The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazineApril 2011 No 211 £3

North Westgyms bansunbedsBy Christina Eccles

OVER 30 gyms and spas across theNorth West of England have bannedsunbeds from their facilities followinga campaign by a cancer charity.

The North West Cancer ResearchFund’s Scrap Sunbeds campaign –which is supported by celebritiesincluding models Danielle Lineker andDanielle Lloyd – has appealed to clubsto get rid of their sunbeds.

Research has found the risk of can-cerous melanomas is increased by 75per cent when the use of tanningdevices starts before the age of 30 andthe charity believes as health clubs arepromoting fitness and wellbeing,including sunbeds in their facilitiesgoes against that ethos.

NWCRF’s chief executive AnneJackson said: “We are challenging gymsand spas across the country to remem-ber they are in the health business andoffering the use of sunbeds is a com-plete contradiction in terms.”

Gyms already supporting the cam-paign include independent club Fit Inin Warrington, Grange Road WestSports Centre in Birkenhead andWoodchurch Leisure Centre in Wirral –with NWCRF hoping to gain the back-

ing of many more.Another supporter is The Club and

Spa at Hoole Hall in Chester.The facility opened in November

2009 and took the decision not to haveany sunbeds – instead offering treat-ments such as spray tans to encouragemembers who want to look tanned todo it in a healthy way.

Fitness manager Sara Sowden added:“Being a health and fitness facility,that’s what we are trying to promote,so it seems ridiculous to endorse theuse of sunbeds when they have beenproven to increase the risk of skin can-cer.

“We have had no negative feedbackabout this from members. We showthem there are other ways of gettingbrown without putting their health atrisk.”

Neil Hutchinson manages St Peter'sLeisure Centre in Burnley and joinedthe debate on Workout’s Twitter profile.

He added: “I thought most places hadgot rid of these. I agree they should bebanned and replaced with spray tan-ning for those that want a tan.”

� Have you banned sunbeds fromyour gym? Let us know by contactingWorkout on 01226 734463 or emailingce@whpl.net

Ownercompletescycle ridefor charityGYM owner Nick Ménagehas completed an 874 milesolo bicycle journey fromJohn O’Groats to Land’sEnd for charity.

Nick, owner of ReflexHealth and Fitness Club inBanbury, took on the chal-lenge to raise funds for theGreat North AirAmbulance Service follow-ing a family tragedy.

He said: “Nearly twoyears ago my twin sister’shusband and my 17-year-old niece died in a sailingaccident.

“The air ambulance serv-ice did everything theycould to help them, so Iwanted to raise money forthem.

“With my wife Gill in thesupport car, I did the jour-ney in two weeks, cyclingabout 90 miles daily andraised nearly £4,000.”

Nick took an unconven-tional route to ensure hetackled the most difficultterrain. He now plans totake part in a special stageof the Tour de France.

To make a contributionto Nick’s fundraising, visit:www.justgiving.com/Nick-Menage.

Nominations are now open for this year’s NationalFitness Awards, which champion the best of the UK’sfitness industry.Gyms up and down the country can nominate them-selves for an award – with the winners announced ata glittering ceremony later in the year. The awardsdinner will be hosted by actress Katherine Kelly –best known as Coronation Street’s Becky McDonald –and takes place on November 25 in Birmingham.*For more information see our special feature start-ing on page 29.

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Flying startfor town’s24-hour gym By Christina Eccles

MILTON Keynes’ first 24-hour gymgot off to a flying start after over 600people joined up on the day itopened.

Kiss Gym at Knowhill – which offersmembership for £14.99 per monthwith no contract – opened at thebeginning of the year, and business isbooming so much that the ownersare already looking to expand to opena studio.

The club has been able to drivecosts down by keeping staff numbersto a minimum and offering an onlinefacility for new members to sign up,which cuts down on administrationcosts.

The gym also utilises state-of-the-art technology to allow guests to letthemselves in using a unique PINcode system and has installed 24hour CCTV security and assistance tokeep members safe.

CEO Rupert Mackenzie-Hill said:“We’re really pleased with how wellthe opening of Kiss in Milton Keyneshas gone and have had lots of greatfeedback about how friendly andaccessible the club is. We believe fit-ness should be available to everyoneand we are determined to help createa healthier Milton Keynes by givinggood quality at a low cost.”

Features of the club include over120 pieces of strength and cardioequipment and a spacious freeweights area.

And as it is split over two floors,there is the capacity to sign up about5,500 members.

Rupert added: “We plan to open upa further 10 clubs around the UK. Theformula works exceptionally well inthis economic climate and people arestarting to realise they don’t need topay a fortune to achieve the benefitsof fitness.”

Owner finishes Brazil marathonINDEPENDENT gym owner andcharity fundraiser Gary Johnson hastaken on his biggest challenge yet – a135 mile marathon.

Gary – owner of Target Fitness inCheshunt – has just arrived backfrom South America, having compet-ed in the Brazil 135 Ultra Marathon,considered to be one of the toughestraces on the planet.

Gary had a time limit of 60 hours in

which to complete the 135-mile raceand took part in the challenge toraise awareness of The Play BarnProject, which he set up to provide asterile and safe haven for childrenwith cancer to play in.

He successfully completed the racein 41 hours, placing him 12th out ofthe 40 fellow competitors that fin-ished.

A Lichfield gym has cashed in on the Glee phenomenon by inviting the cast of a new showto host a dance class with members.The Esporta Health and Racquets Club teamed up with new pop group G*Mania – who areperforming in a Glee style show at venues including Lichfield’s Garrick Theatre.Band members including reality TV stars Andy Scott Lee, Stacey McLean and Rikki Loneysung, danced and signed autographs at the club, teaching routines to both members andstaff.Esporta has also entered an agreement with the band for them to prepare for shows byrelaxing and working out in its clubs across the country.

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Code of conduct set upfor pole dance industryBy Louise Cordell

POLE fitness classes have been avaluable new source of revenue formany gyms over the last few years.

However, the sport has also facedcriticism for its ‘adult’ image andongoing safety concerns.

To help address these issues, SamRemmer set up the Pole DanceCommunity – representing a group ofinstructors and schools that haveagreed to abide by a code of conduct.

The aim is to ensure best practicewithin the fitness pole dancingindustry by guaranteeing insurance,experience, safe practice and fairpricing.

Sam said: “I first got into the sportwhen a friend, who had been a pole dancer in a club, quit and dis-covered she soon became less fit andtoned.

“She realised how much it hadhelped her keep in shape, so we start-ed to look into the implications andset up a few classes.

“That was eight years ago and since then the industry has grownmassively, leading to a lot of

unregulated clubs.

“So we started to get in touch withothers to look into the possibility of aregulatory body that would help and advise the public so that stu-dents can access the best possibleclasses.”

The PDC was eventually set up inMay 2009 and now has over 100members in the UK who have allcontributed to drawing up its code ofconduct.

Any club can apply for member-ship, but many are turned awaybecause they don’t meet the neces-sary standards.

They are asked to send in instructorCVs, proof of public liability and pro-fessional indemnity insurance and toprove they meet additional healthand safety requirements – for exam-ple class sizes small enough thatthere are never more than three peo-ple to a pole.

Sam added: “Overall we are lookingfor a mix of relevant expertise, quali-fications and the essential health andsafety factors.

“The main reasons clubs get reject-ed are inadequate insurance, a lack

of instructor experience or a lack of asuitable venue that is fitness orient-ed.”

When clubs have become members,they are able to use the PDCapproved logo, proving to studentsthey have passed the requiredchecks.

The community also provides help,advice and mentoring services aswell as interstaff training – encourag-ing instructors to meet up, practicetogether and exchange ideas.

Sam added: “We are about promot-ing pole dancing in a positive lightand educating people about the dif-ference between dancing for fitnessand dancing in clubs.

“We also want to give members ofthe public more of a chance to findsafe schools – it is still a bit of a jun-gle out there.

“We have had three schools doingpilot schemes with local councils andwe would like to see this expanded –taking pole dancing fitness to newgroups of people within the commu-nity.

“Finally, we are liaising with localMPs and hope to eventually make it a

requirements for clubs to meet cer-tain standards.

“There is a long way to go with re-educating before we can move for-ward with this, so it seems thatprogress will be slow, but hopefullysteady.”

Sam Remmer

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A BROMSGROVE gym owner com-pleted the challenge of a lifetimewhen she appeared on hit BBC pro-gramme Total Wipeout.

Owner of Well Fit, Fran Palama, flewto Argentina to take part in the pro-gramme – where participants under-take a series of challenges with theaim of scooping a £10,000 prize.

Although Fran didn’t win the money– which she hoped would help fundthe gym’s move to a new site – shetold Workout it was a brilliant experi-

ence that has generated pricelesspublicity for the club. She explained:“We are a small independent gymand we wanted to get as muchmoney as possible to open a newbuilding. With the recession, no-oneis lending that much and, althoughwe did get a bank loan, I went on theshow to get some extra money.”

To make it through to the televisedshow, Fran completed a series oftough auditions before being selectedas one of the final 20 who went to

Argentina. During her time on theprogramme, she was also able towear a T-shirt with the name of thegym on it and the story has beenpicked up by the local press – creat-ing a lot of interest from local people.

She added: “I got a lot out of it. Wehave had loads of people contactingus since the programme and it wasan amazing experience. The wholetown was talking about it.”

Despite not walking away with the£10,000 prize, the gym did manage to

move to bigger premises and Frantold Workout they will keep fundrais-ing to generate extra cash and toraise the club’s profile.

She added: “We are very close to alarge operator up the road and it ishard for us to be able to spend thesame amount of money as them. Wehave to get our advertising for free.We opened about three years ago andthings are going well but it has beentough. But we are carrying on and it’searly days for the business.”

Wipeout publicity pays for Fran

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SUCCESS working with contestantson ITV show The Biggest Loser hasinspired a personal trainer to set uphis own business.

Richard Jones – who works as atrainer at Pulse8 Health Club inBerkshire – got to know show win-ner Wil Graham and his team matePaddy Cunningham after the pairjoined the gym to build up their fit-ness before starting the show.

