Workout Weekly October 28

Active Nation becomes first to offer Les Mills via Wexer’s new mobile app

ACTIVE Nation has become the first operator in the UK to offer Les Mills content to members via Wexer’s new white-label mobile app.

The move is a continuation of the leisure operator’s strategy to break down barriers to participation, making it as easy as possible for anyone to access high quality fitness content, whenever, wherever they choose.

“Active Nation Anywhere, our first mobile member app is powered by Wexer’s new mobile app technology and enables individuals to better selfmanage their health and wellbeing journey through access to world-class fitness content”, said Stuart Martin, managing director, Active Nation.

“Les Mills classes have been integral to our group exercise offer for many years.

“Now, through offering access to this familiar and best-in-class content from anywhere via our mobile app, we can reach more people, encouraging them to lead more active lifestyles for a happier, healthier and more fulfilling future.”

Les Mills content is accessible free of charge to anyone who has downloaded the Active Nation Anywhere app.

Currently, the library consists of a comprehensive mix of Les Mills product

offerings with functionality to enable Active Nation’s own, Les Mills certified instructors to upload their own content, helping to bridge the gap between the in-club and the out-of-club experience.

Stuart added: “Many of the tech giants are entering the wellness market, with mobile fitness offers. Where we still have the advantage is the opportunity to link app users back to purpose-built facilities

housing expertise and an opportunity to work out with other, like-minded people.

“Creating a wraparound solution that enables people to connect with our brand and services wherever they are and build an experience that fits in with their lifestyle helps us to build a sustainable future.

“The introduction of Les Mills content via Active Nation Anywhere adds huge value to our digital offer and we are really pleased to be the first to bring this integration to market.”

Karen Mason, senior customer experience manager at Wexer, added: “It’s great to be a part of another first with Active Nation – from the launch of the Wexer app to now first in the UK with the mobile content collaboration of Les Mills classes.

“The Les Mills content will be updated regularly, along with our wider content library, in line with emerging consumer trends and preferences – which will ensure content through their app remains consistently relevant for their community of users.”

Active Nation Anywhere is available to anybody.

To download the app visit either the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Myzone moves into the metaverse with new partnership

MYZONE has partnered with digital health and fitness company OliveX Fitness Metaverse to explore new ways of inspiring people to move more through Web3.

Due for launch in 2023, the digital space will offer a platform for participants to experience Myzone’s five coloured heart rate zones and better understand the effect these have on the body during exercise.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for Myzone to replicate our technology in the virtual world to help encourage more people to become more active,” said Dave Wright, CEO, Myzone Group.

“We’ve already built a large community of fitness enthusiasts that are rewarded for their efforts, so bringing that ethos and aim to the Fitness Metaverse is perfectly in-line with what OliveX and Myzone are trying to achieve.”

Publishing manager: Dominic Musgrave Tel: 01226 734407 dm@scriptmediagroup.co.uk

Studio manager: Paul Hopkinson ph@scriptmediagroup.co.uk

Assistant studio manager: Scott Firth sf@scriptmediagroup.co.uk Sales and marketing director: Tony Barry Tel: 01226 734605 tb@scriptmediagroup.co.uk

Myzone brings to the metaverse extensive knowledge around the gamification of fitness and the move-to-earn model.

With years of experience in setting challenges, personal goals and building an online social community, the two brands are connected in their aim of motivating users to sustain physical activity.

“Myzone is one of the largest brands within the fitness industry and the leading brand for wearables and gamification, so we’re incredibly proud to be able to welcome them to our Fitness Metaverse,” added Andy Hall, COO at OliveX.

“Dave and his team have created a globally recognisable brand with a great purpose and their vision and forward thinking aligns well with the work that we are doing at OliveX.”

Operator to become carbon net zero by 2030

DAVID Lloyd Leisure has set a target of becoming carbon net zero by 2030, 20 years ahead of the current UK target.

The group has established five key areas which will help it deliver its goal and is making changes throughout its operations including generating renewable energy on site, reducing indirect emissions in the supply chain, reducing overall water and energy consumption, using sustainable modes of transport and reducing plastics and waste.

The group has invested £20million on energy efficient technology, including low energy LED lighting on tennis courts and overhauled the heating and cooling systems.

Solar panels will be installed in some clubs which will result in the

generation of 20% of each club’s energy usage.

The group has also switched to green energy resulting in 100 per cent of its UK electricity now coming from renewable sources and has become the first health and fitness club in the UK to gain a water selfsupply license.

David Lloyd Leisure is Europe’s largest health and fitness group by revenue, operating 127 clubs – 100 clubs in the UK and a further 27 clubs across mainland Europe.

David Lloyd CEO Russell Barnes said: “We are always striving to make a positive impact on the environment and the communities in which we operate.

