Workout April 2021

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David set to open UK’s first Versaclimber Hub page 3

Tanya launches clothing range in lockdown page 12

Refurb work begins at leisure centre page 18

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WORKOUT WEEKLY

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Ryland Centre manager Michelle Jones teaching a class.

Online fitness group David set to open UK’s a lockdown success first Versaclimber Hub A WEST Midlands leisure manager has nurtured a 450-strong online fitness community during the pandemic – but can’t wait to meet some of them face-to-face as lockdown eases.

As the Ryland Centre in Bromsgrove gears up for re-opening – in line with Government guidance and the lifting of their restrictions – facility manager Michelle Jones is looking forward to welcoming customers old and new for the first wave of outdoor activities such as football and athletics, plus outdoor fitness and running track sessions.

She said: “It’s such a relief to be opening again, for both my staff and I, but also the good people of Bromsgrove - who also see it as a new lease of life I feel.

“We’ve been keeping them active and motivated since November with our various online classes and it’s been a real success for all concerned in terms of physical and mental wellbeing, but sometimes you can’t beat the real thing.

“I used the downtime to explore online options via Facebook Live and Zoom and quickly bought into it as demand took off.

“A small team of instructors, including myself, started developing engaging videos and very quickly we had a rapidly growing following for our daily Yoga, Pilates, fat burn and gym-style classes, HIIT workouts, plus strength and conditioning sessions.

Group Editor: Judith Halkerston Tel: 01226 734639 jh@scriptmedia. co.uk Group production editor: Dominic Musgrave Tel: 01226 734407 dm@scriptmedia. co.uk

Sales and marketing director: Tony Barry Tel: 01226 734605 tb@scriptmedia. co.uk Sales manager: Louise BristoweHarrison Tel: 01226 734699 workout3@ scriptmedia.co.uk

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“It got so popular we made the digital programme part of the membership at the start of the year when we briefly opened again (during tier three status), as some people actually prefer the online option because of work, family and health reasons and we do appreciate that not all will rush back.

“We’ve also developed some bootcamp-style sessions as they’ve proved very popular before, but as indoor activities are allowed again we’ll be introducing some exciting but different alternatives to the online and outdoor programmes, so watch this space for details.”

One of the group’s members, Peter Hember, said: “In an uncertain world Michelle, you, Sarge, Chris and Kirk have been there for us – bringing routine, fitness, sanity but most importantly humour.

“Having a collective laugh in each online class is what motivates and keeps us coming back for more. Keep them coming Chelle, as it’s been just brilliant you superstar.”

Another member, Charlotte Hague, added: “As a psychologist, I thought I understood already the importance of exercise on mental health, but in working from home for a year now and feeling very isolated at times, to still have opportunity to keep up with a routine and to engage with enthusiastic, passionate and hard working instructors who keep it real, has been much appreciated and needed.”

A NORTH East gym owner has turned a negative into a positive and is set to open the UK’s first Versaclimber Hub. David Fairlamb has built up his fitness business in and around Newcastle over the past 20 years to include three private personal training gyms and the first private self contained floodlit outdoor gym in the UK. But, when the landlord served him notice that he would have to leave as they were looking to sell the property and land, he was faced, in the toughest of times, with no base.

“I had to make the decision Having no luck with negotiations I decided to look to the future and built my own custom built gym, within a warehouse on the Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate,” said David.

“It includes a fully private area for one-to-one training, a bigger space for small groups/teams, an indoor/outdoor area for group strength sessions for sports teams and corporate clients, plus a new first in the UK, a custom built Versaclimber Hub, fully optimised for sound and lighting that will provide a unique experience.”

David had previously run Versaclimber classes at his old facility, and said they proved immensely popular.

“I previously got one for myself as I had a bad back and it kept me upright,” he added.

“The beauty of the Versaclimber is that it is non-weight bearing so they are perfect for anyone who has knee, hip or back issues. They also offer a full body workout.

David Fairlamb

“I had a vision that I thought people would love them if I could get my hands on enough of them to start running classes.

“I managed to get hold of another six and the classes took off straight away – people were addicted to them so I’ll be running at least 10 classes a week on them once we are able to open again.”

The Versaclimber mimics the natural motion of climbing. It is a 75-degree vertical rail with pedals and handles.

There are a number of variables that can be tweaked including handle height, stroke length and resistance The 30-minute sessions are suitable for people of all ages and abilities.

David will also offer personal and group training at his new facility and is also looking forward to restarting his now infamous pay-as-you-go Beach Bootcamp sessions on Tynemouth Longsands on weekends and Wednesday evenings that can regularly attract up to 90 people.

Comic Relief fundraiser raises £45,000 GLOBAL fitness brand Clubbercise was recently invited to take part in a weekend long virtual festival to raise money for Comic Relief.

The festival was organised by Rock Choir, the largest contemporary choir in the world.

Choir members and the general public were invited to purchase tickets with all profits going to Comic Relief, and so far more than £45,000 has been raised.

Claire Burlison, founder of Clubbercise, said: “The event was a huge success with so much being raised for charity, and it was incredible to see hundreds of people logging onto our session.

“The numbers just kept going up and up!.”

More than 400 people took part in the Clubbercise session with instructor Linzi Matthews from Liverpool, which

is believed to be the biggest online Clubbercise class to date.

Festival-goers were also able to take part in a workout with Mr Motivator, a singing workshop with Gary Wilmot

MBE and lots of other activities including cocktail making and dancing.

The weekend culminated in a live, socially distanced concert finale filmed at Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

4

UK FITNESS SCENE

How Covid-19 has transformed the industry

By Daniel Stott WHEN the Covid-19 pandemic first hit, fitness regimes around the world were turned on their heads.

With many people working remotely and urged to stay at home, our lifestyles became more sedentary overnight.

This, coupled with mass gym closures and increased isolation, caused peoples’ physical and mental health to suffer and, in not much time at all, we were forced to reinvent the fitness and wellness ‘wheel’ to reclaim our wellbeing.

People changed how they exercised during the pandemic, turning to outdoor activities like biking and running, and home gym equipment sales soared, as at-home workouts suddenly became the norm.

The rise of digital workouts In March 2020, Google searches for ‘athome workouts’ increased by 50 per cent because with nowhere to go, people were turning to the internet for fitness ideas1.

Search terms such as ‘home workout’, ‘home gym equipment’, ‘home yoga’ and ‘bodyweight exercise’ showed a 5-600 per cent increase in volume worldwide in just one week, and Twitter data also showed a huge increase in those talking about home workouts.

Many expected this move towards digital fitness to be a temporary fix in anticipation of gyms and studios eventually reopening.

However, despite the government recently announcing that gyms are set to reopen on April 12, according to onbuy. com, 37 per cent of gym goers say they will not renew or have already cancelled their gym membership, with the main reason for this being that they feel gyms are unsafe (47 per cent) followed by

Daniel Stott 21 per cent of people who now prefer exercising at home or outdoors.

National lockdowns and the rise of remote working have caused people to look for flexible ways to fit their exercise regimes into their days.

While many will still crave the ‘in gym’ experience and face-to-face interactions will continue to be valuable to people post-lockdown, clearly, the upsurge of virtual fitness and wellness is here to stay long term.

People have realised they can get a great workout from home, and they can still get a group class feel and interact with a community through live streamed sessions powered by human connection.

It is likely that, as life returns to ‘normal’, we will enter into a new ‘hybrid workout’ world, where even those who do return to their pre-pandemic gym routines will want to retain a virtual component.

The ‘hybrid’ workout Covid-19 has accelerated the adoption of a hybrid model of online/in-person workouts that will likely drive bricksand-mortar gym operators towards adopting a hybrid model as they search for revenue streams.

There are numerous reasons why

peoples’ new-found love for digital fitness content will remain strong postpandemic.

As humans we are highly social creatures, and live-streamed classes mimic the experience of exercising with a group and provide people with the authentic community atmosphere and interaction that they crave, but from the comfort of their own homes.

People now know how to juggle various things at home, balancing Zoom meetings with home schooling or fitting in a 20-minute online HIIT session in their lunchbreak, and digital workouts will continue to be a go-to substitute people turn to if they don’t have time to make it to the gym.

For some, gyms can be intimidating spaces, and a lack of confidence and experience can be enough to put them off attending at all.

Online workouts through platforms like Class-ify create a safe space for people to exercise and even give them the option to turn their camera off if they prefer not to be seen, which for some people is a real positive.

For fitness and wellness trainers delivering online sessions, there is also

the advantage of being able to work from anywhere in the world, and their target market no longer has to be within close proximity of a studio, giving them the potential to deliver classes at anytime from anywhere and earn more than ever before.

Through the Class-ify platform, trainers also build their own businesses and invest in themselves, rather than someone else’s brand, enabling them to futureproof their income.

Conclusion The coronavirus pandemic has transformed the fitness industry and the new expected experience is a blend of digital and physical.

The global adoption of digital was already happening, but the pandemic has accelerated this transition exponentially.

Trainers now have an incredible opportunity to build an online business of their own alongside their in-person studio work, to maximise their revenue and grow their personal brand.

Reference 1. OriGym, 2020 n Daniel Stott is co-founder of Class-ify.

New tool to assess the impact of £100m Recovery Fund on public leisure facilities A NEW platform called ‘Moving Communities’ has been launched, which will track participation at public leisure facilities and provide new evidence of the sector’s performance, sustainability and social value.

This data will help local authorities, leisure providers and policymakers to support the recovery of public gyms and leisure centres from the Covid-19 pandemic; taking informed decisions to keep our nation active.

It will also measure the impact of £100m provided by the HM Government through Sport England’s National Leisure Recovery Fund and inform future investment decisions to help strengthen communities and improve our nation’s health and wellbeing.

“The new Moving Communities platform will act as a local tool to help support leisure operators and their understanding of their service,” said David Monkhouse, director of Leisure-net, which is delivering Moving Communities on behalf of Sport England.

