Are you square fit?

David recently attended IHRSA 2016 in Orlando as a roving reporter for the Leisure Review. Here's his article from the event:

Almost two years to the day from when Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook had purchased the virtual reality (VR) start-up Oculus Rift for around $2 billion, the VR units appeared at IHRSA and Mark’s sister, Randi Zuckerberg, was a keynote speaker.

Sponsored by Matrix Fitness, Randi’s Keynote was titled It’s Dot Complicated and was the first IHRSA keynote to use social media channels to broadcast her inspirational session live. For those who missed it (and in advance of the Leisure Database Social Media Index Report), these are the top five social media channels for fitness professionals.

Number one: YouTube. Video is the way to engage with your audience but few in the UK have this as their priority so far. Six of the top ten public sector brands do not have a channel and only five private brands have over 200,000 views. Number two is Facebook; no surprises there. Facebook is the most common social media platform among UK fitness sites. Number three is LinkedIn. As professionals you can target influencers and expand your network. Four is Instagram. I’ve already banged on about how many public and private fitness brands are neglecting this highly engaging and superior indexing platform. Five is Twitter, the second most popular platform in the UK. Lots of trade suppliers, including MyZone and Precor, used Periscope on Twitter to share their IHRSA showcase live.

On the IHRSA show floor it was like CES (Consumer Electronics Show) meets Fitness. MyZone, Polar, Microsoft, Intel, Reebok, NEO and Garmin were among the main companies who made the move from Vegas in January to Orlando in March, while new technology was evident among almost all companies exhibiting. It seemed like there was an app for everything. Seminars, such as the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Impact on the Fitness Industry, came from Technogym daily. Precor had a separate section on ‘the future’ and were showing real-time configuration in use in the UK at EasyGym, where you can pay reception for screen access. MyZone moved centre stage with the new app, a sports bra (launched CES 2016), a new integrated T-shirt, group display and a host of online platforms.

As a cyclist I liked the Recon Jet smart eyewear from Intel, also launched at CES. The performance eyewear frame and lenses set wakes up using glance detection to provide live metrics such as heart rate, speed, cadence and power. The point-of-view-camera enables you to capture the moment and the GPS maps can be used to show location of other riders, which is useful when doing endurance rides. Microsoft Health is a good example of a tech company looking for a cause and the Band with continuous optical heart rate monitor, GPS, guided workouts and the usual calls and texts, email and calendar looks and feels too much like the now-defunct Nike Fuel Band. 

Wearables and trackers have now been joined by alternate- and mixed-reality technologies that are poised to invade the fitness space. Although the early target market for Oculus Rift are gamers, fitness suppliers such as UK-based Pulse Fitness have introduced gamification for added motivation. Pulse Interactive Fitness combines facial recognition and augmented reality (AR) using Oculus Rift. With a tilt of the head the game starts and the Trixter bike takes you on an AR ride. Linked live to multiplayers worldwide, the results are shown on the bike, in the headset and on a big screen for the local audience. Zumba have developed a 360-degree VR dance class using Oculus Rift. For those who have always dreamed of dancing with Beto Perez, stop dreaming: do it via VR.

Besides Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive is coming, Sony’s PlayStation VR will be with us soon, along with Microsoft HoloLens; and Google is looking to expand Cardboard. The Samsung Gear VR headset, which Oculus also powers, enables you to select the Samsung smartphone to snap into the headset, a combination was used by Zumba. We are at the beginning of a VR and AR journey and, as a result of the billions been spent on this technology, we will all know about this cool, engaging and immersive experience very soon.    

As I walked through the event I was struck how the square photograph has become the norm. Square images fill our Twitter streams, Facebook dashboards and of course Instagram. Many of the suppliers know this and have adopted it as standard. Many consumers swipe the phone so photos are square on, permanently. Square is another example of how social media has changed the way consumers experience and report on the world around them. Are you square-on fit?

