than 10 years’ experience of supplying a range of clothing lines, from sportswear to branded uniform and personalised protective equipment, Instyle Clothing has seen a dramatic increase in activity despite the impact of the global pandemic on the fitness industry.

Three services in particular have been key to the success of Instyle Clothing in recent months: n Supply of new staff uniforms and embroidery of brand logo. n Branded facemasks. n Bespoke embroidery work.

It is the latter of the three that goes to show the level of commitment operators across the UK have invested to make sure their facility is not only clean

and safe to use, but also looks the part too.

It’s never been more important to provide a memorable member experience and present a high-quality gym environment.

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For further details please email info@instyleclothing.co.uk or call 01257 264738.

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Essential guidance for gyms in the fight against Covid-19 infections GYMS that are once again open need to be hypervigilant for germ hotspots in their establishments, particularly as the Government indicates a potential second wave is looming, urges hand sanitiser and disinfectants manufacturer Zidac Laboratories.

While the nation remains diligent with hand washing and hand sanitisation, certain environments within gyms will inevitably create a high risk for bacteria crosscontamination.

Luigi-Jurica Weissbarth, managing director of Zidac Laboratories, advises what gym operators should look for when purchasing hand sanitisers and disinfectants for their employee and customer use, and where the common bacteria hotspots lurk.

1. Keep bacteria-breeding grounds clean – It is advisable to provide hand sanitisation and disinfectants near or by these top seven hot spots that will be frequently touched by individuals: n Entrance door handles. n Changing rooms and washrooms (customers and employees). n Exercise machines, including seat adjusters. n Weight machine adjusters. n Seats and tables in rest areas. n Dumbells and barbells. n Stair and escalator handrails. n Gym lockers. n Water fountains. n Employee break out zones.

2. Not all hand sanitisers are created equal – Avoid inferior products. Look for a hand sanitiser that contains at least 70 per cent alcohol. This is the active ingredient that kills germs by dissolving them and for it to be fully antibacterial products must contain his high percentage.

3. Has it passed ‘The Test’? – When a sanitiser has gone through the correct testing methods, manufacturers are permitted to state the percentage of bacteria it will kill on the front of the bottle. This provides an additional level of assurance for customers visiting the gyms. Look for a product that clearly states it kills at least 99.9 per cent of germs and viruses

5. Make it accessible – In order to encourage gym goers to use sanitiser, it needs to be readily available and easy to use. Dispensers with foot pumps are a great way to avoid cross contamination and encourage people to regularly use sanitiser.

Luigi added: “Fortunately, we had already expanded our capacity at the end of last year so we can meet the significant demand which has increased because of

Covid. We want to be here for the gym trade who are seeking quality, high value products.”

Zidac Laboratories was first established in 2017 as a manufacturer of personal care products.

The business has enjoyed an impressive year on year growth since launch, largely due to major contracts won to supply own-label goods to leading retailers and pharmaceutical groups including Superdrug, Lidl, Tesco and Phoenix Group in addition to supplying trade and business operators with antibacterial and sanitising products.

Luigi concluded: “We are currently tracking hygiene trends and what has become apparent from the business sector is the need for effective yet gentle antibacterial hygiene products as employee and customer average daily usage rate significantly increased.

“Our product has given us an edge over other competitors in the trade thanks to its non-drying, skinfriendly formulation.”

allowing administrators to manage card access either locally or remotely.

In Standalone Mode, administrators can use a Keypad Programmer (sold separately) to manage locks individually.

Up to 50 User Cards, 10 Technician Cards and one Master Card can be allocated to each lock.

Remote Card Authorisation Mode is a better option for administrators that need to manage

large numbers of lockers, as it offers convenient remote management for up to 250 locks within a lock group.

RCA Mode offers remote management allowing Card Clients to be authorised via a PC using offline or cloud-based software and a Smart Card Reader.

The Standalone and RCA Modes both support Private and Public Function – making this a versatile solution for securing lockers in any situation. In Public Function, the lock can be given a maximum lock time or be set to open at a specific time – ensuring fair use of lockers.

In Private Function, when extra authentication is required, the lock can be programmed to unlock when two authorised cards are presented within five seconds of each other.

An RCA Audit Card can be used to read an individual lock’s data, and then uploaded to the software when presented to the card reader.

The KL1100 RFID is straightforward to install and a simple retrofit to the popular KL1000 footprint.

It is easy to operate and features a powered latch which enables intuitive ‘push shut’ closing, enhancing the customer experience.