“It will be shared with other local authorities to help the whole sector recover from the Covid crisis, and will demonstrate the value and impact of the

sector as it emerges from the pandemic and at time when it is needed most.”

Sport England and Government recognise the vital role gyms and leisure centres play in helping people to be active, and have enhanced and repurposed the National Benchmarking Survey, working with Leisure-net Solutions in partnership with 4global,

Max Associates, Quest (managed by Right Directions) and the Sport Industry Research Group at Sheffield Hallam University.

The new platform represents an evolution of the Moving Communities report produced annually by the ukactive Research Institute since 2017, building on ukactive’s work with its

public leisure operator members. ukactive will continue to play an important role in supporting the research by engaging members to ensure comprehensive data supports the growth of the sector.

Moving Communities will provide a bespoke view of financial performance, participation levels, facility quality scores (delivered by Quest Prime), social value reports and customer experience survey results for sites involved in the Fund, which can be compared to the national picture and filtered to enable local analysis and learning.

Customer experience will be measured via the largest consumer survey ever completed in the sector – with more than 1,000 leisure facilities taking part across 300 local authorities.

Participating local authorities will be provided with access to new Moving Communities dashboards, which can be used with their key stakeholders to help inform and evidence local decisions.

A quarterly, comprehensive overview of the nation’s public leisure services and hold regular webinars will also be published to help provide insights to support the delivery of Sport England’s strategy Uniting the Movement.

UK FITNESS SCENE

Pulse Health & Fitness Carshalton is transformed for the future PULSE Health & Fitness Carshalton has recently undergone a complete transformation of its facilities thanks to a £425,000 investment.

The facility is now home to state-ofthe-art fitness facilities which include top of the range equipment from Pulse Fitness.

“We’re pleased to have been able to use the period of lockdown wisely and make much needed improvements to the facilities at Pulse Health & Fitness Carshalton,” said Chris Johnson, managing director of Pulse Fitness.

“This well-loved facility, which is home to 2,300 members, now has our stateof-the-art lines complete with market leading technology and we look forward to welcoming members back to enjoy the new equipment.”

The centre has undergone a complete aesthetic transformation too, with new flooring, changing rooms and interior redecoration.

The upgrades form part of the Pulse Group’s 30-year partnership with Carshalton College to design, build and operate Pulse Health & Fitness Carshalton.

Now at the 10-year mark, Pulse Fitness has completely updated the fitness facilities to incorporate the latest training trends.

Every exercise can be performed with or without additional weight plates.

The new facilities boast the latest cardio equipment from Pulse Fitness’ Premium cardio range including the curved treadmill, the Crossclimb, the Air Bike and the Stepmill.

What’s new?

In the downstairs gym, an old free weights area has been converted it into a fully immersive indoor cycling studio complete with 27 top-of-the-range Pulse Fitness bikes.

Upstairs in the main gym, the team has reconfigured the space in line with the very latest training trends, with 50 per cent of the space dedicated to functional and free-weights training.

A larger free-weights area has been created, complete with equipment and accessories such as dumbbells, benches, half racks, Olympic lifting racks and

bumper plates to recognise this trend.

Pulse Fitness has installed key pieces from its latest Premium strength line.

All the equipment has been designed for high performance and is able to withstand the rigours of a busy gym.

The team has also installed the world’s only IFI-accredited plate-loaded machine, the Limitless Free Trainer Pro. The Free Trainer Pro has a unique bearing system to allow a fluid movement which feels like a free weight.

Users can perform a wide range of exercises from a conventional bicep curl to an explosive clean and press.

Digital training The site will also be the flagship facility for Pulse Fitness’ brand new app TRAKK. A ground-breaking content platform and activity tracking tool, TRAKK allows PTs to set workouts which can be followed by members via the TRAKK app.

Members can also track their progress, devise their own workout plans and use ready-made workout plans dependent on their fitness goals.

TRAKK allows the fitness team to set personalised goals for members and keep track of how they are performing both in and outside the gym.

TRAKK will allow the team to easily manage the gym floor with its simple colour-coded system that identifies at-risk members, provides a summary of previous contact and the ability to log new interactions to improve retention.

Finally, through TRAKK, the team can send one-off, bulk and automated messages to help keep members engaged within the Pulse Health & Fitness Carshalton community.

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UK FITNESS SCENE

6

Fitness instructors set to be awarded shares in business

£4m redevelopment project under way at Thirsk Leisure Centre A £4m redevelopment project has begun at Thirsk Leisure Centre thanks to investment by the local council.

Once complete, the centre will boast a gym three times the size of the current facility – which for the first time will be operational 24/7 – a new studio for exercise classes and meetings, as well as a cycling studio.

Outdated plant equipment which forced the centre’s pools to close several times over the last couple of years, will be replaced with greener, more environmentally sustainable equipment.

A new roof will also address much needed repairs and condensation issues.

The gym changing rooms will be updated and the reception seating area will also be refurbished with new signage and wall art to be introduced around the building.

The structure for the gym extension should start to take shape towards the middle of March with the structure for the cycling studio to be erected after that.

Councillor Mark Robson, leader of

Hambleton District Council said: “I’m happy to say we are right on track with this work, despite the heavy snow and rain which has been with us through February.

“I can’t wait to see the new build starting to take shape in the early spring and look forward to the difference it will make to the people of Thirsk and those who travel to use the centre.

“It’s never been more important that we invest in our leisure facilities to support people’s health and wellbeing and I know the top-class leisure facilities this work will result in, will be welcomed warmly by all who use it.”

The development is being delivered

by Alliance Leisure.

Sean Nolan, business development manager at Alliance Leisure, added: “These works will breathe new life into the tired, old building, creating a fit for purpose, sustainable leisure facility that residents will be able to enjoy for many years to come.”

Works are expected to complete in time for an opening date in September.

100 independent wellness and fitness instructors are set to be awarded shares in a new platform that gives trainers the potential to increase their earnings and launch their own business online.

With the aim to revolutionise the wellness and fitness industry, Class-ify offers a unique take on the fitness scene and was created to help instructors build their own business online, monetise their audience and create a global community, all from the use of a laptop or smartphone.

‘Powered by human connection’, the business has been launched by a group of former Just Eat employees and provides trainers with access to all the 1-2-1 support needed to create a profitable business delivering virtual classes, including help and advice on social media marketing, client retention and accounting.

Personal trainer, sports therapist and class instructor Lucy Walton is one of the 100 founding Class-ify instructors and has seen her income and client base grow dramatically since joining the platform.

She said: “Like most other trainers my work was significantly impacted by the pandemic but, luckily, I was introduced to Class-ify and with the support of the team I grew my client base overnight.

“Unlike Instagram and Facebook, which can be quite frustrating to teach classes on, Class-ify allows me to create a real sense of community and keep my clients coming back again and again. I’d urge all other trainers to give it a go – there’s nothing to lose, but so much to gain.”

Daniel Stott, CEO and co-founder of Class-ify, said: “We believe every instructor deserves the opportunity to create the life they choose, but many have faced huge loss of income and even unemployment due to the pandemic.

“The closure of gyms and studios across the country forced many instructors into entrepreneurship and to think about themselves as a business and not just a freelancer and, during the same period, the online fitness industry has boomed.

“Even with a date on the horizon for

Lucy Walton

gyms to reopen, many people have discovered they prefer working out at home or enjoy a mix of both in-person and online classes, so we wanted to find a way to help as many instructors as possible prepare for a ‘hybrid workout’ world, build their own communities and deliver classes from anywhere, any time.

“We don’t believe big brands and celebrities should be the only ones to benefit from the surge in online fitness classes and decided it was time we paved the way for local-hero instructors.

Having received a £350,000 figure investment via Angel funding, Class-ify has already secured 40 wellness and fitness instructors located in seven different countries worldwide, with plans to grow exponentially over the next six months.

Daniel added: “Class-ify is unique to the industry and is solely focused on championing qualified fitness instructors and helping them grow and develop their client bases, all from the use of their laptop.

“Through our platform, we make sure every instructor we work with has a better opportunity to create an amazing online business and an incredible brand.

“As a thank you to the first 100 instructors for believing in the concept, we are giving away a 1.3 per cent share in the business. Ultimately, even when life turns back to ‘normal’, the online fitness community isn’t going anywhere, so there is no better time than now for instructors to build a digital presence and become part of the Class-ify family.”

Anytime Fitness launches Making Healthy Happen podcasts LEADING gym chain Anytime Fitness UK has launched its new health and wellbeing podcast Making Healthy Happen.

The new podcast will see high-profile guests and experts share their own health journeys and discuss what health and wellbeing means to them.

Available across all popular streaming platforms, Making Healthy Happen will cover what Anytime Fitness UK sees as the key influences of health; exercise, nutrition, rest, work-life balance, mental wellbeing and your family and social environment.

The podcast aims to support listeners with their own health, with guests providing practical advice to help support them both personally and professionally.

Hosted by Neil Randall, CEO of Anytime Fitness UK, guests already confirmed for season one include former Great Britain rugby league captain Jamie Peacock MBE, Happiful Magazine co-founder Aimi Maunders, ukactive CEO Huw Edwards and inspirational former Rugby Union player Ed Jackson.

“At a time where people are consuming more content than ever, it’s great to be able to launch our

Neil Randall own podcast,” said Neil Randall, CEO of Anytime Fitness UK. “Health is such a far-reaching topic and it’s fascinating to be speaking to such a wide range of individuals about what health means to them

“Listeners will be able to relate to these inspirational people and will definitely be surprised at how personal perceptions of health differ so much from person to person.

“We aim to support people far and beyond exercising within the four walls of our clubs and we’re looking forward to rolling out this first season and many more beyond.”

Episode one titled ‘Taking Off Your Masks’ with Aimi Maunders is available immediately, with new episodes released fortnightly.

The first episode covers Aimi’s relationship with mental health from a young age, exploring her own journey with counselling and the subsequent founding of Counselling Directory and later on, Happiful Magazine.

Aimi gives her insight into the perception of mental wellbeing in today’s society and how we can collectively break down the stigma that still remains around it.