“The steps we have taken so far have resulted in a reduction

of 10,000+ tonnes of CO2 which equates to over 10,200 flights to New York and back.

“There’s so much more to be done and we will continue to prioritise tackling climate change across all our clubs.”

Further actions taking place over the next 12 months include:

n Trialling energy efficient showers.

n Rolling out solar panels to other clubs.

n Installing an air source heat pump to remove 70 per cent of club carbon emissions.

n Fitting EV charging points across clubs.

n Reducing single use items and placing recycling bins in every club.

n Launching a ‘lights off’ initiative to reduce energy waste.

Award-winning brand to transform hygiene with breakthrough 24-hour protection

AS WE all know it’s been a tough couple of years for our industry, and now, just as we’re recovering from the pandemic, the ‘Cost of Living Crisis’ has hit us hard.

Every gym owner or operator is facing a new set of challenges; how to manage soaring costs, how to operate with reduced staffing levels, how to cope with high staff turnover, and critically how to reassure customers that their high expectations about gym hygiene post Covid are being met.

In fact, in a recent international report, 82 per cent of all respondents believed dirty clubs are more likely to have germs, and 56 per cent expect their clubs to be germ free.

Well, it’s not all doom and gloom, at last we have some positive news.

A revolutionary new hygiene product called GermErase has been engineered specifically to tackle the demands of running a modern gym.

12 years of research and development has created an awardwinning patented formula that’s not only more effective against germs, killing an unparalleled 99.999 per cent of common pathogens, but also stays active on surfaces for up to 24 hours, as well as protecting hands

between washes.

It’s also more green than the competition, balancing the highest level of efficacy with the lowest level of toxicity, resulting in a formulation that is gentle on skin, gym equipment and the environment.

Plus, it’s remarkably simple to use, so there’s no complex staff training required.

And as if all that wasn’t enough, GermErase is on a mission to make its products affordable to all, to encourage a more positive attitude to hygiene across the whole health and fitness sector.

But the story doesn’t stop there. The GermErase team realised that every fitness environment has its own specific requirements, so they

developed a range of products designed to meet the demands of any situation.

GermErase 24 hour is designed so gym operators only need to do one deep clean a day, saving on staff time and costs.

GermErase Clean means every machine and surface can be wiped down after use, without diminishing the efficacy of the 24 hour product. This visible ‘wipe-down’ reassures customers that the best possible hygiene practices are in place and that operators have their customers best interests at heart.

And to give even more options, GermErase 24 and GermErase Clean also come in concentrate form to limit plastic usage and the amount of storage required.

And the 24-hour product comes in hand pumps for hands, sprays for equipment and surfaces and wipes for the added convenience busy gym goers value.

So when it comes to protecting your customers, your equipment and your bottom line GermErase has every base covered.

Learn more at GermErase.com and email admin@germerase.com to get 10%off your first order.

BrutallyGentle

Corporate clients present huge opportunity for personal trainers

GETTING a steady stream of clients is crucial for any personal trainer. But this is often where many PTs struggle.

Building a business takes more than word of mouth or a few well-written social media posts.

For PTs fighting for market share, could tapping into the corporate market present a unique opportunity?

Introducing Trainiac by Gympass Gympass, the world’s largest corporate wellbeing platform, recently launched Trainiac by Gympass, a digital platform that allows PTs to access new customers through the Gympass network of corporate clients.

Through a simple app, PTs can easily connect with customers looking for a trainer and quickly scale their business and grow their income.

Unlike other PT apps, Trainiac by Gympass allows trainers to truly harness the potential of online training, by building and managing a client load at scale whilst personalising for each customer.

“Many other virtual PT apps claim to offer personalised training, but you don’t get a human at the other end that will work with you 1-on-1,” said Akshay Ahooja, one of the co-founders and currently senior director of product management for Trainiac by Gympass.

“Trainiac by Gympass is different. It offers all the benefits of scaling your PT business without losing the one-toone approach. It’s truly a personalised relationship with your clients but it is one that you can deliver at scale. This is

the future of personal training.”

How it works

Personal trainers can register to join the Trainiac by Gympass platform online.

Once registered, the app will connect trainers with prospective customers from the Gympass network of corporate clients, such as Tesco and Accenture, who all have access to Trainiac by Gympass.

PTs can build bespoke fitness programmes through the app that users can implement at home, outdoors or at their chosen gym, all delivered through the app.

Trainers can monitor the user’s progress through connected health metric tracking and provide ongoing coaching, guidance and feedback directly to the user via video, text and voice messaging.

“Our data shows that employees are much more likely to engage in a wellbeing offering that offers them support and can be personalised to their own goals,” added Akshay.

“This presents a significant opportunity for UK PTs. Not only will they gain access to a huge network of prospective clients, but they can use the app to create bespoke fitness and wellbeing plans, personally crafted to suit the individual.

