HEALTH & FITNESS
€12m growth funding for Fitness Hut in Portugal
Low-cost operator Fitness Hut has announced it completed a trans- action with Portuguese investment fund Oxy Capital in July, provid- ing access to E12m (US$16.2m, £9.4m) of growth funding. The funding has been made
available via mezzanine fi nancing, meaning that Fitness Hut’s own- ers have avoided dilution. The chain currently has seven operational clubs in Portugal and one in pre- sale that will open in the fi rst half of September in the Lisbon Expo area. Fitness Hut co-founder Nick Coutts says: “During 2015, we will be opening an average of one club per month, to reach 20 in total.” Read more:
http://lei.sr?a=S8w9P
CEO Andy Cosslett is overseeing a £270m global makeover and planning major expansions in Asia Fired-up Fitness First sets sights on London domination Sébastien Foucan at a recent summit
Gyms still have ‘lots to learn from Parkour’
Despite the growing shift towards functional training, gyms can still learn plenty from Parkour, according to one of the movement’s pioneers. Sébastien Foucan – who famously showcased his high-octane skills in the opening sequence to James Bond fi lm Casino Royale – has espoused the benefi ts Parkour and related movements like freerun- ning can offer in promoting physical activity. He said the industry “still has much to learn from Parkour,” particularly in developing fl uid move- ments to connect each isolated exercise, as well as embracing activity in any given environment. Read more:
http://lei.sr?a=q4d4M
ISSUE 4 2014 © cybertrek 2014
Fitness First has announced it will dou- ble the pace of its UK and Australia club transformation programme – citing encour- aging business results – as the gym chains bids to ignite a roaring recovery. The company is reporting the fi rst growth in UK membership since 2009, with revenues up by between 5 and 15 per cent in each of the 19 UK clubs to have been rebranded so far this year, prompting the decisive march forward. As a result, 66 UK clubs and 50 clubs in Australia will be transformed by the end of 2014. Of the rebranded sites, two of the stand- out performers have been the Tottenham
Court Road and South Kensington clubs. Encouraged by this, Fitness First is now looking for potential sites predominantly in central London amid plans to open up to 10 new clubs over the next fi ve years. The strategy came into force with the recent launch of the new fl agship Bishopsgate Fitness First – the gym chain’s fi rst new opening since its scrape with administration in 2012. The site boasts a raft of innovative equipment and looks set to rival the two ‘tech-savvy’ London offerings recently announced by close competitor Virgin Active. Read more:
http://lei.sr?a=A3M3q
Have scientists cracked the brain’s code for motivation? The dorsal medial habenula could hold the key
Scientists may have discovered the brain section responsible for exercise motivation. The research, conducted by scientists at both the Seattle Children’s Research Institute’s Centre for Integrative Brain Research and the University of Washington, has concluded that the dorsal medial habenula section of the brain controls the desire to exercise in mice. When activated through optogenetics, the scientists found an increase in activity among the mice, prompting calls for further research. Read more:
http://lei.sr?a=a5u3F
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