Together, the medical and fitness worlds have a huge opportunity to foster the genuine belief that exercise is medicine
keep this in perspective, and be wary not to disproportionately change our fundamental product in response. We need to continue to offer a core product that has broad segmental appeal and that, although providing for these trends, still keeps the overall provision well balanced. Natalie Cornish We need to be careful not to jump on the ‘next big thing’. There’s also a danger that the sedentary population jumps head-first into ‘quick win’ intensive programmes such as INSANITY and CrossFit, risking injury and exposing themselves to a negative experience of physical activity, which could have long-term implications. Nicholas Hymas, Fitness First Dubai (input from the floor) I agree that functional training is not for everyone, but in Dubai we’re proving that it can be hugely successful if implemented and managed correctly. The key to success is education.
Instructing somebody in how to perform functional movements safely and effectively undoubtedly requires more time investment and more instructor skill than instructing somebody in how to use a fi xed weight or cardio machine. However, once the education of instructors is
January 2014 © Cybertrek 2014
recognised as a core need, and given the necessary time and investment, the functional training concept can work. We’re proving this. Rory McGown, GYMetrix (input from the floor) Our research shows that in many gyms, functional training spaces are under- used, with more people still using fixed weight and cardio equipment. It’s a training issue – operators need to invest in instructor education to maximise usage of these spaces.
Q
What do you consider to be the biggest opportunity for
our sector going forward? Frank Gueguen Working more closely with doctors and government so that fitness appears on their agenda. This will help the sector reach a much wider audience. The sector also has an opportunity to promote the wider benefits of exercise beyond the physical. This will also help engage a bigger audience. Natalie Cornish Development of products that enable our brands to engage with and influence behaviours of individuals who may never visit our clubs. This is now possible through the use of activity tracking systems and online communities.
Tim Foster To create genuine belief that exercise is medicine. In order to deliver this, the sector needs credible, academically sound, evidence-based research to convince private investors, commercial partners and in particular the government that it can make a valuable contribution to the wider health agenda. The work of ukactive’s Research Institute will hopefully be transformational in this respect. Kevin Yates Upskilling our workforce. To be taken seriously by government, community partners and the medical profession, we need to be confident we’re delivering a professional service. ukactive is placing us at the table with the right people, but we need to be confident that we have the skills to deliver. Over the last few years, our company
has worked with Lifetime to access signifi cant sums of government funding to train our staff, but it’s not enough. In addition to training front of house staff, pool lifeguards and gym instructors, we also need to invest in our management teams. Working with organisations like CIMSPA, we need to create and deliver management qualifi cations that provide our managers with the skills they will need to take this sector forward. ●
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healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital 75
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