Once the bootcamp stage of TheBiggest Loser had finished, the pro-duction company behind the show,approached the club in Decemberabout training Wil and Paddy inpreparation for the final where ‘thebiggest loser’ would be crowned.

Richard told Workout he hadalready considered going it alonebut achieving success with Wil andPaddy has encouraged him to takeit a step further and start trainingother clients, under the brand PT:U, alongside his work at thegym.

He said: “I had definitely beenthinking about this for a while. Ihave worked at the gym for four-and-a-half years and had tried themanagement route but it wasn’t for

me. Ideally I would like to go downto part time [at the gym] and buildup my own business.”

Richard also responded to con-cerns about the show and said thatalthough the methods used would-n’t suit everyone, they worked forthose taking part.

He added: “At the end of the day,it’s a game show so it is going topush people to the extremes. But Ithink it is good for getting peopleoff the sofa and make them thinktwice about eating badly.

“All the contestants were vettedbefore taking part. They are nowlooking better and feeling healthyand have made some big changes,which they may never have donebefore the show.”

Looking to the future, Richard isthinking about how to expand thebusiness and is continuing to trainWil now the show has finished.

He added: “Paddy has gone backto Ireland to train to be a personaltrainer and Wil is going to continueto train with me. Now he hasachieved the weight loss, I am goingto concentrate on resistance workwhich will make a difference to the

shape of his body. Both him andPaddy have now got the fitness bug.

“But the biggest thing I got out of

this was that I have made two greatfriends – it has been an amazingjourney.”

Richard with contestants Wil and Paddy

TV show inspires Richardto start his own business

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By Christina Eccles

A GYM in the West Midlands has suc-cessfully tapped into a new marketby introducing a private Power Plateroom where both members and nonmembers can work out.

Body Wise health club created theprivate room to help clients feel morecomfortable while exercising.

And, as the studio is also open tonon members on a pay-as-you-gobasis, it has also helped to increaserevenue for the club.

Power Plate manager at the club Karen Cartwright explained:“The Power Plate machine hashelped us to attract more clients,because it appeals to a wide audience, regardless of their age orability.

“This is why we offer it to non-members and members alike.Vibration training is still a new con-cept to many of our clients, so theprivate room enables us to trainthem in an exclusive environment,where they feel at ease and motivatedto succeed.

“Along with the one-to-one sessionswe also offer free health assessment

and dietary advice, which is greatmotivation for our clients.”

The gym also offers group fitnessclasses such as Zumba and Pilates aswell as sports massage therapy,weight management and nutritionaladvice.

Karen added that the club hasnoticed a big demand for vibrationtraining – with the studio sittingalongside Body Wise’s existing offering, which includes group fitness classes such as Zumba andPilates, sports massage therapy,weight management and nutritionaladvice.

She added: “Our private Power Plateroom has been successful because ofthe support and training we receivedas well as the great results it offersour clients.

“The feedback we have received hasbeen so fantastic I can easily say thatthe Power Plate machines have beenone of the best investments BodyWise has ever made.

“There is definitely a demand forvibration training and I would rec-ommend Power Plate equipment toany health club.” Karen Cartwright

Vibration move pays offfor West Midlands gym

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By Louise Cordell

A FORMER British Judo championhas opened a gym in Exeter toencourage a new audience to tryboxing and Mixed Martial Arts.

Costellos has been opened byAndy Costello, his partner Ruthie Wright and son Luke inwhat was a holding cell in an oldcrown court building at ExeterCastle.

The trio – who already operateProject Mayhem MMA gym in thecity – opened the new facility to attract people who may neverhave considered working out using these methods before and to prove to them that it doesn’t have to be done in a

hardcore environment.

The studio is used primarily forone-to-one training and smallgroup classes and Ruthie has alsostarted running Ultimate FitnessChicks – dedicated women onlygroup classes.

She explained: “We openedCostellos to introduce people tonon contact Mixed Martial Artsand boxing as a fitness regimewithout them thinking they had todo it in a cage.

“The sport is also useful for selfdefence as well as fitness – wewanted to show people that youdon’t have to go to a gym to doweights.”

The gym opened in October but

as the owners knew that the run upto Christmas would probably be aquieter period, they just put on acouple of classes to start with togive people a feel for what the club was like and hopefullyencourage them to come back inthe new year.

Ruthie added: “We have now gotreally busy and a lot of the classesare full.

“We can cater for about 10 to 12people in a class but are gettingmore than that so are going to haveto introduce a booking system.”

Future plans include looking atsetting up ‘mini mayhem’ to getchildren and young people inter-ested in MMA.

Judo champ turnscell into gym ...

Funding boostfor GP referralprogrammeA SUCCESSFUL GP referral pro-gramme has been given a furtherboost thanks to a government fundingscheme, which has helped the localcouncil purchase four new PowerPlate machines.

More Knowsley residents nowhave access to the latest in exerciseequipment after the grant fromAiming High, given on condition thatany fitness equipment purchased isaccredited by the Inclusive FitnessInitiative.

The Power Plate pro series modelsare the only vibration trainingdevices to hold Level Two IFI accredi-tation, signifying they can be usedwithout assistance by people with dis-abilities.

Health and fitness manager atKnowsley Metropolitan BoroughCouncil, Kevin Forester, said: “One ofthe key messages is to get clients totake small steps in order to make bigchanges. We need to educate them ondiet and exercise and give them accessto a dedicated fitness team that arealways on hand. As part of their exer-cise programme, we encourage use ofthe Power Plate machine as it can beused by anybody, regardless of theirages or fitness level.”

The Power Plate pro5 models are inHuyton Leisure Centre, Kirkby LeisureCentre and Scotchbarn LeisureCentre.

Video bidTHE Royal Parks have released aYouTube video in a bid to encourageLondoners to take up exercise aheadof the Olympics.

The video demonstrates a range ofactivities on offer across the capital'seight royal parks, including tennis,British Military Fitness classes andhorseriding. The Royal Parks are set toplay a central role in London 2012,with Greenwich Park hosting equestri-an events and part of the modernpentathlon, while the triathlon andmarathon swimming will take place inHyde Park.

Jill Osleger, Royal Parks sports man-ager, said: “There are so many organ-ised sports and fitness activities, mea-ning there is something for everyone.”

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Gym’s charitychallengeraises fundsA CHARITY challenge at a Swanseagym has raised over £1,000 for theBritish Heart Foundation.

The ‘I love Pumping’ event wascoordinated by independent gymBurns Fitness and involved 12 clubsin the city organising a fitness chal-lenge to raise funds for the charityand awareness about how exercise isgood for a healthy heart.

The event took place on Valentine’sDay and, as it also coincided with the50th anniversary of The British HeartFoundation, each club was encour-aged to get at least 50 people to takepart.

Funds raised by Burns Fitness havealready passed the £1,000 mark – withmoney still coming in – and generalmanager Anthony Williams said thecharity was so pleased with how itwent, plans are already being talkedabout for a bigger event next year.

He said: “As the event was such asuccess, The British Heart Foundation

want to expand next year and gonationwide to promote the benefitsof exercise for a healthy heart. The 12gyms who took part are also going toappear in a charity calendar at theend of the year with a photo of theevent from each site.”

The success of the challenge waspicked up by the local radio andnewspaper – giving valuable publicityto the clubs that took part.

‘I Love Pumping’ T-shirts were alsoreproduced, which each gym couldbrand with their own colours andlogo to further promote themselves.

Anthony added: “All of the gyms gota bit of publicity out of it and couldbenefit themselves while also raisingmoney for the charity.”’

� Has your gym organised anythingsimilar to raise funds for charity? LetWorkout know by emailingce@whpl.net or contact our editorialteam on 01226 734463.

New scheme encouragesresidents to get healthyA NEW physical activity referralscheme has been launched at theWhitechapel Leisure Centre in TowerHamlets.

The ‘Jump Start’ project has beencreated to encourage local residentsto get active and stay healthy, and hasbeen designed through a partnershipbetween GLL, NHS Tower Hamletsand the London Borough of TowerHamlets.

It will see local health professionalsrefer patients with existing healthconditions, such as coronary heartdisease, stroke and asthma, as well asthose at risk of developing them,to attend tailor made, low cost,personal exercise programmesincluding circuit training, aquaclasses, healthy walks and gym based

sessions.

Jamie Ross, GLL acting corporatehealth manager, said: “GLL is experi-enced at providing similar pro-grammes in other London boroughsand is very excited by this opportuni-ty to provide the service in TowerHamlets.

“We have helped many people toimprove their health by participatingin a physical activity programme.”

Patients referred to ‘Jump Start’ willreceive a three-month free member-ship subsidised by NHS TowerHamlets.

Then, after completing the schemethey will be offered a monthly fee at one third of the full membershipcost.

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LONDON health spa, CityPointClub,has undergone an extensive refur-bishment including the installation ofa range of Matrix Fitness equipment.

The Club was bought by thePlaygate Group in 2006, when mem-bership had dropped to 1,200 and thefacilities were no longer top quality.

Jeremy Taylor from the PlaygateGroup, said: “Now, five years aftertaking over the CityPoint Club, andthanks to a great deal of hard graft,the Club is thriving once again.

“The membership is now up to

2,200 members, the ideal capacity forthe Club, which prides itself on pro-viding an oasis of calm in one ofLondon’s busiest areas.”

The gym now features around 50pieces of Matrix Fitness equipment,which includes the 7xe cardio range with virtual active, the G7strength range and three functionaltrainers.

Jeremy added: “We feel that the newequipment fits in very well with theClub and it has gone down a stormwith our members.”

The Club thriving afterextensive refurbishment

Gym chain unveilsplan for Middle East health clubsBy Louise Cordell

GYM chain Anytime Fitness hasannounced plans to open a series ofhealth clubs in the Middle East.

The first three clubs will be openedin Qatar under the ownership of theAlmuftah Group.

John Kersh, vice president of inter-national development for AnytimeFitness, said: “The Almuftah Group isa successful and forward lookingbusiness enterprise which is keenly intune with evolving consumer tastes inQatar and the Middle East.

