HCM PEOPLE
PEOPLE “
“
A fitness club can have everything on paper to make it the best in the business, but its longevity depends on how well it understands the basic psychological needs of its members
HELEN QUIRK, PhD EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCHER, SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY What does an exercise psychologist do? As a researcher in exercise psychology, I use psychological principles to help understand how to promote and maintain physical activity and exercise participation in people across the population. I’m interested in what people think about physical activity and exercise, their experience of taking part and developing evidencebased techniques to help people initiate and maintain an active lifestyle. My current research projects involve developing ways to promote physical activity among patients with type I diabetes, exploring the ways that physical activity is experienced by people living with a serious mental illness, and helping to bring the benefi ts of Parkrun to more people with long-term health conditions. You played an advisory role with fitness studio TRIB3. Tell us more about that When the boutique HIIT concept TRIB3 first opened its doors in Sheffield and boasted to be the ‘hardest workout 10
his creation and the psychological principles underlying TRIB3’s concept development. I’ve since helped reinforce why the TRIB3 member journey works, hosted a psychology evening for members and have written psychology blogs for the company’s website. As TRIB3 continues to expand, keeping in mind the fundamental needs of its members will ensure the essence of its flagship Sheffield studio is replicated for the rest of the world to enjoy.
Quirk develops techniques to help people live an active life in the north’, there was little doubt I wanted in on the action. This was a fitness studio that had paid attention to every detail of its members’ journey. Although I wasn’t directly involved in the design of the TRIB3 studio, I initially spoke with the CEO, Kevin Yates, about
healthclubmanagement.co.uk October 2017 ©Cybertrek 2017
How can clubs benefit from using psychological principles during the design process? Getting inside the mind of members should be the driving force behind the design of fi tness clubs. A club can have everything on paper to make it the best in the business but its longevity depends on how well it understands the basic psychological needs of its members. Who is your target audience, what are their fundamental needs and how can you satisfy them? At a basic level, people have three psychological needs; the need to feel competent, the need to feel autonomous