44
27/3/14
15:32
Page 1
UK FITNESS SCENE
44
Understand your current members to find new ones Do what we are built to do with The Primal Kitchen THE key premise of the paleo lifestyle is eating the foods our bodies were designed to eat for thousands and thousands of years of evolution. 70 per cent of our calories come from foods we wouldn’t normally have consumed. We humans ate real foods which were hunted and gathered in their natural state (meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds). Then came advances in modern technology, and we made other forms of foods (grains, dairy, processed and now GM foods), which are not easy for our bodies to digest and handle and are the leading causes of many of our modern day diseases. The Primal Kitchen evolved out of nutritionist Suzie Walker’s vision to make the paleo lifestyle easier and more accessible for everyone. The Primal Kitchen’s purpose is to provide a range of tasty nutritious foods, which fully complement a paleo lifestyle, free of any grains, dairy, refined sugars and vegetable oils and always made with 100 per cent natural ingredients. Having adopted a paleo (cave man) lifestyle many of Suzie’s clients struggled to find healthy on the go snacks,
Suzie Walker that were free of any grains, added sugars and vegetable oils. They wanted something that would fuel their workouts, feed their kids or just to have handy while out and about. With some nuts, some coconut, a blender and a clientele of eager tasters she embarked on making her own paleo bars. The response was extremely positive, and so begins the story of The Primal Kitchen.
THE daily challenge for every gym owner is to sell new memberships and retain the existing members in the club. As an industry we are always looking to retain members for longer, which is key to the club’s ongoing monthly income. How often do we take the time to understand how we are going to generate the next enquiry? Do we ever get the time in a busy day to take a closer look at what type of person is more likely to be interested in joining your club? Do you know how to reach-out and target the people that will join your gym? The easy and most successful way is to be able to gather data about existing members who love your club. You can then build up member profiles so you know who to target.
What does that mean to your club? Member age groups, where they live, gender, their routines, peak and offpeak access, membership options and promotions are all examples. How can you combine these to maximise footfall and increase attendance of the club? Thinking about the budget last month and the news surrounding it: pensioners will have more freedom with their retirement savings meaning those people that are due to retire will have more money spend.
ClubManager founder Wayne Heath. So is your club in a position to take advantage of this potential new demographic? It should be easy to get your member data to work for you. By better understanding their current members better our users find data like this invaluable to grow their business and I hope you can too. “We pride ourselves on providing industry-leading, affordable solutions that allow gym owners to grow their businesses” To find out more contact Wayne at ClubManager. Call 01245 807 360, visit www.clubmanagercentral.com or email wayne@clubmanagercentral.com
Expo expects record number of visitors THE most awe-inspiring and motivational fitness weekend of the year is gearing up for its sixth instalment in May – and is set to be the biggest and best show yet. Set to welcome over 60,000 visitors, BodyPower caters for the entire scale of fitness enthusiasts, ranging from hardcore fitness fanatics through to people interested in losing weight or getting into shape. BodyPower will occupy four halls at the NEC for a three day spectacle of fitness focused fun. The programme consists of a host of interactive feature areas to get both the body and the mind working. Visitors will also have access to over 250 health and fitness brands in the extensive exhibition and
there will be a wealth of information, freebies, offers and competitions available to soak up. Director and show co-founder Ollie Upton said: “BodyPower has now grown into the UK’s staple fitness expo. We have gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure all visitors; consumer and trade, have a reason to attend. “We have increased the floor space, added some fantastic new feature areas and lined up some great special guests to appear. BodyPower 2014 can’t come quick enough.” Tickets for BodyPower 2014 are available from £19.95. Book now at www.bodypowerexpo.co.uk or call 0844 338 8000.
Gym uses military techniques THE team behind a new gym near Bolton have been using the techniques they learnt in the military to offer members a different way of training. BodyTORQ Personal Training and Physical Performance Centre in Westhoughton has been set up by ex army physical training instructors Lee Hill and Mike Jackson. The pair are aiming to bring something different to the area with their circuit training concept, a routine which rotates through a series of stations combining aerobic, core and weight training exercises, and takes
inspiration from army physical training sessions. The club, which has been kitted out by Fitness Systems, has got off to a successful start and Mike said for the coming months, they are hoping to add more sessions on to the timetable, with the aim of increasing footfall in quieter times. He added: “We are now trying to push things forward and put more circuit sessions on. “Mornings and evenings are our busiest times so we are starting daytime circuits for parents, which they can come to after they have dropped the kids off at school.”