The KL1100 RFID is a stylish keyless lock that gives any locker or environment an elegant, contemporary feel. www.codelocks.co.uk/ kl1100-rfid-kitlock-locker-lock

4. Is it gentle and caring? – Increased hand washing can become uncomfortable but guidelines still state the need to wash hands for 20 seconds to kill off germs.

This can make skin react poorly, becoming dry, cracked and painful when using gym equipment and a harsh sanitiser will only exacerbate the problem and discourage users from thoroughly cleaning their hands.

Look for a product that contains soothing properties such as aloe vera for employees who will apply a hand sanitiser frequently throughout the day

Codelocks adds sophistication to KitLock range DIGITAL lock innovator Codelocks continues to provide smarter access for everyone with the introduction of the stylish and versatile KL1100 RFID lock to its KitLock by Codelocks range.

The new KL1100 RFID is a smart card operated lock designed for both public and private lockers.

Users can simply lock and unlock the KL1100 RFID at the touch of a card.

Public Function is suitable for short-term multioccupancy applications such as gyms, hotels and hospitals.

Private Function is best for users that require regular access to a personal locker, such as a students or employees.

Featuring a sleek, slimline front design, the KL1100 RFID is available in a metallic silver or gloss black finish. It is ideal for leisure centres, universities and offices looking to enhance or upgrade their facilities.

Managing director Colin Campbell said: “We are excited to launch this new addition to our KitLock

by Codelocks range. It is perfect for building and facilities managers that need to manage large quantities of lockers, as they benefit from issuing and managing cards from reception desks.

“For anyone looking to upgrade their lockers with contactless smart access control, the KL1100 RFID offers a classy, modern design that enhances any application.”

The KL1100 RFID can be operated in two modes,

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UK FITNESS SCENE

14

Advertiser’s announcement

NEW ONLINE MUSIC LICENCE FOR FITNESS INSTRUCTORS LAUNCHED

EMD UK, the national governing body for group exercise, has launched a new music licence for fitness instructors and personal trainers.

The licence, created in partnership with PRS for Music, gives instructors the legal right to play original artists and copyrighted music online in their virtual classes for the first time.

Since the UK went into lockdown on March 23, many instructors and fitness brands have taken their group exercise classes into an online setting.

However, the complexities of music licensing meant that many were now unable to use the playlists that their class goers knew and loved.

Due to legalities around synchronisation rights and royalties, music used in public settings cannot be used in the same way for online classes. This created a huge problem for instructors, where music is one of the key components of class enjoyment.

As the national governing body for group exercise, EMD UK sought to solve this issue for the fitness industry. In April they entered into a dialogue with PRS for Music, who represent more than 140,000 artists, producers, composers and songwriters.

Following agreement from all parties, an agreement was formed, and the music licence was launched on July 29.

Brett Pearson, head of sales and marketing for EMD UK, led the campaign for the music licence to be created.

He said: “When you think of any song, you don’t necessarily think of the amount of people involved in its creation.

“Uptown Funk, for example, has 11 different contributors who between them are represented by five different publishers.

“That’s five separate agreements to negotiate before heading off to the record company to pay for the right to use the sound recording; that’s just for one track.”

Despite the challenges, Brett was able to work with PRS for Music to get all peoples represented to agree to the new licence.

“We’re thrilled to be able to offer this to fitness instructors,” he added.

“They have battled huge obstacles in keeping their businesses afloat during lockdown while providing an online exercise service to communities across the UK. “This licence will make a huge

difference to many and mean that more instructors can create sustainable online fitness businesses, now and beyond lockdown.”

One such instructor who knows the struggles of music for online classes is Anna Martin, owner of Always Moving Forward.

She added “The lightning speed with which fitness instructors had to move online was made more difficult by having to tiptoe around music licensing laws.

“For some instructors this meant dropping classes completely, which has had a huge impact on their individual businesses as well as on those of the companies who offer branded concepts in the UK. “Thanks to this license we now have the freedom to both pre-record content for our participants and live stream our classes using our clients’ favourite tracks.

“This enables us the flexibility to choose between the incredible licensefree music on the market as well as chart music keeping everyone happy.

“It is a giant leap forward for the future of the UK’s fitness industry levelling the playing field between the independent community instructor and the multinational online fitness companies. Thank

you EMD UK.” Instructors across the country had to adapt quickly when lockdown began, seeking out appropriate platforms on which to stream their classes, setting up a safe space at home to film them and adapting all session plans to an online environment.

Discovering then that they couldn’t use their regular class music was a huge blow.

PRS for Music were very welcome to introducing the new licence.

