Workout July 2019

July 2019

The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazine

Study shows benefits of strength ENCOURAGING children to do strength-based exercises could play a vital role in their physical development, a study suggests.

Strength training – such as squats, leg press and deadlifts – is an essential part of fundamental movement skill development, researchers say.

The exercises enhance muscle strength at a young age and prepare children for being physical active throughout their life.

Experts warn that children who do not enhance their muscular strength and fundamental movement skills early in life may not be able to participate in a variety of activities and sports as they get older.

Helen Collins, a Sport and Exercise Scientist from Institute of Sport and Exercise at the University of Dundee and a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh, said: “The finding that resistance training has a positive impact on FMS suggests that children could improve how well they can move by taking part in this mode of exercise. This could ultimately have an effect on physical activity levels, which is crucial for sustaining and promoting good health in childhood and later life.”

The study is the first review on

this topic to include non-sporting participants and provides evidence that isolated resistance training has a positive effect on the fundamental movement skills of sprinting, jumping and throwing.

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh analysed 33 data sets from existing research that examined the effects of resistance training on FMS in 542 young people from 11 countries: Canada, USA, Tunisia, Greece, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, UK, Brazil, Norway and Portugal. The age of participants ranged from eight to 18 years.

Globally, physical activity levels are declining with age. This is despite current guidelines for children aged five to18 that recommend at least an hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day and taking part in activities that strengthen muscle and bone at least three days a week.

These levels of physical activity contribute to the development of healthy bones, muscles and joints and a healthy cardiovascular system, experts say.

They also facilitate maintenance of healthy body weight, provide psychological benefits and reduce the risk of several diseases.

No 310 £3

Nominations flooding in for annual accolades

Two-time world boxing champion Amir Khan has been spotted training at Total Fitness, Bolton ahead of his history-defining fight against Billy Dib in Saudi Arabia.

Now a regular at the Bolton health club, Amir has been embarking on an intense training programme at the club with his new training team putting him through his paces ahead of next month’s big fight.

Full story on page 3.

NOMINATIONS are flooding in for this year’s National Fitness Awards, which have been revamped with new categories for 2019.

The event, organised by Script Events in partnership with Workout and headline sponsor ServiceSport, is now in its 10th year and recognises excellence throughout the fitness industry.

New categories for this year include Innovation in Fitness Nutrition and Armed Forces’ physical training instructor.

The NFAs are free to enter and nominations are open now via the website www. nationalfitnessawards.co.uk Entries can be made online until August when a shortlist will be drawn up in each category. All finalists will then receive a site visit from a member of the Workout team who will take a look around the club and chat to members and staff before an expert panel choose the lucky winners.

These will be announced at a glittering ceremony at The Athena in Leicester on Friday, November 29. n To find out about sponsorship opportunities call Tony Barry on 01226 734605.

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Two-time world boxing champion Amir Khan in training (left) and with Total Fitness’ newly appointed operations director Paul McNicholas.

World boxing champion trains for next fight at Total Fitness Bolton IN PREPARATION for next month’s history-defining fight against Australia’s Billy Dib in Saudi Arabia, two-time world boxing champion Amir Khan has been spotted training at Total Fitness, Bolton.

Now a regular at the Bolton health club, Amir has been embarking on an intense training programme at the club with his new training team putting him through his paces ahead of next month’s big fight.

Following a gruelling workout, Amir greeted Total Fitness club members, posed for photos and spoke about his preparations ahead of next month’s big fight.

He said: “I’m currently undergoing one of the most gruelling fitness

programmes of my life.

“I’m working with a new team of trainers who are whipping me into shape and showing no mercy as I prepare to take on Dib. “I’m choosing to train at Total Fitness because it has a boxing ring as well all the equipment I need under one roof to facilitate my strength and conditioning programme which is getting me into the best shape of my life.

“Knowing how to throw the perfect punch isn’t enough, you’ve also got to have the highest level of allround fitness and agility to stay at the top and this time I’m taking no prisoners.”

Paul McNicholas, operations

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director at Total Fitness, added: “It’s great to welcome Amir at our Bolton club and support him with his training and conditioning for his forthcoming fight.

“A boxer’s fitness is multifaceted and with our diverse offering we’re the perfect venue to help him with his preparations.

“He’s definitely been getting the most out of our facilities, particularly our extensive functional area with battle ropes, prowler track, Vipers

and TRX, which help improve strength, muscular endurance, power, agility and timing, all critical fitness components for a boxer.

“Amir is an inspiration to both staff and club members and we’ll be backing him all the way in his fight against Dib.” n If you have got a story from your gym for the next issue of Workout, email it to Dominic Musgrave at dm@scriptmedia.co.uk or call 01226 734407.

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Ship in a bottle – UK’s first swimming pool built inside existing sports hall A 25-METRE swimming pool and spa has successfully been built within the existing structure of a sports hall.

This is the first time a project of this kind has been successfully executed in the UK and forms part of the £7.4m refurbishment and extension of Monmouth Leisure Centre for Monmouthshire County Council in South Wales.

Delivered by Alliance Leisure Services as part of the UK Leisure Framework, the multi-phased project has enabled the council to provide a raft of new facilities for the town including a new 60-station gym, exercise and group cycling studios, a toning suite, children’s play area and café in the most cost-effective way.

Monmouth has been without a public swimming pool for some years. To meet local demand for swimming, the development also includes a new 25m swimming pool and spa.

The leisure centre shares its site and some of its facilities with Monmouth Comprehensive School.

At the time of the redevelopment, a new school was being built to the left of the leisure centre. With the existing school sitting to the right of the centre, the only place to put the pool was in the leisure centre’s sports hall.

“Squeezing the swimming pool into the sports hall was the only way we could provide the wide range of facilities required by Monmouth County Council to meet local need,” said Julia Goddard, senior business development manager at Alliance Leisure.

“This created a host of challenges equating to the construction industry’s equivalent of squeezing a ship into a bottle, but the results are amazing.

“Procuring the project through the UK Leisure Framework resulted in major efficiencies to the build process and allowed us to work with our

The new swimming pool built within a sports hall at Monmouthshire Leisure Centre.

The building was stripped back to its shell and trusted partners ISG to develop an innovative treated with spray-on insulation to protect and seal solution for this incredibly complicated project.” the hall and prevent any impact onto the adjoining Principle build contractor ISG erected a high spec dry site. ISG worked with Alliance to develop temporary sports hall to accommodate the needs innovative solutions to a number of challenges of the school and community while the project was caused by the logistical constraints of the site. ongoing.

Built to ASA standards, the 25m, five lane pool Larger than its permanent predecessor, the occupies most of the hall. four-court hall included a sprung floor, changing The building also accommodates a spa facilities, toilets, level access, heating and air comprising an eight-person sauna, eight-person conditioning. steam room and six-person spa bath.

Some of the sports hall walls had to be removed The project was funded by a combination of local to get equipment and plant machinery into the project developments and borrowing. building to facilitate the work.

ENTER ONLINE AT WWW.NATIONALFITNESSAWARDS.CO.UK

How do you stand out from the crowd as a PT in 2019?

By Katie Bulmer-Cooke

THERE is no doubt that the fitness industry is bigger than it has ever been, with more opportunities for the public to get involved than ever before.

There is so much choice, with everything from high-end boutique gym experiences and hot yoga studios to outdoor boot camps and health clubs...and a whole lot more in-between.

The same level of choice is available when it comes to personal training, with new PTs qualifying and entering this crazy and wonderful world of fitness every single week.

This of course is great news for the general public, as they can take their pick from an array of professionals who have a range of specialities.

However, for fitness professionals it can make cutting through the competition and building a client base rather challenging.

So how do you stand out from the crowd as a PT in 2019?

First up you have to be known for something specific, otherwise you’re in danger of blending into the background.

Maybe you’re known for working with mums and helping them get back in shape after having a baby or maybe you are the go-to trainer for

Katie Bulmer-Cooke helping people get ready for obstacle course races like Tough Mudder.

Whatever your ‘thing’ is you need to have one.

Next you’ve got to up your game when it comes to customer service and look at what you can do to stand out.

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It’s all too easy to just fall in with what everyone else does, but think of your service level this way...what would you do if your all time favourite celebrity contacted you and asked you to train them?

Would you write an extra special programme for them, would you be more organised for their session or even be waiting to greet them with a chilled bottle of water and a sweat towel?

Whatever you’d do for your favourite celeb, you should be doing for each and every client, every session, no exception. Tesco tells us that every little helps...and it’s true.

Finally, let your personality shine.

The clue is in the title when it comes to personal training...it’s personal and is built on person to person relationships, so be sure to stamp your personality on your sessions, and become known and recognised for it...it’s what makes us individual.

Being yourself is vitally important and will help cement genuine client relationships for years to come.

It can be tougher than ever before to establish yourself in this industry right now, but observing your competitors and doing everything you can to up your game will certainly pay off. n Follow Katie on Instagram @ katiebulmercooke

FunXtion has appointed Jo Rich, formerly director of key accounts at Matrix Fitness. Jo, who will take on the role of head of UK sales, joins the interactive digital fitness company at an exciting time in the company’s development. Now operating in 23 global territories including Netherlands, Germany, France and Israel, the brand has identified the UK as a key growth opportunity. Matt Gleed will be supporting FunXtion as Master Trainer and professional educator, delivering training courses as the brand expands.

Both will be based in the UK and report directly to the company’s director of international sales, Raimo Treffers, based in Holland, the company’s country of origin.

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THE DEADLINE FOR NFA NOMINATIONS IS AUGUST 30 Advertiser’s announcement

The growth continues for Simply Gym LOCATED in East Swindon, the new Simply Gym is a large openplan state of the art facility that is open 24-hours, seven days a week; meaning you can train any time of day or night, depending on your work/life pattern.

With a competitive membership rate of just £16.99 a month, there is access to aerobics and spin studios, large free weight and functional training areas, a fully equipped cardio area, changing rooms with showers, and ample free parking.

As a member, you will also be able to take part in over 50 studio classes per week for free. Some of these classes include Les Mills Body Combat, Pump and Balance, plus Zumba, Spinning, Yoga and Pilates.

The managing director of Simply Gym, Andy Hastings, broke into

the gym sector after working in the leisure industry for several years before receiving a great opportunity to invest with two business partners, creating a new low-cost gym chain.

This became the start of Simply Gym. After opening their first site in Cheltenham back in 2011, Simply Gym has come a long way as they have now opened up a total of 11 sites across the country. Fitness Systems has worked with Simply Gym since the beginning by supplying various equipment and flooring solutions, but it was in 2018 that we started working with the company on a wider-scale.

Andy said: “We received a lot of good guidance and ideas from Fitness Systems right from the start. We weren’t pushed into over ordering and there was a strong focus on what the end user will want from

the gym, and how they would access equipment, rather than just filling areas with as much equipment as possible.”

Fitness Systems supplied and installed all of the gym kit that can be found inside Simply Gym Swindon East. The equipment included FS Elite Spin Bikes, ROCKIT Functional, a FORCE bespoke rig and racking, FORCE EPIC Resistance, FORCE EPIC Plate Loaded, and FORCE EPIC Free Weights. We also supplied all of the Cardio equipment from TRUE Fitness, which included: Treadmills 600, Ellipticals 900, Upright 900, Recumbent 900, Alpine Runner, Traverse, and Spectrum.

Other bespoke items Fitness Systems supplied and installed included the Wattbike, Stepmill Gauntlet, Concept 2 Rower, Concept

2 Ski-Erg, Tire Flip, and Aqua Bags.

With strong links to all of the above manufacturers we can supply and install a wide range of equipment, including the items listed above, keeping your complete order and install under one roof and managed by us.

The feedback that Simply Gym in Swindon has received on their facility has all been positive from the design and layout to the range and diversity of equipment.

One customer, Joanne, recently emailed and said: “I’ve been to the new Simply [Gym] today to train and had to e-mail and say: ‘you have absolutely nailed it.’ As a female who loves to train legs, I’ve not trained at any other gym in Swindon that has this much leg equipment. Gym looks stunning.”

IT’S FREE TO ENTER THE NATIONAL FITNESS AWARDS

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University relaunches gym following rebrand LOUGHBOROUGH University has officially relaunched its elite level Powerbase gym following a significant rebrand.

Recognised as one of the largest strength and conditioning gyms in the United Kingdom, the new look showcases and celebrates the ethos of the Loughborough Sport brand – fitter, stronger, faster.

As part of the rebrand, state-ofthe-art flooring covering more than 1,000 sq. metres has been laid by international athletic flooring specialist, PLAE. The flooring solution boasts negligible deflection under foot, assuring a stable base for the athlete

to train.

Simultaneously, material properties dissipate energy on impact, significantly reducing the rebound of weights when dropped. This compliments Powerbase’s existing high-performance equipment supplied by Technogym.

In addition, following extensive research with key stakeholders and influencers, a new sprint corridor has also been laid.

The split surface suits several training schedules, including speed and plyometric work, allowing more athletes to train in a varied elite level performance environment.

John Steele, executive director of

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sport at Loughborough University, said: “Powerbase has become an iconic facility in the highperformance system in the UK where everyday Olympians, Paralympians and Loughborough University’s elite squads’ train.

“The work we’ve done in terms of refurbishment has been pivotal to our ongoing development and I now believe that Powerbase is the best of its sort in the country.

