Weekly Workout - Issue 3

ISSUE 1 I May 2020

WEEKLY

Issue 3

YOUR REGULAR ONLINE UPDATE FOR THE UK FITNESS SCENE

Chain reveals Covid-19 ready opening plans

page 3

Dance fitness classes improve mental health

page 6

Scheme aims to inspire people to move more

page 8

WORKOUT WEEKLY

Chain reveals Covid-19 ready opening plans TOTAL Fitness has released an extensive plan to transform the gym experience into a covid-19 safe space, and reopen once the Government advises it can.

The operator, which has clubs in the north of England and Wales, has drawn up plans to reopen as soon as it is safely possible, and has developed an extensive new policy to safeguard customers, which goes significantly further than the newly created industry wide guidance by ukactive, the health and fitness trade association.

As part of its extensive Covid-19 reopening plan, it will rethink the interior layout of its 17 health clubs, ensuring all machines and equipment are apportioned at least two metres apart to adhere to government guidelines.

They are currently testing and refining the layouts of two prototype clubs to create a blueprint for all of the others.

Sophie Lawler, CEO of Total Fitness, said: “The activity sector has long served in the fight against preventable disease and at no time in my recollection has this been more important than now.

“It’s been exceptionally encouraging to hear physical activity talked about so much since the start of the crisis – indeed we’ve talked about it more in the last seven weeks than we have in the last seven years.

“We applaud the people who have continued to exercise and those who have joined the active population more recently – this is simply brilliant.

“We know from our decades of experience as health club operators

that exercising alone at home isn’t the full solution for achieving sustainable lifestyle change and that the vast majority of people need additional support – namely variety; visit commitment (a date with a destination) and; social connection.

“From the start of the closure the entire sector came together – very much in the spirit of the fitness community – to co-create a unilateral protocol for reopening safely on the other side.

“Facilitated by our sector representative body ukactive we have a robust set of guidelines for safe operations to which

we’re all committed.”

Meticulous hygiene is key to the club’s plan, and each gym will be subject to a rigorous cleaning schedule, to ensure that all equipment and touch points are cleaned after use.

Total Fitness also plans to overstaff its open-spaced areas to monitor social distancing and allow all members to exercise safely.

Increased staff numbers will provide members with additional support and also ensure cleaning procedures are carried out regularly.

It will also revise its class timetable, to

ensure there is a longer than required turnaround time between each class – this allows thorough cleaning procedures to be carried out.

Group exercise classes will not operate above 50 per cent capacity, to ensure social distancing measures are adhered to.

Total Fitness is also working on social distancing measures for its pool and also in the changing rooms to minimise the footfall and keep people moving.

However, squash and heat treatments rooms are to remain closed until it is safe for them to reopen.

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WORKOUT WEEKLY

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Advertiser’s announcement

Keeping your members engaged with Mywellness – insights from operators STAYING connected is more important than ever.

Wellness on the Go strategy allows fitness clubs to manage their members training at home.

Mywellness allows operators to stay in touch with members. Launched in 2012, the digital platform allows trainers to connect, engage and coach members.

We discuss with three different clubs the launch of a new Train at Home solution and discover how they are now connecting, coaching and engaging with more members than ever before.

Mywellness is a cloud-based platform that has a variety of different functions available, which can be configured to the requirements of the business.

Highly personalised, quick to activate and adaptable to compliment the clubs business model.

Operators can offer training and coaching programmes to their customers remotely to maintain engagement and connection outside the facility.

Pivoting towards digital Mywellness can be used in a variety of ways to enhance the member experience.

Freedom Leisure, new to Mywellness, saw how quickly digital can be activated as well as the positive impact and response it had from members.

“We knew we had to act fast,” said Barry Thomson, regional commercial manager.

“The timeline between the initial discussion to the launch of Mywellness was 48 hours, which proves what can be achieved when everyone has an aligned goal and focus.”

Not previously using the platform, the uptake was immense.