“We are very enthusiastic that ourpartnership will provide greatlyexpanded access to quality healthand fitness facilities for the Qataripopulation.”

Anytime Fitness now has nearly

1,500 clubs open in eight countriesincluding the US, Australia, NewZealand, Canada, Mexico, England,India and Japan, with more set toopen soon in the Netherlands andPoland. The first club in Qatar isexpected to be open by July this yearin Al Wakrah.

Ali A. Almuftah, director of theAlmuftah Group, said: “We believeAnytime Fitness’ 24-hour access willbe very popular, as this is a new con-cept in the market and most Qatarisare becoming increasingly health andfitness conscious. Our long range goalis to open an Anytime Fitness club ineach town in Qatar, to make fitnessaccessible to everybody.

“We are also planning to open newclubs in the neighbouring countriesin the Middle East region.”

FIT partnership launchedA NEW partnership has beenlaunched which brings togetherniche companies within the fitnessindustry to offer operators morechoice and value.

Each member of The FIT Grouppays a small monthly fee, which

collectively gives the group agreater budget to spend on market-ing, PR and lead generation.

The founder members are gym80,Trixter, Keiser, BodyCore, HarlandsGroup, GymKit UK, FreedomClimber and Talk Twenty1.

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Report considersthe importance ofweb and social mediaA NEW report has examined how gyms areusing the web and social media to interactwith current and prospective members.

The industry’s first web and social mediareport – compiled by Ray Algar and sponsoredby The Gym Group – reveals that the sharing ofonline information is essential for communi-cating with existing and prospective members.

In the report, Ray examined 50 health clubbrands across 10 countries and reported howthe future of the industry lies in connectingand engaging with customers via social net-working.

Budget chain The Gym Group was named asa successful example of a company using theinternet to market themselves because of itsuse of a web-based joining process andaccount administration as well as ‘build yourown’ exercise programmes.

Ray said in the report that this level of onlineinteraction gives customers the ability to ‘co-create’ products and services via the socialweb – which he believes to be an exciting andinnovative development for the leisure indus-try.

Facebook and Twitter are currently The GymGroup’s biggest traffic referral sources withover 8,000 Facebook followers

The company is also averaging between 5,500and 7,500 hits per day on the website – 50 per cent of these come from existing members logging into the members’ area and

visiting news sections. CEO of The Gym Group, John Treharne, said:

“When designing our low-cost gym proposi-tion, we knew immediately that the web wasgoing to be at the centre of the business. UKconsumers are very ‘web savvy’ and have wel-comed the ability to join online and adminis-ter their accounts. It is also the emergence ofsocial media platforms such as Facebook andTwitter that has enabled us to begin buildingrelationships with our members.”

The digital agency behind The Gym Group’ssuccess, White Hat Media, is led by socialmedia expert, Jeremy Spiller.

He added: “The Gym Group is one of ourfavourite success stories. We’ve been involvedwith building their online presence from thestart and it is great to work with a companythat recognises and embraces the power ofsocial media. The online hubs we’ve developedwith them not only offer transparency andmeasurability, but real- time interactive com-munications that provide regular two wayengagement. These have become vital tools tomaintaining excellent customer service anddriving growth – something The Gym is nowrenowned for.”� How are you using the internet and socialnetworking sites to interact with members atyour club? Let Workout know by emailingce@whpl.net or contact our editorial team on01226 734463.

Spice Girl Mel B has launched International Fitness Week 2011, whichaims to inspire people across the world to become more active andlead a healthier lifestyle. The event was supported by Fitness First,which opened its doors for the week allowing anyone to sample theclubs and learn more about improving their health and fitness.For the third year running, Mel is the face of the event and has recent-ly launched Get Fit with Mel B group exercise classes into Fitness Firstclubs throughout the UK.

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LEISURE trust Tone has started workon its second Feel Good Factory, fol-lowing the success of its first facilitywhich was launched last year.

The ladies-only vibration trainingcentre will be installed at the compa-ny’s Ivybridge leisure centre in SouthDevon, alongside a new cafe bar.

It will be aimed at women who areoverweight and those who have limit-ed mobility, with equipment includ-ing the Powertone plus Pilatesmachine and the new range of

Easytone machines.Joel Chapman, Tone’s commercial

director, said: “We are extremelyexcited to be rolling out our FeelGood Factory concept to another ofour centres.

“The first Feel Good Factory provedso successful that members lost acombined 2,500 inches in a 10-monthperiod and we’ve had some fantasticcustomer feedback, so we knew themodel had the potential to succeedelsewhere.”

Tone’s first Feel Good Factory in Somerset

Members lose 2,500 inchesat Feel Good Factory

NVQ opportunity for PTsFITNESS instructors and personaltrainers are being given the oppor-tunity to make money by assessingNVQ students as they progressthrough their courses.

Protocol National, an organisationthat places lecturers and VQ asses-sors in further education collegesaround the country, is looking forqualified fitness instructors to helpassess and guide students alongtheir chosen fitness career path.

Philip Harrison, Protocol Nationalchief executive, said: “Assessing notonly helps candidates to progressthrough their course but can be aninteresting and worthwhile nextstep for anyone looking to taketheir career in a slightly different

direction. “Assessors observe students either

in their own workplace or at col-lege, which means the work can beflexible enough to fit around othercommitments, providing extraincome and the opportunity forpersonal development.”

Those without assessing qualifica-tions can also sometimes studytowards an A1 or A2 Assessor awardwhile they start earning.

These can be completed at a localcollege in around three months andcover planning and delivering train-ing and workshops, observing,examining and questioning candi-dates, providing feedback andkeeping all the relevant records.

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FORMER personal trainer KerrieDallinger has opened up her ownladies only health club in Bolton.

Bodywise in Farnworth launchedfollowing a complete refurbishmentcosting over £90,000.

The club now features a cardiovas-cular room, a strength area, a stretch-ing room, two class studios, a pool, acafe, changing facilities and beautytreatment rooms.

Kerrie said: “The building had beenused as a gym before I bought it andtook over, and it was ladies only then.

“I decided to keep it like this asthere is a big Asian population in thearea and, while working as a personaltrainer I found that many women pre-fer not to work out in a mixed envi-ronment.

“Coming to a ladies only club helpsthem to feel more comfortable.”

The health club also provides chil-dren’s swimming lessons and sportscamps and clubs in school holidaysand after school, introducing youngpeople to activities like dodgeball,mini-fencing and cheerleading.

When kitting out the club, Kerriewent to Direct Fitness to hire all herstrength and CV equipment.

She visited their warehouse to seeexactly what they had available andpicked out a bespoke package to suither needs.

She said: “I was looking for a rentalpackage and they were the company

that could provide exactly what Iwanted.

“Renting is more convenient - it ismore of an ongoing lease - in threeyears I will have the option to buy myequipment or upgrade to newerpieces and continue to rent.

“I think that renting equipment issomething that many gym ownersdon’t consider, but I think it is anappealing option.

“With Direct Fitness you don’t haveto go through a finance company andthat means you avoid having to paythe higher rates that you get withsome equipment rental companies.

“It is nice and simple - I think whenyou are opening up and running yourown club the last thing you want ismore paperwork.”

Kerrie uses Direct Fitnessto kit out ladies only club

The new gym at Bodywise in Bolton.

Liverpool Football Club has chosen to use a range of Keiser equipment in its training gym.The 500sqm gym, which is housed at Melwood Training Ground, received 25 M3 IndoorCycles, as well as 12 stations from the Keiser Air range of resistance equipment.Other facilities include rehabilitation pool, treatment room, training pitches, swimmingpool and hypoxic chamber, as well as recreational facilities and a restaurant area.

EVERTON Football Club is offeringone lucky fan a place on their sub-stitute bench for their clash withBlackburn Rovers - provided theycan pass a fitness test.

The club has teamed up withTotal Fitness to offer the opportu-nity, which is aimed at improvingthe match fitness of their support-ers.

To be considered for selectionfans just need to join any TotalFitness Leisure Centre and make12 visits before April 3.

The winner will also be chauffeurdriven to the game, be able to col-lect their shirt from the changingroom and watch the pre-matchwarm up pitchside before takingtheir seat on the subs bench for thegame.

Everton player Leon Osman visit-ed Total Fitness in Aintree to helppromote the competition and said:“It’s great to see the Club runninginitiatives such as this. I hope thefans get involved.”

Bench place up for grabs

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UK FITNESS SCENE24

A good retention rate is something which all clubs look to achieve. But whoshould be rewarded when it happens? In this month’s column Guy Griffithsexplains.

WHEN we talk about rewardingretention at GGFit, we talk aboutrewarding club staff, but also aboutrewarding members.

Staff rewards can be trickybecause a lot of people equaterewards with money. Of course,research shows that money doesnot create long term happiness orjob satisfaction, and “motivationby pizza” (Google it) does notwork. Sure, some clubs employsales staff and pay commission fornew members, but the sales peopleare rarely interested in membersafter they join.

Most often, the staff best placedto affect retention are the instruc-tors working on the gym floor, andgood fitness professionals aremotivated by seeing their mem-bers achieve results. And guesswhat, if members are achievingresults, they stay longer.

As well as member results,instructors tell us they have a moreinteresting day by interacting withmore members. Competition witheach other for number of contactsmade, or effectiveness of contactsis rewarding, when it is measured.For some, good motivators arebeing top dog on retention met-rics, or getting a number of lapsedmembers back into the club. I’mnot saying that a financial bonus isnot rewarding, but it’s not going to

be the prime driver for memberretention.

The other person to reward forgood retention is the member, ofcourse. A few clubs fix prices forlong term members, or have dis-counts or gifts when the memberreaches a milestone, but again, thebest motivation comes fromachieving results.

Nuffield advertise a fantasticmember retention scheme. Youhave a health MOT and designyour personal action plan withyour instructor. When youimprove your personal healthscore, you get one month’s freemembership. Your club is actuallygoing to help you to get results,and when you do, they will alsoreward you with something ofvalue, rather than a free (branded)bag.