“We’ve said before that the infrastructure at Loughborough is one thing, but it’s vitally important to develop the mix of talent, support staff, and the facilities we have on campus – you can’t build that

overnight.

“This ethos has taken decades to develop with the interaction of all the people here being the lifeblood of what we’re trying to achieve.”

The relaunch event was attended by elite athletes Joel Fearon, Sophie Alden, Taylor Campbell, Kirstie Gordon, Vicki Oyesola and Beth Dobbin.

A progressive sprinting graphic of Beth Dobbin is also portrayed on one of the walls, with the aim to inspire and motivate Powerbase users.

Leading global brands Red Bull and Maximuscle were also in attendance, supplying giveaways to guests on the day.

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Homegrown talent set to 3d Leisure takes over complex be nurtured 3D LEISURE has taken over the management of a prestigious residential leisure complex in West London on behalf of a leading residential property management company.

The facilities include a gym, cinema, swimming pool, golf simulator, meeting rooms and beauty treatment rooms, which are all are available to residents only.

Paul Ramsay, 3d managing director, said: “It’s great to be involved in such a prestigious facility and we believe this is the beginning of a great partnership and look forward

to introducing our services across the portfolio of estates managed by this well-established expert in residential property management.”

After taking over the facility 3d, took over the employment of the on-site team and has created personal development programmes for all individuals to ensure they feel part of the new management offering.

3d will manage all of the facilities, providing inductions, personal programming, class instruction, personal training, pool responder, beauty treatments and coordinate all bookings for residents.

r e a l i t y. . . ...turning vision into

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To t a l I n t e g r a t e d L e i s u r e S o l u t i o n s Having delivered hundreds of facilities across the UK with values in excess of £100m you can be assured of our commitment, drive, ingenuity, flair and practicality to ensure your project runs smoothly, on time and within budget.

We have a well organised team of highly motivated and experienced individuals with a wealth of knowledge in the Leisure, Education, Public and Private Sectors along with an established, experienced network of partners, suppliers and other organisation’s with a similar vision and ethos who will ensure that any development under consideration is buildable and achieves the desired return on the investment safeguarding the future of the facility.

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FUSION Lifestyle has confirmed its commitment to supporting home grown talent with two fully funded, award winning training programmes designed to offer a range of qualifications in leisure management.

With more than 30 per cent of the group’s general managers having successfully come through the Fusion Academy to take top spots in the business, the charity offers a range of opportunities from apprenticeships to those wanting to toe dip into the sector, to delivering fully qualified leaders in the industry.

Head of HR Nikki Baker said: “Since we launched Stride in 2015, over 140 leaders have completed the programme and many now lead teams in some of our biggest centres.

“We also believe that apprenticeships are an excellent fit for our business and it is our aim to attract 500 apprentices into frontline roles. Fusion is driven to continuously improve and innovate and have a real commitment to ‘grow our own’.

Development of our teams is a key part of ensuring we are well resourced to improve the health and wellbeing of local communities.”

Fusion 500 in partnership with ICON training offers both apprenticeships as well as leisure specific qualifications and bespoke training.

The programme teaches newcomers a range of skillsets, both practical and interpersonal, and offers experience across a range of frontline roles – from learning to be a lifeguard, to

working as a customer relationship advisor with the reception team, progressing to become a fitness or swimming instructor.

Once an employee completes their apprenticeship, they can apply to join Stride – Fusion’s management development programme.

Recognising the importance of providing career opportunities within their business, Fusion provides pathways for team members to grow and develop their skills and knowledge to become future managers and leaders.

Fusion’s award-winning leadership, management development programme offers students one of three accredited qualifications.

The programme encompasses a 12-month Level 3 Diploma in Leisure Management and two Institute of Leadership and Management accredited qualifications.

Stride level 4 is a 12-month programme, achieving a Level 4 Certificate in Leadership and Management and Stride 5 is an 18-month programme achieving a Level 5 Certificate in Leadership and Management, preparing managers for general management roles.

Feedback from recent graduates of the Fusion Academy indicates their unanimous appreciation of the comprehensive training they’ve been given and the invaluable opportunity to learn from company leaders and experts in their field, saying the training was ‘fun, enlightening and hard work.

The most active month of the year is revealed BRITS are more likely to hit the gym this month than any other time of year – including January – according to new research.

A survey of 1,000 UK adults by Total Fitness reveals June is the most popular month for working out, with 70% of the UK population saying they are more likely to exercise regularly in this month.

This is more than any other month in the year – including January, despite 49 per cent of the UK population saying they start the year with fitness and exercise related new year’s resolutions.

For more than one in two (51 per cent), they are more likely to exercise in the warmer months to lose weight before a summer holiday.

While one in five (20 per cent) say they would be more likely to exercise in preparation for a friend or relative’s wedding, so that they look their best

for the photos.

As well as these motivating factors, June is also likely to present fewer barriers to exercise, with cold weather (40 per cent) and having less daylight in the evening (21 per cent) being two of the top aspects that put respondents off exercising.

Paul McNicholas, operations director at Total Fitness, said: “We always see a spike in membership usage in January when many kick off the new year with good intentions, but summer is the time that members renew their focus in readiness for their summer holidays.”

“It’s encouraging to see that Brits are using the start of the summer season as an opportunity to up their fitness plans in order to look and feel their best, and we hope that many use this motivation to continue with longer term exercise plans throughout the rest of the year.”

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THE DEADLINE FOR NFA NOMINATIONS IS AUGUST 30

Defining who Worldwide gym chain snaps up you are ... new premises in Staffordshire

A SERIES of high-performing operators shared their retention best practice at Dr. Paul Bedford’s fifth annual Retention Convention, this year sponsored by Precor, TRP, DFC, Coach AI and Willmott Dixon.

Among them was Chris Stevenson, owner of California-based Stevenson Fitness, who emphasised the importance of culture and its role in his club’s impressively high Net Promoter Score, which sits around 80.

He said: “Our mission statement is: ‘Everyone leaves feeling better than when they arrived.’

“We live that culture, promoting it internally and externally, so both staff and customers know what to expect.

“We want employees to feel part of the company, to be able to visualise what our mission statement looks like in practice and know how to deliver our core values.

“Employees need to ask themselves: ‘If I do this, will our members leave feeling better than when they arrived?’”

Also speaking was Jose Teixiera, of SC Fitness in Portugal, which owns the Solinca mid-market chain, Pump low-cost chain and Lagoas premium club.

Dean Hodgkin then engaged delegates with a lesson in how to create meaningful interactions, from his 28 years at Ragdale Hall.

AN international gym franchise has opened its new branch in Burntwood, Staffordshire, with help from Fraser Brown Solicitors.

Snap Fitness, which is open 24 hours a day for 365 days a year, has an international presence with more than 2,000 active branches in USA, UK and Australia.

Nottingham-based law firm Fraser Brown helped secure the lease for the 7,000 sq. ft. premises at Unit 1, Chase Terrace, Cannock Road in Burntwood, Staffordshire.

The new branch has brought three jobs to the area and features free weights, cardio equipment, large functional training studios, a sledge track and showers with individual bathrooms.

The gym will also have a virtual class system for members to choose from.

Once a class is selected it will then appear on a big screen so that members can follow the workouts at their own leisure.

Daniel Smith, area manager at Snap Fitness, said: “We are so pleased to reveal our new Burntwood branch, and it has already been well received by the community with lots of interest from new members.

“We opened our first Midlands branch back in 2013 and have since grown with a further three branch openings.

“Each branch offers the highest quality equipment and flexibility

The new branch of Snap Fitness in Burntwood, Staffordshire. and members can access any other Patrick Wood, managing partner branch worldwide, as well as their at Fraser Brown, assisted Daniel and local gym. his team with the leases of all four “The team at Fraser Brown had Midlands Snap Fitness branches provided us with continuous support in Ilkeston, Market Harborough, for the opening of our Midlands Swadlincote and Staffordshire. branches and we want to thank them He said: “Snap Fitness has been very for all their work. well received in the region and the “They’ve always had our best new Staffordshire branch is a great interests at heart and the process new addition. is always smooth, with exceptional “Daniel has been a pleasure to work results. We will certainly be with over the past few years and his concentrating on opening new passion for the gym industry has branches in the Midlands area as well ensured the success of every new as focusing on overall UK growth.” location.”

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Active students ‘enjoy better mental health and are less likely to feel lonely’ – claim A NEW study of college students from not-for-profit health body ukactive and AoC Sport has found that physical activity could be a major tool in battling rising levels of loneliness among younger people, with active students 21 per cent less likely to report feeling lonely all the time.

The research also found a raft of additional mental health benefits for students who regularly exercise.

Active students rated their life satisfaction significantly higher than less active students, while also reporting higher levels of happiness, increased perception of social inclusion and higher grade expectations.

Jack Shakespeare, ukactive director of children, young people and families, said: “Students today face a multitude of mental and physical health pressures, juggling stressful lives, exams, job fears and socioeconomic uncertainty.

“These findings show that physical activity during college years is a vital tool in supporting young peoples’ physical, mental and emotional health, and represents a huge opportunity to deliver better student wellbeing.”

The report, entitled ‘British Active Students Survey: Further Education’ and delivered in partnership with Matrix Fitness and Sport England, surveyed 3,661 college students (aged

16 and over) on their physical activity levels, as well as various measures of mental wellbeing.

More than two thirds (70.8 per cent) of college students were not meeting the chief medical officer’s recommended levels of physical activity (150 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity a week), with 25.5 per cent classified as inactive (taking fewer than 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity a week).

The findings match closely with

a similar survey of students in higher education released last year, conducted primarily with university students, demonstrating the widespread benefits of physical activity across further education institutions.

On barriers to physical activity, the survey found that 27.9 per cent of students believed they were too busy with studies to exercise, despite previous research indicating that students with high levels of physical fitness tend to perform better

academically.

The report underlines a major opportunity for further education institutions to maximise student satisfaction and attainment, by better encouraging students to be active throughout the day, and highlighting the beneficial role exercise can have on physical, mental and emotional health.

Other findings from the report included: n Active students were 15 per cent more likely to report an expectation of top grades (48-56 UCAS points) than inactive students. n 52.7 per cent of active students had confidence in finding employment, compared to just 38.2 per cent of inactive students. n Inactive students were more likely to report feeling lonely all the time (10.5 per cent) than their more active counterparts (6.9 per cent) Marcus Kingwell, AoC Sport managing director, added: “This report shows just how wide-reaching the benefits of sport and physical activity are.

“There is still a lot of work to be done to get more students active but it highlights just how crucial a role sport and physical activity plays in developing the mental health and wellbeing of young people in colleges, as well as their education and employability.”

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PARKWOOD Leisure, one of the UK’s leading leisure facilities operators, has secured a new 15-year lease to run Grange Leisure & Community Centre, part of Stratton St Margaret Parish Council, from July.

As part of the new agreement, Parkwood will receive £850,000 investment from the council to support the redevelopment of the Wiltshire-based facility, with plans to upgrade the gym including new equipment and a dedicated functional training area, plus two new fitness studios, alongside wider centre renovations.

The announcement of the new contract marks the 15th new site secured by the leisure operator in four months.

Under the leadership of new managing director Glen Hall, Parkwood has significantly expanded its leisure management portfolio since the start of the year, and now manages more than 90 facilities in more than 30 local authorities across England and Wales.

He said: “We pride ourselves on being a vastly experienced and long term sustainable leisure provider, delivering highly localised, bespoke services in the local communities in which we operate.

“The growth that we’ve experienced in recent months is testament to our commitment to maximising the leisure provision in the communities that we are responsible for, which is

underpinned by our aim of helping people to be happier, healthier and more active.”

The 15 new facilities are split across seven local authorities, with multi-site contracts awarded by South Holland District Council, High Peak Borough Council and Erewash Borough Council, where more than £1m of capital investment has already been committed by Parkwood to improve the facilities within the East Midlands borough.

Parkwood is also working in conjunction with Broughton Astley Parish Council as part of a DesignBuild-Operate-Maintain project, which will see the construction of a new £3.6m state-of-the-art leisure centre, set to open to the public later this year.

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ENTER ONLINE AT WWW.NATIONALFITNESSAWARDS.CO.UK Advertiser’s announcement

As part of a new three-part series, Ben Steadman, business development director for Pulse Fitness, explores what an operator should be thinking about, and asking suppliers, when looking to invest in new equipment for their facility…

The real questions you should be asking when purchasing equipment AS GYM owners, it’s important to ensure that your facility stands out from what can be a crowded marketplace.

One way is to ensure you have the best equipment possible.

If you’re looking to invest in new equipment there’s a few things that you should consider before you buy.

Who actually uses my gym?

First and foremost, think about your audience.

Make sure you think about what type of workout your members are looking for and keep them at the forefront of your mind when considering new equipment.

What types of training do my team offer to members?

You’ll also need to think about what you are trying to deliver.

For instance, if your facility is very PT focused, equipment that is targeted at small group training would be more valuable vs your usual standard gym equipment.

How connected do I want to be?

With most gym users using their own digital tracking device you’ll want to consider whether the equipment your purchasing integrates with most devices.

Member tracking can be an invaluable retention tool.

For instance, our own system, PulseMove Professional, can provide your members with feedback so that they can see their own progress, while allowing trainers to monitor this.

This will help keep them engaged.

