ISSUE 1 May
WEEKLY
Issue 86 - 4 February 2022
YOUR REGULAR ONLINE UPDATE FOR THE UK FITNESS SCENE
Dudley’s first new leisure centre in a generation opens its doors PAGE 2 Five gym design trends for 2022 PAGE 3
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WORKOUT WEEKLY
Dudley’s first new leisure centre in a generation opens its doors THE first new leisure centre to be built in Dudley in more than 30 years has opened to the public this month. Developed in partnership with Alliance Leisure Services, the £18m Duncan Edwards Leisure Centre forms part of the near £1bn Dudley regeneration programme, which is set to transform the town centre over the next decade. The new venue on Constitution Hill, built by contractor ISG, is approximately one mile from the former Dudley Leisure Centre, which closed for business this month. Named in honour of the borough’s most famous sporting son, former England and Manchester United player, Duncan Edwards, who was born and raised in the town, the new centre offers a 25 metre, eight-lane swimming pool and a teaching pool with spectator provision. A four-court sports hall is suitable for indoor football, badminton and more, while other facilities include a 100-station gym and fitness suite, two group exercise studios and the first immersive cycle studio in the area. A wellness suite featuring powerassisted equipment from Shapemaster provides specialist support for those Group Editor: Judith Halkerston Tel: 01226 734639 jh@scriptmedia. co.uk
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recovering from injury, older customers and those living with long-term health conditions. For families with younger children, there is a soft play area with dedicated catering as well as a party room, in addition to café for all users of the centre. Councillor Simon Phipps, cabinet member for regeneration and enterprise, said: “We are beginning a new era in our leisure offer, this building is exceptional and is complemented by the major redevelopments of Halesowen and Crystal leisure centres.
“I would like to thank everyone who has played a part in creating this new facility. It’s something for us all to be proud of and shows the regeneration of Dudley is moving in the right direction. “It’s now over to the public to try the centre out for themselves and see why we’re so excited to finally open its doors.” Julia Goddard, senior business development manager at Alliance Leisure, added: “We are delighted to see this brand new facility come to life with an inclusive mix of facilities and services that meet local strategic outcomes and
the needs of the community. “Along with our work at Halesowen and Crystal leisure centres, these new and regenerated centres will dramatically improve the quality of sport and physical activity provision in Dudley to help encourage more people to adopt healthy lifestyles.” ALS has also refurbished Crystal Leisure Centre and is currently working on phase two of the multi-million pound redevelopment of Halesowen Leisure Centre as part of Dudley’s regeneration scheme. All projects are being delivered via the UK Leisure Framework which is managed by Denbighshire Leisure Ltd. Daniel Leigh, senior project manager for frameworks at ISG, concluded: “Transforming community leisure provision is an absolute passion for ISG as we recognise the pivotal role that these facilities play in enhancing positive outcomes for individuals and broader society. “Our partnership with Alliance Leisure continues to grow in strength, creating public facilities that rival those in the private sector and securing a positive legacy for communities across the West Midlands and beyond.”
Gymshark founder to speak at event PerformX Live is proud to announce that @ gymshark founder and CEO @benfrancis will be one of the keynote speakers at @performx_ live 2022 on the main stage on Friday, March 18. Ben founded @ gymshark out of his bedroom in his parents’ house aged 19. Now the fitness apparel and accessories brand is one of the fastestgrowing, most innovative brands in the world. Gymshark is a team of athletes, artists, visionaries, and
innovators dedicated to creating the most spectacular products in the world. Across the globe, Gymshark’s people and products help individuals improve themselves, change their world and experience incredible things. A spokesperson for the event said: “Ben has created a brand that helps and inspires individuals to achieve something extraordinary, so we are delighted that he will be at PerformX to share his thoughts on the future of our industry.”