Making Healthy Happen is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Podbean.

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UK FITNESS SCENE

8

Matrix launches new cardio portfolio MATRIX Fitness is launching an all-new, three-tiered cardio offering in an effort to make it easier for customers to find fitness solutions specific to their needs.

The three new cardio series are compatible with five reimagined consoles for combinations of performance and technology that can accommodate virtually any fitness facility’s budget, space and members.

“We believe that choice makes all the difference,” said Matt Pengelly, managing director, Matrix Fitness UK. “With our new cardio series and consoles, we can provide versatile equipment options so that facilities can choose the best fit for them, placing the end user at the centre of their decision.

“We’re extremely excited to see how these new choices will help our partners achieve their goals.”

The Performance Series cardio equipment provides an unmatched

Matt Pengelly

portfolio of cardio platforms designed for heavy with rugged components tested against the highest international standards to withstand hard, continuous use for years to come.

Ergonomic touchpoints are positioned to make even long, hard workouts comfortable and easy to navigate and this series includes a range of advanced features that simplify and reduce service needs to minimise downtime and maximise member satisfaction.

Premium-quality commercial cardio platforms include the Treadmill, ClimbMill, Ascent Trainer, Suspension Elliptical, Hybrid Cycle, Upright Cycle and Recumbent Cycle.

Endurance Series cardio equipment was created for heavy use and solid workouts in professional fitness facilities where space is at a premium and budgets need to stretch further.

Streamlined designs simplify the exercise experience while still providing performance that can challenge cardio enthusiasts.

The Endurance Series is designed and tested to stand up to tough environments and heavy use and offers the most choices in regards to features, functions and pricing.

Full commercial cardio platforms include the Treadmill, ClimbMill, Stepper, Suspension Elliptical, Upright Cycle and Recumbent Cycle.

Lifestyle Series cardio equipment is ideal for light commercial use.

All Lifestyle Series cardio equipment features value-conscious design, reliable performance and a unified aesthetic that

aims to make the exercise experience less intimidating.

Simplified operation makes it easy for virtually anyone to start a workout, even users who are unfamiliar with exercise equipment. Light commercial cardio platforms include the Treadmill, ClimbMill, Suspension Elliptical, Upright Cycle and Recumbent Cycle.

Five new consoles that range from basic LED designs to touchscreen interfaces that mimic popular operating systems are all compatible with the new cardio series.

All of the consoles give users control of the data they collect, the content that keeps them engaged and the way they reach their goals.

With the new Group Training LED Console, every class member can be

kept in sync via the console meeting the specific needs of the group exercise.

With WiFi-enabled consoles, facility staff can also access the digital solutions of the Matrix Connected Solutions portfolio, including their most popular digital offerings like Personal Trainer Portal, Workout Tracking Network and Asset Management.

“The right technology is more than just the finishing touch,” added Matt.

“It really dictates what kind of experience the user is going to have, and it can change the way facilities manage their machines and interact with their members.”

The new Matrix cardio series is now available, helping facilities and studios create an offering right for their budget, space and members.

Free virtual ‘couch to exercise’ programme launched by duo PROFESSOR Greg Whyte OBE and Kevin Cahill CBE, the former CEO and honorary life president of Sport Relief, have joined forces again to launch a new, free, not-for-profit, online ‘couch to exercise’ initiative in a bid to combat inactivity in the UK. RISE will use bespoke training programmes created by duo to connect with the UK’s 11.3 million inactive population via an online platform, donated by virtual exercise hosting specialist, Venueserve Fitness.

RISE consists of three six-week programmes offering gentle and targeted progression throughout each stage.

Block one is chair based exercise. Block two is very low intensity interval activity, and stage three is low intensity interval activity.

It also has a yoga-based programme, focussing on agility, and a mindfulness programme.

The programme includes a variety of expert personal trainers, including Greg, and was filmed at the studios of the Marlow Club.

He said: “Having previously worked closely on the ‘couch to 5k’ initiative, I realised even this programme assumes a level of confidence and physical literacy to take the steps to exercise.

“RISE is different. Our approach is ‘couch to the front door’.

“RISE doesn’t assume its users have any preconditioning, any self-confidence or even selfesteem related to exercise.

“It really is taking a step back in order to move forward.

“We plan to promote RISE through the use of

celebrity endorsements and promotions, which will help inspire the inactive population to give it a go.

“We are hopeful one million people will complete the 18-week programme, which will ultimately funnel participants in to more mainstream physical activity.”

Lee Booth, founder and CEO of Venueserve Fitness, which offers a white-labelled virtual exercise platform to health club operators, added: “We are passionate about physical activity being used for social good, and were inspired by the RISE initiative to design, build and film the bespoke training programme on our white-label online platform.”

Kevin said: “One of our motivations for RISE is that the Covid-19 pandemic has and will continue to cause havoc to the wellbeing of our society.

“We will be feeling the aftermath of Covid, in the form of mental as well as physical health problems, for a long time.

“Exercise, as we know, can help with the wellbeing of both our mind and body, and an accessible programme needs to be in place to support these people.

“RISE removes walls to participation by being free and keeping the format simple. RISE will help people feel more centred and to feel better about themselves.”

Jon Williams, CEO, Marlow Club, added: “It was great to see Greg and the team create such meaningful and worthwhile content at our club.

“We are proud to be associated with this non forprofit campaign and will continue to support and promote RISE.”

Professor Greg Whyte OBE

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UK FITNESS SCENE

10

Coronavirus rehab training introduced for fitness coaches

Pulse Fitness updates kit at iGym London PULSE Fitness has completed a refurbishment of the fitness facilities at iGym London.

Using the downtime from forced closures due to Covid-19, the facility has been kitted out with £200,000 worth of equipment from Pulse Fitness’ Premium Cardio range including the Pulse Airbike and the curved treadmill.

The refresh comes at the five-year point of Pulse Fitness’ 10-year partnership with Imperial College London, which also sees them as the operator for the site.

Complete with 41 new stations including the Run Treadmill, the Step Mill, the X-train, U-Cycle, R-Cycle and L-Train.

This equipment comes with touch screen consoles, giving WiFi, Netflix and social media access – perfect to engage its tech-savvy demographic.

“Our partnership with Imperial College London has gone from strength to strength over the past five years,” said Chris Johnson, managing director of Pulse Fitness.

“We’re delighted to bring in our latest equipment which incorporates the very best in British design alongside some of the most innovative and advanced technology from around the world.

“We hope that with the addition of TRAKK to grow our existing membership base once the facility can reopen its doors.”

The gym currently serves 600 students,

as well as 1,000 external members of the local community. Following the recent upgrades, the team hopes to grow that external membership to 1,300.

Members at iGym London will also become part of the first to have access to TRAKK, the new app from Pulse Fitness.

A ground breaking content platform and activity tracking tool, TRAKK will allow users to plan and track their fitness goals, devise their own workout plans and use ready-made workout plans dependent on their fitness goals.

Users will be able to access a whole library of free, curated workouts, including over 150+ videos of specific machine-based workouts.

It will be completely free to use and connects seamlessly with any fitness equipment so members can track their workouts both in and outside the gym.

As the operator, TRAKK, will allow the iGym fitness teams to set personalised goals for members and keep track of how members are performing both in and outside the gym.

TRAKK, will allow the team to easily manage the gym floor with its simple colour-coded system that identifies at-risk members, provides a summary of previous contact and the ability to log new interactions to improve retention.

Finally, through TRAKK, the team can send one-off, bulk and automated messages to help keep members engaged within the iGym community.

SERCO Leisure has announced the roll out of the Rebuild™ programme from training provider CAWS®, which aims to inform, educate, and prepare gym teams dealing with customers who have been affected by Covid-19 and are seeking guidance and support.

More than 4m people in the UK are struggling with the effects of Covid-19.

CAWS® Rebuild™ Certified Coaches will be equipped to work with individuals recovering from Covid-19 and LongCovid after the acute phase.

The Rebuild™ course is run virtually using content provided by world-class fitness coaches, athletes and subject matter experts.

There are more than 150 hours of video presentations ready-prepared to support gym teams keen to develop the skills needed to assist people who have lived with Covid-19.

Paul Street, Serco Leisure’s national health and fitness manager, said: “As we approach a potential reopening date for gyms and fitness facilities, it’s vital that our teams are well prepared to deal with the unique challenge presented by the Covid era.

“This Covid-focused programme from CAWS® was something that really stood out as adding value to the local communities we serve.

“We’re currently training many of our Level 3 fitness team members, with some very enthusiastic team members already qualified.

“By April 12, I fully expect us to have teams at the majority of our facilities ready to expertly assist those customers who have experienced Covid-19 at its most direct level.”

More than 70 of Serco Leisure’s Level 3 fitness coaches are completing or have completed the programme, recognised across Europe as the leading education course in Covid-19 rehabilitation for fitness and sports professionals.

When its fitness facilities reopen, Serco Leisure will have teams ready-qualified in

some of the areas most affected by the disease, including Birmingham, Bolton and Mansfield.

CAWS® started developing the Rebuild™ Programme in May 2020 in direct response to the needs of individuals who were living with Covid-19.

The initiative has been personally funded by co-founders, managing director Mel Spooner and education director Dr Colin Robertson.

Mel said: “We’re delighted to be teaming up with Serco Leisure to offer our Rebuild™ programme.

“As an operator, they’ve seen the necessary expertise this brings to their teams working the gym floor and just as importantly, the added value it brings to their customers who’ll be returning to much-missed facilities having lived with Covid-19.”

Serco Leisure operates more than 40 facilities in the UK, including Bisham Abbey and Stoke Mandeville Stadium, as well as operating three major cycle hire schemes in London, Edinburgh and the West Midlands.

Shapemaster strengthens with appointments SHAPEMASTER has announced the appointment of its new leisure sales manager Alex Perrior and leisure marketing manager Laura Childs.

The appointments will ensure Shapemaster continues with its ambitious growth strategy in the leisure sector while helping leisure operators to tap into the older exercise market.