In one week more than 4,225 Mywellness accounts were created, demonstrating how quickly clubs can

“Utilising Mywellness we continue to provide tailored guidance for our one-to-one clients, a variety of home workout options for all our members and more importantly, the opportunity to communicate to new members.

“We can offer a professional online service to cater not only for members but for the whole community.

“Mywellness could not have been any easier to personalise and match to our business. Thanks to the platform we are more connected than ever to all of our customer base.”

launch new services with the support of the platform.

“Mywellness is an important part of our overall retention plan and will support our members in maintaining a healthy body and mind,” Barry added.

“Naturally, we will continue developing as customer feedback is received and additional services added.”

Enhancing the offering Many facilities already using Mywellness saw an opportunity to launch something new to members to tailor the way it works for them.

CitySpace – The University of Sunderland saw Train at Home as an opportunity for an exciting new direction to use the trainers’ knowledge to create a variety of home workouts for students and members.

“Train at Home and the Mywellness software has been an excellent resource,” said facilities manager Kevin Ludlow.

“It has allowed our fitness team to continue working remotely and remain in contact with our current members, while also reaching out to new ones.

“We have been able to create content with innovative home workout ideas, as well as encourage direct communication between members and fitness professionals to prescribe personalised programmes based on each member’s goals, and the fitness equipment they have available at home.”

Personalising the service To maintain on track to achieving fitness goals regular member trainer contact is crucial.

Using Mywellness offers the ability to communicate with the member to provide motivation and continue to tailor the training programme.

For private gym PLM, connecting to members outside the facility is important, so using the Coach and Prescribe features of Mywellness, trainers provide individual training programmes and have regular contact with the member for feedback.

Managing director Phil Moss said: “We saw the need and the opportunity to connect and personalise the service to members outside the club.

Building a community As well as programmes, content and coaching, clubs have also created an environment where members can compete on challenges using Mywellness, which creates a community of motivated and engaged members.

Freedom Leisure sees this as an opportunity to create challenges across all 104 sites, connecting people digitally while at home.

Members are kept on their toes with creative challenges such as daily 1000 MOVEs, Freedom 5000, and the highest amount of MOVEs in a week.

Community is important, with keeping members engaged, maintaining activity while at home and not losing the training habit.

CitySpace – The University of Sunderland saw this could be achieved using the power of social media to expand their reach in promoting challenges and home workouts.

Many operators have revolutionised Mywellness as a new way of engaging, connecting and coaching members using the Train at Home solution taking the customer experience to a whole new level.

For more information please visit www.technogym.com/connect

TRAIN YOUR CUSTOMERS AT HOME

Provide your customers truly personalised and connected training experiences, wherever they are, and keep on coaching them also at home with MYWELLNESS DISCOVER MORE AT: www.technogym.com/connect

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WORKOUT WEEKLY

Seven ways Covid-19 will change the face of the global personal fitness industry found they’re coping better than they expected.

They will notice the endorphin hit they get immediately after exercise. That connection will be hard to forget.

By Dave Weir

A 2009 UCL study found it takes an average of 66 days to do something in a new way before it becomes a habit.

The coronavirus pandemic could last many months, which will instil new habits in over 2.4 billion people across the globe.

For the fitness industry, this will have profound implications. I predict many gym-goers will change their perceptions of training in their homes.

Equally, people who have never exercised before will start for the first time.

In this article, I will explore the seven main ways these habits will change the fitness industry forever.

1. More people will take up fitness I’ve spent many years as an entrepreneur in the gym industry and throughout those years I noticed that the percentage of the population that attends gyms tends to stay fairly steady – around seven per cent of the UK population.

Taking that wider into people who exercise for around 150 minutes a week, that increases to 14 per cent.

Enter coronavirus. The only way for most of the population to get out of the house is to exercise (or to pretend they’re exercising, at least). Also, the government is telling people to exercise as it’s a great way to build your immune system to protect you from the virus.