Having a connected eco system will also allow you to increase social interaction within the gym while creating a thriving fitness community.

How can I ensure I’m getting the most value from my budget?

When considering your budget, think about what makes your offering unique.

For example, if you know that the CV section of your gym is always in high demand, you may want to invest more heavily in premium treadmills, vs. strength equipment.

At Pulse Fitness, all of our equipment is available in three different lines: ‘Classic’, ‘Club’ and ‘Premium’ range.

Depending on your budget, what level of digital programming, customisation and connectivity you require, we can offer a variety of options, at varying price points to ensure you get the best value for your money.

Ben Steadman What is actually motivating your purchase?

In the UK market, we’ve noticed that some buyers purchase equipment based on a brand.

However, a well-known name doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting the best equipment on the market.

As an operator, take your time to look around and be open to looking outside the box. Equipment should not only look great, but it needs to be able to perform to a high standard.

Make sure to look at the full specification of the equipment.

Are you buying on aesthetics or functionality? There’s no reason why you can’t find equipment that does both, so don’t compromise one over the other.

What’s the aftercare package like?

This is the most important question to ask. It’s all well and good having great equipment but should something go wrong, you want to make sure you’re covered.

Be sure to ask your chosen supplier about their service and maintenance package.

At Pulse Fitness, we offer our clients anywhere between two and five years after care depending on their needs.

With access to an online portal for gym owners to log any issues, our service team works 364 days a year, around the clock to fix an issue.

We offer three bespoke packages ranging from our standard offering to our premium all-inclusive offering depending on a client’s level of needs.

If you’ve asked these questions, and you’re confident with the answers, you’re on your way to a great investment that will keep members engaged and coming back for more.

Body composition and the future of health technology

By Simon Bradeley IN recent years we’ve seen a huge shift in consumer attitudes as an increasing number of people begin to prioritise their fitness and wellbeing.

With nearly 10 million regular gym goers across the UK, according to Leisure DB, and the rise of the Instagram fitness influencer shaping training routines and diets across the world, it’s safe to say that people are more knowledgeable than ever before about their health.

People are increasingly aware that health can’t be measured simply in terms of weight and, as such, are looking for a more comprehensive insight into their fitness.

As an industry we must be prepared to meet this need for accurate, accessible and innovative health technology and be prepared to offer clients bespoke and detailed consultations based on real data.

Accessibility Health technology has quickly become far more accessible for consumers than it has ever been previously, in terms of availability, price-point and understanding.

Advances in BIA technology can now offer gym-goers a much more holistic experience than ever before, thanks to more accurate results which can be interpreted through new software.

While the cost of body composition devices a decade ago had meant it was reserved for use in hospitals and specialist clinics, it’s now a financially beneficial and cost effective investment for health and fitness centres. By the same token, consumer demand for this type of technology at home has also grown.

With prices now starting from £185 for the RD-953 (one of Tanita’s consumer models), for those really serious about tracking their measurements, making the technology more accessible than ever.

A growing number of both large chains and independent health professionals now offer body composition analysis, where it is used as an incentive by many to attract and retain customers.

This is simple because people are more likely to stick with a diet or exercise regime if they can see measurable progress, which they get more with bioelectrical impedance analysis, a common method for estimating body composition, than with weight tracking.

A changing landscape This growth in accessibility correlates with a rising awareness about body composition amongst consumers and how it can be used to track their progress on diet and nutrition programmes.

In the era of #fitspiration, the focus in the health and fitness industry has moved from losing weight to building tone and becoming stronger, especially among women. Gyms have had to respond to an increased

demand for resistance and functional training – that is to say, exercises geared towards, building body strength and balance – after many years of concentrating almost entirely on cardio.

Experts now see good levels of muscle mass as more important than low body fat. As a health professional, it can be frustrating when people view their body fat level as the be all and end all for their health, while paying little to no attention to their muscle levels. With a large proportion of the population leading sedentary lifestyles, the risk of sarcopenia, osteoporosis and diabetes is worryingly high for many people and is likely to put a huge strain on the health service for years to come.

Clearly, as the training philosophy has changed, so too has the way we measure fitness. With BIA machines tracking more than 12 indicators of body composition, including muscle mass, visceral fat and BMR, the emphasis has shifted away from BMI and we’re now looking beyond weight to give people a more analytical and critical insight into their internal health than ever before.

Looking ahead Consumer demand for body composition analysis, whether at home or the gym, is undoubtedly reflective of our changing attitudes towards wellbeing. However, while it’s true that as a society, we’ve come a long way in education around health and fitness, we still have a long way to go.

Though a growing number of people are taking more responsibility for their health and wellbeing, the gap is continuing to widen between them and the large proportion of the population, whose low mobility and poor diets are adding to a growing obesity epidemic. It is these people we need to target by increasing awareness around the importance of internal health. n Simon is the UK commercial manager at Tanita.

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Advertiser’s announcement

Ash Rai, Lynda Bateman and Ben Darby.

Phil Horton, country director for the UK at miha bodytec.

Engaging the over 50 market WE ALL know that exercise has numerous benefits, both physically and mentally.

Yet, despite the well-established advantages of physical activity, the over-50 market often neglects their fitness.

And for those that do maintain a regular exercise routine, they routinely forget about any form of strength training.

According to NHS advisor Sir Muir Gray, ageing itself is not the major cause of problems as people age.

The largest contributing factor to poor health is loss of fitness.

Therefore, starting or maintaining a regular exercise routine in your 50s could help stave off illness later in life and ultimately, increase quality of life.

Incorporating strength training Even in situations where the over50 market is exercising, they often prioritise cardiovascular forms of training: running, cycling, swimming, hiking.

All these activities would benefit significantly from some form of strength training; however, a common excuse is a lack of knowledge or lack of time.

A jog around the neighbourhood is a far simpler form of exercise than attempting a resistance training workout in the local gym.

Strength training is preventative medicine for your body. It decreases the risk of injury, increases bone density, helps prevent back pain, and loss of muscle – all of which is extremely important, especially as we age.

A simple solution for lack of time and lack of knowledge is incorporating a regular EMS training session. It solves for both challenges at the same time.

Alongside a fully certified EMS trainer, sessions last just

20-minutes, once per week.

This is an amount of time that can easily fit in even the busiest diaries. And EMS training is a lowimpact workout, effective for muscle hypotrophy and scientifically proven to reduce sarcopenia.

Increasing education The over-50 cohort is not used to spending their money on health, so educating this market on the benefits of exercise needs to be a priority.

Most anyone knows that exercise is important, but the breadth of benefits is sometimes not fully understood.

A regular exercise routine can drastically improve quality of life and reduce the risk of dependency, frailty and dementia later in life.

That’s why I am so bullish on EMS – it’s perfect for the over-50 crowd regardless of their goals or challenges.

Whether someone is returning to exercise after a long break, struggling with chronic back pain, or training for their first marathon, EMS can be a safe and appropriate training technique.

It is also a valuable tool for reducing the risk of osteoporosis, improving muscle tone and strength.

We’re at the beginning of the journey with EMS training in the UK. The benefits and applications of this type of training are vast and there is an enormous opportunity for PTs and operators – particularly around engaging people in their 50s (and beyond!).

Physical activity and exercise can help people stay healthy, energetic and independent for longer. I am immensely optimistic about the role that EMS can play in keeping our nation more active as they age.

National first for Trust as it wins major safety award for 13th time SANDWELL Leisure Trust has again been awarded the highest possible accolade in the internationallyrenowned Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents’ 2019 Health and Safety Awards.

The Black Country-based company landed the coveted President’s Award (for 13 consecutive Golds) – as part of its remit to manage safe services in the borough on behalf of Sandwell Council – and is the first Leisure Trust nationwide to achieve this distinction.

Ash Rai, chief executive for SLT, said: “This is fantastic news, which we never ever tire of, and is testament to the team’s consistently superb efforts across all the Trust’s facilities over the past year.

“Maintaining the highest standards of health and safety continues to be an absolute priority for the Trust and this achievement again underlines the expertise and hard work of all our teams to provide a very safe environment for staff, customers and visitors across all our sites.”

Trust officials were presented with their award during a glittering awards ceremony at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel recently – and accompanying them was Ben Darby, the assistant facility manager at Haden Hill Leisure Centre in Cradley Heath.

He was nominated because of the outstanding work he has done regarding health and safety initiatives at Haden Hill over the last 12 months – like a significant increase in audits and communications to staff, plus a bespoke health and safety index.

In creating this he painstakingly

went through a mass of information and data, both in folders and saved onto the shared drive, to ensure all information was clear, concise and easy to find at the click of a button.

Ben has also developed a quality management system that allows a full overview of the health and safety requirements, giving gives access to legislative documentation, policies and procedures, training records and facility operation overviews.

Management can now see a clear picture of where the site is in regards to health and safety management and staff training requirements and ensure a more targeted approach to driving the health safety initiatives forward.

Steve Bartley, SLT’s health and safety officer, added: “One of Ben’s other key achievements was the roaming timetable he devised so specific health and safety topics could be delivered by management staff in different locations across the centre during the staff training day – which proved an effective way of capturing personnel but also making training roles as specific as possible.

“Not an easy feat with 60 staff in different job functions captured into just one morning of training.”

The RoSPA Awards not only focus on commitment to accident and illhealth prevention, but occupational health and safety management systems, including practices like leadership and workforce involvement. It receives entries from organisations around the world and is also the longest-running industry awards scheme in the UK.

Chain’s double digit growth PURE Gym has seen double digit percentage growth in revenue after a major year of expansion.

The Leeds-based budget gym chain saw revenues for the year to December 31, 2018 rise to £228.4m, up from £198m the year before, a 15 per cent uptick.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rose 14 per cent to £73m.

The 10 year-old group has been

investing heavily in new sites, with 50 per cent more gyms opened in the period than the year before.

As of April 24 there are 235 gyms nationwide.

The company is also continuing to innovate, with ‘small box’ gyms being tested and rolled out. They have also brought in Olympian and the ‘world’s fastest woman’ Dina Asher-Smith along with Sir Chris Hoy to be an ambassador for the brand.

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Tips for keeping your classes full building up your client list.

Offer your skills and services to a local company for a one-off or series of classes before work, during lunch, or after work. What do you get in return? The opportunity to witness your classes grow and flourish.

KEEPING classes full and customers engaged can be a challenge for any business in the fitness industry.

In a fiercely competitive arena, business owners need to adapt to changing customer demand to maximise member loyalty, and ensure sustained commitment and retention.

Here, the experts at MINDBODY, a leading business management software provider for the fitness and wellness sector, have provided advice on how to keep your classes full all year round.

Introduce outdoor classes in the summer The days are getting lighter, and summer is most definitely on its way. Recent research by MINDBODY found that 91 per cent of the nation are most motivated to exercise in summer, meaning this is the perfect season to target both new and potential members.

The study also found that spending time outdoors could be a key component in overall wellness, but nearly half of the nation (47 per cent) spend an hour or less in the great outdoors per day.

With this in mind, why not consider taking some classes outdoors in the warmer months? Not only will this show that you’re dedicated to your customers’ overall health and wellbeing by exposing them to a bit of much-needed Vitamin D, but your classes will be more noticeable to the passers-by and could help to generate more footfall.

Be flexible with your membership options The same report from MINDBODY found that three-quarters (75 per cent) of UK adults have no fixed gym or studio membership. As an increasingly fast-paced, ‘on the go’ society, people want options and variety, so why not give it to them?

Think about introducing pay-asyou-go membership options, to encourage more people in the local area to attend your classes.

Once you’ve caught their attention, you can then look to gain their trust and ensure they keep coming back for more.

Run introductory offers Price continues to be one of the primary drivers of loyalty in the fitness industry, and is an area that business owners should certainly

be aware of. Running offers on a regular basis is a way to keep current members happy and engaged, but it can also be a great way of attracting a new clientele.

MINDBODY customer data shows that 60 per cent of the top 15 customers run introductory offers; on average, this is four per location.

It’s a method that works, and can be instrumental in ensuring classes are full and fruitful each and every week.

Get involved in the community Over three-quarters (78 per cent) of respondents said they don’t have a corporate wellness scheme at work. Getting involved in the local community and building partnerships with companies close to your business is a great way of making new connections and

Make your class timetable accessible The timetable can be a make-orbreak factor for any fitness or health institution. Getting this right will help ensure your classes are always full to capacity and your customers are engaged with your brand.

While MINDBODY’s study showed a slight trend towards people attending gyms or classes after 5pm, overall there was no specific preferred or ‘peak’ time. Consider building a timetable that offers various classes throughout the day (being sure to consider your audience) – for fitness that works around their schedule.

Make it social Make your business a sociable and invigorating environment for everyone who steps foot inside the building. Often, people see the gym as a stress-reliever and a way to see friends.

Encourage your members to work out together and attend the same classes on a regular basis.

Over a third of people in MINDBODY’s study said they consider their main form of exercise to be social, further confirming that there is a correlation between the nation’s exercise and social habits.

