News and jobs updated daily on
www.healthclubmanagement.co.uk Edited by Tom Walker Email:
tomwalker@leisuremedia.com THE FUTURE TOUCH PEOPLE PROFILE Charles Eugster
Eugster is a bodybuilder who has spoken on wellness at TED, starred in a music video and who acts as an ambassador for fi tness. He’s also 93 years old and only started exercising four years ago
You are 93 and remarkably fi t. What’s your secret? The secret of successful ageing is work, diet, exercise, in that order of importance.
Have you always been into fi tness/sport/wellness? I only started fitness training at the age of 89!
Is enough being done to promote active lifestyles among older people? No. The main problem is the fact that too little is known. Research on physical activity, diet or even the effect of work on health in old age is practically non- existent above the age of 70. It’s a shocking fact that there are far too few healthy individuals above the age of 80 to able to conduct meaningful research. Responsibility rests with research facilities and promotion by government, as well as health agencies.
Are private health clubs doing enough to attract older people as members? Most private health clubs do little or nothing to attract older people as members, in spite of the fact that this group has the time and money to work out.
What could/should clubs do? Older people prefer to train in groups of their own age, and ideally the coaches should be of the same age group
too.More importantly, older members should be tested, goals set and then re-tested at regular intervals, with the results sent to their physician. These results would become part of the patient’s medical history. Club membership could, in certain cases – like it is in Japan – be restricted to those aged over 70, or there could be an off-peak membership for the elderly. Treatment of disease by exercise is
receiving more attention by the medical profession, but there is an extreme lack of co-operation between physicians and health clubs. This represents a huge opportunity.
January 2013 © Cybertrek 2013
Almost all over-65s have one or more chronic diseases. Some clubs in Germany are already licensed to treat diabetes with exercise. Clubs could certainly offer more along these lines, perhaps setting up a food service together with supplements. There’s so much more that clubs could
do to attract more older people, and I’d be happy to discuss individually with every leisure chain CEO what could be benefi cial.
How often do you exercise yourself? The amount and type of exercise depends on my goals. At present I’m aiming for the World Masters Championship next year in athletics and rowing, and I’m currently training three to four times a week.
If you were given free rein as health minister, what would you change? If the health minister were a dictator, food rationing would be an option to combat obesity. As health minister, I would drastically cut health insurance for the obese. Also a belly tax could be considered. We’re facing medical costs that will be so dramatic that a new health system will have to devised.
What are your views on GP referrals? GPs prescribing exercise to patients is the future, but the fitness industry is not ready. Coaches must have the necessary training, and the exercise treatment must be covered by health insurance.
What is the number one weakness in the fi tness industry? It has many, but number one is the lack of a positive public profile, followed by the unprecedented turnover of members.
And its greatest strength? The greatest strength of the fitness industry is that it has huge potential.
What is your favourite life motto? “Trifles make perfection, but perfection is no trifle.”
©2013 Life Fitness, a division of Brunswick Corporation. All rights reserved. Life Fitness is a trademark of Brunswick Corporation.
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