Alex brings with her a wealth of experience having worked with some of the world’s leading fitness equipment suppliers since 2008, including Precor, Wattbike and most recently Life Fitness.

She has worked with many large national operators and brands as a key account manager, including Places Leisure, energie Fitness Clubs, Hilton Hotels and Anytime Fitness.

As key account manager for Anytime Fitness, Alex was instrumental in ensuring successful club openings and installations of Life Fitness equipment for new franchisees around the UK and

Alex Perrior

Laura Childs

in addition re-established the Hilton Hotels account.

Prior to this Alex was instrumental in securing the Active Nation tender for Precor.

Laura joins the team from Life Leisure, a multi award-winning leisure trust based in the North West of England, where she headed the marketing and

communications department for 18 years. During her time at the leisure trust she oversaw the launch and development of numerous brands and physical activity programmes and was instrumental in driving campaigns which saw membership grow from 3,500 members to in excess of 19,000.

Both Alex and Laura are passionate

about fitness and the impact it can have on people lives and wider communities.

Alex is a keen runner and triathlete, having completed two Ironman events, six marathons, three Ride London 100 mile cycle events and numerous half marathons.

Laura is an ex-professional squash player, who reached a world ranking of 42.

Shapemaster, the only provider of power assisted equipment in the UK, provides an unrivalled opportunity for leisure operators to attract an as yet untapped customer base in the emerging active ageing market.

The appointments will support the company’s ambitious growth strategy in the leisure sector. In addition, the development of this market will make a transformative difference to the UK leisure sector as a whole, at a critical time for the country and the health of the nation.

In partnership with

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UK FITNESS SCENE

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Tanya launches clothing range in lockdown A NORTH East fitness instructor’s business is going from strength to strength despite the difficulties of the past year caused by the pandemic.

Like many, Tanya Walker took her Miss Fit Dance and Fitness classes online when the country was placed in lockdown by Primer Minister Boris Johnson last March, and she hasn’t looked back since.

“I’ve been a fitness instructor for more than 16 years, teaching classes across the region in a variety of venues such as community centres and church halls,” she said.

“When everything came to a standstill I decided that I had worked too hard over the years to promote my classes across the region to watch my business just slip

away, so I decided to offer my classes over Zoom and created my own studio at home.

“My clientele are predominantly women and I soon realised that there are a lot that are stuck at home either because of work or that have been furloughed so I have been able to put on lots of extra classes.

“The feedback I’ve had has been incredible, with some of my clients saying the classes have kept them sane and kept them going in this incredibly difficult year.”

Tanya offers everything from kettlebell and BODYPUMP classes to FitSteps, HIIT and Broadway Boogie classes.

But Tanya hasn’t stopped there and has also created her own fitness apparel

business during lockdown, which has proved to be a massive success.

Miss Fit Fitness Apparel offers a wide variety of sports and leisure clothing for girls aged between five and 14 and women, while the male range is called M-Fit Menswear.

“I’ve always had an interest in sports clothing and fashion,” she said.

“But I noticed while I was dropping my children off at school and out walking on the beach that more and more women were wearing athleisure as part of their daily routine. Leggings and trainers seen to have become the norm over the past 12 months.

“It’s part of my job so I pretty much live in sports clothing. I know how important it is to have great quality, comfortable

and affordable workout wear that looks great.

“Everybody likes to wear the main brands but it can be expensive, so what I have tried to do with my range is create clothing that is stylish but on a budget. I print it all myself.

“It’s got me through lockdown to be honest. Once I get an idea in my head to do something I have to do it and it was the same with the clothing.

“So far the feedback for the range has been amazing both from the ladies who come to my classes and people who have placed orders from further afield.”

To view the range visit http://www. missfitfitnessapparel.co.uk/ Use WORKOUT10 to get 10 per cent off your order. Delivery is free.

Advertiser’s announcement

Myzone launches first interchangeable exercise tracker for the gym, outdoors or in water

By Dave Wright IT’S time to switch things up and be there for the community, wherever they want to be.

We have to be meeting members where they want to work out. That will include the gym, but remote classes are also here to stay.

Embracing both options, whether incentivised by government or marketed from a traditional business model, is the only way to engage communities for the future.

On the other end of the spectrum for members, creating positive lifestyle change doesn’t mean that you have to put on a chest strap and start hitting the red zone.

Walking instead of driving or taking the stairs – these incremental changes in physical activity throughout the day all add up.

The challenge for many comes when there’s no short-term incentive to move more. Good intentions fade into old habits instead of becoming long term improvements.

Now with the MZ-Switch – the world’s first interchangeable exercise tracker for the gym, outdoors or in water – you can help members to make every move count.

Through providing easier access to physical activity, you’re removing that barrier to motivation and rewarding their effort, every MEP of the way.

I always say that if it’s not accurate, it’s not relevant and if it’s not relevant then it doesn’t change behaviour.

We pride ourselves on the data that

Myzone partners and users can collect, but the Switch offers more than analytics alone.

Behaviour change also comes through convenience.

The MZ-Switch isn’t something that we’d suggest users activate all day, but because it’s easy to have it on your wrist then it makes it so much more convenient to track all physical activity and for operators to engage deeper into any member base.

Myzone is also working with the

NHS for prehabilitation; for safe and structured exercise.

The MOD use it for remedial PT schedules. We’ve also got some pretty exciting huge projects coming up around the world as well that we’ll be sharing more information on soon.

It’s exciting times and, in every respect, these are the steps we need to be taking for the fitness industry to be taken more seriously in society.

I’m proud that we’re able to help switch things up for the months and years ahead. n Dave Wright is the creator and CEO of MYZONE®, CEO and owner of CFM (Creative Fitness Marketing) and owner of the Feelgood Fitness and Voyage Fitness Club chains. With offices in Chicago (US), Nottingham (UK) and Melbourne (Oz), Dave’s companies have worked directly with over 5,000 health clubs across 30 different countries, encouraging people to be more and stay more physically active.

He may be contacted on Dave@ myzone.org

UK FITNESS SCENE

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Advertiser’s announcement

What’s next for the fitness industry?

By Jamie Owens

IT’S ESTIMATED UK gyms have lost in the region of £2.3billion in revenue* since the start of the pandemic.

That equates to £354,000 per club.

Competition has increased thanks to the proliferation of digital and at-home offerings and every operator has, to some degree, been compelled to cut budgets and lower costs.

The coming months are going to be focused around one goal – member acquisition to recoup lost revenue and drive new income streams.

But while anecdotal feedback from operators suggests there will be significant pent-up demand on reopening, once that post-Covid ‘bounce’ wears off and the tougher summer months kick in, there won’t be plentiful funds to throw at the challenge: a survey of Hussle partners revealed, while 62 per cent have a bounce back plan in place, 71 per cent will be spending the same, or less, on marketing.

The sector needs to create growth while keeping customer acquisition costs (the money spent getting new customers) lean.

This means reducing marketing wastage and appealing to a new, previously unengaged breed of member, to increase the chance of conversion and so member lifetime value.

Now is the time to move beyond what you’ve always done; keep doing the same things and you’ll only get the

Jamie Owens same results, if you’re lucky. More likely, you’ll get diminishing returns as others become more competitive.

As we emerge from lockdown, it’s the prime time to embrace new marketing tactics to up-scale your business.

As a digital marketing channel with powerful UK-wide reach, Hussle offers a free route to revenue that many operators won’t have previously explored.

Gyms needs members. Fact. Our new Membership Conversion Service is designed to generate all the marketing power needed to source a new member and then help you convert them.

The MCS proactively targets people visiting a gym through Hussle to directly join if they’re attending regularly.

This service identifies customers who would be best served by a direct gym

membership, creating a new joiner channel for operators.

Some customers will always want to use multiple gyms but others use Hussle as a tool to find a gym they like.

We identify these high value customers and convert them into direct members, helping reduce operators’ customer acquisition costs – there’s no wastage, no resource overheads, just more members.

What makes Hussle unique in the market is that a member converted becomes just that, an actual member.

Most marketing partners provide operators with revenue, but the customers will never become your own members.

Your all-new, free marketing channel Hussle brings gyms additional revenue via people who don’t currently engage with traditional memberships.

In the last 18 months Hussle has: • Brought 66,000 disengaged ex-members back • Encouraged 14,000 brand new customers into gyms • Turned 30,000+ try-before-you-buy customers into direct club members

S SML/EL .I C OM MY- G Y M W W W. H U S S LH E .U CO S T-

Whether it’s the ‘try-before-they-buys’ or occasional users, a marketing partner should offer ways to convert this footfall to memberships and so a higher lifetime value.

In the last 18 months Hussle has converted 30,000 into direct members, with no impact on constrained marketing budgets.

It’s free to list a gym on the platform and we’re always keen to discuss building a recovery partnership with operators. Visit www.hussle.com/listmy-gym. *https://sustainhealth.fit/lifestyle/ukgyms-have-lost-over-2-billion/ n Jamie Owens is director of fitness partnerships at Hussle.

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Live fitness classes a HIIT with residents

A SCHEME to keep Stockport residents active and support freelance fitness instructors during lockdown is set to expand under the current tier system.

While its gym doors had to remain closed, local health and fitness provider Life Leisure has been running around 30 live zoom classes a week.

Ranging from High Intensity Interval Training sessions and Zumba, to Pilates and yoga, the busy schedule of live classes was set up to make sure local residents didn’t miss out on vital opportunities to stay active, mentally and physically.

With many sessions attracting more than 50 people, and current Covid-19 restrictions still prohibiting in-person attendance for group exercise, Life Leisure has now expanded the range and number of live classes to give people the choice of over 50 different sessions.

Ruth Lynch, head of health, fitness and communities at Life Leisure, said: “The lockdown meant we had to close the doors of our centres and freeze membership payments accordingly.

“Rather than only direct people to prerecorded sessions, we decided to trial an ambitious timetable of live classes where participants could pay a small fee as they went purely to cover freelance instructor costs – a vital source of income for them while we had to remain closed – as well as booking, filming and streaming expenses.