This kind of offer is starting toshift the public perception of ourindustry towards clubs that wantto invest in the member and makethem stick around. Social rewardsalso help – clubs or instructorscongratulating members on theirgoals, and supporting a memberby commenting on, or liking theirfitness status updates.

Working towards results is whatmatters to both the instructor andthe member, so you can rewardretention by simply measuring

results. � Guy Griffiths works for GG Fit,an independent consultancy thathelps clubs to focus on memberretention by working with staff,systems and processes.www.ggfit.com twitter - @ggfit Next issue – communication outsideyour club.

Guy Griffiths

Rewarding retention

Company awarded contract extension

New range of products welcomed by industry

GLL has been awarded a seven-and-a-half year contract extension tocontinue operating Rainbow Leisure Centre in Epsom on behalf of Epsom and Ewell BoroughCouncil.

The agreement will see GLL invest£700,000 into health and fitnessfacilities at the centre, which will include refurbished changingareas and an upgraded health suite.

The £8m leisure centre was openedin 2003 and has been managed byGLL since its launch.

Facilities include a sports hall, 25mpool, 120-station gym and indoorbowling hall.

TGS Group, the UK based provider ofglobal fitness management technolo-gy is enjoying a fantastic reception toits range of new products createdspecifically for the fitness industry.

The group has been designing andmanufacturing management soft-ware, EPOS systems and technologysolutions for more than 20 years.However, the TGS launch (at the 2010Leisure Industry Week) was the resultof many years’ worth of design anddevelopment expertise now beingfocused on the fitness sector.

Chief executive Richard Cross said:“This has been an incredible start tothe year and the fitness sector hasbeen massively receptive to our newsolutions. We created TGS with a sim-ple aim ‘to make a fitness businesseasier to manage and more profitable’and our customers tell me that’sexactly what we are doing.”

The group which markets under theTGS brand offers a membership and

gym management software packagewith live key performance reporting,a number of modules such as reten-tion and marketing and an EPOSsystem that links to the major debitcollection houses.

These are supported by Wi-Fi,turnstiles, access control, biomet-rics, CCTV and websites packages.

TGS works with some of the indus-try’s leading professionals to ensureits range is focused on identifyingand delivering the specific benefitsthe fitness sector requires.

Richard added: “We have backedour range with unbeatable ongoingdevelopment and nationwide sup-port from our in house team; ourproducts are really changing the faceof fitness management and for a frac-tion of the cost of conventional sys-tems.

“We are especially proud to beworking so closely with a number ofindependent operators, many of

these are smaller businesses and it’sgreat to see the immediate impact wehave on their bottom line.

“Our reporting gives them big chainexpertise without the managementteam and costs normally required.”

Contact: 01159 848383 or sales@totalgymsoftware.com

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UK FITNESS SCENE28

Determine yourbusiness’ future andmake more moneyBy Dave Wright

FOR your club to thrive in an evercompetitive market place, youmust first understand one thing:You are not in the business of sell-ing memberships; you are in thebusiness of customer experience.

This is what drives memberships,retention and referrals which ulti-mately promotes growth.

Having a systemised customerfeedback program in your club isvital to both identify and improveon the overall member experience.

One such program is NetPromoter Score (NPS), which iscurrently used by thousands ofleading companies around theworld.

What is NPS?Simply put, NPS is a way to deter-mine how many of your membersare promoting you to their friendsand distinguishing them fromthose people who are telling theirfriends that they aren’t happy. So NPS provides a measuring stickas to the health of your businessand how likely they are to continueto stay and refer you.

How does it work?Your Net Promoter Score is gener-ated by asking your members onequestion - on a scale of zero to tenhow likely they would be to recom-mend a friend or family member toyour gym.

Your score is calculated by sub-tracting the percentage ofDetractors (scores of zero to six)from the percentage of Promoters(scores of nine and ten). You can have a score ranging from -100 to 100, obviously the higher thebetter.

How does NPS improve your club?NPS gives you a measuring stick sothat you can focus on the peoplethat matter most in your business -your members. Every staff member becomesaccountable to deliver excellentcustomer service and be memberoriented. By identifying detractorsand the reasons why they aredetractors, you can not only ‘putthings right’ but actually turn thosepeople into promoters. These members will stay with youlonger, refer more people withoutyou having to ask or incentiviseand buy more services and prod-ucts from you.

How will your members benefit?If you can provide your memberswith what they want, how will theynot benefit? They will be working out in anenvironment they enjoy, continu-ing to provide you with valuablefeedback knowing their voice hasbeen heard and they will also bringtheir friends along as well. In conclusion, to calculate yourNPS, the industry needs to face up

to a paradigm shift. Rather than ignoring the membersthat aren’t using our clubs, we needto know why so that we can fix it. If we do that as an industry, thenwe are more likely to break throughthat 12 to 15 per cent penetrationrate.If you do it as a club, then you’llknow how successful you’ll be inthree, six, nine and 12 months’time.

Dave Wright

Wil Graham has been crowned Britain’s Biggest Loser after shedding eight and a halfstones while taking part in the controversial ITV programme.The show divided the fitness industry over its portrayal of personal trainers – with somesaying that tough methods used by its trainers could put people off going to the gym.*Pictured is Wil with personal trainers Richard Callendar and Angie Dowds and show hostDavina McCall.

DC LEISURE has teamed up withBadminton England and WiltshireCouncil to launch a ‘No StringsBadminton’ franchise.

Using a ‘pay and play’ approach, thesessions are hosted by qualified coor-dinators and are designed to givecasual users the chance to socialise,while improving their fitness and bad-minton skills.

Jane Davies, sports developmentmanager, said: “This collaborationmeans we have been able to furtherdiversify our programme schedule toengage with novice sport enthusiasts.

“Men and women of all ages andabilities are now enjoying the weeklyclasses, and many are returning eachweek to socialise and improve theirracquet skills.”

Sessions are currently hosted atTrowbridge Leisure Centre andChristie Miller Sports Centre.

Franchiselaunched

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ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT 29

A DAY’S work in your gym can easilyturn from a day of opportunity to aday that feels like a real grind.

The challenge will always be how toget the most out of every day in thegym business especially when thereoften appears to be so much to juggle.

The team at Club Manager knowthat situation only too well.

Spokesman Wayne Heath said: “Istill own an award winning gym withmy wife Melanie which is why wereally understand how to get the mostout of a day’s work.

“We often say that the gym businessis the school of hard knocks; the skillis to bounce back.”

The Club Manager team pride them-selves on having a software solutionthat is constantly benefiting their cus-tomers by giving clubs the tools to getthe best out of each and every day.

Wayne added: “You need to be ableto process daily tasks so you canspend more time with your membersas it is their memberships that payyour monthly bills.

“So with our years of experience wehave enabled gym owners using ClubManager to do exactly that.

“It cannot be denied that more timewith a customer will reap rewards inretention, recommendations andincrease member spend.

“So take some time out to get the

best out of each day – you will be gladyou did.”

To find out more contact Club Manager on01245 352 000 or email

info@clubmanagercentral.com

‘Take some time out to getthe best out of each day –you will be glad you did’

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UK FITNESS SCENE30

By Christina Eccles

EIGHT years ago David weighedover 26 stone and couldn’t remem-ber the last time he had exercisedin a gym.

But after vowing to set a goodexample to his young daughter, hejoined Concord Sports Centre inSheffield with the aim of losingweight and improving his health.

In about a year, he had lost morethan 12 stone and was surprised byhow much he was enjoying thegym experience – and the effect itwas having on his life.

He explained: “I had never reallydone fitness before but I reallyenjoyed what I got out of it.

“I loved what it did for me andwanted to do more to help otherpeople achieve what I hadachieved.

“At the time I worked for a logis-tics company but I knew I wantedto get into the fitness industry, so Idid my level two qualifications andgot a job here, with a 20 hour con-tract working on the gym floor. Iwanted to move into personaltraining and it just grew fromthere.”

This led to a move into GPReferral – something which Davidnow specialises in – and every yearhe tries to do another course tohelp him reach out to more people.

He added: “I remembered howhard it was for me to come into thegym and wanted to spend moretime with people who were comingin.

“We had to prove there was aneed for a referral scheme and gotto the point where there was awaiting list. In the last six years, Ihave worked with over 1,000 peo-ple who have been referred withconditions ranging from heart fail-ure to those who are morbidlyobese.”

Participants get discounted gymsessions for 12 weeks and a person-al programme and are encouragedto keep up with their gym sessions

afterwards. Dedicated ‘silver cir-cuits’ classes for the over 50s are apopular way of doing this, withDavid saying that those who comealso benefit from the social side ofgetting involved as well as fromdoing the exercises.

David’s latest challenge was tak-ing on the role of group exercisereferral manager across all of thecentres operated by SheffieldInternational Venues and he is cur-rently looking at funding to devel-op the schemes which have beenso successful at Concord else-where.

He added: “The key has beenforming partnerships with organi-sations such as the NHS and BritishHeart Foundation, which hashelped us to get specialist servicesand bring them into facilities likeours to make it easier for the com-munity to access.”

He is also spearheading the SIVHealthy Workforce scheme, whichfocuses on the health and wellbe-ing of SIV employees, as well asbeing involved with the BritishHeart Foundation to improve heartservices in Sheffield.

Award-winning personal trainer David Birds was inspired to join the fitnessindustry following his own 12 stone weight loss. Now after helping over 1000people to achieve their goals, he has taken on a new challenge. Christina Ecclesmet him.

David accepting his National Fitness Award from host Sharron Davies

David loses twelvestones and finds a new career

DAVID rounded off a successful 2010 by being named Gym-BasedPersonal Trainer of the Year at Workout’s National Fitness Awards in York.

He said that it meant a lot to win the award and that the achievementhas also been a good way of raising the profile of the work being done atConcord Sports Centre and has helped to open doors to funding opportu-nities.

But he added that although the recognition is nice, his ultimate drivingforce is making a difference to people’s lives and seeing those he hastrained achieve results.

David takes national award

Gym spends to keep its members happy A GYM which has been in businessfor almost 30 years has introducednew equipment to ensure facilitiesare up to date for members.