Government-mandated exercise, combined with a huge increase in awareness of the benefits to our immune systems, more time than ever before to take up exercise, and an abundance of accessible online content = the ceiling being broken in terms of the number of people who exercise regularly. And as per my earlier point, these habits will become deep-rooted and, therefore, hard to shake afterwards.

2. There will be more white noise, and more injuries The other result of self-isolation is the fact all the personal trainers and fitness influencers will be stuck inside and

looking to keep their income going.

The new fitness enthusiast will have an abundance of choice from these content creators, but much of this choice will be poor, and some potentially even dangerous to your health.

Someone new to home training could try something more advanced than their fitness level allows and cause themselves an injury. Initially, there will be a scramble for content, then the market will mature somewhat and new fitness enthusiasts will look to the more seasoned and qualified content curators to get a guaranteed high-quality experience.

3. Physical wellbeing will be forever connected to mental wellbeing Self-isolation is mentally tough. One of the reasons we’re being encouraged to exercise is due to the mental health benefits as much as to strengthen our immune system.

It’s not exactly earth-shattering news to hear of the connection between body and mind – we’ve known this for years.

However, knowing something isn’t enough to affect change. You’ve got to actually get out and do it.

Many people who would have been anxious about self-isolation will have

4. Some gyms won’t survive Make no mistake, a lot of gyms will go out of business as a result of coronavirus.

Specifically gyms with multiple expensive leases in prime locations, who are likely over-leveraged. Some people will likely see the end of their favourite fitness brands.

Bally Total Fitness was one of the largest fitness chains in the US in 2007, but their model relied on huge numbers of expensive leases, around 325 in total.

The publicly listed company was forced to file for bankruptcy in 2008 when the Great Recession took its toll.

Even with government assistance, I still expect many gyms will fail over this difficult period.

5. Gyms will offer ‘blended’ memberships The chains that own their own properties, and are nimble and quick to adapt, will survive.

These gyms are contacting us at the moment to tap into our expansive content, with a view to offering their members ‘virtual’ memberships so they don’t lose their customers.

Many of their customers might have been reluctant to train at home before, but as a result of Covid-19, new habits will form and they’ll be far more likely to train both at the gym and at home to balance the convenience with the physical gym environment they enjoy so much.

6. Influencers will lead classes, personal trainers will become facilitators and coaches I predict the education sector will experience a change in the coming months.

As students are forced to learn from some of the greatest online educators, when they go back to the classrooms they will take a backwards step.

It stands to reason – even the best

teacher at your local school might not have the same skills, experience or charisma as a global influencer.

The same thing will happen in fitness.

The best personal trainer in a gym can’t hope to compete with the world’s best trainers. As we transition from being digitally-enabled consumers to digitalfirst consumers, our expectations on our face-to-face training will change.

We will expect them to be curators of content, coaches and nutritionists, but choosing the best online content to fit with the specific needs of the client.

7. Companies will take more responsibility for their employees’ physical and mental wellbeing Before coronavirus, there was already a trend towards companies setting up wellbeing departments to look after their employees.

Just as the lines between work and home environments were blurring, so too where the lines between corporate responsibility and personal responsibility over wellbeing. However, it was slowmoving, and only a few companies were doing it.

With the onset of coronavirus, HR departments are going into overdrive, suddenly acutely aware of the link between employee wellbeing and their ability to do a good job. Again, these habits will become fixed, with both employees expecting more of their employers and companies doing more to retain their talent and boost the productivity of their staff.

These are just some of my predictions for how the world will change postcoronavirus. But who knows how long it will last and just how fundamentally society will shift when the pandemic dies down? It’s both an exciting and terrifying time to be alive.

Ultimately, however, humans always adapt to new conditions and the market always adapts to new human behaviour.

My hope is that we will emerge from this crisis more compassionate, with better habits... and much fitter than we were before. n Dave Weir is the founder of TV.Fit.

Dance fitness classes improve mental health A RECENT survey conducted by Clubbercise has shown that taking part in online dance fitness classes regularly is helping people cope with the mental health challenges posed by the coronavirus crisis.