 

A week at LeisureDB

Not only is it FriYAY, it’s also our favourite day of month here at LeisureDB HQ….Pay Day Pie Day Friday!

It’s been a busy week but to celebrate its end, here’s a quick update of the happenings in the past 168 hours.

Natalie and David attended the Active-net event in Loughborough. David was a keynote speaker and presented his talk ‘It’s Dot Complicated’. Following on from Randi Zuckerberg’s talk at IHRSA, David discussed the future of technology within the fitness industry. Thanks for a great event Active-net!

David also spoke at the TIAUK Business of Tennis Forum on Thursday about disruption in sport and the development of aggregators, such as Tennis Trakker Pro, Tennis Math, PlaySport and MoveGB.

Charlotte enjoyed #WorkoutWednesday this week and even won a new hoodie from her personal trainers at The Fitting Rooms, London Bridge!

Jen has been busy producing her 60 Second UK Fitness News video for our YouTube channel ‘Fitness Industry UK’. She discusses recent events within the private and public sectors and you can watch her most recent video here.

Jamie is busy exploring the possibility of expanding our new mobile app building services beyond the health and fitness industry…learn more here.

We're excited to play with our new crowdfunded Skulpt Chisel which arrived this week, its cutting edge wearable tech to measure body fat & muscle quality, with an accompanying mobile app - we’ll be reviewing it on our YouTube channel soon

Everyone in the office has been working hard on the new 2016 State of the UK Fitness and Swimming Industry reports which will be released in May. Excitement is also building for our newest Social Media Index report and services, more news to follow about these!

Have a great bank holiday!

From the LeisureDB team

 
 

Age is just a number

These inspirational individuals prove you can be fit and active at any age.

Jack Cowlishaw, 76Jack, from Sheffield, is a keen runner and he recently signed up to his eighth 10k race in a row. He also regularly competes in full and half marathons and works out in the gym, 4 times a week.

Jack Cowlishaw, 76

Jack, from Sheffield, is a keen runner and he recently signed up to his eighth 10k race in a row. He also regularly competes in full and half marathons and works out in the gym, 4 times a week.

 
Eddy Diget, 71Eddy, from Oxford, has recently been named Britain’s oldest personal trainer. He works at DW Fitness and runs over 35 PT sessions a week. In the past, Eddy was in the Navy and once a champion bodybuilder.

Eddy Diget, 71

Eddy, from Oxford, has recently been named Britain’s oldest personal trainer. He works at DW Fitness and runs over 35 PT sessions a week. In the past, Eddy was in the Navy and once a champion bodybuilder.

Joahnna Quaas, 90In 2012, Johanna was recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest gymnast in the world. She recently attended FIBO and is the face of the Deutschland Trainiert (Germany Works Out) campaign.

Joahnna Quaas, 90

In 2012, Johanna was recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest gymnast in the world. She recently attended FIBO and is the face of the Deutschland Trainiert (Germany Works Out) campaign.

 
Svend Stensgaard, 93Svend, from Denmark, is the world’s oldest licensed powerlifter and in a recent video is seen to impressively lift 130kg. Suffering a heart attack three years ago hasn’t stopped Svend, he is taking part in the upcoming World Cham…

Svend Stensgaard, 93

Svend, from Denmark, is the world’s oldest licensed powerlifter and in a recent video is seen to impressively lift 130kg. Suffering a heart attack three years ago hasn’t stopped Svend, he is taking part in the upcoming World Championships this year, where he aims to take home the silver award.

Charles Eugster, 96Charles is an all-round athlete, especially when it comes to bodybuilding and wake boarding. He also holds world records in sprinting and rowing!

Charles Eugster, 96

Charles is an all-round athlete, especially when it comes to bodybuilding and wake boarding. He also holds world records in sprinting and rowing!

 
Diana Green, 81This year, Diana will run the London Marathon – for the 13th time – on her 82nd birthday. 