Andy Provan, head of licensing (productions and sales), PRS for Music, said: “PRS for Music is very pleased to be working alongside EMD UK to offer an easy and affordable licensing solution for instructors wishing to use our members’ songs to teach their classes online.

“Through offering the Limited Online Music Licence with synchronisation rights included we are helping instructors to adapt to the new ways of working, while also providing great value to both EMD UK and PRS/MCPS members.”

The new licence is now available to purchase from EMD UK. Visit https://emduk.org/onlinefitness-music-licence/

Southampton PT sets up website to support fitness industry SOUTHAMPTON based personal trainer Jason Lovett has set up a new website to support fellow coaches in the fitness industry.

The Find Your Fitness website is designed to allow trainers to sell their services while keeping control of their brand and prices.

Once trainers are registered then members of the public can search to find the trainer or service right for them.

Find Your Fitness came about after Jason was looking for a way to market

his own personal training business without losing his brand identity or being restricted on the prices he could charge.

After doing some research he set about creating the online platform.

Jason said: “The reason I wanted to start this platform was to help the whole fitness industry by having an online selling function that would be free and easy to use.

“The platform allows businesses to brand their ‘shop’ and also link to their social media accounts so they retain full

control of their business. Anyone that registers is then vetted to ensure they have the required qualifications for the services they offer.

“Once we have a pool of trainers ready to go then individuals can search for the trainer or service right for them.

One of the main reasons people don’t stick with a trainer is that they have chosen the wrong one for them - so this platform will open up much more choice for the consumer.”

Visit www.findyourfitness.co.uk Jason Lovett

01844 348 300

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Why is angry music popular at gyms?

By Damon Culbert GYM anxiety receives around 250 Google searches a month as many people feel trepidation about exercising in public spaces, with ‘fear of being judged’ also receiving around 150 searches a month.

There are studies which show that music can have a considerable effect on reducing anxiety in the listener, which could be a reason why workout playlists are one of Spotify’s most popular user-made genres.

But what kind of music puts in the best attitude for a gym session?

How does music affect our anxiety levels, concentration and stamina and do the songs favoured by gym-goers reflect the science?

We recently carried out a study to determine the most popular workout songs on Spotify.

We then carried out a sentiment analysis to identify the most common attitudes of these songs, discovering that, overall, workout music had an average sentiment score of -0.318.

The study found that only five songs in the top 50 had a positive sentiment, while over half were explicitly negative.

Top 10 negative songs Kanye West – Black Skinhead.

Papa Roach – Last Resort.

Skrillex & Rick Ross – Purple Lamborghini.

Drake – One Dance.

Tones & I – Dance Monkey.

Kendrick Lamar – HUMBLE. Desiigner – Panda.

people’s interest in them could be higher.

However, in 500 playlists surveyed, the top positive songs only appeared 149 times, in comparison with the negative songs, which were featured more than 700 times.

Therefore, the power of positivity isn’t enough to overcome our love of angry music at the gym.

Jay-Z & Kanye West – Paris.

Skillet – Monster.

J Cole – MIDDLE CHILD. Common themes Anger, frustration and hatred appear to be common themes, particularly among these top songs.

This could suggest that we feel we perform better in the gym with angry music.

With a combination of insecurity around working out in public and a focus on higher levels of exertion at the gym, angry music could be the ideal way to channel our frustration at how we feel about being the gym into a satisfying workout.

Positive songs Kanye West – POWER. Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa – One Kiss.

Dynoro – In My Mind.

A$Ap Rocky and Skepta – Praise the Lord (Da Shine).

R3HAB – All Around the World (La La La).

Interestingly enough, Kanye West tops both the positive and the negative song charts.

His song ‘Black Skinhead’ features only 26 times, compared with ‘POWER’ which features 42 times in our study.

This could mean that, although there are fewer positive songs overall,

Music’s effects on concentration and mental health This study suggests that music with lyrics improved perceived exertion and heart rate as opposed to music without.

Additionally, this study showed music increased oxygen uptake, flexibility and wellbeing, as well as reduced blood pressure.

While the studies aren’t explicit about the genres of music used, this does support the perception that lyrics have an influential effect on our performance.

Though it isn’t explicit what kind of music these studies used to reach their conclusions, from our own research, the vast majority of gymgoers opt for angrier, more negative music.

While angry music may not seem like the best approach to overcoming insecurity, it could be a useful way, especially for new gym-goers or those who haven’t set foot in a gym for a long time, to overcome the initial fear about public exercise. n Damon Culbert is from A-List Nutrition, supplier of leading US supplements in the UK.