Lichfield Health and Fitness has an ongoing investment and refurbishment programme and hasspent over £1m since opening in 1982

to help the club attract and retainmembers.

The latest additions at the gym are two Power Plate pro5 AIRdaptivemodels, which health and fitnessmanager Jodie Morris said have proved popular with mem-bers.

She said: “Our members are ourlifeblood, so we constantly cater fortheir needs.

“Our members all agree this is agreat addition to the club. Some ofour members have been with ussince we first opened so their opinionis particularly important to us.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE 31

Chain takesstrides withwalking pilotBy Louise Cordell

DC LEISURE has launched a six-month pilot project of Nordic Walking– the fastest growing fitness activity inthe world.

The taster sessions will be run atfour of the chain’s sites and will teachmembers how the sport can be usedto achieve weight loss and fitnessresults.

The centres in Eastleigh, Surrey,Wiltshire and Dorset are set to offerthe course over a four-week period.

Participants will then be able toattend regular adventure and work-out walks suitable for all ages and fit-ness levels.

Rich Cowley, group health and well-being manager at DC Leisure, said:“The initial interest in the taster ses-sions has been impressive anddemonstrates the changing leisuredemand of communities nationwide.

“It is our responsibility to providelocal communities with an array of opportunities to engage in an

active lifestyle.

“The health benefits of exercising inthe great outdoors are endless andNordic Walking brings an excitingactivity to our schedule that alsoallows local communities to explorethe landscapes that surround oursites.”

DC Leisure staff are now receivingtraining from Nordic Walking UK inorder to become qualified to deliverthe full programme.

Gill Steward, director of NordicWalking UK, said: “DC Leisure’sobjective of getting ‘more people,more active, more often’ mirrors ourapproach perfectly, and so, we have avery effective partnership in place.

“It is an extremely exciting time forthis growing fitness trend.

“Nordic Walking can be used toimprove general mobility at recre-ational level, facilitate increased calo-rie burn for the fitness enthusiast, oreven act as a method of cross trainingfor dedicated sports men andwomen.”

Over 30sign upfor SIBECOVER 30 big leisure sectornames have already signed upfor this year’s SIBEC UK event,set to take place in May.

The show aims to provide theopportunity for operators tomeet key suppliers and discussopportunities to work togetherand prepare for the challengingeconomic times ahead.

David Zarb Jenkins, eventdirector, said: “There is no pointin sugar coating the situation –tough times lie ahead for publicsector leisure operators.

“There is talk this month of adouble-dip recession and withfront loaded government spend-ing cuts coming into play, it willbe lateral thinking operators thatweather this financial storm.

“The challenge facing them willbe how to respond responsibly tothe economic situation withoutcompromising service stan-dards.”

Suppliers that attend the eventto meet with operators includefitness equipment, flooring,lighting, management software,vibration training, nutrition,sauna and steam rooms, trainingand education.

The show has also confirmed aselection of education operatorswill be attending, including theUniversity of Kent, NottinghamTrent University and theUniversity of Strathclyde; togeth-er with local authorities andleisure trusts including KnowsleyBorough Council, FreedomLeisure, Tonbridge and MallingBorough Council, Link4Life andSouth Lanarkshire Leisure.

Endurance challenge appealFIA members are being encouragedto take part in an endurance chal-lenge to raise money for Help forHeroes.

The Gym for Heroes challenge willtake place in fitness centres acrossthe country in July and can be takenindividually or as part of a team.Three pieces of any CV equipmentcan be used, including a swimming

pool, over a three or 12-hour period.FIA executive director David Stalker

said: “We are delighted to be support-ing the campaign and we hope ourmembers will do the same. Anendurance challenge is the perfectway to support our heroes by remind-ing us of the physical upheaval theyendure while at the same time, help-ing to boost our fitness levels.”

INDEPENDENT gym Pinetops Fitnesshas been selected as a filming loca-tion for a pilot TV show.

The Merseyside club was chosenfrom several gyms in the Liverpoolarea to appear in the episode of a newE4 show, Totally Fit.

Gym owner Andy Dyson toldWorkout programme bosses were‘very impressed’ with the whole feelof the club and its exclusive feel.

The pilot will be filmed later thismonth, and once the show has beengiven the go ahead, filming will startin the summer.

Andy added: “It’s an amazing oppor-tunity for all of us at Pinetops toshow off our gym and increaseawareness of what we have to offer.

“The programme will follow theefforts of several individuals hopingto achieve a personal fitness or healthgoal and the training will be given bya group of trainers to include a malepole dancing teacher.”

Gym chosen as TV show location

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UK FITNESS SCENE 33

THE Club and Spa at BurntwoodCourt near Barnsley has every reasonto celebrate after January proved tobe a record-breaking month.

Membership sales hit the highestpoint since the club first opened in2006 – getting 2011 off to a flyingstart.

The family-owned gym currentlyhas about 2,500 members, and gymmanager Stuart Prentice told Workouthe is happy to stick with that size as itavoids overcrowding on the equip-ment and ensures every memberfeels looked after.

He explained: “We are happy withthis size as we have a good balancebetween families and young profes-sionals – there’s a definite switchbetween those who come at peak andoff peak times.

“From a business point of view,there has been an economic crisis forabout three years but at the club wehave maintained our numbers.

“Our retention rate is very good andwe organise a lot of social events formembers and special offers such asbring a friend for free, which are pop-ular.”

According to Stuart, referrals are akey way of attracting new facesthrough the doors and once peoplearrive at the club, the facilities speakfor themselves.

Features include a fully-equippedgym, range of classes, swimming pooland cafe bar as well as a spa, whichoffers a range of pampering pack-ages.

Stuart added that although the

club’s website and local advertisinghas also been effective, 90 per cent ofnew members come from referrals,and that is the best reflection for himas a manager as it shows staff aredoing their jobs well and membersare happy to recommend to familyand friends.

When a new member joins, insteadof the traditional induction they havea three point plan which splits thekey information into bite size chunks– plus a personalised programme.

Members are also encouraged to trynew things, which keeps workoutsfresh and ensures they are getting themost from their membership. It alsomeans there are more elements forthem to fall out of love with – so ifthey get bored of one thing, they maystill keep coming to the club to do

something else.

The facility benefits from being partof a major complex which includes ahotel, restaurant and nightclub,which allows the businesses to crosssell and promote each other.

And to cater for the whole family,joint memberships are on offer for£69 a month with under fives goingfree and an on site creche.

Stuart added: “Our footfall overChristmas was massive with func-tions at the hotel and this also allowsus to create packages, which includea hotel stay and spa treatments.”

The club is now looking forward tomaintaining this success throughoutthe year and is currently arrangingmore social nights and offers to keepmembers happy.

A focus on the whole family and top quality facilities are helping a gym in SouthYorkshire to flourish – despite a tough economic climate. Christina Eccles paid a visit.

Record-breakingstart to 2011 for health club

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PRODUCT NEWS34

SAFE Space Lockers was launched toprovide lockers, cubicles, locking sys-tems and washrooms to the entireleisure industry.

Our products are all manufacturedin the UK so we can offer quick leadtimes, very innovative designs andcompetitive pricing.

Safe Space Lockers has a missionstatement to deliver, with integrityand honesty, the most appropriatesolution to the client.

Our primary concern is deliveringthe plan that has been agreed upon,in the projected time and withinbudget.

For more information please call 0870 990 7989 or email

sales@safespacelockers.co.uk

Firm has a mission to deliver

OPTIMUM Physiotherapy and SportsMedicine opt for the CommercialFreemotion Dual Cable Cross F624.

Dean Payne said: “We had been con-sidering a number of options withregards to adding a piece of equip-ment to our strength and condition-ing and injury rehab facility to pro-vide functional movement trainingand we finally opted for theFreemotion Dual Cross Cable.

“The flexibility of this has providedan excellent training continuum fromearly stage injury rehab to elite per-formance conditioning and has beenwelcomed by our therapists, trainersand clients.

“As well as the functionality we havealso been impressed by the buildquality, which is just as important tous when working with a range ofclients with differing training experi-ence.

“We look forward to adding theFreemotion Cable to our other centersin due course.”

Light Commercial Freemotion EXT DualCable Cross VFMCS4007

Stuart Tomlinson, owner of a martialarts and fitness centre, said: “It is notoften that I get excited when I seenew pieces of equipment any morebut this is exactly what happenedwhen I first saw and used theFreemotion Dual Pulley 18 monthsago.

“Straight away, I knew I wanted onefor my gym facility.

“Since its installation by FitnessSystems, I am happy to say it has notbeen a let down.

“It is by far the most popular resist-

ance machine and offers both generalusers and competitive athletes thechance to mix their training up withthe great range of exercises that canbe performed on it.

“I cannot not recommend itenough.”

DW Fitness Aberdeen introduce theFreemotion Dual Cable Cross to the PTZone.

Stuart Davidson, personal trainer,said: “The free motion cable cross sys-tem allows me as a trainer to get overthe preconceptions my female clientshave about resistance training andentering the free weights area.

“It allows me to give clients dynamicmovements that challenge bothmotor skills and bring about a neuro-muscular adaptation in strength,essential for any training programme.

“In my opinion the best thing aboutthe free motion is it allows me to pushmy clients through various full bodyworkout that works all the planes ofmovement allowing clients to getstronger, leaner and more powerful.

“Overall a brilliant and essentialpiece of equipment for any gymfloor.”

For more details, contact 01204 541710 orwww.fitnesssystems.co.uk

Leisure centres opt forFreemotion equipment

SERVICE Sport has relaunched itswebsite in order to show new marketsand customers the full range of prod-ucts and services they can provide.

The company hopes a new lookinternet site and logo will portray thenew level they have reached withtheir clientele and how they havedeveloped in the market over recentyears.

Rick Fowler, sales manager, said:“We didn’t feel that the old site wasvery user friendly and we needed toaddress so that visitors could seeexactly what products we provide, aswell as letting them know about themost exciting new products availableon the market from Service Sport.”

The new site has been designed toshow potential customers the fullextent of product ranges and specifi-cations in greater detail than the olderversion.

