Workout Weekly September 8

WEEKLY

Issue 150 - 08

September 2023

YOUR REGULAR ONLINE UPDATE FOR THE UK FITNESS SCENE

Life Leisure members cheer on Tour of Britain

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Collaboration to enhance inclusive physical activity education

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Life Leisure members cheer on Tour of Britain

LIFE Leisure celebrated the arrival of the Tour of Britain in Stockport with an exclusive cycling party at its Hazel Grove centre.

The Jackson Road centre, which was located along the ‘sprint’ leg of the route, also displayed an impressive piece of ‘land art’ created as part of the community art scheme to celebrate the race.

Ross McGuigan, active communities manager at Life Leisure, said: “We’ve had a fantastic day. Everyone has had a lot of fun trying out the different bikes we have here at Life Leisure,

and there was a real buzz when the cyclists came whizzing past.

“It’s been an amazing opportunity for Stockport to host such an exciting sporting event as Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture, so we were thrilled to be part of it and show our support for all the competitors on the day.

“The art looks fantastic and I’m sure it was a welcome sight for the racers as they turned the corner.”

Councillor Frankie Singleton, Cabinet member for Communities, Culture and Sport, also joined in the

fun.

She added: “We were thrilled to see the Tour of Britain pass through Stockport, particularly along the sprint section outside Life Leisure Hazel Grove.

“It brought together hundreds of residents to see international cyclists go through our streets so to see the buzz was fantastic. It was great to be able to celebrate Stockport Moves as part of our Town of Culture award.”

The race passed Hazel Grove Centre on Sunday, crossing through Bramhall, Hazel Grove and Marple.

As well as having a go on specially adapted bikes and taking part in fun games and activities, spectators could also see the land art created by Stockport artist Helen Middleton in partnership with Stockport Council, including community group R Time Stockport.

Crafted entirely out of cardboard boxes donated by Tesco Stockport and designed to be viewed from above, it was created in honour of Stockport cyclist Alan Newton who won a Bronze medal in the 1952 Olympics.

Innerva appoints Martina as exclusive distributor in Ireland

A WOMAN who used Innerva’s powerassisted exercise equipment to treat her long-term health conditions has become the exclusive distributor of the brand in Ireland.

Martina Calvey, a businesswoman and former teacher and guidance counsellor, is the driving force behind Hello GoodLife Wellbeing, a new company dedicated to rolling out Innerva’s cutting-edge equipment across Ireland.

Martina is committed to making exercise more inclusive and accessible following her own health challenges which excluded her from mainstream health and fitness facilities.

The previously active 56-year-old from the West of Ireland was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 1991, which threatened to confine her to a wheelchair. Unwilling to accept

Director of Operations: Dominic Musgrave Tel: 01226 734407 dm@scriptmediagroup.co.uk

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

Assistant studio manager: Scott Firth sf@scriptmediagroup.co.uk

such a fate, she explored alternative therapies and treatments and eventually discovered Innerva’s power-assisted exercise equipment.

The unique power-assisted nature of Innerva’s equipment had a profound impact on Martina’s health.

With regular use of the equipment her symptoms improved and the condition went into remission for two decades.

She has lived with a return of the disease since 2011 – following a brush with cancer, the arthritis returned and confined her to bed for months, left her unable to walk independently for almost two years and resulted in her 14th surgery followed by life in a wheelchair for six months.

Remembering the positive impact of power-assisted exercise years before, Martina contacted Innerva to bring the

solution to Ireland.

With the support of her partner, Seamus Davitt, she established Hello GoodLife Wellbeing.

As the exclusive distributor for Innerva’s power-assisted exercise equipment in Ireland, the pair are committed to making exercise accessible to all, regardless of their physical limitations.

Martina understands first-hand the challenges faced by individuals who are unable to access traditional gyms and aims to provide a solution through Innerva’s innovative equipment.

“There are lots of people like me who can’t access standard gyms, not because we are lazy or disinterested, but because health and fitness clubs aren’t set up to cater for our needs,” she said.

“As a former gym user, I felt so

excluded when I couldn’t find anywhere to exercise.

“Discovering Innerva’s power-assisted exercise equipment was life-changing for me, and I want to bring the solution to Ireland to make exercise accessible for everyone.”