Excelsior offers free online education to help the industry ‘return to work’ Advertiser’s announcement

FITNESS industry consultants Chris Rock, Keith Smith and Allan Collins from Excelsior have developed a series of education modules to support the industry during the reopening phase Return-to-work is a four-part learning programme, available online at no cost, and is aimed at helping the fitness industry to lead, communicate and engage more effectively at this time.

Chris said: “In response to our customer

feedback on their needs, we have created a bespoke learning pathway to support the industry, with knowledge designed to support the re-opening process.

“In particular these topics will focus key considerations around empathy, engagement, conflict management and programming.”

Fitness consumers have new needs and the industry must now adapt and respond accordingly.

By completing these four short modules, staff will be able to strengthen relationships by demonstrating empathy, and creating personalised member experiences.

The first two sections have been designed to support all front-line staff, and the next two specifically provide support to gym teams.

1. Re-Instilling Empathy – 8 Lessons, 8 Reviews – 160 minutes.

2. Re-Solving Fear & Conflict – 8 Lessons, 8 Reviews – 160 minutes.

3. Re-Engaging – 7 Lessons, 7 Reviews – 140 minutes.

Excelsior fitness industry consultants Keith Smith and Chris Rock. work, assisting them with engaging 4. Re-Programming – 8 Lessons, 8 Reviews – appropriately, at the right time.

160 minutes.

“We would recommend that operators Recognised by Active IQ, Return to follow up on their staff’s digital learnings, work modules are available to fitness with in-house development sessions. professionals, online and FREE OF “This will help embed the knowledge, CHARGE over the next 10 weeks as the while providing a great opportunity to industry begins to open up again. deliver engaging, confidence building Keith added: “This is about face to face training” making both customers and staff To sign up for the FREE series visit Excelsior.TeachM. online or email enquiries@edt.education feel comfortable when returning to

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UK FITNESS SCENE

18

Advertiser’s announcement

Skillrun set to be the North West’s boutique breakthrough at Body Hub WHEN Stefan Quirk and Samantha Barrett decided to open a high-end fitness facility in Wilmslow, Cheshire, they knew exactly what the brand needed to offer.

Basing classes around Technogym Skillrun helped drive home Body Hub’s forward-thinking approach to fitness.

“We spotted a gap in the market between personal training and regular gym training,” said Stefan.

“People in this area are switched on about the science of fitness so we wanted to fill that need for the local area of Wilmslow,” added Sammy.

“They want to track their fitness, and get the most out of training. We knew Body Hub needed to offer a sciencebased service where everything was quantifiable.”

The duo wanted to launch with the best level of technology and equipment in the area, and chose Technogym Skillrun and Skillrun Class.

Skillrun boutique studio Body Hub offers a Skillrun Class boutique studio, located in the North West and is a sure sign that boutique success is spreading outside the capital.

“Body Hub offers a complete workout within a 45-minute class,” added Sammy.

“And Skillrun makes that possible. With

Skillrun we can programme resistance work and cardio into one class.”

“There’s nothing else like Skillrun,” said Stefan. “Our members can do so much on this one piece of kit – from sled push and parachute runs to strength work. Running can get pretty boring and repetitive, but this makes for an interesting and scalable class.”

Creating community with a small team “Body Hub is a science-based, high end facility, but it’s also a warm and welcoming place to be,” said Sammy.

“We always intended to be forwardthinking, keeping up with industry trends. When we reopen, we’ll be in a great position to respond to any shifts in cultural values around keeping fit and healthy.”

Stefan – who has more than 15 years’ experience as a PT and instructor – will be head PT, and the duo aim to build a solid sense of belonging through a team of just five personal trainers who will deliver PT, small group training, and teach all classes.

“We want members and trainers to get to know each other, and have a reliable sense of continuity through our personal trainers,” said Stefan.

“The team will have an amazing amount of knowledge, so members

can find the answer to any fitness and wellbeing question right here.”

Body Hub’s personal trainers will be a constant point of contact for members whether they attend classes, PT sessions, or both. It was important that all Body Hub’s PTs were fully on board with the Skillrun technology.

Creating a fitness community By introducing Skillrun class to the timetable, Body Hub offer something fresh to the area, giving locals a way to bond over an exciting new experience.

“This is a social community,” said Stefan.

“Body Hub will be a great place to connect over a mutual love of the fitness lifestyle. It’s going to be much more than a gym.

“As the name suggests, it’s going to be a hub for knowledge and building healthy habits.”