Website visitors can now view eachproduct and its full details individual-ly, and all information will be updatedon a regular basis so customers don’tmiss any new opportunities.

Service Sport are also implementinga new way of attracting new visitors -using an optimisation company topush the website address: www.ser-vicesport.co.uk to the top of searchengine results and through links.

Rick added: “This is not the end ofthe website development for us.

“We will be continuing to make itbigger and better and will keep driv-ing people to look and enquire online.

“We have also developed a socialnetworking strategy for the next 12months which will help us to pushinto new markets and continue toestablish ourselves across Europe.

“We see social networking as a greatfree marketing tool that is becomingmore and more a part of everyday life.

“We want to take this opportunityand push the new website so theindustry can see the quality productsand services we provide to fitnessestablishments throughout the UKand Europe.”

For more information contact:0845 402 2456 or visit

www.servicesport.co.uk

The Light Commercial Freemotion EXT DualCable Cross.

The Fremotion Dual Cable Cross.

Relaunched websiteshows range of products

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LOCKERS AND WETROOMS36

Non-slip matting designed togive outstanding performanceIDASS Fitness supply Heronrib non-slip matting, which is exceptionallystrong and flexible and designed togive outstanding performance in wetarea barefoot applications.

This makes it the ideal matting sys-tem for these areas in sports andleisure surroundings where safety,hygiene and comfort are paramount.

Heronrib is a self-draining product,meeting international standards forsafety, hygiene and liquid drainage.

It is manufactured from high quality,100 per cent non-porous vinyl with aslip-resistant, specially embossed sur-face, which conforms to DIN 51097Classification A+ B+ C.

This highly effective, slip resistantsurface is designed to reduce the riskof slipping and associated accidentsin areas where the presence of waterposes a potential underfoot hazard.

To Purchase Heron Rib or Floorine mats,buy them online at www.idass.com

or call 0844 800 9310.

Firm continues expansionRIDGEWAY Furniture are pleased toannounce their continued expansionin the health club marketplace.

While they are already synonymouswith supplying fantastic qualitywooden lockers, benches and vanityunits to many of the multiple opera-tors such as Esporta, David Lloyd, LAFitness, Nuffield Health and FitnessFirst plus many smaller stand-alonehealth clubs and spas, we also areable to offer toilet and shower cubi-cles plus wet vanity units.

This combined with our compre-hensive spares department makes usthe one stop shop for all new andrefurbishment changing room proj-ects no matter how large or small.Recent completed installations havebeen secured with Fitness4Less inNottingham and London plusNuffield Brondsbury and Newbury.

All items are manufactured from ourown factory in Leighton Buzzard. This

means that you avoid the high costsof using a third party and deal directlywith the manufacturer which ensuresthe highest quality whilst also achiev-ing the most competitive prices.

Contact: 0870 4207818 or sales@ridgewayfm.com

FORMER Scottish rugby union inter-national Gavin Hastings and NorthLanarkshire Provost Tom Curley haveofficially opened a new multi-millionpound sports facility in Motherwell.

The £32m Ravenscraig RegionalSports Facility is run by NorthLanarkshire Leisure Trust and formspart of a wider redevelopment of thesite.

The focus of the project has been todeliver sport and recreation facilitiesto an area of high deprivation and toprovide premium quality facilities forelite athletes to use.

Facilities manager John Swansonsaid: “The site was opened as part of awider project from the ScottishGovernment to build a network ofregional sports facilities across thecountry, positioned in areas where theneed was greatest.

“Within this aim, offering the bestquality across the board was high upon our agenda, and we were keen toget to a standard where we would begranted both Olympic andCommonwealth accreditation – whichwe now have.”

Features at the centre include a foot-ball and sports hall with 400 spectatorseats, full-size athletics hall featuringtrack and field event training areas,dance studios, a strength condition-ing area, café and viewing gallery and

an activity area for younger children. Forming part of the bespoke nature

of the build was Ravenscraig’s chang-ing facilities, supplied and installed byCraftsman Quality Lockers (CQL) inwhat was one of their largest everorders at £150,000.

John added: “They were the onlysupplier that could offer the standardof finish we wanted to provide, whiletheir high-quality bespoke woodenlockers matched the level of qualityseen right across our site.

“From the outset we wanted to beseen as a market leader in what is afast evolving leisure market, whichmeans not cutting any corners – agoal we are fast achieving.”

For more information contact01480 405396 or visit

www.craftsman-qualitylockers.co.uk

New facility opens

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SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

38

Diet detail boosts Helen’s performanceSIX times British Cyclo-Cross champion Helen Wyman has boostedher performance by using supple-ments and focusing closely on nutri-tion.

Helen has recently clocked up hersixth win at an event in Holland – andhas managed to keep her fitness lev-els and stamina up throughout thewinter season to cope with the toughdemands of the sport.

Her gruelling training scheduleincludes 15–20 hours a week ofcycling, gym sessions and running,and to optimise her performance,Helen and coach/husband Stefanturned to Kerry Kayes at CNPProfessional for nutritional advice.

Stefan explained: “Kerry looked atHelen’s diet in detail. Although shehad an extremely healthy eating planhe noticed that there were long peri-ods when her protein intake droppedto zero. Almost 12 hours from herearly evening meal till breakfast. ”

This dip in protein can affect theoverall performance of an athlete so

Kerry suggested Helen should takePro MR - a low fat, high protein mealreplacement, during the evening tokeep up the level of active protein inher body. He also advised using pro-tein supplement Pro Peptide with herregular breakfast, to ensure a goodstart to the day.

Helen added: “I always take Pro

Peptide before races. It’s really usefulbecause on the morning of a bigevent if I’m nervous I sometimes can’teat properly. Pro Peptide is really easyto drink and digest and it fills me up.”

After training or races Helen alsouses Pro Recover - a blend of fast act-ing proteins and fast acting carbohy-drates, to assist recovery.

Martial arts clubs ‘leadthe way on nutritionadvice for members’By Christina Eccles

TRADITIONAL gyms should followthe example of martial arts clubswhen it comes to educating membersabout supplementation and nutri-tion, it has been claimed.

Fitness model Sasha Larner has justearned her black belt in karate –training five to six times a week at adedicated martial arts gym.

As well as training hard, Sasha hasalso been focusing on her diet toensure that she is in the best shapepossible.

And she told Workout that when itcomes to giving members advice oneating well and what supplements touse, martial arts gyms are leading theway.

She said: “Gyms do the best theycan but martial arts gyms are veryinto that side of things anyway. Inmartial arts gyms you find more pro-tein shakes and energy bars and theypush that side a lot more than theaverage gym.”

Sasha – who started in fashion andcommercial modelling aged 15 beforemaking the move into the fitnessworld – said she also educates herselfon nutrition by reading a lot and tak-ing advice from her partner who doesa lot of karate.

She added that although she islucky she doesn’t have to watch what she eats too closely, she ensures her diet is healthy by including protein such as chicken plus plenty of fruit and veg-etables.

After first taking up karate as achild, Sasha rediscovered it about

three years ago and has been enjoy-ing it ever since.

And she said that it would be greatto see more karate classes taught ingyms.

She added: “Other gyms could defi-nitely get involved – karate is a dyingart. It would be nice to see more oldschool karate coming back.

“There needs to be good qualitymartial arts in gyms.”

She added that gyms who do wantto introduce this type of class don’tneed a lot of special equipment andwith a good amount of floor spaceand basic equipment such as punch-bags and skipping ropes, could deliv-er a class.

Sasha Larner Picture: Kit James

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Cherry supplement helps muscles recover – researchTHE use of a natural cherry supplement can significantly helpmuscles recover from exercise andreduce the associated pain and soreness, according to newresearch.

CherryActive Concentrate hasalready been adopted by leadingPremiership football teamsManchester United and Everton, aswell as England Rugby, The LawnTennis Association and GB teams

training for the 2012 LondonOlympic Games.

A trial, carried out by London SouthBank University’s HumanPerformance Centre, investigated theeffects of CherryActive on the recov-ery of well-trained rugby, football andcombat sport athletes after engagingin strenuous exercise.

And the results show recovery ofmuscle function after the high inten-sity exercise was significantly faster

when participants were takingCherryActive – with their musclestrength returning to 91 per cent oftheir original maximum strengthwithin 24 hours and less muscle sore-ness reported.

Dr Jo Bowtell, head of sports andExercise science research at LondonSouth Bank University, said: “This isgreat news for any serious athlete,sportsperson or gym user seeking tospeed up the recovery of their muscle

strength between intense trainingsessions.

“CherryActive is already widelyused in the professional athleticcommunity to aid recovery and thistrial shows why.

“By reducing muscle recovery time, athletes should be able toincrease their training volume andintensity and improve their perform-ance.”

By Louise Cordell

A WEIGHT LOSS scheme fromScandinavia has been launched inthe UK for the first time.

Xtravaganza is a year long, behav-iour changing programme that isbeing made available to health andfitness clubs that want to boost prof-its and increase secondary spend.

It works by supporting and coach-ing clients with lifestyle and wellnessskills in order to deliver permanentweight loss through long termchanges.

They are encouraged to follow four‘guiding star’ principles – mind train-ing, mental nourishment, good ener-gy and joy by movement to achievethe results they want.

Nic Jarvis, Xtravaganza MD, said:“Health clubs, like most businesses inthe UK and around the globe, are feeling the pinch of the economicclimate and need to be looking atalternative avenues to bring in prof-its.

“The Xtravaganza programme,which aims to help people think,

eat and move themselves healthier isproven to produce at least twice the sales and five times theprofits of standard health club memberships, as well as offering high secondary spend opportun-ities.

“And, while it is run within thehealth club, it is not linked to thegym itself, so attracts a far wideraudience than potential club mem-bers too.”

The programme has been taken onby clubs in more than 200 locationsaround Europe including Sweden,Norway, Finland, Denmark andCroatia and plans are in place to rollout 50 clubs in the UK during thenext three years.

Ewa Hermansson, owner of TheForm, a 1,800 member health club inGothenburg, said: “Xtravaganza is thereason our clubs survives.