Diana Green, 81

This year, Diana will run the London Marathon – for the 13th time – on her 82nd birthday. 

This Week in the Fitness Industry

 

Activity Equivalent Calorie Labelling

The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) in Britain is arguing for ‘activity equivalent’ calorie labelling in order to reduce the UK’s obesity problem. Packaging could be utilised to not only provide nutritional information but also advise ways to change behaviour. Writing in the British Medical Journal, the chief executive of the RSPH, wants labelling to “prompt people to be mindful of the energy they consume and…to encourage them to be more physically active”.

FIBO 2016, Cologne

FIBO broke world records last week with a total of 153,000 visitors including 83,000 trade visitors from over 100 nations. According to the Deloitte study presented at the exhibition, some 52.4 million people are members of gyms at this time and growth of the European fitness market is at 4.9 per cent. The event gained a lot of media attention with nearly 1,000 accredited journalists attending from over 30 countries. Fitness technology, personalised training, functional training and group fitness remained as some of the hottest trends seen at FIBO this year. 

New public openings

Chard Leisure Centre – The new £500,000 centre, managed by 1610 Trust, officially opened on 4th April and it boasts a state-of-the-art gym and the UK’s largest Prama studio. 

Atherton Leisure Centre – Built on its former site, the new £14.7 million council-run Atherton Leisure Centre also opened on 4th April and is equipped with two swimming pools, a 100 station gym and two dance studios.  

Gym Bacteria

Nobody expects to hear that a toilet is cleaner than their gym equipment but unfortunately it looks to be true. A recent study done by Fit Rated involved swabbing 27 pieces of gym equipment at 3 different gyms and they found some pretty gruesome results. Luckily for us though they made these fun infographics to learn all about the bacteria that lingers on our gym equipment…

IHRSA 2016 Highlights

Last week David attended IHRSA in Orlando. Here's a few highlights from the show.

UK Pulse Interactive combines facial recognition, Trixter bikes and augmented reality Oculus Rift for a unique workout.  

The Intel Recon Jet offers smart eyewear for your active lifestyle.

The cycling glasses show live metrics, heart rate, speed, power and ride summary, plus built-in glance detection, point of view camera, GPS maps and of course, social connectivity!

Amongst all of the incredible new fitness technology, there continues to be healthy competition amongst the big name heart rate monitoring brands MyZone, Polar and Heart Tech Plus. With the tracking companies offering new and exciting features or products such as sports bras with built-in trackers and group displays of live data streams. 

Last but certainly not least, Zumba have embraced virtual reality by connecting with YouVisit to deliver a new dance experience for customers...and David loved it!

The next trip takes David and Natalie to the FIBO exhibition in Cologne. 

Mother's Day Offers

Sunday is Mother's Day and as a way of thanks a number of leisure centres and gyms are offering deals for the weekend. Here's our favourite 4 offers:

Energie & Fit4Less

Bring your mum along for a free gym session at an Energie or Fit4Less club and share a selfie with the hashtag #workoutwithmum

                                    Halo Leisure                                                        Pure Gym

 
 

Everyone Active

 
 

Valentine's Day Special

We want to share the love of fitness so we've picked our top 5 Valentine's Weekend Offers:

1. The Pendle Leisure Trust believe that if you train together, you'll stay together so they're giving away couples 7 day fitness passes for free. The offer is valid until February 15th and gives you access to 4 gyms, 3 swimming pools, fitness classes, water-based exercise classes, personal fitness advice and an induction.  

 
 

2. 1Life at Sleaford is giving away 3 day free passes for a member to bring along a friend. The pass includes access to the gym, pool, classes and squash courts and can be used between Friday 12th to Sunday 15th. Whilst, 1Life Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre is offering joint membership for just £19.99 a month.  

3. Places for People want you to fall in love with their #Place and they're offering the rest of February at only £14 (plus an admin fee). The membership includes unlimited gym, swim and class access and the offer also applies to swim only memberships. 