“This not only saves them time but gives them more flexibility so they can easily scale and grow their business.”

“Trainiac has helped me hold people more accountable,” said one Trainiac trainer.

“And also taught me better ways to

motivate and inspire people to workout and maintain a healthy lifestyle.”

All trainers need to be nationally certified through L3 CIMSPA recognised personal training qualification and have completed the Trainiac by Gympass online personal training curriculum.

They must also have a bachelor’s degree (at minimum), multiple years of in-person experience and at least one additional wellness related credential.

Personalised fitness more attractive to office workers

Since people with office jobs sit for up to 80 per cent of their working day, health officials have long stated that companies should actively encourage their workforce to take advantage of their company’s health and wellbeing programme.

Yet, research from Gympass has revealed that whether or not employees decide to engage with this programme at all is dependent on how personalised the offering is to the individual.

“We continue to see personal trainers hustling, planning and networking and all too often still struggling to obtain a client base large enough to sustain a profitable business,” Akshay added.

“We know that companies in our network want more of their employees to take advantage of their wellbeing offerings. That’s why we launched Trainiac by Gympass. It is designed to get more people connected with a trainer which in turn, helps PTs access new revenue streams from a huge pool of prospective clients.

“And, it helps businesses too because our data shows that when employees engage with their company’s wellbeing offerings, they are 30 per cent less likely to leave their job. It’s a win-win.”

The research from Gympass showed that personalisation plays a key role in engagement with workout plans and activity levels.

Personalised workouts resulted in significantly higher engagement: employees who were previously inactive, when paired with a qualified trainer through the Trainiac by Gympass app completed an average of 36 workouts in the following 90 days.

“The beauty of the app is the personal connection with the trainer,” said one Trainiac by Gympass user.

“Messages, videos, calls – this, for me, has created a real sense of accountability and motivation. I’ve had my fitness ups and downs over the past two years but I am happy to have stuck with Trainiac through all the challenges. I highly recommend it.”

Gympass also found that 93 per cent of employees who were previously inactive remained active with the support of their trainer.

This clearly demonstrates that those struggling to engage with wellbeing and find a routine that works for them, benefit greatly from a personal trainer enabling them to build healthy habits for the long-term.

For more information and to apply to become part of the Trainiac by Gympass network, go to: https://new-ventures.bygympass.com/ trainiac_uk/

Ross smashes the competition at World Dodgeball Championships

A DODGEBALL enthusiast is on a mission to get more people into the sport after triumphing at the World Championships.

Ross McGuigan, who is active communities manager at Life Leisure in Stockport, was an integral part of Team GB which beat off stiff competition from the USA, Austria and Australia to win the World Dodgeball Championships in Canada recently.

Now he has been buoyed to encourage more people to play the game and ensure the Brits continue to win the title for years to come.

Ross, 36, said: “It’s a fantastic, dynamic sport. There is a lot of athleticism involved. You have to be quick and agile, but there’s also a big tactical side to it too, so it’s much more inclusive than a lot of other sports.

“When I’ve taught it in schools everyone has always got really involved.”You often find the people who are a bit shyer to begin with are the ones who end up as the last ones in, because they stay at the back out of the way –which is the aim of the game.

“Before you know it, you have a whole

class of kids cheering on the ones who you might consider less active. It’s fantastic.”

Dodgeball is played by two teams of players who must dodge or catch balls thrown by the opposition while attempting to strike their opponents in the same way.

Ross, who has played with the Manchester Bees for the past eight years, hopes his win will encourage more youngsters to take up the sport, with sessions for children aged between five and 12 taking place each week at

Brinnington Park, Stockport Sports Village and Houldsworth Village.

Ross has been a champion of dodgeball since he was a student at the University of Salford when he studied sports science and first recognised the huge benefits it has as an inclusive sport.

He said: “There are synergies between my role at Life Leisure as active communities manager and dodgeball.

“It’s about encouraging everyone to take part in sport and physical activity no matter what your size and ability – it really is a sport for all.”

Advertiser’s

Institute of Swimming launches new elearning opportunity for young people

THE Institute of Swimming has launched a new eLearning opportunity for young people aged 14 upwards, who are thinking about a career in teaching swimming or looking for volunteering and training opportunities as part of their Duke of Edinburgh award or Swim England Youth Volunteering programme.

The unique Swimming Lesson Helper eLearning training is an ideal opportunity to develop a pathway into aquatics and a career in sports or teaching in general, and will look favourable on CV’s as well as university and college applications.

Marie Hemsworth, head of operations at the Institute of Swimming said: “We need to make becoming a swimming teacher as accessible as possible, so we have created this online training to give young people an opportunity to develop their skills and support those learning to swim in their community.

“Youngsters don’t have to be from a competitive swimming background or know the strokes inside out; they just need a passion for supporting those around them and helping people to have fun in the water.

“The training will give them everything else they need.