“While new rules mean our gyms and pool are open again, group classes like these are still prohibited.

“So, given how popular the live lockdown sessions were, we’ve ramped

things up. We’ve got all our brilliant instructors back in the studios ready to deliver some great classes.”

Existing Life Leisure members that have activated their accounts again can access any of the classes for free, as well as any of the gym and pool facilities across Stockport.

Non-members also still have the option to take part on a ‘pay as you go’ basis, at a cost of £2.75 per session.

Many local residents have been praising the range of options and mental lift that the ‘live’ element has delivered.

Vashti Holland from Woodley is one

example.

“These online classes are fantastic. You can go at your own pace, but I usually push myself and can’t walk for a couple of days”, said Vashti.

“They are helping me feel better, physically and mentally. Thank you for giving me focus and fitness.”

The weekly sessions available also include a range of free live classes delivered specifically for those ‘prescribed’ activity through the Physical Activity Referral in Stockport scheme, run by Life Leisure in partnership with Public Health.

Everything from chair-based exercises and sessions focussed on hip and knee movement, to stroke and cardiac rehab classes are covered.

Ruth added: “There is something hugely special about the live, group exercise atmosphere, and while these classes aren’t quite the same as physically being in a room with an instructor and other participants, they do deliver some of that buzz and motivational energy that keeps people wanting to move more, even if where they are doing it is their own living room.”

Centre revamp making good progress A MAJOR refurbishment of the Stour Leisure Centre, which will significantly improve the leisure offer for the local community, is on target to open this summer.

It is just one of a number of community and leisure facilities across the borough which are being improved.

At a time when investment in leisure provision has been severely affected elsewhere by the pandemic, Ashford Borough Council is investing more than £9million in total.

The council, in partnership with Freedom Leisure, who took over the running of the centre last September, are investing £6.5m in the Stour Centre, transforming the facilities and providing new spaces to boost participation and improve the health and wellbeing of the borough’s residents.

In addition, a new fitness suite at the Julie Rose Stadium is planned, while both reception areas and the catering offer will be improved with the introduction of Costa Coffee.

Councillor Matthew Forest, portfolio holder for Culture, Tourism and Leisure at Ashford Borough Council, said: “The Stour Centre improvements are progressing well, and will open in the summer. We look forward to our residents being able to using them later this year.

“The council and Freedom Leisure are investing heavily in improving the facilities on offer, including an extended gym with new equipment, a new soft play and clip and climb and dedicated café area, upgraded reception, new leisure pool features targeted at younger

children and major redecoration throughout including the dry and wet changing areas.

“As the borough continues to grow, we feel passionately that our leisure offer must evolve to meet demand and expectation and ensure Ashford remains active.

“This is even more important given the effects of the pandemic, which is why we are investing more than £9m towards improving them.”

Freedom Leisure is a not-for-profit leisure trust which manages leisure and cultural facilities on behalf of partners across the UK. Managing director Ivan Horsfall Turner

added: “It’s great to see the investment into redeveloping The Stour Centre really starting to take shape.

“Being active is a key factor in maintaining our physical and mental health and wellbeing, and it can really help to strengthen the immune system which is so important right now.

“We look forward to the completion of the project and being able to reopen the centre which will provide a fantastic health, fitness and leisure experience for everyone in Ashford.”

The Stour Centre is not the only leisure facility to benefit from investment.

Tenterden Leisure Centre is also having some improvements, with a new roof

and pool air handling unit planned for later this year.

The council is working with Tenterden Leisure Centre Trust (the tenant of the leisure centre building and operator of the facilities) and Serco (the Trust’s agent running the leisure centre day to day) on the changes.

Meanwhile a major new arts hub for the county, providing a long-term base for internationally renowned dance company Jasmin Vardimon will open next Spring.

Work on building the Jasmin Vardimon Creative Laboratory and 29 light industrial units in Javelin Way started in January with funding from Kent County Council, the Arts Council and Ashford Borough Council.

The new building will include space for the creation of the company’s touring productions, rehearsals, training, educational and community classes, plus incubator space for small creative businesses.

Construction on new facilities at Waterside Sports and Children’s Centre is also underway.

The new building will be leased to Bromley Green FC, who operate out of the site.

When finished it will include a lobby area, four football changing rooms, an officials’ changing room, a fully accessible changing room and accessible toilet.

There will also be a social area including a kitchen.

The work is being done by local Ashford company Lancaster Building and is due to be finished for this summer.

UK FITNESS SCENE

Aneurin Leisure Trust to reopen with a bang WELSH leisure trust, Aneurin Leisure, in partnership with Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, is forging ahead with a full gym refurbishment in all three of its sites, despite the pandemic.

Plans are set for reopening after lockdown in April, with the centres each offering a hybrid in-person and digital gym solution for returning and new members.

Following the £600,000 refurbishment, Ebbw Vale Sports Centre, Abertillery Sports Centre and Tredegar Sports Centre will each feature a full complement of Precor strength, cardio and functional equipment, with Precor’s networked fitness solution and Advagym

by Sony together ensuring a strong focus on digital connectivity throughout.

Tom Kivell, Aneurin Leisure’s fitness development manager, who is project managing the refurbishment, said: “We have been planning a multi-site gym refurbishment for the past 18 months, as our previous kit is eight years old and very dated.

“We started the process in September 2019, but the pandemic put everything on hold. Considering the impact coronavirus has had on our sector, everyone’s mindset has been understandably cautious.

“We could easily have stalled our redevelopment plans, but thanks to the government furlough scheme, access to new grants and careful budgeting, we knew we could invest, grow and set ourselves up to thrive when we reopen.

“We see this time as an opportunity to strike and to come out of lockdown with a new offer and a competitive edge

in our area that, following consultation with our existing members, will create a superb resource for the whole community.”

The cutting-edge facilities will each offer Precor’s top-of-the-range 800line cardio in the all-new Black Pearl All Tungsten colourway, with P82 touch-screen consoles and the Preva networked fitness solution.

In addition to delivering content via their cardio machines, Aneurin Leisure opted to complement Precor’s new Resolute Strength line with Advagym by

Sony – the unique solution that guides exercisers in using the machine safely, by loading each sensor with how-to videos, as well as logging every rep and exercise completed.

To deliver a fully connected experience, Aneurin Leisure will display additional sensors within other zones of the gym floor, for example the functional space and Spinning studio, meaning exercisers can receive workout content and guidance, and log their activity, throughout the entire facility.

Each site features a custom made

Queenax™ functional training unit.

Tom added: “We selected Precor as we wanted to digitise the gym experience, fully connecting cardio and strength so the team can set goals, create challenges and training plans, and track progress to offer results-based training.

“As an operator, having access to analytical data is no longer a nice to have; it’s essential for success.

“The data we can draw from Precor’s Preva and Advagym will give us invaluable insight into how we meet member needs and improve service.

“We can’t wait for the installation to be completed and to welcome our customers back to an industry-leading experience.”Precor’s design team undertook extensive consultation with the Aneurin Leisure team and has created an innovative layout for each site.

Designs use equipment placement and bespoke Queenax™ rigs to ensure social distancing occurs naturally throughout the gym and act as room dividers, encouraging new exercisers into different sections of the gym floor, to ensure more balanced usage.

Steve Carter, managing director of Precor UK, said: “In bucking the trend and choosing to future-proof its facilities now, Aneurin Leisure is testimony to the fact that our industry can come out of the pandemic fighting fit.

“In choosing to partner with Precor they are putting technology at the forefront of their offer to ensure they can engage with and attract members from all demographics and provide a best-inclass offer in their area.”

Uber drivers’ UK Supreme Court ruling – how it affects the fitness industry ORGANISATIONS that engage “offpayroll” workers via an intermediary are now responsible for determining their employment status and paying Income Tax and NICs for those deemed to be employees.

This change may sound familiar – it’s been all over the news in the last few weeks, with the UK Supreme Court deciding Uber drivers are “workers” for UK employment law purposes. But what does it mean for our sector?

IR35 will apply where personal trainers or instructors have set themselves up as a limited company e.g. Joe Bloggs operates through Joe Bloggs PT Services Limited or are supplied via an employment agency/business.

Aaron McCulloch is managing director of YOUR Personal Training, the UK’s largest personal training management company, which supports both PTs and gym operators to deliver a world-class personal training service.

He said: “The question to ask is ‘if it wasn’t for that company in the middle, would the individual be regarded as an employee/worker for tax and NIC purposes?

“If the answer is yes, some health clubs will be responsible for paying their Income Tax and NICs. “Preparation here is key, because assessing each team member and introducing and actioning appropriate policies and procedures can extremely

time consuming.”

YOUR Personal Training, which isn’t regarded as an intermediary, has been working with a number of operators, including Simply Gym and Sport Aberdeen, to ensure they are IR35 complaint, and has created a White Paper with free guidance for health clubs, including eight easy-to-follow steps to ensuring IR35 compliance.

You can download the report at https://www.yourpersonaltraininguk. co.uk/news/ir35-are-you-ready Simply Gym has 23 personal trainers supporting 24,000 members across its six sites.

Its PTs have traditionally worked on a self-employed basis full time or delivered gym floor classes and member inductions, completing voluntary hours, agreed at the start of each month, in return for a reduced monthly rent.

It was YOUR Personal Training that alerted Simply Gym to the impending IR35 tax legislation changes.

Dave Evans, CFO of Simply Gym, which is part of Bay Leisure, said: “We were alerted to IR35 through YOUR Personal Training in September last year, and I was concerned about the impact it would have on payroll.

“We started consultation with YOUR Personal Training straight away and, despite lockdown, completed the process in just under three months, embracing a hybrid PT model meaning there will be no drop in customer service as our PTs can still do gym floor classes and inductions whilst remaining compliant.

“It was completely pain-free. YOUR Personal Training took care of the entire process for us, drafting a compliant PT model for us to review and then putting the wheels in motion, holding a series of webinars with staff and PTs to explain the changes, timelines and answer any questions.