More than1,000 people responded to the survey which was circulated to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week (May 18-25).

91 per cent of respondents said that the coronavirus situation had negatively affected their mental health.

97 per cent of them said that dance fitness classes had improved their mental health and 84 per cent said it had a reasonable or significant impact.

The majority of people who took part in the survey have been attending two or more online dance fitness classes a week.

The most common mental health conditions the respondents have been

battling are anxiety (68 per cent), stress (67 per cent) and depression (46 per cent).

Survey respondents were asked to identify the main reasons why they believe Clubbercise and other dance fitness classes have improved their mental health.

At the top of the list were: the combination of dancing, music and exercise; the element of fun; the chance to get some ‘me time’ away from everything and the chance to virtually socialise with people outside of the home.

Karen, who is working from home whilst home-schooling her two children (one with special needs) said: “My mental health has suffered a lot since the lockdown, I’ve had awful panic attacks.

“Since starting online Clubbercise classes I feel better, calmer, and haven’t

had any more panic attacks.”

Helen, a nurse, added: “As you can imagine work isn’t the best place to be at the moment.

“However, doing Clubbercise makes me feel alive again.”

Perhaps signaling a change in the population’s approach to wellbeing during the coronavirus outbreak, 16 per cent of respondents said they had not participated in face-to-face classes before lockdown and were completely new to dance fitness classes.

Claire Burlison, Clubbercise founder and brand director, added: “The results of this survey are just incredible and I’m really happy that we’ve been able to take our classes online.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for Clubbercise to reach more people around the world, improving both their physical and mental health during this difficult time and beyond.”

WORKOUT WEEKLY

New podcast celebrates lockdown innovation TWO of the UK’s most experienced fitness experts have launched a new podcast celebrating how the independent fitness industry is evolving to reflect the changing face of exercise in the UK. ‘Fitness Industry Insiders’ is the brainchild of Karl Frew and Steve Watson, who between them have more than 50 years’ experience in the independent fitness sector.

“The idea of ‘Fitness Industry Insiders’ is to talk about everything that is happening in the sector and share some of the brilliant ideas that are out there at the moment,” Karl said.

“Steve and I have known each other for a long time, and we have been kicking about the idea of doing a podcast for a while. Each week we’ll be speaking to guests who can offer advice on every aspect of the fitness industry, from accountancy to marketing, as well as discussing how the independent fitness sector is changing.”

Steve said that while the lockdown had caused huge disruption for the industry, it has also resulted in an explosion of creativity, as trainers reached out to help clients exercise at home.

“Technology has never been so important for our industry, and the way social media platforms and software like Zoom have been adopted by fitness professionals has been amazing,” he added. “’Fitness Industry Insiders’ will also help to highlight some of that inspirational work being done to keep the nation fit at such a difficult time.

“However, we also want to hear from our fellow fitness professionals to find out what they would like us to cover – this is a podcast by fitness professionals, for fitness professionals and about fitness professionals, so get in touch.”

Steve is a director of Chrysalis Promotions, organisers of The International Fitness Showcase, one of Europe’s biggest fitness conventions, which is held at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool every March.

He has been in the fitness industry for more than

Steve Watson (left) and Karl Frew – presenters of the newly launched ‘Fitness Industry Insiders’ podcast. complete business management system for the fitness 32 years and is one of the UK’s most sought-after industry. presenters, having featured in more than 60 fitness The first two episodes of Fitness Industry Insiders are DVDs. Steve’s strengths lie in Hi-Lo, Step and Kettle available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts/iTunes and Bell training, in which he consistently delivers fresh Google Podcasts. and cutting-edge routines using flawless and logical Andrew Crawford, who has decades of experience breakdown techniques. on the accountancy side of the industry, is a guest in Karl has more than 25 years’ experience in the fitness episode two. industry, from creating and producing fitness DVDs You can follow Fitness Industry Insiders via Instagram and organising tours to publishing the fitness industry at fitness_industry_insiders and facebook at Fitness magazine Fit. Industry Insiders.