Hello GoodLife Wellbeing is not just about supplying equipment; it’s about creating a movement. Martina wants to establish hubs across Ireland, where people can engage in inclusive and uplifting exercise experiences that prioritise their physical, social and mental wellbeing.

With Ireland’s ageing population, there is a growing need for specialised fitness solutions and Hello GoodLife Wellbeing is set to support various sectors including leisure, rehabilitation, therapy and care.

iFIT prepares Freemotion Fitness for growth

iFIT has strengthened the leadership team of its commercial equipment arm, Freemotion Fitness, with the appointment of industry veteran Chuck Fedorka as the new vice president of operations.

In addition, Tom Sweigart, who joined iFIT in 2020, has been promoted to the role of director of member care.

Both appointments underpin Freemotion’s focus on providing bestin-class product and service offerings as the brand expands its global reach in the commercial industry.

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With extensive experience in the fitness industry, and over 30 years in sales and operations management, Chuck will be a critical addition to the Freemotion business, focusing on building world-class products, and customer experiences.

Chuck’s ability to cultivate strong

relationships and foster enduring customer connections has driven repeat business and revenue growth throughout his career.

Tom brings to Freemotion experience building world-class service and operations teams, having worked with iFIT for more than three years prior focused on carrier alignment and logistics and owning a consulting firm for over 25 years, focused on servicing Fortune 500 companies as they create successful operations processes and high-performing teams.

Tom will focus largely on engaging with stakeholders and driving results, providing best-in-class product and service experiences for our partners.

Mark Watterson, CEO of iFIT Commercial, said: “I could not be more excited to build iFIT’s commercial division alongside Chuck and Tom.

“With our focus on greater market penetration and global growth, their collective commitment to our company’s vision aligns perfectly with our own.

“Both have a proven track record in building high-functioning service and operations teams. Alongside our world-class commercial products, I’m confident our service, operations and support will differentiate us in the industry with these two new leadership appointments leading the charge.”

The appointments come as Freemotion continues to drive forward its global growth strategy.

Powered by iFIT – the world’s largest digital fitness platform – Freemotion equipment is the leader in connected fitness and provides consumers immersive, technology-driven workout experiences.

Hazel Grove fitness team members Nicole Rothwell and Adam Noden.

Lots of families turned took advantage of the great view point from the leisure centre.

Virgin Active UK partners with Wattbike to maximise strength and performance-based training demand

VIRGIN Active UK has partnered with Wattbike to upgrade its indoor cycling provision with both the Wattbike Nucleus and Wattbike AtomX in order to meet the growing demand for areas of strength and performancebased training on the gym floor.

Gareth Turner, cycle lead at Virgin Active UK, said: “Wattbike will be a key partner for us in order to meet this growing trend towards performance training.

“People want to see and analyse data in real-time, not just postworkout.

“We believe that the capabilities of the Wattbike will allow our members to reach their performance goals more efficiently and effectively and we’re excited to see the new Wattbikes rolled out in our clubs over

the coming months.”

As part of the partnership, Virgin Active UK has opted to upgrade its existing Wattbikes with a mix of the latest commercial options; the Wattbike Nucleus and the Wattbike AtomX.

Gareth added: “We have chosen to partner with Wattbike, and install both the Nucleus and AtomX, as both bikes offer differing strengths and applications for our members.

“The Nucleus is an upgrade to our existing Wattbike Pro/Trainers, introducing the high-definition Performance Touchscreen but still with the precise fan/magnetic resistance that our members know and love, especially for sprint training.

“We wanted the AtomX because of its erg-mode which changes

automatically to simulate hill climbs, allowing members to ride famous climbs from around the world. It’s fantastic for Zwift racing and we are confident our members will enjoy this feature.”

The aim is that the training versatility that the Wattbike offers will be maximised by all members, no matter their goal or ability.

“We believe that the Wattbikes will be utilised in a variety of ways depending on the member, ranging from those with general fitness goals through to those seeking sporting peak performance,” Gareth added.

“Our cyclists and triathletes use the Wattbikes for accurate real-time data, to analyse pedal effectiveness and improve power-based training, whilst our other sporting athletes focus

on off-feet conditioning and thanks to the inbuilt Health Assessment tests and introductory workout programmes.