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ENTER ONLINE AT WWW.NATIONALFITNESSAWARDS.CO.UK Advertiser’s announcement

The OnePT team: Back row – left to right: Amy Lillis, Tony Williams, John Carroll, Theo Vassiliou, Kallen O’Malley, Katie Trafford and Phil Shepherd. Front Row – left to right: Angela Golden and Dr Neil Fell.

onePT launches franchise model after being crowned best UK gym AN independent Greater Manchester gym has been named the best in the country just over a year after opening – and now plans to launch its successful model as a franchise business across the UK and Europe. onePT has just been presented with the National Club of the Year accolade (the most prestigious award in the health and fitness industry) – as well as Regional Club of the Year for the North – at the UKactive Awards, beating hundreds of others in a rigorous judging process.

The 5,000 sq foot gym opened in January 2018 and has built up a fiercely loyal membership community, thanks to its focus on commitment and communication, and a combination of top-level support and world-leading equipment and facilities.

It was set up and is managed by Dr Neil Fell PHD, who played a key role in the development of Total Fitness Health Clubs before setting up and managing the Sports Medicine and Human Performance Facility at St George’s Park (the training home of the England football teams).

Neil said: “The beauty of onePT really is its community. This is not just a target-focused business: we are encouraging our member family to be healthy for life – and this is why our members are staying with us.

“The timing of this award is incredible, as we are just about to launch onePT as a franchise business.

“We have been fine tuning the

Dr Neil Fell model over the last six months and will be officially launching it in September, although enquiries are being taken now.

“The concept was always designed to be franchised – and we have ambitions both in the UK and abroad.

“We have been putting a range of systems in place, from risk management and compliance, health and safety and food safety management, to the best health and

fitness personal training product systems and services, in order to make a facility very efficient and simple to operate.

“This way the staff can spend more time supporting the members, which is the most important aspect of our business.”

The onePT facility has been designed and developed in strategic partnership with world-leading fitness equipment manufacturer,

Exigo-UK. Neil concluded: “I have known the team at Exigo-UK for over 15 years, and it has been fantastic to work with them to create such a truly amazing and unique facility: they are so knowledgeable and passionate and their ideas added greatly to my own research and experience, providing one-complete solution from build, to in-house design, manufacturing and installation.” onePT underwent a rigorous independent UKactive assessment process designed to select the best in each category from hundreds of entrants.

The independent evaluation process included anonymous customer insight surveys, mystery calls and visits, and a ‘Judges’ House’ assessment day.

UKactive acting CEO Huw Edwards said: “Congratulations to onePT – a fantastic example of the extraordinary work that is done to get more people, more active, more often.”

The franchise model is based on a facility ranging from 250 to 500 members with a facility size from 5,000 to 10,000 sq ft. the membership range will be from £65 to £150 per month (depending on location) but this includes personal training, nutrition plans and assessments, unlimited gym access, classes and much more – giving a unique offering in the industry. www.onept.co.uk/franchise

THE DEADLINE FOR NFA NOMINATIONS IS AUGUST 30 21 In this four-part series we take a look at Dr Paul Bedford’s advice on the essential steps to building an effective retention strategy.

Creating a retention strategy TO measure retention you need to measure a time period, which usually starts with the day of joining and ends with their last payment or visit.

You also need age and date of birth, gender and membership type.

Collecting as many variables as you can allows better interrogation of the data to see what’s impacting retention.

For example, we had almost a million member records for the Australian industry retention report.

Fairly unique to Australia and New Zealand is weekly and bi-weekly membership payments, so we looked at whether the frequency of payment made a difference – it didn’t.

But what we did find was that it made a difference to the sales figures.

So Australian operators now know they can disregard the payment structure as a retention tool, but recognise it as a sales tool; without accurate data we wouldn’t have been able to see this trend.

Across the rest of the world we mainly have three categories: monthly payments with no contract, monthly payments with a 12-month contract and an upfront payment for the entire year.

Every time we’ve run the data anywhere in the world, members paying month-by-month with no contract have the shortest

Dr Paul Bedford retention. Ultimately, easy in actually encourages easy out.

Retention versus attrition It’s important to define what retention is so that everyone is talking about it in the same way.

Retention is the period of time (usually in months) between a member joining and when they either stop exercising or stop paying; it’s a good exercise to run the data on both of these.

Attrition is the number of people cancelling; usually measured per thousand customers per month so we can actually measure a rate and see if it changes. It’s completely separate from the number of joiners/new membership sales.

If you have a really good sales month but measure it against the number of cancellations your attrition will go down, not because you’re losing less people, but because you’ve made more sales.

The reverse of that is a bad sales month. You lose the same amount of people, so your attrition looks worse, simply because the sales team didn’t sell as many memberships.

So retention is not the opposite of attrition, and they can’t be used hand in hand, because if you’re measuring one thing in months and the other in people, logic says they can’t be opposites.

In order to improve your retention you need to be really clear about how long they already stay. We measure the median – the average length of stay.

Once you have this information you can say, for instance, if half stay nine months, what do we need to do and where do we need to intervene during those nine months to increase their stay to 10, 11 or even 12 months.

I’m the first to admit data’s quite boring to look at and it’s tedious importing and exporting it into spreadsheets and graphs.

But…it tells you where to take action and is far more effective than random actions that you can’t measure.

Clean data However, I cannot emphasise enough the importance of accurate date information.

Mistyping the letter O instead of the number zero is a common error that massively hampers analysis. Even in language we use O to represent zero, particularly when giving out telephone numbers, so it’s easy to type in by mistake, and if you’re looking at a million customer records, as I often have to, you’re unlikely to spot the rogue O. Also, don’t forget to remove your frozen members before doing any analysis. We don’t know if they will come back or not, so we only want active members to start with.

Another tip is, when you look at your data fields for dates, make sure they are actual dates by clicking on the cell and checking it actually says it’s a date. Sometimes it can actually be a string variable; the equivalent of words, and you can’t run analysis on words, only numbers.

If it is formatted as string data, click format cell, select date and choose a date format similar to dd-mm-yy, which should convert the string to a date that you can then analyse. n Join us in the September issue for Dr Paul Bedford’s next column on How to build your customer journey to improve your retention.

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Gympass signs Time to Change employer pledge GYMPASS has signed an employer pledge with Time to Change, the growing social movement run by charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness which supports people to open up to mental health problems.

Pietro Carmignani, CEO for UK & IE at Gympass, signed the pledge at the company’s UK head office.

In doing so, he made a commitment to change the way he and his staff think and act about mental health.

Furthermore, by pledging their support to Time to Change, Gympass has agreed to implement an action plan to help break the silence that surrounds mental health in the workplace.

“This pledge is extremely important to our organisation,” said Pietro.

“We are committed to help end mental health discrimination and the first step is to start close to home with our colleagues.

“From there, we hope their greater understanding will cascade across to our corporate and fitness facility partners, thus spreading the word

Pietro Carmignani, Gympass and Sarah Restall, Time to Change with the newly signed pledge. mental health problems. and best practice.

“I firmly believe by doing this we “With the help of the Time to can make a difference in ending Change team, we created an internal mental health discrimination and mental health policy comprising I’m proud to be engaging in this very hosting events, training our important initiative.” employees and providing a clear Gympass joins a wide movement framework to support those with

of over 1,000 organisations that have signed the Time to Change pledge, including E.ON, British Gas, Ernst & Young, Transport for London, Royal Mail, Barclays, Shell, Pepsico, the Church of England, the Sunday Mirror, Marks and Spencer and many NHS trusts, universities and local authorities.

Within its action plan for Time to Change, Gympass is planning to host wellness breakfasts and events, create a specific policy for mental health and ensure it is creating a workplace where employees feel comfortable and supported.

“We’re delighted to see Gympass take the Time to Change Employers Pledge,” added Jo Loughran, director of Time to Change.

“By signing the pledge and introducing a specific mental health policy, Mental Health Ambassadors and the curation of internal employee stories, Gympass is demonstrating a real commitment to changing the way we all think and act about mental health in the workplace.

Lee Heard, RLSS UK director of partnerships, Jane Nickerson, Swim England CEO and Rebecca Cox, managing director IoS.

Kit provider is exclusive distributor for Reaxing PHYSICAL Company has been appointed as the exclusive UK distributor for all Reaxing equipment and accessories.

Reaxing is the first company in the world to develop a training methodology and product range that utilises unpredictability and water-based loaded movement training. This unpredictability boosts training performance and forces neuromuscular reactions to respond to changeable situations and movement.

Already the choice of high-level sports organisations including AC Milan, Juventus and Italy Rugby, and, following its growing presence in the UK, Premiership Rugby side Bristol Bears, Reaxing plans to utilise the global momentum it has built up throughout the US, Middle East and Asia to extend its reach and solutions throughout Europe and beyond.

John Halls, managing director of Physical Company, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Reaxing and be involved in the launch of such a transformational product range, that

has a real opportunity to impact a variety of sub sectors globally.

“The research and development that has gone into each product is second to none, and with the fantastic success of the brand throughout the US, Asia and Middle East we are excited to work closely with Reaxing moving forward.”

As part of the new partnership, Physical Company will supply the full range of Reaxing products to its trade, independent facilities and distributor network; all equipment will also be available to purchase from the website.

Reaxing solutions have been created for a variety of sectors beyond commercial fitness also, with the brand extending its tailored solutions to health clubs, as well as the rehabilitation and physiotherapy market in the UK. The unique loaded movement technology within its products means medical professionals are recognising the brand as a functional method of rehabilitation to target injuries and support rehab programmes.

Swim England and Royal Life Saving Society UK announce partnership A NEW partnership between Swim England and the Royal Life Saving Society UK will make it easier for swimming teachers and lifeguards to access high-quality training.

Both organisations are the experts and market leaders in their respective fields and together have trained more than 85 per cent of all swimming teachers, coaches and lifeguards working within the industry.

The partnership will see new and exciting opportunities for courses for the aquatic workforce, with the aim of allowing individuals to achieve easier access to a range of qualifications, whilst maintaining the same high standards.

Jane Nickerson, Swim England CEO, said: “We’re delighted to be teaming up with RLSS UK in an innovative new partnership, to ensure swimming teachers and lifeguards have access to the best possible qualifications.

“We have worked closely with RLSS UK for many years, but this is the first time we will be combining our expertise to support the development of the swimming workforce.

“Giving easier access to our highquality courses through a one-stop

shop, presents a great opportunity for teachers and lifeguards to complete their qualifications effectively, meaning even more people will be able to benefit from quality lesson provision, that embraces the Swim England national learn-to-swim framework.

“Ensuring our swimming teachers and lifeguards are highly trained, is critical to providing a safe environment for our young people to learn how to swim and go on to enjoy the water safely.”

The two organisations showcased their new partnership at the recent Elevate trade show.

Lee Heard, director of partnerships for RLSS UK, commented: “This is a really exciting time to be entering into a formal partnership with Swim England. RLSS UK has awarded more than 1.2 million qualifications in the last five years and with nearly 90,000 RLSS UK qualified pool lifeguards, there are some very natural synergies in our two organisations working together, to help support leisure operators.”

In 2018 the Institute of Swimming – the largest provider of Swim England aquatics qualifications – delivered CPDs and qualifications to more than 10,400 learners.

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CLEANING AND HYGIENE

Pool plant safety – what can lurk within?

GOING for a swim is widely regarded as a fun and healthy way to exercise, with diving into shimmering blue water depicted as the image of good health.

But should pool operators be worried about what could lurk hidden in the water if the Health and Safety Executive guidelines are not followed?

If not correctly maintained, swimming pools, spas and hot tubs can spread bacteria and infectious bugs such as Legionnaire’s disease and Cryptosporidium, which use the environment to spread infection to new hosts.

Legionnaire’s disease is a serious lung condition which sometimes causes pneumonia and can kill up to 10 per cent of those infected.

Cryptosporidium causes diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal problems including cramps, dizziness and vomiting.

These bugs can make you very ill.

Richard Lamburn

Before entering a pool or spa, users should take steps to avoid the spread of any infection and disease by staying out of the water if they are suffering from sickness and diarrhoea or if they have an open wound, and should always rinse off in the shower before swimming.

The Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group is an independent UK-based, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to raising the standards in pool water treatment. The PWTAG is largely recognised as the authoritative expert in pool water safety.

Richard Lamburn, head of facilities at Swim England and director of PWTAG, said: “Leisure and pool operators must take these threats to public health seriously; most importantly they should be aware they are legally required to protect the health and safety of their staff and customers.”

The Health and Safety Executive HSG179 (fourth edition 2018) states: ‘The general requirements under the Health and Safety at Work Act are that equipment and plant are safe, the workplace is safe, there are safe systems of work and there is the provision of information, instruction, training and supervision needed to ensure that safety’.

The good news is that outbreaks are rare as swimming pool and other water leisure water facilities take their pool plant safety extremely seriously, and the correct use of chemicals and following pool plant safety procedures will kill most harmful bacterias and viral pathogens.

Pool operators are also responsible

If not correctly maintained, swimming pools, spas and hot tubs can spread bacteria and infectious bugs such as Legionnaire’s disease and Cryptosporidium for the treatment, ventilation and storage of chemicals, such as chlorine, as the misuse of these in their own right can lead to health scares such as skin and lung complaints.

Richard added: “Currently, there isn’t a specific health and safety law for swimming pools. However, there have been successful prosecutions under health and safety legislation where PWTAG guidelines have not been followed.

“To reduce risk to users and staff, it is best practice for staff involved in running a swimming pool and spa to be appropriately qualified. It’s safe to say any organisation or operator that values its reputation needs

competently trained staff.”

