ONBOARD ENTERTAINMENT
The fitness witness Jeremy Clark talks fitness and fatness with Sally Dollas at APEX in Long Beach
Those who know me will understand when i tell you that exercise is not number one on my list of things to do. I take the view that the muscular activity required to chew my breakfast and walk to the car is more than adequate to keep me fit and healthy, and it also kills two birds with one stone. So you can imagine that being asked to interview a company specialising in fitness and wellness videos for inflight is inviting trouble. Well, it turns out, not so, because the delightful Sally Dollas, founder and director of Uplifted, and I got along just fine.
One look at the two of us together and you can immediately see that my 'Bacon Sandwich plus Dash To Car' regime is frankly not working. Sally is the epitome of fitness and energy, a large part of which is focused on building this new programme of offerings to airlines. Assisted by her friend, Sarah Cole, Uplifted tailor-makes fitness and wellbeing videos focused to the brand and passenger profile of specific airlines. This is no easy task as airlines carry a wide range of potential users of the video from the ‘I’ll Take The Celery Stick Please' types to the less active ‘Mine’s A Pizza Please’ type. So, why is this necessary? As Sally points out, sitting still for long periods has a range of issues not least cramps, aching limbs and a general feeling of lethargy and sometimes depression. Simple muscular stimulation releases serotonins into the blood stream which make you feel fitter, happier and calmer.
JC: What type of exercises do you choose, given the range of passenger types? SD: We select a range of stretching, breathing and holding exercises from different genres of exercises including Tai-Chi, Pilates and Qi-Gong. People can choose which suits them best.
How do you design programmes that avoid the exercising passenger disrupting those around them? The exercises are carefully designed and based on individual airlines' needs, so seat size and proximity are taken into account.
Do programmes differ for different classes? It’s one thing to be able to do aqua-aerobics in First and quite another if you’re stuffed into a jam-jar in the back. This does present a problem. Having different programmes for classes presents additional cost pressure on the airline so we do our best to design a programme which is acceptable to passengers in all areas.
How about the frequent flyer? Within our offering is the possibility for refreshers which update the programme with new exercises on a regular basis. But the main issue is to tailor the whole programme to the airline’s brand. It must be seen by the passenger as a
One way to get to know your fellow passengers
part of the airline’s overall product and blend seamlessly into the image the airline is trying to convey. This includes the music we choose to accompany the exercises.
Sally concedes that the percentage of passengers who watch inflight well-being videos by comparison to the rest of the IFE offering is relatively low. She believes this is because most people don’t relate to the person, and the exercise regime they see, or the environment and music accompanying it. Sally and Sarah’s commitment to the project is built around a genuine want to change the way people think about exercise in general. One look at the pair of them convinced me that maybe I better rethink those bacon sandwiches!
www.uplifted.com.au
www.onboardhospitality.com 63
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