“Without YPT’s knowledge and support it would undoubtedly have taken much longer, and because we use their full PT management service it was all done for free.

“YOUR Personal Training’s Hybrid Personal Training model provides a clear line between employed working operations and self-employed personal training, and will help keep good people in our facilities following what has been a very difficult year for our sector.

“When clubs reopen we can maintain our usual high-level, personalised service for members, as well as being able to offer non-PT staff career progression through YPT’s career and education pathway.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Panatta Master Gluteus Plus Advertiser’s announcement

The Panatta Master Gluteus Plus is a specialised piece of equipment for effective mono-lateral training of the lower limb muscle, simulating the “kick of the mule” in quadruped position.

The double padding and support handle of the machine ensures the perfect alignment between the torso and the thrusting leg their longitude regulation, together with the adjustment of the thrust platform, to provide the users of any height with the correct posture.

The Master Gluteus Plus creates a simultaneous extension of the hip and the knee, while activating all the main muscles of the thigh with particular involvement of the Gluteus Maximus; what makes this machine unique is the possibility to adjust the inclination of the slide column, providing the option of three different trajectories.

This way, the neuromuscular activation focuses on particular regions involved.

Position one (column inclination of 80°): The rear thrust movement of the limb is performed along a very upright trajectory, almost vertical, to encourage specific action on the glute with only a partial contribution of the hamstrings and quadriceps muscles.

Position two (column inclination of 62.5°): The rear thrust movement of the limb is performed along an intermediate trajectory, in this case the main action is performed by the glutes with aid from the hamstrings and in part from the quadriceps to supports the femoral extension.

Position three (column inclination 45°): The thrust movement of the lower limb is performed along an inclined trajectory of 45°, which puts into action the glute with a significant contribution of the hamstrings and major commitment of the quadriceps to complete the knee extension.

UK FITNESS SCENE

Refurb work begins at leisure centre WORK has started on improvements to the changing rooms and swimming pools at Crystal Leisure Centre.

Building contractor Speller Metcalfe has moved in to demolish the existing changing facilities at the Stourbridge site while the centre is shut due to lockdown.

Improvements are also planned for the leisure pool at the centre.

Meanwhile work is set to start next month at Halesowen Leisure Centre, where a range of improvements have been earmarked including a new indoor children’s play area.

It comes as work is well under way on a new £18m leisure centre in Dudley.

Councillor Ian Kettle, cabinet member responsible for leisure centres, said: “I’m pleased to see that work has started at Crystal Leisure Centre.

“Regular users of the centre told us improvements were needed to the changing rooms. As a listening council we have got the ball rolling on that and contractors are in there this week ripping them out.

“There’s a lot happening with leisure centres at the moment. We are already seeing the new Dudley Leisure Centre taking shape but with the potential for improvements at Halesowen and Crystal, the future looks very bright for leisure centre users.”

Halesowen is in-line for a new look entrance, adventure play area and café. There will also be major

An artist’s impression of the new fitness suite at Halesowen Leisure Centre.

changes to the swimming pool to cater for learner and advanced swimmers.

The plans also include new ‘village style’ changing rooms, pool-side viewing area and a state-of-the-art fitness suite.

Both Halesowen and Crystal leisure centres will have significant repairs carried out as part of the proposals, led by development partner Alliance Leisure.

Julia Goddard, senior business development manager at Alliance Leisure, added: “Alliance Leisure is delighted to have been appointed as the Development Partner to refurbish both Crystal Leisure Centre and Halesowen Leisure Centre.

“This extensive investment in

the leisure portfolio will transform the leisure provision for residents throughout the borough, bringing new opportunities for everyone to enjoy a fantastic array of modern facilities.

“Alliance Leisure will be managing the project in close liaison with Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council and all works will be delivered via the UK Leisure Framework, owned by Denbighshire Council and managed

by Denbighshire Leisure.”

Work is well underway on the new £18.2million Dudley Leisure centre.

The plans are part of a wider major regeneration programme bringing over £1billion investment to the town centre. The new Dudley leisure centre will benefit from excellent public transport links through the

forthcoming adjacent Metro stop and the nearby bus Interchange.

The new facility will include a 25 metre, eight-lane swimming pool and a teaching pool with spectator provision.

There will be a four-court sports hall suitable for indoor football, badminton and more.

The investment will also include a 100-station gym and fitness suite, two group exercise studios for a wide range of exercise classes and an immersive cycle studio.

There will also be power-assisted gym equipment for specialist support which may be particularly beneficial for those recovering from injury, older customers and those living with longterm health conditions.

Specialist partners with Indigo Fitness AS THE Government looks into ways to stem the rising tide of health problems caused by physical inactivity, a sports performance specialist has launched a service aimed at helping improve the nation’s wellbeing while boosting business performance.

Game Changer Performance, which works with some of the nation’s top sports stars, has created both a digital and a physical service aimed at enabling businesses to improve the health of their workforce.

As well as a digital profiling programme, it has created a service offering workplace fitness spaces and made cutting edge physical fitness programmes. Remote workers can carry out their exercises at home using bolt on equipment bundles.

GCP has partnered with Indigo Fitness to create the training spaces.

The two organisations have just created a showcase facility at GCP’s Derby HQ which, as well as being used by its own staff, offers a taste of what companies can enjoy on their own premises or consumers can create in their own homes.

The space contains four ‘pods’ focusing on different pillars of health – strength, conditioning, mobility and cardio – and can be used in conjunction with GCP’s Train programmes or independently.

With Indigo’s manufacturing capabilities the pod system can be scaled up or down and branded with corporate logos.

Derbyshire based Game Changer Performance has, for the past three

years, been working alongside the Football Association and the Professional Footballers Association at England’s national football centre in Staffordshire, St George’s Park .

And it is the experience of preparing sports stars for competition which was the inspiration for its profiling app, Curve and bespoke workplace fitness solution, Train.

GCP’s multi-disciplinary team wanted the corporate market to benefit from the same unique ‘movement, mindset and lifestyle’ profiling system it uses to help elite sportspeople prepare for competitions.

Game Changer Performance director Jake Keeling said: “Elite sports have been using a preventative approach for years.

“Ensuring that athletes and teams are eating right, conditioned properly, recovering correctly, and managing their training loads sensibly ensures that they are better prepared for competition than ever before.

“It seems like a natural fit to take this approach into the corporate health market. If elite teams and athletes have access to all this knowledge, equipment, technology, and success then why shouldn’t progressive businesses as well?”

“Our Train programme is of huge benefit to employers, both in terms of attracting and retaining talent. Mental health and exercise are intrinsically linked in creating a healthy lifestyle.

“The government is now recognising the importance of preventative health.

It is not just the obvious things like smoking and obesity which it needs to tackle.

“Many people will continue to work from home over the coming months and years.

“For progressive companies looking to give their people more support when in the office then providing them with a space to train in is a superb and timely concept.

“Many companies will have much more redundant space now so why not convert an existing meeting room into a functional fitness space?

“Partnering with Indigo and being able to utilise their expertise in design and manufacture of elite training spaces really has taken our offering to the next level.

“The great thing with Train is that as well as the bespoke training spaces, we can also provide people with home exercise bundles to continue their training from home, backed up with programmes and access to our specialists via our digital platform.

“It is a hybrid solution that works perfectly with the situation we currently all find ourselves in. GCP Train truly has the ability to change the corporate health game for the better.”

Tom Rooke from Indigo Fitness added: “The combination of Indigo’s leading design, equipment, facilities and combining them with GCP’s range of expert physical and digital performance services is something the corporate and consumer health market is crying out for, we are excited by what this partnership can bring to the market.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE

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Advertiser’s announcement

Tees Active leads the way with innovative use of Technogym Mywellness Live and On-Demand TEES Active is a not-for-profit community trust with deep community values.

The team work hard to offer equal opportunity access to all members of the local area – so more people can benefit from leading a healthy and active life.

Gail McKenna, health and wellbeing manager, explains why Tees Active invested in Technogym Mywellness Live and On-Demand streaming services to stay connected with members and the community.

“Whilst we are a mainstream health and fitness provider, our focus is firmly on social objectives,” she said. “We work in partnership with a number of organisations including the NHS, Sport England, ukactive and Public Health to make sure we connect with hard to reach groups as well as more active members of the community.

“Technogym has been our equipment partner at Tees Active’s four sites for more than a decade, helping facilitate the transition from local authority provider to leisure trust, and supporting the growth of Tees Active facilities.”

Investing in streamed services to keep communities connected “We have been using Mywellness for many years,” added Gail.

“It has been very popular with all ages and demographics and helps us be better connected with members and offer more content.

“Over the course of the last 12 months we knew we needed to work even harder at keeping our members active so we spoke to Technogym about adding their Live and On-Demand solution to our offer.”

Content and connectivity on one platform Tees Active wanted one solution for all their member activity.

With the infrastructure of Mywellness already embedded into the customer journey, it was the obvious next step for this innovative leisure trust.

“Our membership is really diverse, ranging from general fitness to specialisms like cardiac rehabilitation, weight management, and neurological needs,” added Gail.

“We needed one platform that gave every member whichever service they want from us, whenever and wherever they want it. Streaming is a valuable way of connecting with more vulnerable people.”

Mywellness Live and On-Demand will help Tees Active with a multi-stage approach to streamed services.

They have been able to offer members the chance to engage with activity during lockdown and beyond, and have provided reliable content during the Government’s staggered approach to reopening leisure facilities.

After lockdown, the streaming services will help Tees Active to add extra value to memberships, and even extend their reach beyond the local area.

“Our key aim in investing in Mywellness Live and On-Demand was maintaining that crucial connection between our customers and our facility,” added Gail.

“We know that a good percentage of members are keen to come back, but this is a good quality option to bridge the gap.

“It offers them the familiarity in our programming and coaching, and they already use through Mywellness, so the platform is recognisable.”