The Institute of Swimming runs a number of PWTAG-approved courses designed for both pool and spa operators which focus on the safe maintenance of swimming pools and spas.

The institute of Swimming’s pool plant operator certificate is aimed at anyone responsible for the day to day operation of pool plant, including local authority employees, schools and private pool owners.

As well as safeguarding the public, having appropriately trained and competent staff protects your reputation and could be vital should you ever be held to account.

Are slips and trips costing you dearly?

By Gill Twell

New dispenser will match and enhance your gym UP until now, wet wipe dispensers were boring white or black plastic containers.

Addgards has designed a dispenser that will match and enhance your gym. We can even add your logo too.

The mini wet wipe dispenser can be wall mounted or mobile, so you can bring it wherever it’s needed in your gym.

Addgards provide biodegradable wet wipes which are tough on sweat and germs found on gym equipment but

are also gentle on hands, and because they’re biodegradable, they’re kind to the environment too.

If a sanitary station is more what you’re looking for then our Wet Wipe station with integrated bin is the perfect product.

Available in a range of colours and finishes, you’re sure to find the perfect station to suit your gym, branding available on request too.

Check out www.addgards.com to see our full range or email sales@addgards.com to get a quote today.

DURING 2017/2018, 31 per cent of all non-fatal workplace injuries were caused by slips, trips and falls; with an estimated 172,050 cases selfreported by staff.

The Health and Safety Executive reports that 75 per cent of all selfreported incidents result in up to seven days of absence, meaning staff are on leave for almost 130,000 days annually: a wasted cost to any employer.

At Right Directions we know only too well the cost of slips and trips to the health, fitness and leisure sector, thanks to our accident analysis tool, STITCH, which shows in the last year alone, almost 20 per cent of accidents were due to slips or trips.

Customers accounted for 84 per cent of these, with 70 per cent resulting in minor bruising or grazing.

The irony is that slip, trip and fall injuries are some of the easiest to prevent in the workplace; simple measures can significantly reduce the risks: n Keep walking surfaces clean and avoid cluttering n Ensure there is effective lighting n Make sure signage that is clear and well placed n Stairs should have handrails,

Gill Twell markings on top and bottom steps, and be free from unsecured carpets n Advise appropriate footwear n Ensure staff have easy access to equipment, such as ladders and step ladders n Manage wires and cables, ensuring they are tucked away n Check the condition of floors and make repairs as soon as defects appear n Keep filing cabinets and drawers closed when not in use n Clean up spills immediately.

Gill Twell is head of development at Right Directions.

GROUP EXERCISE

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Advertiser’s announcement

Technogym supports second year of Active Uprising conference THE second year of the Active Uprising conference was stronger than ever, with industry names joining forces to set the agenda for sector growth against an eye-opening backdrop of inactivity statistics.

Technogym was there as a sponsor, supporting ukactive in bringing people together at this pivotal event.

Active Uprising 2019 had a varied and interactive agenda with multiple streams, where keynote speakers from across business, political, and media backgrounds joined leaders from ukactive Kids, Sweat North, and ActiveLab. Seminars were clearly focused around sharing knowledge and education, as the agenda shone a light on the next five years of sector growth.

Here’s a look at the conversations that were shared between these forward-thinking organisations.

A global crisis of inactivity Hosts ukactive left us in no doubt as to why we were all here.

Their findings showed that – on a global level – physical inactivity currently costs the lives of an estimated 3.2 million people annually.

This global crisis has promoted a worldwide response – with Active Uprising bringing it all together under one roof.

The conference gathered 1,000 leading decision makers for thoughtprovoking discussions and debates on how to tackle the problem.

Active Uprising 2019 had five strands: Challenge the Mindset, ukactive Kids, ActiveLab, Sweat North and Empowering the Workforce.

This year’s agenda also had networking, insight, and innovation events plus awards to celebrate pioneers.

Kick-starting the conference with Technogym There was no chance of sleeping in at Active Uprising 2019 as Technogym hosted an energising sweat session to kick start the day.

Technogym Master Trainer Ben Jones led a full workout, demonstrating the diversity of the

Skillmill. Participants switched seamlessly from training power and agility, to stamina and speed on the Skillmill, raising their heart rates with dynamic movements and conditioning sets.

This was a full body workout in a boutique environment for a truly 2019 fitness experience!

Technogym activate Sweat North seminars Boutique fitness is still growing, with no signs of slowing down, and it’s starting to move outside the capital.

Technogym sponsored the Sweat North seminars, which ran throughout the out the day, offering panel discussions dedicated to opportunities and considerations for boutique gyms, and giving invaluable insight into how the boutique market is expanding beyond London.

These discussions included input from industry leading experts including Chris Heron, founder of The Engine Room and Rob Ward, club owner of Your Gym, who discussed the “Aggregators, The Good & The Bad” and talked about how to “Maximise your Offering”.

Guest speaker Chris Heron (who exclusively uses Technogym Skillrow in his rowing studio) discussed how group exercise is more popular than ever, but operators must respond to the changing demands of customers.

For example, The Engine Room’s customer base want to learn good rowing technique whilst still getting an unforgettable experience – and it is down to Chris and his team to ensure they keep coming back for more.

Group cycling as boutique fitness Success in boutique fitness means giving customers enticing (and everevolving) experiences so they don’t get bored.

A report on Moving Communities: Active Leisure Trends 2018 showed that group cycling is more popular than ever – making up 13 per cent of all exercise classes.

Indoor cycling also demonstrates an ongoing opportunity to respond to the increasing demand for HIIT. Technogym showcased how indoor cycling has moved with the times.

Their live Skillbike class showed how operators can address the demands for high-intensity indoor group cycling experiences, with immersive and interactive tech that delivers much more than your average cycling class.

The Skillbike class solution is an adaptive and proactive way to change up your offering in an increasingly demanding market.

Technology is diversifying the industry Active Uprising visitors were able to see first-hand how technology is changing the industry.

The events innovative ActiveLab gave several ambitious entrepreneurs the floor, allowing them to present brand-new business ideas.

Each industry innovator had 60 seconds to pitch their start-up, with the aim of winning votes and being named winner of the prestigious ActiveLab Accelerator Programme.

Phase two saw the ActiveLab creators entice audience members to pick their business ideas in a Dragons’ Den style vote via the Active Uprising app.

Only one innovation could take the top spot, and it was CoachAi which became this year’s winner of the ActiveLab accelerator program.

ActiveLab was a fun and thoughtprovoking way to highlight how tech is tackling the big issue of inactivity by making sports and physical activity accessible.

Consumer demands are changing, interaction with tech is evolving, and the problem of inactivity is not getting any smaller. It’s clear there is plenty of space for supportive

technology and smart ideas.

The road ahead for physical activity?

Active Uprising 2019 was a lively, interactive event that left us in no doubt that the reach of physical activity is expanding – but that we still have a big (and important) job to do.

All the discussions, debates and thoughts from keynote speakers, visiting Olympians, and leaders from other sectors, helped shine clarity on the path ahead.

Key takeaways included: n Technology: explore the expansion of technologies and how it is targeting areas of inactivity. n Accessibility: discover how tech can influence and increase accessibility in sport and physical activity. n Digital: embrace the digital offering available whilst keeping an eye out for new innovations. n Diversity: encourage women of all ages to engage in sport, a point emphasised by many keynote speakers. n Mindset: consider the power of physical activity for mood, mindset, and mental health.

The ukactive Awards – and a special guest The ukactive Awards ceremony celebrated people who have made a positive contribution to the industry by overcoming barriers to physical activity, and a variety of awards reflected the diversity of achievements.

One new award presented this year – the Higher Education Physical Activity Excellence Award – saw Warwick Sport, The University of Hertfordshire, and King’s Sport shortlisted.

The sought-after Supplier of the Year award saw Technogym shortlisted.

The day ended with a nostalgic (and colourful) reminder of the importance of getting more people, more active, more often as Mr Motivator graced the stage.

It was a great note not just of the important job we have to do, but of how fun and lively our industry can be. Now it’s down to all of us to get that message out there.

GROUP EXERCISE

28 Advertiser’s announcement

Advertiser’s announcement

New CPD is smart MX4 small group training Improves member retention investment for gym owners THE UK fitness industry is the healthiest it’s ever been, according to the 2019 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report.

With more gyms, more members and the largest market value to date, the industry is reaching more of the population than ever. The question now is, how do we keep these people engaged?

In a recent white paper released

by EMD UK, the national governing body of group exercise, they showcased the many social, mental and physical benefits that group exercise has to offer.

The white paper, entitled Sweating Your Assets: The Value of Group Exercise, also highlights some valuable business insight on the activity, including: n Members that attend group exercise classes are 26 per cent less likely to cancel their gym membership. n Group exercise is more profitable per square metre than cardio or weights areas. n Upskilling instructors has a direct impact on class occupancy and member retention.

It’s clear that group exercise is a smart business choice. Nearly five million people take part in group exercise every week, a growth of one million since 2016, and as this trend grows, there is one thing you can do to ensure you’re at the forefront; upskill your personal trainers.

The existing Level 3 Diploma in Personal Training is written for working one-to-one with clients in order to create bespoke programmes for individual fitness goals.

The syllabus does not set out how to programme group exercise sessions, as personal trainers generally work with one person at a time; the clue’s in the name.

The recently launched Level 2 Group Training Qualification and revamped Level 2 Group Training to Music Qualification (formerly Exercise to Music), developed by EMD UK and ActiveIQ, are the base qualifications for teaching group exercise classes.

They’re designed for programming exercise in group settings with key skills in how to use beats, phrasing

and music, as well as a variety of training protocols.

Of course, it would be counterproductive to send a personal trainer on a full Level 2 Qualification. EMD UK know this and have developed a 16-hour Group Training CPD option, designed to equip PTs with the skills and knowledge needed to run group exercise sessions; a very different environment to one-to-one training.

Coaching a group environment involves communicating information to different people, reading the group dynamic and being able to react and respond to differing group needs, all key to creating a safe, effective and inclusive group exercise classes.

The CPD option has been tried and tested by EMD UK, ensuring course attendees leave with the correct skills, knowledge and confidence to lead their own classes.

The course strips away the modules already covered by the course attendees’ previous qualifications and is worth four CIMSPA points and two REPs points.

Investing in your workforce is an incredibly valuable business opportunity.

Only 42 per cent of personal trainers say they feel secure in their job, making the chances of them being tempted away by other work quite high.

Although your staff may not stay with you forever, it’s likely they’ll stay with your business a lot longer when they feel valued. Giving them the tools to instruct an increasingly popular trend is a step in the right direction.

The EMD UK Group Training CPD launches in September. Be first to benefit from this exciting new upskill option. To discuss the available opportunities, call EMD UK on 01403 266000 and quote WOMGT in your call. You can also email on training@emduk.org or visit emduk.org If you want to learn more about how group exercise is increasing the value of businesses, download your copy of Sweating Your Assets: The Value of Group Exercise from emduk.org/sweating-your-assets

MEMBER retention is one of the biggest challenges every gym, studio or club faces and one of the most powerful draws to keep members interested is to offer engaging small group training.

Matrix launched its MX4 small group training programming to inspire members, deliver results and drive revenue and differentiation for operators.

Combining Matrix-exclusive equipment and bespoke workout programming, this exercise experience is one members will invest in and commit to more frequently.

Matrix Master Trainer, Matt Gleed, said: “MX4 provides an effective workout for everybody.

“Addressing multiple aspects of fitness – cardio, power, strength and endurance, we can modify all workouts to fit all abilities, scale the programme to accommodate small or large groups and bring a fresh twist to group training.”

The MX4 Training System leverages Matrix-exclusive equipment like our Connexus Functional Training System, S-Drive Performance Trainer, Rower and Krankcycle.

The Connexus Series; products and solutions that enable you to create the functional training system that works best for your facility, make up the centre of MX4 training.

Giving you flexibility and expandability, solutions come with a variety of attachment points to accommodate a wide range of functional accessories so you can create signature experiences that serve each group’s fitness level and needs.

New for 2019, Matrix has announced the launch of MX4 Active, a safe and effective small group training programming solution designed to meet the needs of aging individuals and those with a low baseline fitness.

To find out more visit www.matrixfitness.com/en

Advertiser’s announcement

Gym Gear makes HIIT happen HIGH Intensity Interval Training is becoming one of the most popular forms of exercise in the fitness industry.

HIIT has seen a huge growth in popularity due to its scientifically proven health benefits, shorter time investment and the ability to motivate participants.

Meet the Gym Gear HIIT family, the Tornado Airbike, Blade 2.0 Rower, and the Curve 2.0 Treadmill.

These machines are speed and strength training tools designed to burn fat at a faster rate, during and after exercise, when used in a high-intensity interval training programme.

This helps to deliver an effective resistance training platform that captures the benefits of speed and HIIT training.

Rapid intervals of exercises can be carried out without the need to spend large amounts of time setting up the machines prior to use.

In addition to their HIIT related benefits, these self-powered machines are more cost effective and will require less maintenance over time.

There are fewer electrical components that could require repairs or break down.

Call us on 01772 428434, email us at sales@gymgear.co.uk or visit www.gymgear.co.uk

TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT

29

‘Are you sitting comfortably?

Then I’ll begin ...’

By Jenny Patrickson I COULDN’T resist this infamous line from BBC Radio 2’s Listen With Mother from the 1950s.