In recent years he has created Freedom Bootcamp, Get in touch with Karl and Steve via podcast@ along with Electric Fitness and Freedom Live Workouts.

His latest innovation – called Kick Start 28 – is a fitnessindustryinsiders.co.uk

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WORKOUT WEEKLY

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Scheme aims to inspire people to move more ANTI-perspirant brand Sure has joined forces with Movement Champions across the UK to encourage the nation to #MoveMoreAtHome.

With traditional forms of exercise and sports on hold and social distancing measures in place across the globe, never has its commitment to inspire people to make movement part of their everyday routine, felt so important.

To motivate people to move more at home, Sure is enlisting the help of fitness experts who will offer inspiration and guidance on creative new ways to move.

From dancers to personal trainers and yogis, Sure is supporting and championing those who have already gone above and beyond to keep people moving – and will be providing a financial boost to these Movement Champions during the crisis; which has seen gyms, leisure and community centres close and led to a heightened need for digital fitness content.

Sure’s launch squad of Movement Champions includes Zoe Purpuri (@Zoe1Louise), Steph Morris (@ StephyMorrisPilates), Nicole Clewer (@ NicoleClewer16r), Francesca and Chloe Sales and marketing director: Tony Barry Tel: 01226 734605 tb@scriptmedia.co.uk

Group production editor: Dominic Musgrave Tel: 01226 734407 dm@scriptmedia.co.uk

Group Editor: Judith Halkerston Tel: 01226 734639 jh@scriptmedia.co.uk

Studio manager: Stewart Holt sth@scriptmedia.co.uk

www.workout-uk.co.uk

Townsend (@TownsendTwins) and Ian Jones(@LHDVirtualGym) ), with others set to join in the coming weeks.

For the coming months, Sure’s Movement Champions will be creating and sharing workouts that can be completed at home in order to maintain physical and mental wellbeing – ranging from five-minute desk workouts to 20-minute dance sessions to shake out some energy with the family.

All workouts will be equipment free or use everyday objects to ensure everybody can get involved and feel free to have fun while moving at home.

Movement sessions will be shared each week on Sure’s Instagram.

A spokesman said” Our Movement Champions will create workouts that do not exclude based on fitness level, gender nor experience.

“For some, this will be a chance to build positive habits for the long term.

For others, facing their fears and trying something new for the first time.

“Together, we will continue uniting people through movement and celebrating those who are helping the nation #MoveMoreAtHome.”

Active IQ joins with fibodo to keep industry moving ACTIVE IQ has partnered with fit4thefight, an initiative created to help fitness professionals continue offering their services during the current Covid-19 lockdown Using this system, fitness professionals and PTs can offer their expertise and keep earning during the lockdown while consumers can enjoy bespoke, one-toone training plans to keep motivation and fitness levels high.

Three options are recommended: n A 20-minute one-to-one session for £10. n A 40-minute one-to-one session for £20. n A 40-minute group session for up to six people for £5 per participant. fit4thefight allows professionals to continue working while social distancing measures are in place. fibodo has removed its usual £9.99 monthly subscription fee until August to allow full and part-time trainers to continue providing their invaluable coaching online, via apps and video conferencing.

From the remaining payment processing fee, fibodo will donate 50 per cent of the net proceeds to charities that help those most affected by this crisis.

Active IQ is working with its learning centres and PT graduates to grow awareness of fit4thefight in digital and social channels. It has also included fit4thefight in its online Skills Hub resource that brings CPD options to

fitness professionals.

Usually only accessible to Active IQ centres and students, Skills Hub has been opened up to all fitness professionals to help them expand their skills and knowledge during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Anthony Franklin, founder and CEO of fibodo, said: “It’s great to have Active IQ on board, as a major influencer of fitness learning centres, and fitness professionals, it will have access to thousands of individuals who need support at this time. “fibodo and fit4thefight aims to help trainers to continue operating as close to normal as possible, bringing major health benefits to those who train regularly.