 
 

4. TruGym are taking a slightly different approach to Valentine's and are having 'Bring a Buddy' weekend between 13th and 14th February meaning you can train with a friend for free. 

5.  A number of Pure Gym sites including Edgware, Wakefield and Newcastle Eldon Garden, are giving out free day passes for loved ones or friends using the code 'PGLOVE' which can be used between the 13th and 14th. Pure Gym Widnes have a no contract 24/7 membership for £14.99 so you can get in shape for Sunday and Pure Gym Newport are giving away free day passes using the promotional code 'LOVE' which will be valid for use between 12th-14th February. 

These other Valentine's offers are also worth mentioning:

Active4Less Hove are feeling the love and to show it they're are giving out Valentine vouchers at reception which lets you bring a loved one to the gym for free. It's valid until 14th February but does not include classes.

The Rossendale Leisure Trust are giving away a whole year's membership for just £250 as part of their Valentine's Offer.

Fit4Less Enfield are asking members to refer a friend and win the chance for a dinner for 2 at a Gordon Ramsey restaurant. 

And finally, there's a few other brands which may not be offering voucher codes, discounts or free passes but are still promoting the romantic weekend vibes. Everyone Active Cambourne are suggesting couples Valentine's Day workouts whilst the newly opened boutique cycling studio, Pure Ride, will be celebrating on 12th February with special edition classes and unique sounds. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Motivation is the key to success

Despite our best intentions, some days are harder than others to persuade ourselves to get up and exercise. But when the exercise gear is finally on, what inspired us to do it?

I asked the Leisure DB team what or who gets them motivated to do sport and exercise and here are their answers:

Abi: I’ve been into sport and exercise since I was little, it’s engrained but I find that the excitement and enjoyment you feel from playing sport or doing exercise is probably what motivates me most. I’d be lying if I didn’t also say it’s partly guilt…I’ve got a huge appetite so I need to keep fit and healthy so I can still be a foodie!

Charlotte: I love the feeling you get after exercise, I couldn’t live without the buzz you get after working to your max!

Hux: Mark Cavendish is my fitness inspiration when I get on a bike but it doesn’t happen often enough and that’s where the comparisons end…

Jamie: I’ve recently been going out jogging with my 11 year old son, he’s pretty inspirational, but he’s also getting a little too quick for me now!

Jen: My biggest inspiration for taking part in netball is the social side of it as I love being part of a team and playing it for each other. But what inspires me to go to the gym? How I feel about myself. I know that going to the gym, clocking up the calories and working hard will make me feel great when I finish. If I do exercise all week, I know I can hit the dancefloor on a Saturday night feeling comfortable and confident.

Nat: All the motivation I need is knowing how exercise makes me feel – a mixture of invigorated, exhausted, fitter and stronger.

What motivates you to get up and go?

Fitness Predictions for 2016

David Minton, Director of LeisureDB, is a widely sought after mentor and consultant for a range of health and fitness organisations with his extensive industry knowledge and here are his top 10 predictions for 2016.

1.       The number of people who are overweight will continue to rise. An opportunity for the industry to provide an alternative to the harmful fat, sugar and salt consumed by the majority?

2.       British Heart Foundation research found 75% of Brits are unaware of the recommended minimum amount of physical activity. Current guidelines are too complicated so nothing will change in 2016.     

3.       Following the successful Initial Public Offering by The Gym Group last November, London Stock Exchange share price is 234, up from initial offering of 189. Very good news for the industry and a second IPO should follow in 2016.

4.       In 2016 the top two fitness brands by number of sites will be Pure Gym and, in the public sector GLL’s Better. 

5.    Low cost brands will take 30% of the private sector membership, up from 24%.

6.       2016 will be the year of aggregators, bloggers, unboxing channels, trackers, wearables and an app for everything that targets the fitness consumer. Woe betide any brand that doesn’t react.