Like me, many of you reading this will be too young to have listened with your parents to this programme.

Also, like me, many of you reading this will be sitting down as, on average, UK office workers spend between four and nine hours a day sitting at their desks, although fortunately I have a standing desk now which is helping.

Equating to around 67 sedentary days per worker annually, that statistic shocks me. Sitting continually for large periods of time can cause a whole range of problems such as weak glutes, tight hips, rounded upper back and a weak lower back.

These problems arise even among those of us who regularly attend the gym, walk to and from work, go for a run or knock out a fitness class.

These few hours’ activity do not offset the damaging effects of sitting down for hours at a time. More needs to be done to stimulate those muscles.

In direct response to this, we have been busy working with our chief medical advisor, Dr Dane Vishnubala, to develop a Level 4 qualification for personal trainers, strength and conditioning coaches and sports

Jenny Patrickson massage therapists.

Our Level 4 Certificate in Postural Assessment and Corrective Exercise gives fitness professionals the knowledge and skills to assess a client’s posture and movement capacity and identify any movement restrictions. Learners will also be able to plan and implement an effective corrective exercise strategy.

Once qualified, fitness professionals will be able to advise clients seeking general information on mobility and posture. They will be able to identify and provide client-specific exercise programmes to help correct poor posture and improve movement quality which may play a part in reducing injury risk.

Take for example your glute muscles which are integral to the strength and stability of your entire body. Weak glutes can’t stabilise your pelvis, which causes it to tilt forward. This, in turn puts pressure on the lower spine which can cause discomfort and, ultimately, a greater injury.

Most people don’t think about their posture or any form of corrective exercise until it’s too late. As an industry we need to be teaching clients and members good posture from the outset and instil good lifelong habits.

Our new qualification will help identify poor movement and the components that might contribute to it. It will also provide a framework of exercises to improve movement quality and work on identified weaknesses. If more fitness professionals can work with clients to achieve a better movement quality by addressing any imbalances they have it can help people maximise their activity programme and safeguard against mobility and health issues later in life.

While we may struggle to stop people sitting for hours on end, if we can build awareness around the importance of good posture and how to correct any imbalances, we can at least mitigate the impact of our sedentary lifestyle. n Jenny Patrickson is managing director of Active IQ.

LFX launches new ‘Indie’ membership

NETWORKING organisation LFX has launched a new membership for independent operators and freelancers who miss out on connecting with other professionals in the fitness industry.

LFX founder Graeme Hinde said: “As someone who works independently I know it can be tough running your own business and that often means feeling isolated.

“So our Indie membership is designed to get people out and about talking to fellow professionals and listening to our guest speakers at events”.

The Indie membership is just one of many new features being added to the LFX brand over the coming months.

For more information email Graeme at graeme@mylfx.com

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ENTER ONLINE AT WWW.NATIONALFITNESSAWARDS.CO.UK

Courses gain quality standard approval THE University of Central Lancashire has become one of the first in the UK to have undergraduate degree programmes endorsed by the sport and physical activity sector’s professional standards framework.

The higher education endorsement programme has been developed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity and its 10 higher education partners over the past 18 months, and approved by sector employers, to create an endorsement and recognition process for UK sport and physical activity-related degree programmes.

Endorsed degree programmes are certified as meeting employerset professional standards – an employability benchmark making clear the job roles a student completing the programme is qualified for.

Both the BSc (Hons) Nutrition and Exercise Sciences and BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science courses have been endorsed by CIMSPA in relation to the roles of Personal Trainer and CIMSPA Gym Instructor.

Dr Adrian Ibbetson, head of the School of Sport and Wellbeing and academic director of Sport at UCLan, said: “We are proud to be part of the process of helping CIMSPA to professionalise the sport and physical activity sector.

“The fact that our degrees are endorsed by the newly created professional standards recognises

the fact that our programmes are academically rigorous but also embed real-world, authentic learning and assessment experiences. Therefore, the industry can employ and deploy our graduates with confidence.”

In addition, students studying on the BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching and Performance and BA (Hons) Sports Coaching Development will gain a degree endorsed by CIMSPA to meet its Coach professional standards.

UCLan was one of the first universities to partner with CIMSPA and has been consistently working with the professional body. This includes improving work placement and internship opportunities and developing a national graduate training programme for the sector.

Richard Millard, Chair of the professional development board, added: “On behalf of the Sport and Physical Activity Sector Professional Development Board we congratulate the University of Central Lancashire in achieving CIMSPA endorsement for BSc (Hons) Nutrition and Exercise Sciences and BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science. We are delighted to see the employer developed Professional Standards have been included enabling the development of work ready graduates.”

UCLan has three other associated courses with CIMSPA: BA (Hons) Outdoor Adventure Leadership, BA (Hons) Sport and Physical Education and BSc (Hons) Sport Business Management.

fibodo reports huge growth ahead of fifth anniversary FITNESS booking management platform and technology business fibodo (Find It. Book It. Do It.) has reported strong revenue growth figures and a headcount boost as it looks towards its fifth year in business. fibodo is a fully-customisable SaaS booking management platform which connects time-based service professionals with their customers.

This helps business owners reach new audiences, save hours of administration and reduce costs to increase earnings.

The company reported a 363 per cent rise in revenue between 201718 and 2018-19, while also seeing the average price of client bookings increase to over £25.

Latest figures highlight both the sustained rapid growth in the number of professional users, as well as the ongoing increase in client bookings made through fibodo’s platform.

Anthony Franklin, CEO and founder of fibodo, said: “We’ve been on an exciting journey over the past five years and are now ideally placed to scale. New team members are providing the in-house capability that we need to drive robust growth – with a strategy to continue making key appointments in the short to medium term.

“Our SaaS solution is valuable, viable and relevant as the world continues its move towards servicebased businesses. Organisations are

increasingly aware of the value that their ’service professionals’ and the impact an engaged team can have on their bottom line.

“As they seek to comply with the latest employment legislation updates, most notably IR35, fibodo offers the perfect ‘plug and play’ solution. The next 12 months promise to be an exciting time for fibodo, so watch this space.” fibodo recently introduced two new products to the market – Studio and Booking Hub – which aim to bring the booking management ecosystem under a single roof.

Both are serviced by a white-label proprietary customer booking app.

This is already helping to drive customer use, with the number of paid-for bookings through the platform increasing by 453 per cent year-on-year. fibodo also has plans to increase full-time staff members from eight to 22 before February 2020. To kickstart this process, it has recently brought on a new sales manager – Rajan Popat – who joins from engagement specialist, Xexec.

He will work directly with the business development directors and be responsible for the account management team, looking after the needs of all fibodo clients.

The business initially targeted the UK fitness industry, with a goal to quickly establish itself within other activity sectors as the UK’s leading booking management platform.

Trust renews partnership with Institute of Swimming FREEDOM Leisure has renewed its partnership with the Institute of Swimming to support the growth and development of its swimming teacher workforce, as part of an ambitious aquatics plan to grow its Learn to Swim programme by 15 per cent by next March.

The strategic plan requires the Trust to considerably increase its swim teaching team to cover the additional lesson delivery, and the partnership will see the Institute of Swimming recruit and train prospective teachers, as well as providing high quality training to existing members of staff.

Alyson Zell, Freedom Leisure Group

aquatics development manager, said: “As a community leisure operator our key objective is to support more people to be more active, so swimming is high up on our agenda.

“Many children and adults are missing out on the opportunity to learn to swim due to a national shortage of teachers and we therefore put a huge emphasis on providing everyone within our community the opportunity to learn to swim or develop their aquatic skills.

“As our lesson programme expands we need to invest in future teaching talent. The partnership with the Institute of Swimming will provide

us with recruitment and training support to ensure we have the highest quality teaching staff for our Learn to Swim Programme, and ensure we can continue to deliver a best in class aquatic programme to our local communities. We have a fantastic proven working relationship with the Institute of Swimming and we are extremely confident of its ability to deliver high quality teacher training.”

Rebecca Cox, managing director of the Institute of Swimming said the organisation is thrilled to be working closely with Freedom Leisure to ensure its staff are supported and valued throughout their aquatic

career, providing mentoring to develop staff’s aquatic knowledge and experience via Continuous Professional Development, both online and face to face.

She added: “Aquatics is at the heart of what Freedom Leisure provides its community, and our continuing training and recruitment partnership will help support and nurture both their staff and their community.

“Together we will help grow their aquatic offerings and deliver a workforce that will enhance Freedom Leisure’s Learn to Swim Programme and to help its community to be more active more often.”

MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING Advertiser’s announcement

EZFacility launches EZMessaging LOOK around your gym.

Most if not all members have their phone strapped to their arm, are streaming music into their wireless headphones, recording their health stats through devices, filming their workout to post to social media – I bet a few members are texting right now (hello, multitasking in an ever-connected world).

If you want to reach and engage members, and attract new members at the same time, you need to be where they are – their phones.

With texting being such an essential part of everyday life today, gym facility owners need to make sure they are utilising text messaging as a part of their day-to-day operations in order to maximise their growth and success rate.

Long gone are the days of cumbersome T9 texting (where are my millennials!). Generation Z missed out on the fun of having to memorise how many clicks it took to type an ‘s’ – it’s four in case you forgot – nor go through the agony of going one click too many.

With qwerty keyboards accessible to consumers since the mid-90s and only becoming more affordable over time, it’s no wonder why texting has blown up in popularity to become the main source of communication today. A fast and seamless way to get in touch with someone? It’s a no-brainer.

Have you started taking advantage of texting for your gym? With a wide range of benefits, it’s no wonder why gym facility businesses, and businesses in every industry for that matter, are adopting text messaging to drive sales and promote member engagement.

Do you have questions or want to learn more about how text messaging can impact your gym facility business?

Contact EZFacility today – https://www.ezfacility.co.uk/features/ 0203 3270480 sales@ezfacility.co.uk

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MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING

Why the fitness sector must bulk up its tech offering

By Anthony Franklin THE ongoing digitalisation of society means that many consumers now expect to be able to carry out a wide range of tasks online – from ordering food online to booking a doctor’s appointment.

The rise of apps, such as Uber and Amazon, has also created the expectation of “always-on” access to such products or services.

However, the fitness sector has somewhat lagged behind in this respect. Indeed, Sport England recently found that booking a holiday, taxi or concert ticket is easier than arranging an exercise class online – causing one in five people to put off exercising.

Our recent research supports this. It found that many fitness professionals, such as personal trainers, are still using outdated systems to book and manage clients. A third still rely on using pen and paper.

These archaic, time-consuming ways of engaging people leave many fitness professionals struggling to meet changing consumer habits and unable to achieve their career goals.

Plus, excessive time spent on admin tasks is costing personal trainers £8,136 in lost income every year – equating to £211,536,000 across the industry.

Improving the efficiency of such tasks will free up more time for client sessions – boosting professionals’ bottom lines and the UK’s health and wellbeing.

So, what is the importance of bolstering technology throughout the fitness sector and how can this be put into practice?

Technology – the key to success Digital innovation is arguably at the

time needs to be embraced throughout the fitness sector on a wider scale. Not only will it help boost profits and membership numbers, but also drive overall customer engagement and satisfaction throughout the industry more widely.

Anthony Franklin heart of fitness giant PureGym and has helped it become one of Britain’s biggest, most-used gym chains. Its digital system allows users to access unmanned gyms 24/7 and stores customer data to help tailor offers to each individual.

But this use of technology is not filtering through to the grassroots of the industry. For example, we found that 44 per cent of personal trainers still use local newspaper advertising to attract new business – a method that is expensive and often inefficient in a digital world.

There is much to be learned from other sectors that are effectively using technology to help drive business success.

Digital retailer, Ocado, for instance, uses artificial intelligence to automate administration processes and predict demand, and is trialling driverless deliveries. This has helped increase customer satisfaction rates and bolster revenue levels.

This use of tech to reduce admin

Enable online booking Our research found that only one quarter of personal trainers use online booking systems – with the systems that are being used failing to meet changing consumer requirements. This means that the majority of customers are forced to arrange sessions via calls, texts and emails. So how do personal trainers put this right? n Booking management platforms – both gym owners and trainers need to adopt solutions that manage the whole booking process and meet the needs of today’s consumer. fibodo, for example, has been developed to manage all aspects of session bookings and payments, and promote services to wider audiences – increasing reach and revenue, whilst reducing cancellations and admin time. n Digital calendars – trainers could create a digital calendar that can be edited by both instructors and clients to arrange sessions. However, this may be more suitable for trainers who only have very small client bases and prefer a hands-on approach.

Capitalise on social media With more than three billion social media users worldwide, the likes of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are invaluable tools for businesses.

They help boost client bases, increase customer engagement and drive traffic to company websites.

Using them to promote availability

is essential. For instance, if any last minute sessions become available, or empty slots remain, trainers should use social media channels to highlight vacancies. A booking URL should also be added to a trainer’s online bio – making it easier and more convenient for clients to book online.

Implement digital payments With credit and debit cards having long-since overtaken cash as the preferred method of payment, and online payments expected to grow by a further 56 per cent over the next decade, it is vital that fitness professionals allow clients to pay for sessions digitally to take advantage of the trend. These payments should be taken at the time of booking to increase class numbers and significantly reduce session no-shows.

To put this into practice, trainers can adopt tools such as PlanGuru.