Professionals must keep working to keep the industry and the wider economy on its feet. We aim to equip and empower as many people as possible to stay home and stay active.”

Jenny Patrickson, managing director at Active IQ, added. “Although there are several online solutions available, many are not able to provide the kind of tailored approach delivered by a qualified personal trainer – one that meets the needs of the individual taking their abilities and health conditions into account.

“This partnership will help qualified and talented professionals to continue to earn an income, and make sure that the public has access to skilled trainers in a safe environment.”

Instructors urged to ensure they are insured AN EXPERT is urging personal trainers and fitness instructors to ensure they have the correct insurance in place to cover them in the event of injury to the public during live-streamed classes.

The warning, from Insure4Sport comes in response to the huge rise in participation of online fitness sessions since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak.

This has ranged from one-to-one client sessions to group classes offered by staff at major gym chains.

However, a survey of more than 700 fitness instructors, coaches and personal trainers has found over a third (35 per cent) are operating without adequate

professional insurance to carry out online sessions.

So, despite the great intentions of the instructor, this leaves both them and their clients open to potential issues should an injury happen during a class.

John Woosey, managing director of Insure4Sport, said: “These are difficult times for everybody, so it’s fantastic to see how many fitness coaches are taking the initiative and moving their businesses online.

“They’re doing a great job which means they can continue to earn a living while helping the nation to stay active at a safe distance. However, it’s

important that – amidst this upheaval – instructors maintain their professional responsibility to their clients and themselves.

“Participants should take it upon themselves to double-check that their instructor has the right insurance, so that they are protected should the worst happen. For the personal trainers, let this serve as a gentle reminder to relook at your policy which may not cover you for this type of work.”

Insure4Sport has provided information on how personal trainers and instructors are affected by the coronavirus outbreak via its website.

WORKOUT WEEKLY

Join Fleur East and get the Zumba® experience at home SINGER-songwriter Fleur East has joined forces with Zumba to show the British public how they can join in the fun of the dance fitness workout with a #ZumbaVirtual class in the comfort of their home – starting with a Zumba ‘basic steps’ tutorial.

The 32-year-old London-born star can be seen in an upbeat video following a Zumba® basic steps tutorial from her living room, smiling as she goes over the core steps with Zumba® education specialist Sandra Harnes.

The video encourages Zumba firsttimers to check out the basic steps tutorial and then visit to the Zumba® online platform zumba.dance where they’ll find a huge variety of instructors ready to teach easy-to-follow one-hour classes to pumping Latin, urban, and world music.

“Just because we’re confined to our homes doesn’t mean fitness has to take a back seat,” said Fleur.

“Now we’re faced with these strange circumstances it’s more important than

ever to move our bodies – and nothing gets the happiness endorphins flowing better than an all-out Zumba® dance party in your living room.

“It’s easy to grasp, but if you’re nervous, do the tutorial first – then you’ll be confident and ready to go.”

Often coined “exercise in disguise”, Zumba® is perfect for anyone and everybody. It mixes easy-to-follow moves drawing on Latin rhythms like salsa and reggaeton for a calorie-burning dance fitness party like no other.

It’s a total body workout that combines all elements of dance fitness – cardio, muscle conditioning, balance and flexibility.

From this week, Zumba is partnering with The Global Foodbanking Network, an organisation that feeds the world’s hungry through advancing food banks.

The initiative means that, for every #ZumbaVirtual class taken, a free meal will be delivered to someone who been impacted by COVID-19 – until a total of one million meals has been reached.

FIIT, Yogaia and iPrescribe join Gympass Wellness GYMPASS has launched Gympass Wellness, a comprehensive digital platform that has brought together an unrivalled number of fitness and wellbeing apps which are now all housed in one place for the first time.

This unique offering gives the Gympass corporate network access to health, fitness and wellbeing programmes from more than 40 partners, including the likes of Fiit, the world’s top-rated fitness app, alongside programmes as diverse as Yogaia, Healing Clouds, Moneyed, iPrescribe and Zen App. Designed to nurture all-round healthy habits, Gympass Wellness includes mental health, tailored nutrition plans, meditation and relaxation programmes alongside a diverse range of online workouts.

