outdoor fi tness
JAMES WILD head of training Premier Global
of reasons, from cost to general enjoyment, not to mention the various health benefits that training outdoors brings to the exerciser. However, the majority of clubs
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remain completely focused on delivering exercise and fi tness under one roof, where they’re in control of the environment – from heating to lighting, music and so on. Clubs can also be risk averse, and there are certainly more risks when it comes to training outside. To offer outdoor fi tness, operators
would need to change the model for delivery, requiring a cultural change from senior management. There are trainers who are willing to move members outside the four walls of the gym, but there is a resistance to do this from management. From a training point of view, we
teach ‘training outside of the gym environment’ as part of the Advanced Diploma in Personal Training. Although commercial gyms are still popular places for our graduates to fi nd employment, we’re noticing that many more are opting to set up their own personal training businesses using parks and local spaces to work with clients. One benefi t of this is fi nancial, as there is no ground rent and they can set their own prices. Delivery of outdoor training
relies on an imaginative trainer, as there’s limited equipment – only the resources they bring along and those from their surroundings. However, this can lead to fun sessions for both client and trainer. With the right ideas and motivation, you can fi nd everything you need to get the most from your exercise programme: benches, trees, railings, steps and hills all provide a varied ‘gym’.
here’s no question that more people are opting to train outdoors for a number
Nordic Walking reduces pressure on facilities at peak times
MIKE ROLLASON director Nordic Walking UK
very slow in embracing the opportunity of adapting their skills for the outdoors. I think this is because the business model that currently drives the industry assumes that the building and the equipment are the key assets, whereas the outdoor fitness model is completely the opposite: the key assets are the instructors and the programmes. If you look back over the past 10 to
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12 years, we haven’t really increased market penetration – there’s just a churn of people leaving and joining. As an industry, we need to look past the 12 per cent – the self-motivated few who enjoy the gym in its traditional sense. The model has to adapt and evolve. We brought Nordic Walking to the
UK fi ve years ago to provide a product that could appeal to those who are not attracted to exercising in facilities. It originally came from a summer training regime for cross-country skiers in Scandinavia, but we’ve developed it away from performance coaching to become
trainers are willing to move members outside but there’s a resistance to do this from management
44 Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
he UK fitness industry has been intrinsically geared towards the delivery of exercise indoors and
a fi tness discipline with a variety of programmes for different markets. Our delivery model is different
from traditional fi tness programming. Instructors are trained in how to empathise with clients who are intimidated by the usual fi tness terminology, and how to access new markets that the fi tness industry has so far failed to attract. We’ve trained more than 2,500 instructors for 100 local projects in the UK, taking the industry’s expertise to the community. This clearly demonstrates that there’s demand. The FIA’s hard work at government
level is presenting one of the greatest opportunities our industry has ever experienced. Operators need to start delivering programmes appropriate to the health market and embrace the concept of becoming a community hub, or others from outside our industry will capture this opportunity from under our noses. With budgets being cut, many organisations have the physical activity agenda on their radar as an alternative method of accessing funding. Nordic Walking is extremely easy to
james wild
implement. In addition to attracting a new audience, it reduces pressure on facilities at peak times by taking existing members outside and enables you to set up a satellite class/offering. As the majority of people will only travel 12 minutes to their nearest point of exercise, an outdoor solution can help increase your community penetration.
may 2011 © cybertrek 2011
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