“We have been running the programme since 2003 and supportaround 250 customers a year – and between 50 and 60 per cent of the Xtravaganza clients also join as health club members.” Nic Jarvis

Scandinavianweight-loss planlaunched in UK

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Does a workout make you crave sugary foods?By Louise Cordell

VISITING the gym can make youcrave sugary foods even more,according to a new study.

Researchers believe the findingssuggest many people are driven towant high fat foods after a workout– undermining their efforts to loseweight.

Professor Neil King, a behaviouralscientist from the QueenslandUniversity of Technology, was a co-researcher in the study, which wasdone in collaboration with UKresearchers.

They predicted that exercisewould increase some overweightparticipants’ desire to eat fatty,sugary foods and hinder their abili-ty to lose weight.

The results, published in the

International Journal of Obesity,found that 14 of the 34 people whosuccessfully completed a 12-weeksupervised exercise programmefailed to achieve weight loss tar-gets.

The study found that this groupof ‘non-responders’ had increasedcravings for all food categories test-ed, particularly high fat, sweetfoods.

Professor King said: “ We knowthat the combination of fatty andsweet foods is extremely palatable

to human beings.

“But we also know it's extremelydense in calories.

“People have to enter exerciseand weight loss programmesknowing that they can't just eatwhatever they want.”

He confirmed that the study wasanother step towards understand-ing why some people resistedweight loss, despite exercise inter-ventions.

However, he also warned that

although some people had difficul-ty losing the expected weight, exer-cise was still important and shouldbe recommended.

He added: “People should not beput off exercise.

“It still has other benefits such asbetter cardiovascular fitness andlower blood pressure.

“The next phase of the researchwill examine the underlying psy-chological and physiological fac-tors that influence people’s foodpreferences.”

“Identifying a predisposition tohigh-fat, sweet foods in overweightand obese people could improveweight loss strategies by tailoring dietary restriction andexercise interventions to suit individuals.”

‘People have to enter exercise andweight loss programmes knowing thatthey can’t just eat whatever they want’

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Carbohydrate is the keyto recovery – researchBy Christina Eccles

THE best way for athletes to recov-er after exercise is to eat a smallamount of carbohydrate regularly,according to researchers at theUniversity of Bath.

Dr James Betts, from the HumanPhysiology Research Group withinthe university’s Department forHealth, reviewed evidence on post-exercise nutrition to find out whichnutrients are most important forrecovery and why.

He focused on the role of dietary

carbohydrates for effective recoveryfrom sports ranging from runningto cycling to resistance exercise.These all point towards the impor-tance of foods or supplements thatrapidly increase blood sugar levels,which should be consumed as soonas possible after exercise.

The review showed that feeding at15–30 minutes intervals may helpthe body to recover more quicklythan if the same foods are ingestedless frequently.

He also found that a smallamount of protein can offer some

added benefits for recovery, partlybecause it increases the insulinresponse to feeding and thereforealters how the body handles theingested carbohydrate.

Dr Betts said: “Many athletes arerequired to train or compete onmore than one occasion within asingle day and so need to maximise their recovery with a lim-ited time.

“The results of our review showthat the best nutritional strategy toadopt during exercise involvesingestion of carbohydrate withoutadded protein.

“However, it appears that nutri-tional requirements may differ afterexercise because including a smallamount of protein can be benefi-cial for recovery, particularly if car-bohydrate has been ingested atbelow the recommended amount.”

The summary of studies shown inthe review indicates that for everyhour of recovery, athletes shouldaim to ingest one gram of carbohy-drate per kilogram of lean bodymass in order to maximise recov-ery.

He added: “This recommendationis therefore easily calculated, with a70kg runner ingesting just under300g of carbohydrate over the first four hours after exercise,but is less easily consumed in prac-tice given the large volume pre-scribed.

“If rapid recovery is therefore afocus during intensified training,my advice would be simply toingest a high carbohydrate diet and be aware that the quantitiesyour muscles require are likely to exceed your desire to eat them.”

‘The results of our review show that the bestnutritional strategy to adopt during exercise involvesingestion of carbohydrate without added protein’

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What is chromium?Pure chromium is a steely-greymetallic element found naturallyin the Earth’s crust at an averageconcentration of 100 parts per mil-lion (ie around one gram in every10kgs). Industrially, it’s also addedin small amounts to iron to makestainless steel, thereby preventingrust formation. However, it’s alsopresent in very small amounts in anumber of unprocessed foodsbecause plants can absorb it fromthe soil.

Why do we need chromium?In certain organic forms, chromi-um is an essential mineral forhuman health. Importantly, it isrequired for the synthesis of a mol-ecule called ‘glucose tolerance fac-tor’ (GTF), which helps the hor-mone insulin – used to regulateblood sugar and energy levels inthe body – to work more effectivelyin the body. Studies indicate thatlow-chromium diets can lead toimpaired glucose tolerance, mak-ing energy swings more likely, andin severe cases, increasing the riskof full-blown diabetes. There’s alsolimited evidence that (by prevent-ing energy swings) increasechromium intake may improvebody composition by preventingfat gain and increasing musclemass.

Where can I find chromium?The best dietary sources are meatsand fish (eg beef, chicken, liverand oysters) and unrefined wholegrains such as wholemeal breadand whole grain cereals. Fruits andvegetables are unreliable sourcesof chromium, while refined foods,

especially those containing sugarare very poor sources of the miner-al. Cooking or preparing foodsusing stainless steel utensils mayadd significant amounts ofchromium to the diet.

Who can benefit from taking extrachromium?Anybody who regularly consumessugary and/or refined foods (egwhite rice and white flour prod-ucts) could benefit from extrachromium; research has demon-strated that even well balanceddiets prepared by dieticians maycontain only around 30mcgs perday – short of the currently recom-mended RDA minimum of 40mcgsper day. To make matters worse,sugar and sugary foods not onlycontain virtually no chromium,but they also stimulate insulin andGTF secretion, effectively ‘washingout’ chromium from the body. For these reasons, reducing yourintake of sweet/sugary foods andswitching to wholemeal/whole-grain breads/rice/cereals is anessential part of improving yourchromium status.

How should you use chromium?Chromium supplements are readi-ly available over the counter andmany good multi-vitamin/mineralsupplements also contain usefulamounts of chromium. A word ofcaution however; some researchhas suggested the some forms ofchromium (particularly chromiumpicolinate) may cause damage toDNA at high levels. For this reason,many nutritionists have suggestedthat a safer (and more effective)supplemental form of chromium is

‘GTF chromium’.

� Andrew Hamilton BSc Hons,MRSC, ACSM is a member of theRoyal Society of Chemistry, theAmerican College of SportsMedicine and a consultant to thefitness industry, specialising insport and performance nutrition:www.andrewmarkhamilton.co.uk

The human requirement for chromium is miniscule – just 40 millionths of a gramper day. But as Andrew Hamilton explains, this ultra-trace mineral is vital forhealth and energy …

Why chromium is vitalfor health and energy

Andrew Hamilton

Europe’s largest sports nutrition brand is bought for £162millionMAXIMUSCLE, Europe’s largestsports nutrition brand, has been soldto GlaxoSmithKline for £162m.

The company was founded in 1995 by Zef Eisenberg and has seenrapid growth driven by increasinginterest in performance food, healthy eating, exercise and bodyimage.

Its high protein products are sold toa wide consumer base through anonline platform as well as high streetoutlets including Argos, Asda, Boots,

Tesco, JJB and Waitrose.

Zef Eisenberg, founder and presi-dent of Maximuscle, said: “We had nointention of selling the business atthis time, but GSK approached usquietly with tomorrow’s price today.

“Clearly they could see the amazinggrowth opportunity that exists, especially after we had just introduced Maxifuel, an energyrange, and Maxitone, a female gm range, which are both gainingmarket share.

“We are delighted to have found abuyer that has a proven track recordin developing brands and takingthem to the next stage.

“Having founded the business 15years ago, I am pleased to finallyhand over the reigns to a company asprofessional as GSK.”

Zef has been asked by GSK to stayon as a consultant, with no restrictions to his other ventures.

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IN the last few months, I haveencouraged you to read andresearch on lifestyle topics, createsome lifestyle resources to give toclients, work out the structure ortypes of your lifestyle sessions andto practice them.

This should mean you are nowready to get out there and kick offthe lifestyle side of your business.Yaaaaay.

Just a couple more things youneed to do in order to ensure yourlifestyle sessions work for you aswell as your clients.

Firstly, what do you charge? I ama great believer in knowing whatyour hourly rate is and working outyour service price from there.

If your hourly rate is £40, and youneed to do 15 minutes of readingand analysing questionnaires, havea 45 minute consultation and thenneed 30 minutes to write a followup, you might want to charge £60for your 90 minutes work in total,further sessions you can drop to£40 an hour.

This sliding scale can be applica-ble to any hourly rate dependingon your experience, where you liveand who you are trying to target.

For group work, think about whatyou want to earn in total. Forexample, if it takes you three hoursto prepare for a two hour grouplifestyle session, five x £40 is £200.

You therefore need 20 people pay-ing you £10 for the two hours toachieve that, or 15 people paying£15, would get you £100 more. Thisis business, do not be afraid to settargets to get what you want.

Marketing a new product meansyou might want to tweak your styleand look (still fitting in with yourbrand if you have one) because youwill be able to target brand newclients from using a lifestyleapproach.

There has been a massive shift inthe last few years from peoplewanting to get fit, to people want-ing to be healthy and happy. So, ifyou have been doing just fitness,now is the time to possibly thinkabout a new look or image toattract brand new clients, who maywell join up to your fitness servicesthrough the lifestyle approach any-how.

With regards to launching yournew lifestyle services, it’s this sim-ple… just do it and just go for it.Get some flyers, send out anewsletter to your database, put iton your website.

I would suggest a lifestyle focusedmarketing campaign that also flagsup the fitness side of your business.Research local magazines and con-tacts and do a specific business tobusiness e-flyer.

