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www.healthclubmanagement.co.uk edited by tom walker. email:
tomwalker@leisuremedia.com PEOPLE PROFILE jason ziel
Personal trainer Jason Ziel owns and operates the Healthworks Fitness Studio in Stratford-Upon-Avon, which he set up with his father in 1994
How many years have you worked in the health and fi tness industry? Since I was 21 – so 18 years.
How has your career progressed I began as a fi tness instructor for The Metropolitan Club, a hotel-based chain. I was promoted to assistant manager and then worked as part of the management team at the Cardiff club, which was the fi rst private/public operation in conjunction with the Welsh National Tennis Centre. Within that time I took a year out to
travel and worked as a multi-activity instructor for PGL holidays and a PADI Divemaster in Muscat, Oman. My father and I had been participating
in sport for many years and we became aware that the health club concept was a growth market and that our hometown was perfect to expand the number of facilities offering such services.
You set up Healthworks in 1994 with your dad – was it your fi rst business venture? It was my fi rst venture but my dad had been in business for many years. Healthworks was conceived not only out of opportunity but also in response to increasingly dictatorial demands and constraints from existing suppliers in an established motor trade business. We terminated the vehicle sales operation and opened Healthworks, reaching capacity in 13 months.
At Healthworks, you don’t believe in one-off inductions and then promoting PT. Why not? This is an emotive point shared by all of us who work at Healthworks. While it may increase revenue for the club, I believe removing gym fl oor instructors and replacing them with PTs can undermine your service to members. There’s often so much competition for clients that individuals can feel they are sales targets rather than members. That said, I’m not
october 2011 © cybertrek 2011
against external PTs using a club, as they provide a reliable revenue stream. If a member needs help and advice, we
operate a minimum of four sessions (induction plus three programme show- rounds). For most, this is enough to make them feel comfortable to exercise at the club. If they need more support, we keep the process going. We let them have a number of sessions by themselves and then book in a ‘programme check’, which allows us to identify any exercises they may be performing incorrectly. More importantly it’s a prime opportunity to build a relationship with that member.
How can the fi tness sector fi t within preventative healthcare? Apathy towards general health, the sheer volume of confl icting information from the media and lack of education to the public ensures this will be a challenging role. There should be a move from fi tness instructors and personal trainers to ‘prescriptive’ trainers’. These would be highly qualifi ed individuals who provide specifi c exercise and health schedules rather than general routines, and who would work in conjunction with other health professionals.
What’s the number one weakness in the fi tness industry? The perception of many entering the industry that it’s just about getting qualifi ed and becoming an instructor or PT. They’re not prepared for the commitment they need to make to clients if they want to retain them as customers. We have the ability to have remarkable and life-changing effects on people. They trust their health and vulnerability to us, and fortunately for those professionals that succeed there is a high earning potential in good health.
If you have any stories for inclusion, please email them to us at
newsdesk@leisuremedia.com
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Rob Beale Group Health & Fitness Manager David Lloyd Leisure
OPERATOR INDEPENDENT
OPERATO M3 INDOORINDEPENDE
CYCLE M5
ELLIPTICAL AIR RESISTANCE RANGE
Keiser UK Ltd
0845 612 1102
www.keiseruk.com
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