“It might also be useful for young people who are thinking of a career in education or working with children.”

The eLearning course costs £15 and gives helpers the knowledge and skills needed to effectively help a swimming teacher deliver a swimming lesson.

It covers the foundations of good stroke development so they can understand the fundamental movement skills and core aquatic skills that build into the swimming strokes.

There is also information on lesson plans so the

helpers can understand the objective and schedule for each session and appropriately support the swimming teacher.

Visit https://www.swimming.org/ios/courseinformation/swimming-lesson-helper/

Advertiser’s

The Venue, Leicester,

Friday, November 18

Speakers to include

Dave Wright, founder of Myzone and CFM

Dave Wright is the creator and global CEO of Myzone, the CEO and owner of Creative Fitness Marketing and the co-owner of the Voyage Fitness brand in Australia. Not only is he the chair of UKActive’s Supplier Council but his product, Myzone, is enjoyed in more than 8,000 facilities by more than two million people in 84 countries.

A serial entrepreneur, and a Workout columnist for the past 20 years, Dave is a straight-talking Australian based in the UK who has the unique ability of being both a club operator and a supplier.

David Minton, founding director, The Leisure Database Company

David is well known for his unique industry knowledge and is in demand for his expert media commentary and public speaking.

Helping businesses and individuals with the invaluable intelligence needed to make key decisions, David leads them through analysis into action, achievement and competitive advantage.

He also works with leading journalists and publications to spark debate within and create support for the leisure, fitness, consultancy and financial industries and is the recognised go-to for market trends, data and insight.

Ben Davis, founder, Fitness Marketing Agency

Ben has been an expert in the field of fitness for more than 20 years. He started his career as a personal trainer, qualifying in 2001. Ben soon built up a strong client base and set up his own successful business of group personal training sessions in 2006. He moved to Florida, USA to study marketing and as a result, grew his business to more than 250 clients and six members of staff. Given his success, many peers were requesting Ben’s marketing advice – and FMA was born. In 2015, Ben founded award-winning business FMA, who provide fitness professionals across the UK and Ireland with marketing tools and resources to aid in lead generation, conversions, sales and growth. Now, with a team of 22 and over 300 clients, from independent gym owners and corporate gyms to personal trainers and online coaches, FMA has gone from strength to strength, winning a Performance Marketing Award for the Best Lead Generation Campaign in 2021 and plans to break into the US market.

Mike Hind MBE, CEO of MAS Body Gym and founder of Macro Based Diner

Mike has been training people for over 12 years, in that time he has been recognised as one of the most respected and renowned coaches in the UK being crowned ‘The Best Personal Trainer in the UK’ by the National Fitness Awards. His work has been broadcast across the globe and he became a household name when he took on “Dibsy” the 40 stone guy, Mike offered him a FREE life saving year-long programme. Mike was awarded the “Outstanding Achievement Award” in 2018 by the National Fitness Awards for outstanding contribution within the fitness industry. His client list includes Premier League and international footballers, European champion boxers, professional bikini athletes and TV stars. But with this, Mike’s main focus is always on the public… In 2019 at The National Fitness Awards, Mike and his team won an amazing three awards. With Mike being crowned ‘UK’s Best Personal Trainer’ for the third consecutive year which is something that has never been done. Mike’s client Dibsy walked away winning the ‘Member Achievement’ Award and Mike’s meal prep company winning the ‘Innovation in Fitness and Nutrition’ Award. In 2020 Mike was recognised in the Queens Birthday honours and was awarded an MBE for his services to his community.

James Smith and Andrew Gilbert-Dunnings, Active IQ

James provides consultative guidance to support businesses in the fitness and education industries, helping to bring the best education to the sector. James has worked in the fitness and physical activity sector for 15 years. Having previously worked for ukactive and EMD UK, James now works for Active IQ’s Business Development team, working with private training providers, colleges, universities and other fitness industry partners.

Andy is a product development manager at Active IQ, working on the development of qualifications, EPA, assessments and supporting resources.

Andy has worked in education for over 15 years across a range of sectors in both general and vocational education. Andy has a particular interest and expertise in mental health and chairs the Federation of Awarding Bodies Mental Health Forum. He also is a Samaritan and facilitates a weekly men’s peer to peer mental health group.

Steve Johnson, director, Tops Fitness and Rehabilitation

Steve has been working in the fitness industry approaching 40 years now. He has run his award-winning fitness and rehabilitation centre for 37 of those years. Steve is a previous Lifetime Achievement Award winner at the National Fitness Awards and has had the honour of judging the awards for the last seven years. Steve’s background is of a competitive bodybuilder and in his time he has achieved a World Title in Russia. Steve now concentrates on running his centre and his passion in body transformation coaching and has many champions under his control. Steve is also heavily involved in judging at many bodybuilding events all over the UK and at international level.