“The Mywellness Live and On-Demand platform offers a flexible way to use our own content and reach those specialist demographics with the right support,” Gail said. “For example, we can continue to offer our weight management programme, which is supported by Stockton’s Public Health department, through the Mywellness app, so those important demographics stay engaged through this difficult time.”

More than 1,000 members have already signed up to Tees Active’s Live and OnDemand offers.

Of these, 500 are regular fitness members who enjoy the opportunity to connect with their favourite class instructor and see a familiar studio setting in the background.

Reaching niche demographics Tees Active have taken Technogym’s streaming service and made it their own, recognising the diversity of their membership base.

Using streamed services after lockdown Streaming plays a significant role in future plans for Tees Active.

By May, three of the four sites will have streaming audio visual equipment built

Becoming the benchmark for creating a streamed offer Tees Active has worked hard to make its Live stream programme a replica of its in-person programme – and their success has led to them aiming to set the standard against which other operators benchmark their offers.

“We have worked really hard on proving quality content in a professional way,” she added.

“It’s delivered by our own instructors, from our own studios, with music and atmosphere as well as well as high quality audio visual equipment” Tees Active has also offered streamed content to Stockton Borough Council employees, to their own furloughed staff, and to special health populations during lockdown.

in to the studios.

Tees Active will offer it as part of a premium membership option, through a fully-branded Mywellness app.

Technogym Live and On-Demand will also support Tees Active’s innovative on-demand health offer, rolling out content from specialist providers and partner organisations to hard to reach populations.

“Within our branded app we will have four leisure centres, and two streamed offers,” added Gail. “One mainstream group exercise and one for specialist health initiatives. We are one of the first trusts to do this and we look forward to sharing our knowledge with others who wish to achieve the same outcomes.”

Member feedback to Live and OnDemand has been overwhelmingly positive, with people commenting that it is keeping them active and connected during lockdown.

“We have always enjoyed a good partnership with Technogym,” Gail concluded. “They understand our aims, and support us with good advice. They are always able to adapt their offers to match our unique goals and targets.

“We really appreciate their partnership on this new venture and look forward to seeing where it will take us in future.”

Tees Active advice for adopting Mywellness Live and On-Demand n Ensure recorded content is engaging and good quality. n Create a motivating atmosphere when filming. n Use it to engage your most hard to reach groups. n Engage and connect with members at the start and end of class. n Be open and receptive to feedback and to all opportunities that streamed content offers.

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UK FITNESS SCENE

22

TRIB3 set to open four sites in Scotland as part of expansion BOUTIQUE fitness concept TRIB3 is set to open four stores in Scotland as part of a major international expansion of the brand following the agreement of a three-site franchise area development deal in Glasgow and a new corporately-owned store which is due to open imminently in the Stockbridge area of Edinburgh.

The multi-site franchise agreement grants area exclusivity for three stores initially in the Greater Glasgow area, marking a key milestone in TRIB3’s ambition to continue expanding its UK footprint and growing its presence in Scotland.

Initial expansion into the territory began with the announcement of TRIB3 Edinburgh, a corporately owned location, which is being built as part of the Raeburn Place development on the grounds of the historic Edinburgh Academical rugby football club.

This store, the first TRIB3 to be built in Scotland, is due to open soon pending the easing of restrictions related to Covid-19 in the area and will offer 54 spots-per-session (c.27 with distancing measures) as one of the largest studios in the TRIB3 network.

Karl Dietrich, chief development officer at TRIB3, said: “We are so pleased to continue expanding our global network and launching our first four sites in Scotland.

“This is a great opportunity for TRIB3 to keep building our community of amazing workout warriors and bring our next level workout experiences to some of Scotland’s major cities for the first time.

“Providing the services to keep people fighting fit is so important right now so we’re delighted to have

signed this long-term area development agreement with new, experienced franchise partners who want to work with us to bring TRIB3’s unique and results-driven workout to more and more people.

“This is one of several upcoming announcements regarding new territories and locations joining the TRIB3 global network so you can imagine as a team we’re very excited for the future.”

TRIB3 offers instructor-led 45-minute HIIT workouts, uniquely programmed across it’s custom

TRI training system: Treadmills, Resistance & Intensity. Customers can expect to burn up to 1,000 calories per session with real-time progress tracking through heart rate monitors, in-studio displays and the brand’s bespoke SWEAT app.

The whole experience is underpinned by specially curated playlists from the TRIB3 DJ, signature scents and custom lighting.

TRIB3 is already in six international territories and is rapidly expanding across the world.

Advertiser’s announcement

Recover. Revive. Renew with Power Plate Recover – the need for change Undeniably, the world’s population has been affected in one way or another by the global pandemic and, for some, the situation has exasperated existing health issues, whereas for others, new health related conditions are starting to arise.

Workout Magazine talks to Power Plate about its solutions for individuals, businesses and the industry at large – with new and exciting opportunities to improve the nation’s physical and emotional health and wellbeing.

Revive – supporting the health of the nation Covid-19 has propelled the fitness industry into unfamiliar territory, with the explosion of digital in terms of content delivery, connectivity, and innovation.

The latest guidelines issued by the CMO emphasises the importance of building strength and balance for adults, and includes recommendations for pregnant women, new mothers and disabled people as well as those with type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and depression.

Stephen Powell, director of training and education at Power Plate, said: “Vibration, in its simplest form is movement, so when you add ‘more’ movement to the body, the body responds in a multitude of ways at both a physiological and psychological level.

“Power Plate facilitates more movement, by stimulating more muscles, more often, increasing circulation, enhancing lymphatic flow as

well as challenging the body’s sensory system (proprioceptors) to wake up and join in – making it the perfect tool for recovery after long periods of inactivity, as well as the go-to equipment of choice for athletes and regular exercisers.”

Renew – the wellness opportunity Originally driven by top fitness trends such as HIIT, group training, personal training, body weight and free weight training, recovery is now essential for the health of the nation, creating a new business opportunity for facilities,

clinics and wellness studios. It’s become a destination, an undertaking and an experience in its own right.

Many health clubs are starting to think differently about their fitness spaces, with Everyone Active in Porchester widening its reach to offer health and wellness solutions to their active aging community, providing a safe and secure environment for this population to stay healthy, supported by Power Plate.

New franchise Xcelerate is dedicating an entire space for its ‘Recovery Room’ concept featuring Power Plate, forming

a major part of their unique member journey for mind, body and soul.

Holmes Place in Portugal has taken its recovery principles one step further by combining the Power Plate and bioDensity products to offer a new member experience, and Worcester Warriors’ first team has incorporated vibration training into its training program helping the club with performance gains, recovery and the rehabilitation of players.

For more information visit www.powerplate.co.uk

UK FITNESS SCENE

23

Advertiser’s announcement

Safe return to exercise after Covid-19

By Dr Dane Vishnubala

AMONG those members returning to the gym keen to resume their workout routines, will be people returning to exercise after Covid-19.

Rehabilitation from Covid-19 through exercise can enhance people’s physical and psychological recovery while preventing deconditioning whereby strength, fitness and functional capacity are lost.

Despite the many benefits of exercise, we must adopt a ‘more haste, less speed’ approach to working with clients returning to the gym post-Covid-19.

I was privileged to be part of the research team behind the article ‘Returning to physical activity after Covid-19’ that was published by the British Medical Journal in January.

Its pragmatic approach to helping people return safely to physical activity following Covid-19 is based on current evidence and consensus statements alongside our multidisciplinary experience in sports and exercise medicine, rehabilitation and primary care.

A phased approach to exercise is strongly advised while noting each person’s experience.

People who had more severe Covid-19 illness, such as those who were hospitalised, are thought to be at higher risk of cardiac, respiratory or circulatory complications as they recover: their rehabilitation should be managed in conjunction with post-Covid-19 medical services.

Dr Dane Vishnubala Anyone who didn’t require hospital treatment but had symptoms during their illness suggestive of myocardial injury – such as chest pain, severe breathlessness or palpitations – should be cleared by their GP to exercise first.

Finally, anyone whose symptoms are prolonged and not settling could be suffering from Long Covid, a long-term health condition that can be worsened by taking exercise.

If in doubt, refer your client to a healthcare professional before starting their programme.

Most people, having been symptom free for seven days, can follow a phased

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programme.

Using the Borg Rating or Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale (ranging from six being ‘no exertion’ to 20 being ‘maximal exertion’) and phases lasting around seven days: Phase one would aim for an RPE of 6-8; Phase two – RPE 9-11; Phases three and four – RPE 12-14 and Phase five – RPE of 15.

The suggested phases and outline guides of exercise can be accessed at Returning to physical activity after Covid-19 (bmj.com).

As with all exercise programmes, no

one size fits all: this guide allows clients to take longer at each phase, or go back a phase, depending how they feel.

Tracking how they are responding to exercise is key: self-monitoring supported by careful checking in by the PT will ensure a realistic picture of effort, exertion, recovery and progress.

The best fitness instructors know when to reduce or regress an exercise programme and this has never been more important as people return to fitness after Covid-19. n Dr Dane Vishnubala is a GP and chief medical advisor for Active IQ.

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PRODUCT NEWS

24

Switch with Orbit4 – “a perfect ecosystem of digital platforms” WE ARE proud to launch the world’s first digital ecosystem to manage and facilitate the entire commercial fitness product life cycle.

Orbit4 is the umbrella company for the already well-known brands; FitnessCompared, FitnessFinance, WeServiceGymEquipment and WeBuyGymEquipment.

All platforms are free to join and drive best value for gym operators, fitness equipment manufacturers, service providers and used fitness equipment traders.

We’ve qualified and aggregated the industry’s best partners so that gym operators have access to the wider market when looking to purchase and finance gym equipment, tender for service contracts and sell unwanted asset.

It is the perfect ecosystem of digital platforms that delivers excellence and automation to the commercial fitness product journey.

Joining the ecosystem enables gym operators to test the whole market impartially and switch at a click of a button.

CEO Daniel Jones said Orbit4 owes all of its success to the fact that it gives best value at every stage for all aggregated partners and gym operators.

“We have been overwhelmed by the response to Orbit4,” he added.