Body Hub will offer up to eight classes a day incorporating Skillrun, with Technogym Skillrun Class as a separate offering.

“Skillrun Class gives runners variety in their training,” said Sammy.

“It makes metrics like power and endurance quantifiable. Runners love the biofeedback from Skillrun machines, which is sent straight to their phones

so they can monitor progress and see improvements after each class.”

Top-end equipment for a science-based facility “When choosing equipment, we decided to go in at the top end and work our way down,” said Stefan.

“But we never got past number one.

We saw Skillrun and knew we had found our solution. Technogym showed us around and gave us some initial training, and we were immediately struck by how much it can do.”

“Technogym were a great help with the layout of our facility, too,” added Sammy.

“They looked at our interior design layout and talked to us about what we’d like and where, before coming up with some great designs for us to choose from.

“Later on, they sent their training team to meet with our PTs and give them full training on how to use Skillrun, how to format a class, and how to use the mywellness platform to design classes from home.”

As Stefan and Sammy are planning how to create the most engaging and effective classes and PT sessions using Skillrun. For the local community, Body Hub will aim to help people get fitter and perform better with the best tech and equipment on the market.

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UK FITNESS SCENE

20

Advertiser’s announcement

POWER PLATE RESPONDS TO MARKET OPPORTUNITIES Background

overnight, commercial partners were our top priority.

FOR more than two decades Power Plate has defined the whole body and targeted vibration training and therapy category.

We knew they would need our support with operations, and directly with members.

As studios and fitness facilities were keen to deliver classes digitally and fast, Power Plate allowed members to carry on their weekly workouts, live on social media and on-demand via the app.

Its products and protocols are used around the world by professional sports teams and fitness pioneers.

Helping users prepare faster, perform better, and recover quicker,makes them feel better by stimulating natural reflexes, increasing muscle activation, and improving circulation.

Power Plate delivers health, fitness and wellness results, whatever the fitness level or training style, and with accelerated results, it is a great solution for gyms and health clubs assessing their options for re-engaging members

Iain Murray

into their facilities.

Iain Murray, sales director, UK talks to Workout Magazine about business growth in difficult times.

Adapting to change When the world changed

With commercial clubs closing indefinitely, Power Plate quickly shifted the business to focus on members exercising at home, knowing that these customers would need and want to continue their exercise regimes during lockdown.

Business growth Power Plate has been fortunate to be able to grow

significantly in at home sales throughout the lockdown period, with the demand for home fitness equipment going through the roof.

Our targeted vibration products (TVPs) have proved a huge success with elite athletes forced to train at home, supporting their performance, recovery and rehabilitation.

We have also worked closely with our retail partners to meet the growing demand for effective and efficient exercise equipment at home.

The strategy to shift focus quickly to at home and elite markets whilst maintaining close relationships with our commercial settings, has been the driving force behind this success and growth.

Continued on page 21

Don’t miss our new Targeted Vibration Products! The Power Plate® Pulse™ is now also available in matte black.

UK FITNESS SCENE

21

Advertiser’s announcement

POWER PLATE FUTURE MOVES Continued from page 20

Future moves Growth sectors Prior to lock down, Power Plate teamed up with FORA, REGUS and UK Active to deliver education across flexible workspaces in London, in a bid to support workers and encourage corrective posture and movement to combat sitting disease.

This work is set to continue as we look to roll out workplace wellness.

The care sector also holds great opportunities for Power Plate and we recently formed a partnership with Berkley care homes to deliver wellness solutions to patients who have suffered chronic illnesses as a result of lockdown and the restrictive measures they

have imposed on our older populations.

Elite sport is an additional area of focus with clubs and individuals utilising the wide applications of Power Plate to help them Prepare, Perform and Recover.

Our training team support clubs such as England Rugby, Worcester Warriors, Wales FC, Arsenal and Manchester CIty FC alongside athletes such as Beth Mead, Raheem Sterling and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Education Underpinning this strategy is, as always, our internationally renowned education.

Director of training and education Steve Powell and a global network of master trainers, are available to support and deliver both online and face to face sessions for customers across

all sectors.

in its armoury.

It’s our mission to widen the understanding and application of vibration training within fitness, health and wellness education.

On the back of the successful launches of MOVE and TVPs late in 2019 first off the blocks is the new ‘black edition’ range, available now.

Power Plate is working in partnership with Cardiff Met University to support their new Masters Strength and Conditioning courses in vibration training as an integral part of their learning pathway.

The sleek new matte black commercial Power Plate models will be well placed within a variety of different health and wellness environments from health clubs, hospitality, and healthcare, to corporate fitness, and performance facilities.

