healTh and fiTness


New gym unveiled at Cardiff leisure centre


Cardiff Council has unveiled a new gym facility at Maindy Centre, which has become the latest city venue to benefit from improvements to its fitness provision. A £55,000 refurbishment has been car-


ried out at the Maindy Centre, which has included the installation of new equipment from the Life Fitness Integrity range. Cross trainers, a recumbent bicycle and


treadmills are among the new machines installed at Maindy Centre, which follows similar refurbishment schemes at Pentwyn and Llanishen leisure centres.


Teen classes to be ‘major trend’


Te provision of sports and fitness activities for teenag- ers will be a “major trend” in 2012, according to health and racquet club operator David Lloyd Leisure (DLL). Exercise classes for young


people aged 11-to-17-years-old, such as zumba and boxercise, will be a “significant area of growth”. It is among a number of fitness trends identified for 2012, which also include PT ‘express’ workouts; padel ten- nis; and health products. To capitalise on the


Excerise classes for 11-to-17-year-olds are among DLL’s forecast trends


expected increase in provi- sion for young people, DLL has now launched Fitness Into Teens (FIT) for its members aged 11-years-old or older. FIT will feature multi- aquatics, to help 11-to-14-year-olds attain swimming qualifications and benefit from other water-based activities, as well as gym group exercise and fast track tennis.


Olympic hopeful Laura Gallagher at the opening


Fitness suite among new Bridgwater facilities


The dry facilities at Trinity Sports and Leisure Centre in Bridgwater, Somerset have opened to the public. Te opening of the new centre, which


is operated by the sports and leisure trust 1610 on behalf of Futures for Somerset, rep- resents the first phase of a major leisure development for the town. Included as part of the new centre is


a sports hall with courts for badminton, football, basketball and volleyball and a 50-station Technogym-equipped fitness suite, in addition to an exercise studio.


Plymouth’s £46.5m Life Centre to open in March


Plymouth City Council and Everyone Active have announced that plans are being put in place to open the new £46.5m Life Centre to the public on 23-25 March 2012. It follows the confirmation from contrac-


tor Balfour Beatty that the Archial-designed facility is now due to be officially handed over to Everyone Active on 27 February. Balfour Beatty told the local authority in


early November that a “number of factors” had led to the need to revise the contract completion date, including delays in acquir- ing materials from Europe.


4 DLL’s Sarah Hobbs said: “Research has


shown that many children abandon regular exercise and sports activities when they reach their teens. It is important that teenagers are offered programmes teaching them new skills that they find enjoyable and exciting, as well as allowing them to make new friends.”


Green light for new King’s Cross facility


A new leisure facility is to be built in King’s Cross, London, as part of a building housing a number of public services in one location aſter planning permission was granted. King’s Cross Central


Limited Partnership (KCCLP) are behind the plans for the Tree Pancras Square devel- opment, which were given the green light by Camden Council on 3 November. The council is working


with KCCLP to deliver the LA Architects-designed proj- ect, which is to incorporate a two-floor sports centre with a gym equipped with more than 100 stations, a 25m, five-lane swimming pool; a small recreational lagoon- style pool; a poolside spa area with sauna and steamroom; and two exercise studios.


A gym with more than 100 stations is earmarked as part of the scheme Meanwhile, the proposed development will


also house a number of other local author- ity-run operations, including a library and a customer contact centre, and will help save £77m on maintaining existing sites.


Experts call for mandatory ‘physical literacy’ tests


Leading sports medicine specialists are calling for the introduction of mandatory “physical literacy” tests in schools to help children with health problems and identify future talent. Dr Andrew Franklyn-Miller told the BBC that the “physical competence” of young people


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital


has been jeopardised by the failure to give PE the same priority as other school subjects. Franklyn-Miller said testing helps to iden-


tify those children who struggle with maths or English, but not for physical development, cardiovascular fitness or co-ordination.


Twitter: @leisureopps © CYBERTREK 2011


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24