It also includes family fitness options enabling Gympass users to engage their children in activities.

Eamon Lloyd, senior director – head of partnerships for UK&IE at Gympass, said: “This concept of housing a significant number of different apps together on one platform is something that has never been done before.

“The scale of the offering is

unprecedented, and we’re delighted that some of the industry’s biggest names in fitness are collaborating with us to support every element of people’s wellbeing throughout the lockdown and beyond.”

Gympass had been developing Gympass Wellness for several months but pivoted to fast track its launch in response to the Covid-19 lockdown to help answer the demand for digital fitness and wellness solutions.

“As soon as the lockdown was confirmed, we recognised an immediate need to bring Gympass Wellness forward,” added Eamon.

“Our unrivalled collective of fitness and wellness apps now enables people to take a holistic approach to their health and wellbeing. By combining relaxation, mindfulness, financial wellbeing and nutrition programmes with fitness options, we are delivering a truly 360-degree wellness solution.”

To access Gympass Wellnesss, users simply head to their Gympass app and click on the wellness tab which will take them to all the different apps which they then download and use directly, wherever and whenever they choose.

Advertiser’s announcement

Priority given to health when adapting to the ‘new normal’ IT has been widely discussed that gyms will face changes when they reopen; questions of continued social distancing, increased hygiene protocols and the sanitising of equipment.

But, perhaps the less discussed topic has been how the industry needs to adapt its focus to overall health, not just fitness, when members return to the gym and how they are set up to accommodate this shift in consumer behaviour.

Naturally, with a global pandemic comes a heightened attention to a person’s health.

The digital fitness industry has boomed during lockdown, but not just with regular fitness goers.

Covid-19 has forced a whole new audience to look at themselves and address their health, especially since according to the World

Obesity Federation, “obesity-related conditions seem to worsen the effect of Covid-19.

In light of this, gym owners need to see themselves as responsible for prioritising the overall health of an individual and how they, and their offering can help them on their health and fitness journey while gym assessments just be more health related, gym equipment needs to be able to perform reliable and accredited health tests.

The Wattbike provides the most accurate training data and the Wattbike Hub makes in-built tests and pre-programmed workouts available at just the touch of a button.

To find out how the Wattbike can help benchmark, track and improve health and fitness performance accurately via data-driven training visit www.wattbike.com

MORE than 65,000 people from across the UK have responded to a survey conducted by Leisure-net in partnership with Max Associates and 4Global’s Datahub to gauge what leisure, health and fitness members want and expect from the sector after lockdown.

Forty-five operators from across the sector, including private gyms, leisure centres, health clubs and trampoline parks, distributed the Post Lockdown Recovery Survey to their customers to understand what has worked during lockdown, how customers are planning to respond when lockdown is reversed and what types of actions they expect from operators to keep them safe.

The results have established what customers were doing before lockdown, how their activity levels have changed and their desires and views for reopening.

All of the results can be cross referenced by age, gender, operator type, region and by the responses to the question.

Lucy Brookes, divisional operation manager England and Wales at Energie Fitness Group, said: “It was important for

both head office and our franchisees to have a clear understanding about how our members were feeling in terms of returning to our clubs.

“It means we can make informed decisions when relaunching the sites and ensure members feel safe and secure to kickstart their member journey once gain.

“The information received has been super positive and put many minds at rest for the future success of our clubs.”

A full report will be available in the first week of June with detailed insight produced on request.

Dave Monkhouse, director of Leisurenet Solutions, added: “There has a been a fantastic response to the survey.

“These results will offer considerable insight to assist local authorities and industry organisations who are supporting the sector to reopen and informing challenging decisions about services and provision going forward in the new economic climate.”

In the meantime, a FREE four-page summary of the results is available by registering at https://leisure-net.org/ summary-report-interest/

Post-lockdown recovery survey provides brilliant intelligence

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2020

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