So, as we look ahead to Q3 and Q4 of 2020 there are some exciting projects underway and as we continue to innovate and move forwards as a brand, we’re confident that the growth we have experienced during this period will continue.

Product Moving forward, Power Plate has a number of new products

As part of our Trade in Trade up initiative, clubs can upgrade older models to this new, premium version.

Drive value by adding a vibration training area for members to prepare, perform and recover with a proven technology shown to accelerate workouts.

UK FITNESS SCENE

22

Advertiser’s announcement

THE SMARTER, SHORTER, SAFER SOLUTION Fitness consumers have new needs.

They are increasingly concerned about safety, physical distance, hygiene standards and managing anxiety, as well as maintaining their usual health and wellness practices.

How health clubs lead in their response to this change is key to ensuring the confidence of their communities – both

customers and co-workers – so that they can continue to make a positive contribution.

As a trusted partner, Power Plate supports this change so that health clubs can open with certainty and create new conversations with members and local communities.

Consistency and commitment in new

SHORTER – Operate your business with ease – Reduce Complexity, Increase Efficiency, Improve Results, Retention SMARTER – Keep your business and Revenue!

Relevant; Diversify, Differentiate and n All in one - no other Adapt. equipment on the gym floor does n Diversify with health care more. integration. n Promote general well-being as n Enables Personal Training, Small Group Training and selfwell as fitness and performance. serve applications. n Lead with precise and n Requires less equipment to patented technology. n Offer an advanced / integrated achieve accelerated results. n Suits variety of training styles solution. and abilities. n Provide the only certified medical device on the gym floor. n Simple booking management allows for planning ahead. n Results hacker – accelerated n Prepare, Perform, Recover all results in less time. in one multifunctional full body n Easy to use interface. n Space efficient models come in tool. different sizes and colours.

Here’s how Power Plate can help:

protocols and procedures will drive levels of comfort and connection, and Power Plate can help make it easy for clubs to welcome everyone back.

The very nature of Power Plate technology delivers better results in less time and with their return to the gym, members are seeking new ways to workout safer, in shorter time slots, without compromising results.

SAFER – Boost Member Satisfaction – Improve Confidence, Experience, and Engagement n Improve interaction and engagement with members. n Reduce anxiety with decreased facility exposure. n Easy to clean surfaces before / after use. n No need to move around, members can stay in one place. n One person / one machine = limitless applications. n Members feel safe and secure with a consistent and controlled environment. n Easy to use and efficient means members achieve goals in less time. n All modalities covered without having to change machines.

For more information contact sales@powerplate.com, call 0207 317 5000 or visit powerplate.com

UK FITNESS SCENE

23

Advertiser’s announcement

Now is the time to upskill to meet post Covid-19 health and obesity challenges

By Dr Dane Vishnubala AS LEISURE facilities open their doors, the industry is welcoming members back to a strange new fitness world.

Among the fit and focused individuals resuming their much-loved gym routines and group exercise sessions, operators will be seeing people looking to gain – or regain – their fitness after being impacted mentally or physically by Covid-19 or lockdown.

In addition, the government’s renewed fight against obesity is giving fresh impetus to those needing to lose weight to seek help.

But are our instructors and trainers ready? Do they have the necessary skills to engage, motivate and train people needing extra support to combat obesity, overcome anxiety or depression and restore cardiovascular and respiratory health?

Rather than seeing our post-lockdown society as posing a challenge to the fitness sector, we should consider it an opportunity to refresh and broaden our skills to meet this demand.

Prior to Covid-19, there was a distinct movement to close the gap between GPs and PTs. ‘Exercise on Prescription’ is hardly a new concept, but now there is new energy behind making it work.

Having worked on the front line during the Covid-19 pandemic, I know only too well the devastating impact this disease

has had on people, many previously considered to be in good health.

Of course, those with underlying health issues have been at far greater risk of dying and that has been a huge wake-up call for us all revealing how long term conditions don’t just impact your dayto-day, they leave you very vulnerable to other illnesses.

In the UK, an estimated 15 million people are living with at least one longterm health condition. The Covid-19 crisis has exacerbated this with many people’s complex, yet non-urgent, health needs being put on-hold. Rightly,

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the NHS Long-Term Plan has placed a significant focus on prevention rather than cure with social prescribing look to physical activity professionals to support this agenda.

This was a key consideration at Active IQ when we partnered with Nuffield Health to create the Level 3 Diploma in Working with Clients with Long-term Conditions.