WORKOUT WEEKLY
Sweat 2022 line-up announced as experts plot the next chapter for boutique sector EMMA Barry, Scott Britton and John Penny have been named by ukactive among the keynote speakers for the sector’s flagship boutique event, Sweat 2022, taking place this later month. The trio will be joined by leaders from boutique and independent operators in the sector to discuss new trends, recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, the post-Covid business world and what the future could look like. Registrations are now open for Sweat 2022, which is supported by Technogym and will take place online on Thursday, February 24. The event will explore the latest insights and emerging trends through a combination of keynote and panel sessions, and will focus on lessons learned over the past two years, with the aim of supporting boutique and independent gyms to evolve, thrive, and embrace future opportunities for longterm success. Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, said: “We are delighted to announce these fantastic speakers for Sweat 2022, which promises an unrivalled day of learning, based on some of the sharpest minds and insights in the global fitness sector today. “This year marks a huge opportunity for boutique and independent operators to come together and plot the future of this incredible industry, as part of our
sector’s shared ambition for growth. “We continue to support our members through their survival, recovery and development following the Covid-19 pandemic, and Sweat 2022 represents a great opportunity not only to reflect on the immediate challenges but also the opportunities we have to shape our future together.” The sessions kick-off with ‘The State of the Industry: UK versus the Rest of the World’, where Emma Barry, co-founder of Good Soul Hunting, will talk about the latest and future trends in the UK and the
rest of the world, examining data from across the world to demonstrate the shift since the pandemic. Emma will be followed by a keynote from Scott Britton, founder and director of Battle Cancer, who will reveal the journey of his organisation. Scott will talk about the role of the brand, the community and how this is vital to creating an environment people want to be a part of, before opening up the themes to a panel discussion. In the afternoon, John Penny from Third Space, Louis Rennocks from GRND
House, and Andrew Charalambous from Ignite, will ask ‘Is the hybrid model here to stay?’ The session will begin by reflecting on findings and recommendations from ukactive’s new Digital Futures report, including the demystification of digital. The panel will then explore the longterm future of the hybrid model, and what it means for the future of products and programming. This will be followed by, ‘How to invest in order to grow’, with experts sharing insights into business investments, how to identify key trends, and how to create opportunities that will help reshape and grow your business. More speakers will be announced within the full agenda in the near future. Steve Ruffell, sales director at Technogym UK, added: “We are proud to be the continuing headline sponsor of Sweat. “As the leading industry event for both the private and boutique sectors, it provides the ideal platform for discussions on the industry trends and highlighting the road ahead. “We have worked together with ukactive to bring together an experienced panel for a thriving discussion on the future of the hybrid model and we look forward to hearing what opportunities lay ahead and ways in which we can grow the sector”.
Five gym design trends for 2022 WHAT gym design trends are on the horizon? Let’s take a look our predictions. We’ve said goodbye to December and hello to a spike in memberships at gyms across the world. And while everyday gym enthusiasts jump straight back into routine, you now have the opportunity to connect with your new audience through your training space. Have you already started experimenting with your gym design during lockdown? Or is now the time to start thinking about changes. The gym is evolving. So, what’s on the horizon for 2022? From the continued rise in outdoor training spaces to an increase in tech integration, we’re sharing the best gym design trends to pay attention to this year. Be smarter with your space It has long been a tradition in the UK that racks are perimeter/wall based, keeping the central floor space clear for other smaller items or open multi-functional areas. With the rack functionality now available, it’s time to change the space and use the racks as training hubs for the whole session. As they have been doing in the US for some time. Configuration options and functionality available can now make central backto-back racks a more efficient use of space. However, should more flexible and open floor space be required, our racks can be designed to reduce their depth, maximizing floor space and still retaining a huge amount of functionality.
gap between at home training and the gym. Attachments, attachments, attachments It’s no longer enough for a rack to just be a rack, or a rig to just be a run of monkey bars. It’s all about maximizing every single inch of gym floor space with a range of attachments. Clever attachments such as single leg/Nordic attachments for rigs, or prone row attachments for racks, can allow gym owners to customise their equipment to fit their needs. Ticking off every movement pattern required in a far smaller space and adding more value to their trainers. Space is at a premium and this allows for expansion without the massive outlay of building a permanent structure. Dedicated pod based training Many people going back to the gym will want a clean, dedicated training area. Whether it’s a rack with storage that contains a range of accessories and attachments that allows a full training session to take place. Or a complete storage pod that incorporates a touch screen that delivers digital training. These options are all possible to create a more effective and engaging training space. The ability to incorporate selectorised stack into racks and storage means that a training individual really can carry out their entire session without having to move away from the single pod.
Tech integration takes over We are living in digital times. The gym goer and athlete are constantly getting feedback from their smart watch or phone and will begin to expect the same level of feedback from their training sessions. Tech such as VBT (Velocity based training) and other reporting tools will provide a truly digital training environment, allowing for greater critique, accuracy in training, engagement, and competition. The level to which these are integrated into the training space will increase their effectiveness and the acceptance and uptake from the end users. Over lock down gym users have also become used to training through a screen whether that’s YouTube videos or on a Peloton. Touch screens with on demand training sessions on the gym floor will bridge the
The outdoor training space will thrive Recent events have seen a huge increase in awareness of the importance of getting outside and exercising outdoors. People feel more confident to train in the great outdoors, and although bootcamps have been around for years, outdoor training is progressing. Introducing containers and sheltered lit training areas. Allowing for training outside 365 days a year. These improved training spaces, are a huge selling point for operators and remove the barriers previously associated with outdoor training, increasing engagement, and can create a real community and hub. Space is also at a premium so this option allows for expansion without the massive outlay of building a permanent structure. n Get in touch with Indigo Fitness to include these ideas in your space.
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