This integrates with accounting platforms to provide users with both current cash-flow data and forecasting. As a result, fitness professionals no longer need to waste their time managing this often complex aspect of a business.

Gym groups can also assist with this by adopting and promoting tools that drive sales online, providing transparency for trainers to comply with the latest legislation – such as IR35.

If fitness professionals and gym groups take the above into consideration, they can expect to reduce admin time, keep up with consumer expectations and create new revenue streams – now and in the future. n Anthony is founder and CEO at booking management platform fibodo.

CIMSPA industry guidelines under review CIMSPA’s industry guidelines are under review to ensure the 250+ documents are up to date with current advice, best practice and legislation.

Right Directions has been appointed by CIMSPA to lead the project and oversee the ongoing management of the leisure operations guidance library.

The health and safety and quality management company, which manages Quest on behalf of Sport England, will review and update all existing documents, as well as adding new content for emerging markets across the sector, in the coming years.

The library of resources covers everything from advice on storing goal posts and gym layouts, to movable floors and using ankle weights in the swimming pool, and provides a ‘go to’ manual for front line leisure staff.

Caroline Constantine, managing director of Right Directions, said: “As a young leisure centre duty manager, the old ISRM industry guidance notes on the notice board were a valuable source of information for me, signposting where I could also go for further advice and support.

“While the content of the guidelines has changed over the years, their importance to front line staff has not.

“But keeping these documents up to date, when advice and legislation changes so frequently, is a massive project.

“Reviewing and updating these guidelines on

behalf of CIMSPA will enable us to align the guidance offered to leisure operators through the Quest process too, ensuring each module is also kept up to date in real time.”

Tara Dillon, CEO of CIMSPA, added: “This official guidance is invaluable to people working on the front line.

“The three-year contract with Right Directions will start with the initial full review, but will also include an ongoing review process and adding new guidance documents, to ensure the library is always up to date.

“Once complete, the rebranded guidance documents will be made available, free of charge, to all CIMSPA members via our website.”

Right Directions has been a CIMSPA partner for five years, working alongside the organisation to deliver the Quest/NBS & CIMSPA conference each year.

As well as providing quality management and health and safety advice and support, Right Directions also manages ukactive’s Code of Practice, the Activity Alliance’s IFI Mark, GP Referral Accreditation Public Health Suffolk, the Pool Water Management Award for the Swimming Teachers Association and accreditation for the Swim England’s Learn to Swim Pathway.

MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING

Industry stalwart joins Future Fit Training

Advertiser’s announcement

How well do you know your members?

RECENT research has shown that members are five times more likely to promote a club positively if they make a gym buddy within three months of feedback and almost six times more likely if they report high progress on their fitness.

Statistics like this are invaluable.

Why? Because the only way to truly know our members is through data.

Human being are all shaped from very different moulds, with varying behaviours, so making assumptions about their habits is simply not enough.

At DFC, we are leading revenue managers for the leisure industry, and we place huge importance on data collection.

We developed our popular reporting system, Data Retrieval, with gym operators in mind.

As the holders of invaluable commercial data about members, the information provided through

Data Retrieval can show key insight into the health of a gym’s bottom line.

It’s used by facilities up and down the UK to determine: n Attrition and retention figures. n The frequency of member visits. n Best and worst paying customers. n The popularity of facilities. n Collection rates. n Cancellations.

Data Retrieval can be integrated into almost all CRM’s with little hassle, enabling reports to be downloaded 24/7 directly from each health club’s internal platform, as well as sent automatically on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

It solves gruelling administrational challenges, whilst giving gyms the necessary intelligence to engage more members for longer.

For more information on data retrieval and DFC’s services, head to debitfinance.co.uk or call 01908 422 000.

INDUSTRY stalwart Debbi Moore has joined Future Fit Training as commercial development manager, in a new role created in response to an increased demand for bespoke training solutions for operators.

As commercial development manager, Debbi will focus on working alongside employers to promote the value of training and development of staff delivering services, both on customer retention and the professionalisation of the industry as a whole.

She said: “I love the culture here at Future Fit, and want to ensure the industry understands the benefits of what we deliver, providing quality training and continual learner support, whilst ensuring training solutions meet the needs of operators and promoting high standards of delivery across the sector.

“I trained with Future Fit back in 2000 and have always admired the company’s unerring passion to improve standards by driving better quality training sector-wide; it’s way more than just a job for them.

And because I also have a natural desire to lead by example and a drive to make a difference, the role is an ideal fit for me.”

Debbi started her career in the sector as a fitness instructor after giving birth to her son.

Debbi Moore

She added: “I was exhausted running around after him and needed to lose weight, so I decided to make a change and discovered how great I felt when I exercised.

“It changed my life and so I decided to pursue a career as a fitness instructor.”

Debbi spent 10 years teaching group exercise before joining DC Leisure (now Places Leisure) as regional fitness manager, responsible for the gyms and group exercise programming of 20 centres, from Cornwall right up to Runcorn and across to Derby.

During her eight years with DC Leisure, Debbi’s remit extended to retention and then into training for its fitness teams. In 2005 she joined leisure marketing agency OTB (now Bigwave Media), where she worked in partnership with businesses to deliver communication training.

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Increase savings:

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Increase average length of stay for a health & fitness member on a Direct Debit:

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3 months

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1%

Get in touch today www.debitfinance.co.uk

sales@debitfinance.co.uk

01908 422 000

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MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING Advertiser’s announcement

Want a system to make your life easier? I thought so ...

WHETHER it’s keeping track of your most popular classes, your best selling products or the demographics represented in your customer base.

As a gym owner you’re collecting information about your members and their behaviour on a daily basis, but are you utilising it in your decision making?

The key is to find management software that displays the data within your gym into an easy-to-understand format, which you can then act on accordingly in ‘fine tuning’ your business.

Ashbourne’s new Business Intelligence (BI) Dashboard has been developed for this very reason, giving an overview of key data from within your club to be accessed anywhere, on any device.

Management software, however, has little utility if it only helps you understand select areas of your business.

This is why unlike many providers, Ashbourne’s software package is fully integrated with live data from the payment status of your members as well as from class bookings, shop takings and more.

Live, accurate and secure data that you can trust in making better business decisions.

It’s all well and good knowing the

Ashbourne sales director Grant Harrison. areas where your gym is experiencing shortcomings, but formulating an appropriate promotional plan is another challenge all together.

Figuring out what you’re trying to change or achieve within your

business (your goals) will dictate how marketing efforts can be made relevant and in turn effective.

For example, you may be unhappy with the figures drawn from this month’s till report and so set a goal to achieve a higher net spend from your loyal members.

Using the dashboard’s built in mail tool you can reach-out to your frequent visitors with free protein vouchers and attempt to whet their appetite for future purchases!

On top of tracking your clubs till activity, our new dashboard has month by month club performance tracking embedded under the reports tab allowing you to track the number of sign ups, membership types, any voucher/referral performance and which marketing channels are performing.

The relevance of your marketing activity may also be determined by the method of communication you utilise to achieve your goals.

For example, a text message is likely to have a high success rate amongst younger member groups, while an email, postal campaign or push notification through your Ashbourne Member app may be more effective in reaching other member groups.

As such, you might use the dashboard to separate your target

audience based on their age demographics or perhaps their preferred method of contact.

Whoever you’re trying to reach, Ashbourne’s BI Dashboard allows you to do so wherever you are and however you like.

As a club owner, having a system that gives you at a glance reporting of every aspect of your business allows you to streamline your clubs strategy to make sure you are doing what is best for your clubs continuous performance.

So many clubs go months or even years running the same ineffective marketing campaigns.

Tracking which channels are gaining traffic and which are converting ensure that your marketing budgets are being used as efficiently as they can.

Take control of your club’s marketing with Ashbourne’s new Business Intelligence Dashboard.

A tool for figuring out what you need to do and allowing you to do it.

If you’re looking for a system that will take your clubs performance to the next level simply get in touch with us here at Ashbourne and a member of our team will be happy to help.

You can call us now on 01564 741 837 or, alternatively email at info@ashbournemanagement.com

MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING Advertiser’s announcement

Things to consider when planning ahead SUMMER is an ideal time to plan for September and the stronger half of the financial year. When looking at your club, you should be considering a variety of things: Marketing Crucial to this is a plan!

Do you know who your strongest market segments are? Do you know where they live? Do you know where the best place is to attract them? If you already operate a club, look at your data and understand which demographic purchases your most profitable product.

Where do they live? What age are they? What is their lifestyle?

Where do they hang out?

While online may seem a good option because it is cheaper than traditional marketing and gets to a wider audience, be sure you understand the content consumption preferences of your target markets.

Also make sure you have data capture at every opportunity – just be mindful of GDPR and permissions.

Sales Once you have their attention, is your joining process easy and swift?

If you’re asking them to join online make sure the call to action is clearly in the content, and clickable if its digital! Adding barriers only increases drop outs.

Is your on-site sales process right?

Do you understand exactly what they want? Taking them to see the pool and wet changing when they want is the gym or classes distracts them from their purpose.

Retention Once you’ve got the new member, are you doing everything possible to keep them engaged? Are they being spoken to regularly? Do you know what is most likely to trigger them leaving? Are they being rewarded?

Along with helping you manage your memberships, Harlands Group can also assist with gaining and retaining members https://www. harlandsgroup.eu/partners/

Case study Cedar Court Hotels based in Yorkshire manage three health clubs for its guests and community members.

Early in 2018 Cedar Court Hotels decided to outsource their membership collections to the Harlands Group.

Chris Willetts, health club manager, said “We were looking for a company that could satisfy several areas.

“We needed online joining, needed better credit control to fulfil our income forecast and a partner that could make our lives easier.

“We had different practices across

our sites and needed to consolidate these and have a consistent approach that would enable us to grow as a business.”

When Cedar Court was looking at various providers what drew them to Harlands was the extent of market coverage, their open, honest, professional attitude and their willingness to help every step of the journey.

Chris added: “Harlands recommended a few CRM providers based on our business needs. We selected Clubware which was then rolled out across our three sites.

“Clubware integrates with Harlands SNAP online joining and all the status updates are done automatically.

“It’s a system that is very effective.

It’s the ease of use and its integration that we love.

“The online joining means we can sell memberships directly from our web page and completing sales in-club is much easier as there is no paperwork to complete. It’s all dealt with for us by Harlands.

“They are rapidly becoming our one stop shop for business advice.

We recently looked into sales training for our staff, when we couldn’t find what we were looking for a quick email into Harlands resulted in us making contact with a sales training provider who will be giving us a discount on the training due to Harlands – we’re very impressed.”

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TECHNOLOGY Advertiser’s announcement

App makes life easier SURREY based personal trainer Ibby Sherratt was the first person to download the Go:Do Pro App from the Apple App Store in May 2018.

Encouraged by the promise of reducing the time spent on business admin – and therefore more time earning money from clients – Ibby viewed the new-to-market tech solution as a cost-effective automated secretary; taking bookings and payments automatically even when she wasn’t available herself.

As the first PT to download the Go:Do Fitness App, the owners of Go:Do, Steve Chapman and Beth Cash, have unsurprisingly listened to Ibby’s feedback and used this to make the technology even more relevant to the day-to-day challenges of running a PT business.

Ibby said: “The online booking and payment is a major step forward for me.

“It means I don’t have to return

loads of calls and text messages.

“Gone are the days of scribbling in a paper diary. I can now focus on planning my next client’s session.

Clients like it too – everyone expects to be able to book anything with a few clicks. Now the same is true for PT.” For Go:Do founder Steve, having an early adopter embrace Go:Do was very encouraging.

He added: “For Ibby we were able to offer an end to end solution. From the first booking we became Ibby’s ‘pocket PA’ dealing with payments, cancellations and reporting.

Following early successes like this, we are now actively growing our user base knowing our product has an invaluable place on a PT’s smartphone.”

The Go:Do Fitness App and marketplace is available to personal trainers via the App Store.

For more information visit www.godo.fitness

New app for gym-phobics and stay-at-home mums A DEVON personal trainer has designed a new online fitness platform to help people who are wary of joining a gym, or unable to leave the house to exercise, to work out from the comfort of their own home instead.

Jo Taylor, a mum of one, created My Peak after realising there were large groups of people who wanted to get fit but didn’t know where to start.

She is passionate about helping women and new mums to start their journey to fitness, having helped hundreds already to build successful fitness routines during her time at the gym, and now wants to reach out to others who might not otherwise be able to try working out.

“I totally get that the gym isn’t for everyone – and as a working mum, I know how hard it is to make fitness a part of your everyday lifestyle and routine,” Jo said.

“I wanted to do something to help the people who wanted to get fit but maybe they’re at home with a baby and they can’t get to the gym, or maybe they just don’t feel comfortable going to a gym environment to work out.

“Our HIIT workouts can be done at home, and in as little as 10 minutes if people are pushed for time – and there are plans for people with limited mobility too – so people can get started on their journey to fitness without feeling uncomfortable.”

My Peak is an online fitness

Jo Taylor platform offering tailored workout plans and guides, with explanatory video tutorials to explain every exercise, and it’s all designed to be done with no equipment and no previous experience.

The programme also provides healthy eating plans and recipes, and can be accessed through an app downloaded to your smartphone, tablet or online via a PC. Membership includes access to one-to-one advice and help from a personal trainer.