“The Wattbike is also ideal for beginners or those with general fitness goals who can benefit from the individualised workouts and plans available.”

On the gym floor, personal trainers will also be able to use the Wattbikes to deliver specific, targeted training for their clients. Using the in-built tests to help them tailor client programmes and over time, show real results and improvements based on accurate data.

The installation of the new Wattbike Nucleus and AtomX bikes across a number of Virgin Active UK sites will begin shortly.

Operator pioneering use of questionnaire to benefit both its staff and members

A NORTH West leisure operator is using a new and unique mental health questionnaire to benefit its staff and 6,000 members.

Known as MHQ, the questionnaire is a validated psychometric tool that tracks a person’s mental health using 11 lifestyle factors as markers.

It was originally developed for fitness sector professionals by psychology masters graduate Paula Litherland, formerly of Edge Hill University, with input from colleagues in the university’s psychology faculty.

Now Volair, which operates five leisure facilities and a further five learning centres across Knowsley, is sharing the questionnaire with its members to help them recognise negative impacts on their mental health, while signposting them to the help and support they need.

Volair is using MHQ as part of a community support programme that includes community roadshows in its leisure and learning centres where visitors can access advice and assistance from charities and other support organisations on subjects such as financial difficulties, healthy eating, sleep deprivation, stress and anxiety and what the causes are.

Lynn Wilson, Volair’s commercial and partnerships manager, said: “We’re in

Knowsley where there is some of the highest levels of deprivation in the UK.

”We’ve developed a network of preferred partnerships where we can signpost people to.

“It includes people who will sit down with you to help you get the help and support you need.

“For example, they won’t give you a complicated form to fill in about your finances and ask you to fill it in on your own, when finances are probably the biggest cause of stress and anxiety in your life in the first place.

“We’re not sending the MHQ to 6,000 people in one go.

“We’ve looked at our membership base and prioritised certain demographic groups, and we’ll send it out in small numbers to the different demographics until we reach everyone over a matter of time.”

Once a member’s MHQ data has been collated and assessed they are offered two routes to seek help and support – one is via a web-based self-referral channel, while members of Volair’s fitness team are assisting those who need one-to-one help in seeking out the best advice.

MH1 Global founder Lynne Briggs added: “Many of the factors addressed in the MHQ are required by public health and health and wellbeing boards, which operators need to evidence for funded projects.

In addition, having this data will help operators assess the lifestyle needs of their members and communities.

“The MHQ is what the industry has been waiting for – a validated tool that produces insightful data that triggers a holistic approach to interventions that can improve people’s mental wellbeing, as well as their physical health. We are extremely grateful to Volair for recognising the benefits MHQ can bring, and for taking it to such a large audience.”

Research reveals wide impact of short-notice group exercise cover

A SERIES of new research projects have shed light on the significant challenges faced by leisure operators and group exercise instructors in finding shortnotice cover for classes, as well as its impact on members.

One study, conducted by Leisure-net Solutions on behalf of on-demand group exercise cover app, CoverMe, finds that sourcing high-quality freelance cover when instructors fall sick or are absent is one of the most significant challenges faced by club managers.

The task not only consumes hours each week but often results in class disruption and cancellations, which are detrimental to both operators and their customers. Another survey conducted by EMD UK found that group exercise instructors avoid taking time off due to the stress of finding cover, with almost a quarter of instructors (24 per cent) juggling up to seven different WhatsApp and social groups for the different classes they teach.

According to Leisure-net’s Operator Report, 63 per cent of leisure operators offering group exercise programmes reported spending valuable time each week trying to source replacement instructors to cover classes and prevent cancellations that would disappoint their

customers. Nearly one-fifth of operators (17 per cent) said they have to allocate time every single day to find class cover.

Despite their best efforts, operators often face difficulties in securing adequate replacement instructors, leading to unavoidable class cancellations or changes.

In fact, 41 per cent of operators are forced to cancel or change their group exercise classes every week due to their inability to find suitable cover.

The impact of disrupted and cancelled classes are far reaching. Researchers also surveyed individuals who had participated in group exercise classes within the last six months and found that a third (33 per cent) regularly or quite often experienced disruptions or cancellations to their classes.

As a result, 36 per cent of participants stated they would not recommend a club to a friend if they encountered frequent disruptions to the group exercise timetable, while 16 per cent said they would cancel their club membership altogether.