Designed to give fitness professionals all the skills and confidence they need to help make a difference to people’s health, it covers a range of conditions including cardiorespiratory,

musculoskeletal and mental health conditions, neurological conditions such as Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease plus working with clients who have hypo/hyperthyroidism, cancer, dementia and connective tissue diseases.

With such a range of conditions potentially facing a fitness instructor, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution.

PTs must upskill to adapt the principles of exercise to the client in front of them, depending on their aims, goals and comorbidities.

As well as knowledge of conditions and how to create exercise programmes tailored to these, being able to change a person’s behaviour is important.

After all, if you can’t support the person to change their behaviour, the contents of the exercise programme hardly matter. Therefore, it’s important to ensure fitness professionals have these skills and this is reflected in the new course.

Covid-19 and the latest obesity strategy are shining a light on how our industry can help treat long term conditions through exercise and work alongside healthcare professionals.

Not only is this a clear call to action, it’s an opportunity for instructors to upskill and play their part in the nation’s recovery. n Dr Dane Vishnubala is the chief medical advisor at Active IQ.

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UK FITNESS SCENE

24

Advertiser’s announcement

THREE TOP TIPS FOR REOPENING GYMS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

MANY gyms in the UK successfully opened their doors for the first time in more than three months recently – although none of them looked the same.

Social distancing, temperature checks and additional cleaning, as well as a significantly reduced class timetable and class sizes, are just some of the measures that gyms have adopted in order to reopen safely, but where does this leave the experience that gymgoers will receive, and how will this impact visitor numbers?

As the third largest in Europe behind Germany and the UK, France represents nine per cent of the overall European fitness market, and is reported to be worth €2,556m – nearly half the size of the UK. Gyms across France reopened on June 2, and data from TSG’s gym clients in France tells an interesting story. Around the country, 98 per cent of gyms had reopened by the end of June, with fewer than one per cent closing permanently; overall, men returned to gyms faster than women, with men under 30 most likely to return to gym exercise.

Key insights: 1. Overall visits in the first week of reopening in France were down 63 per cent on the same week in 2019, but by week two this figure had almost halved (35 per cent), and by week five, overall visitor numbers were just three per cent down on visitor figures for that same week in 2019.

2. Post Covid-19, men under 30 are exercising more than they did last year.

By week four of gyms reopening in France, visits by men under 30 were up seven per cent on the same time last year – this figure grew to nearly 11 per cent by week six of reopening.

Low cost gyms also saw a surge in attendance by men under 30, with visits in week three up 28 per cent, and by week four up 27 per cent, compared to the same time last year.

3. Lower cost gyms and fitness clubs are also proving most popular with French gym-members. By week three of reopening, overall visits to low cost gyms and health clubs were up three per cent on last year, and up 12 per cent on last year by week four. In contrast, overall visits to all gyms and health clubs were still down six per cent on last year, by week four of reopening.

Based on the data from gym and health club re-openings in France, the next few weeks may be uncertain, yet by weeks four to five of reopening, attendance figures are set to become increasingly positive for gym owners across the UK. Christina Hamilton, CCO – UK & Europe at TSG, shares three top tips for UK gym owners to help maximise attendance in the weeks after reopening: Tip one: Continue to build member confidence Gym visit data from our French clients shows that the initial reopening week saw low visits compared to the equivalent week in 2019, even when accounting for a bank holiday falling during opening week, and some gyms opening later in June. So, although the story might not be the same in the UK, UK gym owners must be prepared to experience the same lower figures initially upon reopening, seeing confidence increasing week by week and peaking around four-five weeks after reopening.

To encourage higher visitor numbers, every visit to a gym or leisure centre must be a positive experience. Ensure your members feel safe, using your business management software to keep your facilities running smoothly with online and in-app bookings, contact-free check-ins, cashless receptions, limited class sizes, monitoring capacity, and scheduling cleaning and quality checks.

Remember that word of mouth is the most powerful tool. As members return, find ways to encourage them to share positive experiences. Ask them to share

their workout on social media, write a review or bring a friend with them to try the experience for themselves, rewarding the original customer through a ‘refer a friend’ scheme.

Furthermore, communication is key.

Keep talking to your members by looking at outbound calling campaigns to engage members who may have frozen or suspended their membership and find out why. Consider surveying members after their first visit, or even after every visit, so any negative feedback can be resolved quickly.

Tip two: Futureproof and rethink your offering In France, figures show that those aged under 30 are returning faster than other age groups, overtaking figures seen in 2019 by weeks five and six of reopening.