7.       Real-time transparent data on timetables, bookings and smooth payments will be king in 2016. Pdf’s, telephone bookings and credit cards are dead or dying.

8.       Any brand that does not use social media as its main form of communication with the consumer will lose market share. Watch out for the launch of LeisureDB’s Social Media Index in 2016. 

9.       Brazil will have the host nation advantage at this year’s summer Olympics and so should jump from 22nd in the medal table in 2012 to ……. 12th!? Best of luck to all the athletes.

10.   And it’s good bye to LA Fitness, a once great brand who never really recovered from the social media nightmare in 2012.

Health Club Management Yearbook 2016

First we shape our industry and afterwards our industry shapes us.

This aphorism is perhaps the least quoted exposition of the relationship between people and their fitness (and health). In a year when we should be celebrating, I want to question, as a critical friend, why we're not achieving more.

First the good news. The industry has shown itself to be recession proof and is back in positive headline growth, year on year. This year’s State of the Fitness Industry Report infographics are excellent at showing trends over longer periods, something industry veterans and financiers are finding reassuring. The penetration rate across the total population, has grown to 13.7% as monthly direct debits hit 8.8 million, up from 13.2% and 8.3 million.

I put this up front because it recently came to my notice via social media that too many people working in the industry do not know the size of the industry they work in. The day to day isolation that many people suffer whilst working in what should be a very social environment needs to be addressed and we’re looking to present more ‘real-time’ data on our website in 2016.

So back to the good news. The total number of fitness sites stands at 6,312, up from 6,112 and the market value has grown to £4.3bn almost £1bn growth since 2007.

Across the private sector, low-cost sites have continued to drive growth. There are now 319 low-cost clubs, up from 257. Membership has jumped to 1.3 million with a market value of £290m. Last year members were paying on average £17.99 and this year it has increased to £18.23, an indication that more low-cost are bordering on the £20 per month definition. If we keep this definition then some low cost brands are either finding the model isn’t working on all sites, or find the strength of the market means they no longer need to be constrained by price. Some brands are moving not only into the £20 plus but £30 plus brackets, particularly in London. So low-cost brands are moving into the very mid-market they were once attacking.

The public sector, meanwhile, is playing a far more long term game, gaining strength and are embedding itself into the local community. Public sites have a wider range of facilities and maintain over 3.3 million members paying an average fee of £30, unchanged since last year. Back in 2011 the public sector opened 81 all-new gyms but although refurbishments have grown new openings have dropped year on year till 2015 brought just 46. However these sites on average have 58 stations and are charging £31.25 both higher than the all public site average. This average is being pushed up by the work of the larger public site operators. GLL and their Better brand is now the largest fitness brand in the country with 126 sites, SLM’s Everyone Active, has 79 and Places for People Leisure have 78 sites. GLL manage 38 more gyms than twelve months ago and is also the largest swim and diving school operator.  

Our personal preferences can become personal insight based on information in the public domain yet few public or private brands are taking advantage to engage in meaningful conversations, present real-time information and convert interest into commerce or visits. For the first time in the report we have included a Fitness Social Media Index looking at brands on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. The results do not make for good reading; four out of the top ten private brands and nine out of the top ten public brands do not use Instagram. Compare this to the ‘active wear’ brands that have taken fitness beyond the gym to become a lifestyle. Nike, Adidas, Vans, Converse, Puma, Under Armour and New Balance have all seen between 252% and 144% growth rates in their Instagram followers, unprecedented in other forms of social media. Are fitness brands neglecting a highly engaged and superior indexing platform?

Could the lack of social media strategies, along with a lack of innovation and differentiation, be the downfall of the industry in 2016? Weight Watchers is a good example of how quickly new technology can destroy the value of a business. In 2015 its stock dropped 92% from its all time high, membership is down 38% and the number of meetings has fallen by 20%. Dieting tools have gone high tech and the weight watchers weekly meetings and weigh-ins have been replaced by on-demand conversation and support.