Tell them what you are doing,

offer a discount to their clients ifthey include you in their mail outsand do everything you can toincrease your database andincrease brand awareness in yourarea. Be brave and be creative.

Next month, I will show you anexample of one of my lifestyleclients, so you can see myapproach and why a lifestyle focusbeats a fitness focus for some peo-ple.� Janey Holliday is founder of Fit For aPrincess www.fitforaprincess.co.uk

Janey Holliday

There has been a massive shift in the last few years from people wanting to justget fit, to people wanting to be healthy and happy. In this month’s column JaneyHolliday explains more...

Image change mayattract new clients

ONLINE sports supplementsstore Affordable-supplements.co.uk motivatetheir Facebook followers toworkout through the use ofsocial media.

The Yorkshire based companyutilises social networking sitesFacebook, Twitter and Wordpressto encourage conversation andshare diet and fitness tips withfriends and followers to the site,offering their own tailoredadvice upon request.

Each of the sites are updated ona regular basis, to cover a widerange of topics surrounding dietand exercise.

Recently the company sharedfacts on split workout routinesand asked the question whichmost aspiring Bodybuilderswould like to know the answerto: “Can skinny guys get big?”

The topic resulted in over 30

comments from Facebookfriends offering their take on theanswer.

Ryan Millar, company director,said: “It is fantastic to watch thegrowth of an online communitysharing a common goal andsome of the lengths people go toto help others is heart warming.”

Since the company began usingsocial media tactics for theirbusiness, the site has accumulat-ed a number of 'regulars.

James Aitcheson, a regular visi-tor from Glasgow, said: “It is agood way of getting to knowother like minded people fromaround the world and I am keptup to date on the latest supple-ments to hit the market.”

Affordable Supplements is nowplanning on expanding on theadvice available with blog postsfrom a series of industry experts,to provide fresh opinions.

Using social networkingTHE fitness event of 2011 is already in yourdiary and now BodyPower Expo is adding morenames and challenges to its exciting line up.

Held over the weekend of May 21 and 22 at theNEC, this show is an absolute must for anyonewho is interested in fitness, nutrition and train-ing. Not to mention the fantastic line up ofevents where you can actually take part.

What makes this show unlike any other is theopportunity to get up close and personal withthe top athletes, coaches and trainers. You cantake part in group exercise classes hosted byinternationally renowned trainer, Delvin Clarkeor watch the fantastic Strongman team compe-tition.

New interactive features for 2011 include:� Workout Zone � Healthy Eating Kitchen� Gymnastics Zone and Sports Performance

and Science Area Tickets start from £18. To book call 0844 581

0817 or visit www.bodypowerexpo.co.uk. QuoteCode WO2011 when booking.

BodyPower addsmore names

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TRX fever reached Liverpool FC some-time ago with the likes of top strikersTorres and Kuyt using the completetotal body workout tool to train for thenew season.

Incorporated by Liverpool FC’s headof coaching Darren Burgess in 2010,the whole Liverpool team use suspen-sion training as part of their fitnessregime in a bid to outmanoeuvre theiropponents on the pitch.

He said: “I think functional trainingsuch as that offered by the TRX allowsthe players to improve their strengthand power in a football-specific man-ner. Because there are no bars, platesor dumbbells the players can use theirown resistance in any plane and anymovement.”

So what are you waiting for? Why nottake your TRX to the pitch andincrease your sporting performance.

For more training tips, contact one of ourTRX experts today on 0800 458 5558.

Club opts forTRX tool

Staff attend major showKEEPING up with current trends issomething that Jordan Fitness pridesitself upon.

This is one of the reasons why salesmanager Zak Pitt and business devel-opment director Leon Rudge attend-ed the recent IHRSA Convention andTrade Show in the US.

Zak and Leon travelled with the FIAas IHRSA members and enjoyed net-working with other delegates andmeeting contacts. They returnedbrimming with new ideas and oppor-tunities.

The Jordan sales team also have avery busy April lined up as JordanFitness will be exhibiting at the FitproSpring Convention at LoughboroughUniversity on April 8–10.

The teamare then offto exhibit atFIBO inEssen,Germanyfrom April14 – 17 andat BodyPower Expoat the NEC,Birming-ham fromMay 21 – 22.

If you are not able to catch up withthe Jordan team while they are outand about you can contact sales@jor-danfitness.co.uk or visit www.jordan-fitness.co.uk for more information.

Photographs banned by dealerA GYM equipment provider hasbanned all cameras and mobilephone pictures from his warehouse.

Paul Marshman, of MarshmanFitness Equipment, said: “Myself andother dealers have got wise to poten-tial chancers taking snaps of equip-ment in our warehouses then stickingthem in adverts, especially Ebay,when they don’t even own the kit.

“Then they try to buy it off eithermyself or other dealers if they arelucky and get a punter to believe theyhold the stock.

“This really is fraudulent trading andI would like to warn gym owners thatif you wish to buy equipment make

sure yoursupplier hasstock other-wise yourtime sched-ule could gowrong.Imagineordering apiece ofequipmentonly to be let down because the so-called dealer couldn’t source it.

“Good luck to the chancers if theycan get away with it, but not from mywarehouse - we only sell what’s instock and don’t do shopping lists.”

DIET and fitness expert RosemaryConley has launched a new magazinefor people who are trying to loseweight.

The ‘A to Z of Calories’ gives thecalorie content of over 17,000 foodand drinks to help people make theright healthy eating choices whenthey are out and about.

The magazine also includes top tipsfrom Rosemary and diet plans forthose who need a motivating kickstart to dieting.

Rosemary said: “ This book will pro-vide the key to your weight loss suc-cess.

“Refer to Rosemary Conley's A to Zof Calories to help you choose mealsthat fit within your recommendedcalorie count.

“If you want to lose weight and inch-es faster I recommend that for the firsttwo weeks you stick to around 1200calories of low-fat food, so go forfoods under five per cent fat per 100g.

“By simply combining a low-cal,low-fat diet with regular exercise youwill look and feel fantastic."

Magazinelaunched tohelp peoplelose weight NEW nutrition plan targeting people

with diabetes has been launched byweight loss programme All AboutWeight.

The diet advice is aimed at helpingthose who suffer from the disease aswell as contributing to a solution tothe country’s diabetes crisis.

Will Williams, nutrition and fitnessadvisor for All About Weight, said:“Type 2 diabetes, which is stronglylinked to being overweight, isapproaching epidemic proportionsthroughout the UK.

“It is costing the NHS billions - dia-betes is spiralling out of control, yetsimple diet and lifestyle changes areall that is required for many.

“So we have taken the complexitiesout of what can be very complexplans.

“Eating little and often is the key,and this is what our D2 plan providesalong with healthy meaningful weightloss.

“People who have type 2 diabetesreally struggle to lose weight becausetheir condition makes it more difficultand also because they may be worriedabout what to eat and when to eat.

“There is plenty of good informationfrom GPs and the diabetes associa-tions, but much of it is quite generaland some people are not sure how toput it into practice in their lives, ortranslate it into a weight loss diet thatwill work for them.”

The D2 plan has been designed toinclude key foods known to reducecomplications of diabetes, such ascardiovascular disease, while provid-ing adequate, calorie counted nutri-tion.

It is also useful for people with pre-diabetes, metabolic syndrome andPolycystic Ovarian Syndrome becauseit is low GI and includes foods thatreduce the risk of developing theseconditions.

The plan uses a smaller energydeficit to produce slower, but stillclinically significant, weight loss thanother plans, meaning the client staysmotivated by the risk of hypogly-caemia is minimised.

The client is advised to eat small,nutrient dense meals and snacks atregular intervals to stabilise bloodsugar and control appetite.

New nutrition planoffers diet adviceto diabetics

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LOCKERS

LOCKERS

LOCKERS SOUND & VISION

EQUIPMENT

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WANTED

SERVICING

UPHOLSTERY

MANAGEMENT

TRAINING

MARKETING

FINANCE DIRECT DEBIT COLLECTIONS

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HYGIENE

SOFTWARE

NUTRITION

NUTRITION

SOFTWARE SUNBEDS

INSURANCE

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JOB VACANCY

FLOORING

BUDGET gym operator Pure Gym is toopen five new sites – including its firsttwo locations in London.

The Kennington and Wandsworthsites are due to open this Easter, join-ing new clubs in Warrington,Aberdeen and Edinburgh OceanTerminal.

Chief executive Peter Roberts said:“In these hard economic times, wefeel that pricing our gyms from £9.99per month without any commitmentto a contract is proving that memberscan continue to look after their healthand fitness without tying themselvesinto a long-term financial burden.

“One of our biggest challenges is toidentify and procure the most suitablesites by continuing to lease buildingsfrom both private and major institu-tional landlords.

“With a strong product offer andfunding in place to grow the brand,we are looking forward to deliveringambitious expansion plans for the UKin 2011.”

Pure to openfive new sites

Health club management contractor 3d Leisure has extended its management contract with Dublin’s Regency Hotel Leisure Club.Despite a current difficult economic climate, membership at the club – situated at the Regency Hotel – has grown from 450 to 1500 in justover 18 months.Hotel director James Mcgettigan said “3d have supported us in growing our membership to around 1,500, we are now aiming for 1,700members. They have been proactive in developing our marketing strategy and training our team to sell more memberships working to asales system that works.”The company is now looking for other clubs to work with in Ireland and is targeting three new contracts during 2011.

GREASLEY Sports and CommunityCentre has expanded its gym by 30per cent by adapting a former snook-er and table tennis area.

The extension of the LifestylesFitness Suite – operated by GreasleyParish Council – is the first phase of a

two year programme and has allowedthe club more space to increase itsfree weights area. The new strengtharea is kitted out with a selection ofPrecor equipment including barbells,dumbbells, an Olympic bench andthree additional benches.

Centre manager Rob Doughty said:“During the day it has proven to be apopular meeting place for the over50s. The gym extension should allowus to increase membership andencourage even more people to usethe facilities.”

Centre expands with new areasIf you have a storyfor Workout emailce@whpl.net orcontact oureditorial team on01226 734463.

To advertise inthis classifiedsection call01226 734615

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