On the other hand, over 60s have been the slowest to return with visitor numbers still down 13 per cent on last year by week six of reopening. So how can UK gyms adapt to this change in demographic?

Technology is there for the taking, and there are numerous examples of how gyms have used technology during the lockdown period to keep customers engaged. This same attitude must continue now that gyms have reopened, with a constant view of strengthening the business’ operating model with digital fitness services.

From live-streamed classes to outdoor workouts, many have become accustomed to working out away from the gym. Offer digital or virtual exercise options as a part of membership packages, or as a standalone option, to reach members wherever they want to exercise – especially with a variety of different price-points.

UK gyms should also consider their scheduling carefully. Members of all ages may stay away for many reasons.

Review and adjust your schedule regularly to increase capacity and create opportunities for everyone to enjoy their

preferred classes and activities. Look at introducing options for older members more widely or having dedicated access hours for vulnerable groups like supermarkets, to encourage this demographic to return.

Tip three: Review your pricing regularly When examining visits to French budget or low-cost health clubs, data shows that members were much more likely to return, especially in weeks three to four of reopening (overall visits were up 12 per cent by week four). Furthermore, under 30s were visiting at greater levels than 2019 by week two (week three saw visits by members aged under 30 up 22 per cent, growing to 25 per cent by week four). Even those aged 30-60 were visiting more often by week four (up three per cent).

Cost is clearly a factor, and the data suggests that gymgoers may be looking for lower-cost options at this time and more likely to keep up attendance when they can afford to maintain a membership.

To combat this, UK gym owners must revisit their pricing strategy; what might have worked pre-COVID-19 might not necessarily work now. Covid-19 is having an ongoing financial impact on people of all ages, especially those aged 17-24, so introducing lower-cost membership options may help to attract and retain members with limited budgets. Look at ways to drive ongoing engagement and identify opportunities for cross-selling (e.g. access to additional facilities) and upgrades when the time is right.

With the right insights into why members are cancelling and freezing, gym owners can identify those experiencing financial hardship and give their team the ability to offer temporary or ongoing rate reductions.

Ensure the management system has the functionality to record and report on reasons for cancellations or freezes, to inform future decisions.

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Strength in numbers – Work Out to Help Out

By David Stalker

I AM in awe of the global health and fitness sector and what it has achieved over the last five months.

Faced with a new and terrifying virus, across the world operators and suppliers have come together to support each other and keep the sector alive through partnership, innovation and the sharing of knowledge and best practice.

We’ve seen countless examples of owners and operators venturing beyond their comfort zones and getting to grips with new technology to transform their businesses – often in just a few days – to bring physical health, mental wellbeing and social connection to both members

and non-members, wherever they want to work out.

I’m proud of the way our sector has come out fighting and how it has used its collective voice to get our clubs and centres reopened to provide a vital service to the public. It’s this unity and solidarity that is going to get us through the crisis.

And we are drawing on this unity and solidarity to drive our new global #WorkOuttoHelpOut campaign.

Developed to bring the fitness community together and to showcase to the world the powerful impact of regular physical activity on physical and mental health, #WorkOuttoHelpOut will provide a platform for everyone – operators,

suppliers, individual fitness professionals and members of the community – to join together and celebrate the power of exercise.

We know that being overweight and unfit puts people at greater risk of serious illness or death from Covid-19.

This fitness industry is uniquely placed to help individuals fight the disease by improving their physical and mental health and boosting their immune system through regular physical activity.

We have the knowledge, skills and expertise to guide and support people at whatever stage of the fitness journey they may find themselves, from the novice to the elite.

We have the tools and technology

to allow them to engage in activity however and wherever they want to exercise, be that in our facilities, at home or in the great outdoors.

By supporting people to make potentially life-saving changes in the face of this pandemic, we are protecting our businesses, our communities and the global fitness sector.

These are unprecedented times.

Our sector has demonstrated an immense capacity for support and solidarity. Let’s keep it going. Let’s all #WorkOuttoHelpOut For more information, visit https:// www.myzone.org/work-out-to-help-out n David Stalker is the CEO of Myzone EMEA.

On the frontline supporting operators after lockdown IT HAS been a number of weeks since leisure facilities and fitness clubs in England were given the green light to reopen to the public, and ServiceSport has been on the frontline supporting operators as they adjust to life in the fitness industry after lockdown.

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Although there is still a long way to go before facilities reach full capacity again, ServiceSport continues to work closely with operators to KEEP GYMS HEALTHY. For more detail on how we can support you please email sales@ servicesport.co.uk or call 01257 264 738.

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