Blog
News, views and adventures from The Leisure Database Company team.
Fifty years ago, astronaut Neil Armstrong took his one small step for [a] man on the moon. Five days prior to the launch of Apollo 11, David Bowie released Space Oddity, a record inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. The BBC used this track during coverage of the moon landing.
A spacewalk, it turns out, is more of a climb than a walk.
Read MoreFitness and technology expert David Minton shares insights from his latest report on the evolution of boutique fitness and explains how technology will help to power ‘Fitness 2.0’
What were the key findings from your recent report on boutique fitness?
Read MoreYesterday David attended the World Indoor Climbing Summit in Sofia, Bulgaria. Held at the impressive Sofia Tech Park, the event aims to gather members of the climbing community from all over the world.
David was invited to discuss the UK Fitness market and how the climbing industry can learn from it. He joined a panel with Ivaylo Penchev (Walltopia), Doug Miller (Sales Makers) and Per-Anders Dagborn (Sports Club Vallentuna).
Read MoreThe company’s streaming service, which allows customers to participate in live workouts or stream recorded ones, has been one of the keys to its success, said David Minton, founder of The Leisure Database Company, a market research firm. Those programs have added an element of fun and interactivity to its equipment that rival gadgets typically haven’t had, he said.
Read MoreThe 2019 State of the UK Swimming Industry Report reveals that the UK swimming industry has not changed significantly in the last 12 months. 26 swimming pool sites have opened and 27 have closed.
The 2019 report highlights that the industry, over the 12 month period to the end of March 2019, has seen an increase in the number of swimming pools opening and a decrease in the number of swimming pools closing compared to the previous year.
Read MoreThe 2019 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report reveals that the UK health and fitness industry is healthier than it has ever been. It has more gyms, more members and a greater market value than ever before. Several key milestones have been achieved over the last 12 months. The total UK membership has broken the 10 million mark and the industry is now worth more than £5 billion for the first time.
Read MoreToday the team attended Balance Festival at the Old Truman Brewery in Shoreditch. It’s the UK’s largest celebration of the wellness movement and it’s the festival’s second year running. There’s wellness talks, group exercise classes with top boutique fitness studios and so many delicious freebies to try!
Read MoreYesterday was the opening day of the annual Elevate event at London ExCel. It’s the UK’s largest physical activity trade show and hosts over 350 exhibitors and 300 speakers.
David was a guest speaker and his presentation about the “golden age of fitness” revealed headline stats from the 2019 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report which is due out next week.
Read MoreThe Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London is celebrating it's fifth anniversary this month (April 2019) since re-opening to the public in April 2014. This birthday month provides a timely opportunity to revisit the legacy of the wider concept of creating a dynamic new metropolitan centre for London and develop a place where people can live, work, play and visit.
Read MoreIn the past few months we’ve tried classes at Ministry of Sound Fitness, Equilibrium, The Yard at Third Space, Ten Health & Fitness, 1Rebel, Digme and many more. Check out @thefitness4 on Instagram for more of the team’s fitness adventures.
Read MoreFitness is getting more fashionable, which is good news for the franchise industry…
There are over 7,000 gyms in the UK for the first time, up by 4.5 per cent year on year, while total membership is approaching 10 million (up two per cent).
Read MoreBryan and David, together in Bologna, Italy, for the 20th anniversary of ForumClub, comment upon that country's place in the fitness landscape, where work-life balance is key, and where big companies like TechnoGym call home.
Read MoreLondon’s growth in both supply and demand for boutique studios has become the fastest growing fitness segment. By the end of October 2018, London had 278 boutique sites with over 400 studios offering 15,806 classes each week. The popularity of this segment, which sets itself apart by offering captivating experiences providing a memorable visit, is detailed in the new benchmark report 2018 London Boutique Studio Report.
Read MoreTwo weeks ago David spoke at the Power Plate RISE event at Transition Zone in Fulham. What a great day! Watch the promo video below.
Read MoreThe 1948 Summer Olympics, known as the Austerity Games, took place in London when the country was recovering from war. At this time sports and politics did not mix; Clement Atlee, leader of the Labour Party in 1945-1951, had a mandate to implement post-war reforms but sport was not a priority. As the government had a no sports policy, the Olympics was instead overseen by the British Olympic Authority (BOA) as it is known today.
Read MoreThe 2018 London Boutique Studio Report shows that the London boutique studio market is rapidly expanding. There are 278 boutique studios across the city: 114 HIIT studios, 111 Mind & Body studios and 53 CrossFit studios. They offer over 15k classes each week and at any one time, 9.6k people could be taking part in a class.
Read MoreThe health and fitness industry has been slow to adopt aggregators. Are clubs right to be cautious, or are they missing out on business? Kath Hudson finds out more…
Read MoreEveryone loves listening to music in the gym.
I’ve even arrived at the gym, realised I'd forgotten my earphones and then gone home to get them because the idea of completing an hour workout in silence is just too stressful.
Read MoreThe September infographic is out in Gym Owner Monthly & WorkOut magazines.
Read MoreYesterday, the LeisureDB team visited the Chelsea Physic Garden, the oldest botanical garden in London, to celebrate David's birthday.
Read MoreWe seek to maximise your business potential in the leisure market. Providing the best market data, the best site and customer analysis and the best advice to develop your customer potential.
The Leisure Database Company | Willowcroft, Brasted Chart, Westerham, Kent, TN16 1LX, England