Very often, finding class cover falls to the instructor themselves in the event of illness or holidays.

This means calling in favours from their instructor colleagues or posting

messages in WhatsApp and other social groups, all of which is very timeconsuming.

As a result, more than half (54 per cent) of instructors say they simply avoid taking time off, while half (49 per cent) say they find the process stressful.

Failing to find cover has significant implications for instructors. In most cases, classes are simply cancelled causing instructors to lose income.

Beyond this, many instructors worry that failing to find class cover risks letting participants down, losing customers and damaging their reputation.

Sue Wilkie, head of instructor support at EMD UK, said: “It’s hardly surprising that group exercise instructors feel so stressed about finding cover for their classes when they are sick or go on holiday.

“Research shows that half of instructors regularly view one to three different social groups when trying to source cover, while seven per cent keep track of eight to 14 social groups.

And almost a quarter of instructors (23 per cent) say they don’t know where to source cover, which increases the risk of class cancellations and is clearly bad news for instructors, clubs and clients.”

Today’s operators benefit from

advances in technology in almost all areas of club management, yet when it comes to sourcing freelance instructors, managers still rely largely on substitute instructor lists and seeking help from other instructors through messaging platforms like WhatsApp.

Very often, club managers are forced to accept whatever cover is available, rather than the ideal cover that would ensure a great member experience.

The CoverMe App’s algorithm matches inspirational, qualified and insured freelance instructors, vetted by CoverMe’s own in-house team, with gyms and studios, factoring in skills, proximity and availability – all in real time – so managers can source and book class cover in less than 30 seconds.

“Sourcing high quality group exercise cover is one of the most time-consuming and challenging aspects of club management, “ added Rosanna Tucker, CEO of CoverMe.

“That’s why we are delighted to be working with an increasing number of club operators, including Nuffield Health, Serco and BXR, to solve this problem, improve efficiency, enhance member satisfaction and eliminate the frustration and operational time consuming activity of class changes.”

Collaboration to enhance inclusive physical activity education

SPORT For Confidence has joined forces with specialist education provider Writtle University College in a drive to strengthen education around the provision of inclusive physical activity

According to Sport England’s most recent Active Lives Survey, people with a disability and/or long-term health condition are twice as likely (46 per cent) to be inactive as the general population (23 per cent).

This disparity is largely due to the many barriers to participation that exist for this demographic group. In 2022, the Activity Alliance also reported that, post pandemic, disabled people are less likely than non-disabled people to have a positive return-to-activity experience (52 per cent versus 70 per cent).

Megan Potts, occupational therapist at Sport For Confidence, said: “Sport

and physical activity have the potential to deliver a diverse array of therapeutic benefits that enhance lives and positively impact the quality of life of those involved.

‘Via this partnership with Writtle University College, and specifically The Centre of Sport and Health, we will work with all academic departments to provide coaches with the knowledge and tools they need to practice more holistically.

“Through enhanced course content, guest lecturers and the provision of opportunities for students to gain offsite practical experience working with a variety of demographics, we will advise on several topics including adaptive practice, public health, common disabilities, barriers to participation and sensory processing considerations.

“We will also provide guidance to the University on general accessibility and inclusion to ensure everybody utilising the facilities and services has the best possible experience.”

The partnership, made possible through an introduction by the Office of Students Knowledge Exchange, is one of mutual benefit.

Historically, Sport For Confidence has struggled to recruit coaches with experience and education around the use of physical activity as a therapeutic tool. This skills gap has required additional post -appointment education. The new partnership with Writtle University College will deliver fit for purpose coaches to the workforce, meaning they can hit the ground running, having an immediate impact

on the delivery of effective, safe and progressive inclusive physical activity.

Mark Williams, head of department and senior lecturer at Writtle University College, added: “Our aim is always to provide students with the best possible prospects for success in the job market through the delivery of market-relevant education and training.

“This partnership with Sport For Confidence provides our student coaches and health and exercise practitioners, with access to specialist, high quality information and experience that plugs a skills gap and gives them a competitive advantage.

“This enhancement in skills will, in turn, provide more opportunities for disabled people to engage in meaningful physical activity, therefore diminishing health inequalities and occupational injustices.”