UK FITNESS SCENE
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Gym shorts Power Plate success USING a Power Plate helps people trim harmful belly fat, a new study has claimed. Research presented at the 17th European Congress on Obesity found that overweight or obese people who regularly undertook Power Plate exercise were more successful at long-term weight loss and shedding visceral or belly fat than those who combined dieting with a more conventional fitness routine and those who simply dieted. The study, conducted at the University of Antwerp in Belgium, was conducted over a six-month period, after which subjects returned to their daily lives and reported back for retesting at 12 months.
Striding out
YOUNG people are ditching the gym and going walking instead to save money, the results of a new survey claim. Research by walking organisation the Ramblers showed that one in four people aged 18-35 had saved money on gym costs by using their feet instead. Tom Franklin, CEO of the Ramblers said: “It’s no surprise that people are taking to their feet during the recession. Walking keeps you fit, and unlike the gym, it’s free and you don’t need specialist equipment to do it.”
Proposed tax labelled a ‘crippling burden’ By Mary Ferguson A PROPOSED tax that could cost gyms up to £13,000 per year has been branded a ‘crippling burden’ by industry professionals. Business Rate Supplement (BRS), the proposed bill which will allow local authorities to add an additional tax on businesses to the normal business rate, is a ‘wellbeing tax’ which will undermine the government’s own public health strategy, it has been claimed. The Fitness Industry Association say the impact will be disproportionately greater on gyms and leisure facilities than other businesses because of the large spaces that many of them have. And they claim the cost of a 2p business rate supplement to an average operator in London for example, could be as much as an extra £13,000 per club per year. Andree Deane, CEO of the FIA said:
Andree Deane “There is a fundamental inconsistency between setting targets for increased participation in sport and physical fitness on the one hand, whilst simultaneously imposing a
PJ ready to get back in shape
Channel support
THE UK’s first dedicated health and fitness TV channel is celebrating an unprecedented level of support from top fitness industry bodies and businesses. Fitness TV, due to launch later this summer on Sky, has secured a number of brand partnerships and industry associated support including the FIA, Connection Fitness, Power Music and YMCAfit. Luan Underwood, managing director of Media Fitness Ltd and creator of Fitness TV said: “We’re excited about the recent partnerships and are looking forward to working with even more like-minded businesses.”
Paul ‘PJ’ James before he put on eight stones for his experiment. Picture: Blush Photography www.blush.com.au
crippling tax burden on the very organisations tasked with helping the Government achieve those targets. “If the bill goes through in its current form, BRS could single-handedly dismantle the industry’s ability to help deliver current public health campaigns such as change4life. This is a classic case of reap with one hand and forfeiting on the other.” The FIA is calling for health clubs, sports clubs and leisure centres to be exempt from the tax and if that cannot be achieved, the threshold for them should be increased. Andree added: “The ultimate victims will be the 50 per cent of adults and 90 per cent of children who will suffer from obesity and the other lifestyle diseases by 2050, as well as the taxpayers who will have to pick up the resulting NHS bill.” I Are you worried about how the tax could affect your gym? Send your comments to Mary Ferguson at mf@whpl.net or call 01226 734712. A gym instructor who gained eight stones in order to understand how his overweight clients feel has begun a regime to get back to his original fitness. Paul ‘PJ’ James, who works as a personal trainer at an independent gym in Australia, decided to pile on the pounds after Christmas, swapping his healthy diet for burgers, pizza and chips. PJ, who has modelled for Calvin Klein and FCUK, is now trying to slim back down and is hoping to reach his original weight of 79.5kg by December.