Husband and wife bloggers Daniel and Kelli on Fitness Blender have over 18 million followers and like Wikipedia rely on donations. In the UK Body.Network, promoted by The Times and fronted by well known personal trainer Matt Roberts provides an on-demand library of videos with your favourite trainer for £15 per month. Around twenty new aggregators, high tech start-ups from UK, India, Israel and USA are working around the lack of APIs (an abbreviation for application program interface) to go direct to the consumer. These aggregators will have a conversation with the consumer, will provide a personal service and will create an experience for them. Does the fitness industry do all three and do it well?

Some new technology attracts criticism for undercutting the industry but like Uber and Airbnb the power and choice lies with the consumer. Will aggregators, bloggers, unboxing celebrities, on-demand channels, trackers, wearables and an app for everything win over the consumer and impact traditional platforms and websites? It’s only a matter of time …… so embrace new technology and help shape our industry in 2016.


David Minton, Director, LeisureDB, November 2015 

The Best January Gym Deals

#HealthyJanuary is well under way, so what better way to stick with your health and fitness New Year resolution than picking out the best gym deals available. We researched what deals both public and private operators are offering and posted them below:

Private:

A 3 day pass for Pure Gym would normally cost you £12.99 but as part of the January deals, they are offering it for free using their promotional code ‘WELCOME’. The offer is valid only on open Pure Gyms and the use of the code expires 31/01/16. 

The Gym Group is offering to both members and non-members (after signing up) three free one to one training sessions but note that it applies only to sites that were open or opened during 2015. 

 
 

DW Sports Fitness are proposing you join their #FitnessEvolution and become a member for just £5. If this doesn’t suit you, you can always get 2 months free if you buy a 14 month membership up front, and you won’t be charged a joining fee either.

Virgin Active and Nuffield Health have both stated that if you buy into their membership in January, they will pay for the remainder of the month but remember that terms and conditions always apply.

Blue Monday, or more commonly called Monday 18th January 2016, is apparently the most depressing day of the year according to…the internet. Rather than getting down and out about it, jump on Fitness First’s Red Monday, they’re aiming to turn people’s frowns upside down by offering free entry to non-members at their clubs across the UK. They’ve even partnered with the fitness expert Joe Wicks, or ‘The Body Coach’ as he’s known, to offer free HIIT sessions throughout Red Monday.

If you are a member of The Times, David Lloyd have released an exclusive offer of a 14-day free trial at their clubs across the UK. It’ll allow you to use the gyms, exercise classes and squash and tennis courts in their clubs. You can start your trial at mytimesplus.co.uk. Énergie Fitness Clubs, like David Lloyd, are offering the same two week free deal for their gyms but have partnered with the Daily Star and the Daily Express. 

Public:

Better has no joining fee until Jan 31st and it could save you up to £35! The offer is valid from 1st January until 29th February 2016 meaning you have no excuse but to keep fit throughout Jan and into Feb! 

Everyone Active are offering an impressive deal – to join their centres from £1 and the offer is open between December 27th 2015 and 31st January 2016. However, please note that the offer states “from £1” and the cost will vary dependent on which participating leisure centre you’re looking to join. If you have children and they are enrolled in swimming lessons at Everyone Active, some leisure centres also offer an extra 25% off your pay monthly activity membership – get all of the family active! 

1Life are inviting non-members to sign up and pay a joining fee of only £1 and unlimited access to their facilities. The offer will end 31/01/16. Additionally, you can register for a free 1Life Card which includes a free 3 day trial, free activity passes and discounts from their partner brands.

If you’re a regular swimmer Places for People Leisure have the perfect deal for you! They are offering two free swims after you’ve been ten times. 

Fusion Lifestyle are giving out two day free passes from 1st January to 29th February and must be used within that time period. This offer is only valid to new customers.  

With all this information you can now keep fit for a good price!