“Gym operators are switching to our ecosystem because it delivers best value throughout the life span of their asset.

“Whichever platform stakeholders use at the relevant period of the product journey, gym operators will experience enhanced transparency, efficiency, streamlining – all contributing to higher profitability.

“Digital transformation is all around us and we’re delighted to deliver the same for the B2B commercial fitness sector.”

Introducing our brands:

circumstances.

Whether products are bought via our sister-brand, FitnessCompared or not, everyone is welcome to access competitive finance solutions at FitnessFinance.

Over five years we have collected data that enables us to predict the residual value of assets during and towards the end of the assets life.

Residual value data from our sister-brand, WeBuyGymEquipment, enables us to pin-point the future residual value of the asset at the point of purchase.

This means we can accurately offer the correct financial terms and end of term conditions. A simple win-win for both clients and Orbit4.

FitnessCompared has aggregated the industry’s leading fitness equipment manufacturers under one roof.

Buyers select the category(s), pick preferred equipment, specifications, quantities and then click compare.

Within seconds, our unique algorithm offers quotes from suppliers, providing the best prices, a percentage score and suppliers product information.

Gym operators can then choose to negotiate with suppliers, opening up the important dialogue between suppliers and buyers.

FitnessFinance is an in-house finance company that enables Orbit4 customers to access finance.

We work directly with financial institutions to guarantee the best rates depending on customers

WeServiceGymEquipment helps the gym operator find a new service provider or compare annual service contracts.

All commercial fitness equipment needs regular servicing and is normally sold with a parts and labour warranty.

When this expires, most gym operators extend their warranty either with the incumbent supplier or source a new service provider.

WeBuyGymEquipment is the best way gym operators can maximise the amount of money they receive when trading-in their old fitness equipment.

WeBuyGymEquipment has created an closed auction platform where commercial gym equipment packages can go under the hammer via 250 global second-hand gym equipment traders.

It’s simple – the highest price wins. Our service doesn’t stop there. We micro-manage the payment and extraction process to ensure the project is completed with minimal downtime.

Tim Benjamin

Co-founder Tim joins British Athletics’ performance team AUDIO-fitness app WithU has gone from strength to strength as co-founder Tim Benjamin has been appointed as the British Athletics’ head of long sprints and relays.

The former-Olympic 400m runner cofounded WithU to deliver audio-based personal training throughout every workout, personalised to the user’s chosen goal and selected fitness level, direct to their device.

Tim will continue his leadership role at WithU, continuing to oversee product and content while he works with the Olympic team in the lead up to Tokyo and beyond.

The audio-coaching app continues working apace to drive industry elevation and user growth with the appointment of industry veteran Rory Knight as performance director.

Rory, who has previously been voted Men’s Health smartest coach, will oversee each workout performance on the fitness platform to ensure coaching is of the highest technical standard.

WithU has also re-signed current Olympic sprinter Harry AikinesAryeetey as one of the trainers on the app.

The coaches and fitness professionals are selected to be part of the dedicated WithU team to support the curation of programmes and provide expert-led audio guidance.

“We are delighted to see our content director and co-founder Tim fulfilling such an important role with British Athletics,” said Steve Clarke, CEO of WithU. “It is a testament to his skill set and character. Tim will be busy in his dual role; however, he has laid solid foundations on the WithU product and content infrastructure, and with the appointment of Rory, content and performance will continue to grow from strength to strength with our incredible talent like Harry and our other trainers.

“It’s an exciting time for WithU, as more and more consumers embrace the trend for audio fitness.”

Plan the work, work the plan DESIGNING a gym within a completely new space or an existing space is no easy task.

“Will a treadmill really fit over there; have we assigned enough stations in the functional area; how many crosstrainers can we fit in a row here?” Head scratching stuff.

It’s why ServiceSport love to work with operators and help bring their ideas to life during the planning stage. Not only have we been in this business for more than 20 years, we have members of the team that have previously worked for leading operators in the industry, so we know a thing or two about laying out a gym floor.

A mental picture of how an empty space will look when filled with gym equipment can be deceiving, and our software helps alleviate any doubt.

Working to scale to allow you to layout

your initial thoughts and make changes as often as you like at the click of a button.

With a complete catalogue of gym equipment from all the major manufacturers, you’ll know for sure that you can indeed put that treadmill over there and fit six cross-trainers in a row within your designated cardio area.

Once you’re happy with the layout, start including colour schemes, wall features and other details. Happy with how it looks?

We’ll turn it into a real-life 3D walkthrough that you can use when promoting your gym opening date and launching your membership pre-sales campaign.

There’s a whole lot more that we can do with the software too, drop us an email at info@servicesport.co.uk for more details.

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PRODUCT NEWS

Staffs Fitness kits out Good riddance to lockdowns new Cheadle gym Why did you choose Staffs Fitness to supply the kit?

I knew Gareth from when I had The Jervis Arms at Onecote and he was a regular customer of mine.

I knew he had a gym years ago and that he moved into supplying fitness equipment, originally being based in Leek, and then moved to Fenton.

He had built up an excellent reputation locally, so it was a no hesitation decision to contact Staffs Fitness and he and his staff have been absolutely brilliant from designing the layout, which he amended several times as I adapted the building, to the installation giving me sound advice from start to finish.

I am over the moon with the result.

Background about the gym/why you are opening and your aim?

All my life I have been into fitness I feel it is important for people to put time aside for their health and wellbeing because the benefits are massive and it is a proven fact that exercising three times a week can reduce the incidence of many illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease and more so for dementia.

I have always encouraged my four children to keep active and get into sport because it is not only good for physical health but mental health as well.

I took both of my sons to the gym and John my youngest would now like to run a gym. A lot of gyms are in big industrial units and not easily accessible especially for the young who can’t drive.

I believe that if you want to get more of the community to be active then you need more local gyms that are easily accessible and that have a more community feel to them.

With High Streets undergoing a transformation the bricks and mortar retail sector is shrinking buildings such as bank buildings are becoming available allowing a low-cost entry onto the High Street.

I bought the Co-op Bank in 2016 and turned it into a very successful beauty salon for my daughter Abbie.

Anything else that the gym will be using – any bootcamps/classes that will be taking place?

The bank was built like Fort Knox with the walls and ceilings in solid concrete with steel reinforcement to protect the money.

We have left the two strong rooms with doors intact because it would have cost too much to remove them, but they are a fantastic feature and a reminder of what it used to be.

One will be a PT room and the other a HIIT room with all cardio. The three upstairs staff rooms have become a single classes room and we intend to run a variety of classes such as spinning, yoga, Zumba etc and virtual classes as well.

THE most important part of your reopening strategy will inevitably be getting your members back into your club.

By doing so, your billing can resume which means your cashflow improves and business starts to bounce back.

However, the challenge will be overcoming the public reluctance to mix and exercise with others.

It is likely that a decent percentage of your members cannot wait to get back in the gym and won’t be deterred, but there will be some that will struggle to justify the risk and at this stage, it’s hard to predict how much of an impact that could have.

To counteract this, you need to minimise the perceived health risk of returning to the gym.

ClubWise has released several new features to help you do just this: 1. Provide members with club capacity insight By providing your members with visibility of club capacity, you are empowering them to make an informed decision as to when they visit the club.

The most effective way to provide this information is through a member app, as this gives them full insight at their fingertips.

We have added club capacity information to the FitSense Member App, which allows members to see how busy the club is at the current time and over the last seven days, in one tap.

WE certainly hope so. The last time we prepared content for Workout magazine we were confident that gyms wouldn’t close again…but, as the magazine hit the shelves, our industry was forced to temporarily shut down once again.

With a date now set for the reopening of gyms, leisure centres and fitness clubs, we’re looking forward to the industry recovering and following the roadmap out of lockdown.

For ServiceSport UK it’s been (somewhat) business as usual as our teams have continued to carry out services, repairs and refurbishment works to gym equipment across the country.

The majority of this work has been provided to the military and blue light services; however, many multi-site operators have taken this time to refine the look and feel of their gyms.

We’ve completed a number of amazing refresh projects, transforming tired and worn gym equipment into kit that looks factory fresh and good as new.

It’s all part of the joy of being an independent business that has its own sandblasting, painting and powder coating facilities.

So much so that we have even

diversified into offering a professional alloy wheel refurbishment service – check out www.wheelgods.co.uk for further information on this.

As we enter the second quarter of 2021 – and hopefully the reopening of our industry – operators will be looking for ways to reduce costs, prolong the life of their existing gym equipment and explore ways to give their existing space a new lease of life, and ServiceSport UK will continue to work with operators across the country to support this vision.

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Anything else that you want to add?

I have reconfigured the toilets and added showers and there is access to a flat roof which is solid concrete and I want to use it for outside classes.

There are also some outbuildings which remain from the old bank building that was demolished. I want to use one of them as a bike shed so clients can cycle to the gym and keep their bikes locked and safe.

The other outbuilding may be adapted as a treatment room sometime in the future.

New features to encourage members back to your gym with confidence 2. Allow members to book their gym visits in advance Mobile slot booking provides members

with assurance that when they block out time to exercise, they will be able to gain instant access to the gym.

Not only does this provide you with total control over the number of members in your club at any one time, helping ensure you adhere to social distancing guidelines and hygiene regulations, but also provides members with confidence that they will not be required to wait around when they arrive, but can jump straight into their session and enjoy a safe environment in which to exercise.

We have added the ability for members to book their gym visits in advance quickly and easily through our fully integrated FitSense Member App. This new feature also works to prevent entry to the club without a valid

booking, automating the entire process so you don’t even have to think about it.

3. Provide contactless check-in We have integrated mobile QR code check-in into the FitSense Member App, providing members with a quick, contactless, self-check in solution designed to keep them safe and minimise the spread of germs at your facility.

Members can use their own personal mobile phones to gain access to the club by simply scanning the QR code upon entry.

For more information on how ClubWise can help you rebuild your membership base, as well as simplify your operations and improve your cashflow, visit www. clubwise.com

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