Subscriptions start from £5 a month.

TECHNOLOGY

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Advertiser’s announcement

Complex spins ahead with Hutchison HUTCHISON Technologies, audio visual consultants to the health and fitness industry, have recently worked with the team at Leisure & Culture Dundee’s Dundee International Sports Complex to enhance its customer experience.

The cycle studio and exercise area, which opened last month, now offers a modern and flexible space for customers and instructors alike having enjoyed a functional equipment, audio visual and lighting upgrade. The state-of-the-art fleet of ICG bikes combined with the digital technology creates a memorable exercise experience.

The unique ‘Coach by Colour’ intensity guide, Watt rate power meter and connectivity to external devices give exercisers the power to personalise, view and track workouts for optimum results.

Leisure & Culture Dundee’s John McCafferty said: “We were looking to develop the studio space to give our customers a more diverse and enhanced fitness area and cycle studio, while providing flexibility around scheduled classes through the use of virtual classes from Life Fitness MyRide® Virtual.

“The team at Hutchison Technologies was able to consult

and advise on the best methods to do this; which has included the integration of instructor controls into our studio and exercise area and of course the fantastic feature and effect lighting to immerse members in their workout, alongside the virtual class function which will now support our popular timetabled cycle classes.”

For more information on Leisure & Culture Dundee including latest membership offers and to book into a cycle class, visit www. leisureandculturedundee.com/ leisure/disc-dundee-internationalsports-complex.

Hutchison Technologies, based on Timex Brae in Dundee, design health and fitness solutions for multi-national clubs to local trusts, helping them discover ways to create outstanding experiences across audio visual, lighting, essential instructor accessories, access control, smart cards and data and telecoms solutions.

The company’s unrivalled designs also enhance the brand stories of health and fitness, leisure, retail, hospitality and corporate spaces.

For more information, including the latest vacancies, view the company’s new website at www.hutchison-t.com

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NOMINATION FORM Category Entered: Gym Name: Gym Opened:

Postcode:

Full Address:

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Main Contact:

Job Title:

Telephone Number:

Mobile Number:

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Email: Total size (in sqm) of the gym/centre (including pool, studios etc): What is the total of your current membership: What is the total number of staff (Full Time): What is the total number of staff (Part Time): How many studios (if any) do you have: Facilities provided: (tick all that apply) Gym Facilities 10

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10 TH B I R T H D AY

Y E A R S

Sports Hall

O F

Pool

Creche

Restaurant/Cafe

Spa Facilities

Do you offer any other facilities? Please specify:

Do you offer any classes? Please specifiy:

Person making nomination: Telephone number of person making nomination: Email of person making nomination: Supporting information must be sent to via email to events@scriptmedia.co.uk (tick if evidence sent)

Please see overleaf for the rest of the form Please return to: Simone Saunders, Script Events, Script Media Group LTD, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS

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NOMINATION FORM 2 0 1 9

Please state, in 300 words or less, why you are entering the category indicated and why you think that your gym/centre/individual should be shortlisted:

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10

Y E A R S

O F

2 0 1 9

10 TH B I R T H D AY

Please see overleaf for the rest of the form

Please return to: Simone Saunders, Script Events, Script Media Group LTD, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS

THE DEADLINE FOR NFA NOMINATIONS IS AUGUST 30

Total Fitness appoints operations director TOTAL Fitness has appointed Paul McNicholas to its board as operations director.

He will oversee the day-to-day running of Total Fitness’ 17 health clubs, located across the North of England and Wales.

In particular, Paul will continue to drive the business’ ‘people-powered’ transformation which has seen it turn-around a shrinking membership with figures showing a membership growth of 6,000 in 2019 to date.

He will also help plan tactical capital investment across the estate in both property and the latest fitness equipment.

Paul has spent the last 19 years working in the health and fitness industry.

Most recently, he worked across the UK for David Lloyd Leisure as Regional Sales Manager and head of Orangetheory Studios while David Lloyd owned the rights to the brand in the UK. In joining Total Fitness, he has renewed a working partnership with CEO Sophie Lawler, whom he worked alongside when he first started out in the industry, and is a key addition to the board as the business continues to nurture its people-led development.

Paul said: “Total Fitness represents a unique opportunity to breathe new life into a fantastic business that had lost its way in recent years. It also means joining an exceptionally talented team, not least Sophie Lawler who I first worked alongside when we

Paul McNicholas started in the industry.

“This is an exciting project and one which is being driven by our people. We are making a significant investment in our teams to allow them to achieve their full potential and feel connected to Total Fitness’ purpose.

“This approach is already working, delivering record breaking commercial results and membership satisfaction scores in 2019. We anticipate this ‘people-powered’ performance, combined with the development of our platform and product (including capital investment) to continue driving exceptional growth.”

Advertiser’s announcement

Body tracking with Corevue THE Corevue 360 is a professional scale, perfect for retail, physiotherapists, gyms, health centres and more.

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

Among other things, it shows their body fat percentage, muscle mass, bone density and metabolic age.

This allows it to deliver a full body composition analysis in as little as 15 seconds.

Train with Corevue Time to find out what you’re made of.

Corevue technology brings you fast, accurate body composition results using the latest advanced bioelectrical impedance analysis technology developed over the last 25 years.

This gives you a true indicator of your inner health and, when monitored over time, can show the impact of any fitness regime or weight loss programme.

So, find out exactly what you are made of, set your goals and use Corevue to help you achieve your optimal fitness level and improve your health and wellbeing.

Every time you use Corevue your results are immediately displayed and also securely uploaded to the cloud to allow private monitoring or optionally sharing via social media.

Corevue can also integrate with other devices such as physical activity trackers to provide a more complete

picture of overall health and wellness.

Body metrics include weight, height, body fat percentage, total body water percentage, muscle mass, physique rating, bone mineral mass, basal metabolic rate, metabolic age, body mass index and visceral fat.

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

The flexible modular design allows for a wide range of customer payment methods from contactless card payment, cash and bespoke payment solutions such as membership and loyalty cards.

Call 0161 794 3206 or email info@healthcheckservices.co.uk

Show me the data

By Dave Wright

I LOVE the saying ‘In God We Trust, but for everything else, show me the data’ as we embark into the future of data collection and the new era of ‘digital fitness.’

Data defines our actions in almost all parts of the fitness industry, be it sales (gathering pre-history exercise experience), to fitness assessments (to define a user’s limitations), to fitness programmes (live feedback during training) and member engagement (club management software and behaviour analytics).

There is an enormous amount of data that is being collected in today’s health club environment that there is a significant need to introducing ‘geeks’ into the ‘jock’ world of fitness.

Simply to analyse the whole member journey and how digital fitness and data collection sits at the hub.

That said, there are a few things to understand to make sure that you are on the right track in data collection and action.

Dirty data We’ve all been there when the wrong member’s email address or postal address is inputted into our system.

We try to act on that data and communicate events and services at the club yet there is no engagement from that member.

It’s not that they chose to ignore it, but if the data was wrong in the first place then there is nothing that can be done to action that at the back end. The first step towards solving any problem is first defining what the problem is and the symptoms around what may be causing that – so that data must be reliable to make any sense of an outcome.

The same too when you are training and coaching someone with real time feedback – if that data is not accurate (such as with wrist based wearables), then you could be coaching someone through an unsafe intensity because of the incorrect readings.

Clean data Finding out how many times your member swipes their membership card at the club is one thing.

But finding out whenever they exercise, how long they exercise for, what intensity that they exercise, what classes that they participate in, at what point when a member changes their exercise habits that they may choose to cancel is the type of information that can be quite meaningful.

Matching external devices with

Dave Wright

member analytics is helping unveil the picture of a member in the same way as you do with a game of ‘guess who.’

Dealing with the data This is where the rubber meets the road and the member engagement and retention kicks in.

Imagine if you, as an owner, could walk up to a member and say “Hi Mary, John mentioned that you were going to be trekking the Inca trail in December and that you wanted to prepare for it. Remember to make sure that you build that base line cardio to be able to deal with those hills.”

Now that shows proper member engagement. It shows to your members that you care, even if you haven’t met Mary before, or even spoken to John about it. It is about collecting the data (in this case in the CRM), but more importantly, it’s about taking action and doing something about it.

In a class setting, to have someone’s heart rate on the screen is almost irrelevant if the instructor is not using that to their benefit by coaching and motivating those in the class.

As an operator it’s very easy to lose track of the basic things that are available to us. We are there to serve – our members, the community, our families. Data is now considered the new oil.

Collecting it and then taking action on it, will move us all one step closer to raising the bar in the industry; helping more people, getting more results, more often. n Dave Wright is the creator and CEO of MYZONE®, CEO and owner of CFM (Creative Fitness Marketing) and owner of the Feelgood Fitness & Voyage Fitness Club chains. With offices in Chicago (US), Nottingham (UK) and Melbourne (Oz), Dave’s companies have worked directly with over 5,000 health clubs across 65 different countries, encouraging people to be more and stay more physically active.

He may be contacted on Dave@ myzone.org

Full design service offered ServiceSport offers customers an intensive remanufacturing process that provides an affordable alternative to buying fitness equipment, whilst retaining the look and feel of brand new apparatus.

The Chorley-based firm provides independent technical and maintenance support designed to maximise the life of fitness equipment of any make and model.

The company’s full design service gives customers with a new build or an existing area the opportunity to see full 3D images of what their gym will look like prior to placing an order.

ServiceSport staff will attend site, assess your equipment needs and

take full measurements, before preparing a full 3D Cad designed presentation and a quote for you to approve.

The beauty of this service is you can change your design as many times as you want, until you are satisfied that you are getting exactly what you need and keeping within your budget.

ServiceSport can also audit your existing equipment and incorporate it within your design.

For a more unique or corporate look, upholstery can be colour coded and logos embossed.

Call 0845 402 2456 or email sales@servicesport.co.uk to discuss your requirements.

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Construction expert Gym Logistics launches joins Createability bespoke service for UK CONSTRUCTION expert Peter Arnold has joined Createability as operations director in charge of the overall delivery of the company’s leisure-based design and build projects.

Peter has more than 30 years’ experience in the construction industry and a background in project leadership of complex infrastructure, civil engineering and commercial build projects, such as Crossrail, London Olympics hub, BSF schools and MOD contracts, with total values up to £4.5billion.

Managing director Ian Cotgrave said:“We spent several months searching for the best candidate to fill this role.

“We brought in external consultants to assess the applicants and Peter came out on top at every stage; there’s nothing he doesn’t know about construction.

“He brings a new dynamic to our team and fills a knowledge gap, enabling us to take on more new construction projects, alongside

Peter Arnold redevelopments and extensions to existing leisure facilities.

“Peter has already proved his weight in gold, tackling some contractually-difficult projects, as well as bringing more structure to existing contracts.”

New owner invests £750,000 A HALL dating back to 1721 which hosts a health club has received £750,000 worth of investment from its new owner.

Cookridge Hall, which became part of the Bannatyne Group in January, is located between Horsforth and Bramhope.

Justin Musgrove, chief executive of Bannatyne Group, said: “We promised members at Cookridge Hall that we would make a significant investment as part of the company’s ambitious plans for all its health clubs and we are delivering on that.

“The new equipment is of the highest standard and the exciting investment in the gym has greatly improved the health club, bringing it

LOGISTICS

LOCKERS

up to date without compromising the unique atmosphere and ambience of the magnificent building.”

The property’s extensive, two-level gym has been totally revamped, with the installation of of state-of-the-art SKILL LINE Technogym equipment and a functional training area.

The centrepiece of the training area is a bespoke, world-class rig, designed for the health club by ESP Fitness.

Indigo Fitness Aero Bikes complete the cutting-edge facilities, designed to support the fitness goals of more than 3,000 club members.

Work has also been carried out to revamp the studios, and the addition of a brand-new Bannatyne Spa is planned at a later date.

SPECIALISING in the movement and installation of gym equipment, whether you require an installation of new/refurbished equipment or an extraction of old, they offer a seamless service to ensure your gym is safe and free from disruption.

The team, which is headed up by founders Phil Johnson and Daniel Hanlon, offer a nationwide service 24/7 to cover your every move.

With more than 14 years of experience between them they are qualified to work on sites such as schools, hospitals, Ministry of Defence bases, leisure centres, gyms and all variations of health clubs.

The specialist team is experienced in all commercial gym equipment from various manufacturers. Whether you require a full gym installation or just a boxing bag hanging they can do it, and offer a no job is too big or small mentality to fit all budgets.

The services they offer include, INSTALLATIONS – EXTRACTIONS – MOVEMENTS – RELOCATIONS EQUIPMENT SALES Want to give your gym a fresh new look? They can create a floor plan to utilise your gym space to its full potential.

Are you having a refurbishment and need your kit moving to do so then they can either create you a temporarily gym set up or move the kit into storage. Nowhere to store the kit? They can arrange that to! Or if you simply just need a piece of kit moving from one side of your gym to another just let them know.

Speak to Gym Logistics today by emailing your requirements to info@gymlogistics.co.uk or call us on 07903 868152 or 07525 866068.

Visit the website to read about recent projects and reviews at www.gymlogistics.co.uk

If you have got a story for the next issue of Workout email it to Dominic Musgrave at dm@scriptmedia.co.uk or call 01226 734407 SOUND AND VISION

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