This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
JUNE 2013 LETTERS WRITE TO REPLY


Do you have a strong opinion or disagree with somebody else’s views on the industry? If so, we’d love to hear from you – email: healthclub@leisuremedia.com


Free vibration therapy sessions for MS sufferers


I’m writing regarding your recent article (HCM April 13, p71) which mentioned vibration therapy’s potential benefits for Multiple Sclerosis sufferers.


My organisation, Borders Sport & Leisure, is a social enterprise responsible for the operation of 14 leisure facilities in the Scottish Borders. As part of our vision to improve lives


through physical activity and sport, we’ve been working with the MS Society Borders over a number of years to trial vibration machines in the management of MS symptoms. A pilot study we ran in


association with the MS Society found that vibration training could improve a range of functions in MS sufferers, including muscular power, strength and mobility. Subsequent analysis using the sporta Impact and Social Value Toolkit indicates a potential 4:1 ROI in terms of social value for every £1 invested into vibration


h and mo . Subs


technology therapy for MS sufferers.


As a result, we’ve recently entered


into a new agreement with the MS Society in


the Borders to provide MS


sufferers with free access, for the next three years, to vibration therapy at three of our leisure facilities. I’d like to urge other operators


to consider opportunities to work with charitable organisations in a similar way. Such partnerships can see equipment put to new use and enable MS sufferers to experience


6


Vibration therapy: MS sufferer Donna McKay at Teviotdale centre


exercise benefits – and the accompanying social opportunities that attending a gym can bring.


Ewan Jackson CEO, Borders Sport & Leisure


Read Health Club Management online at healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital June 2013 © Cybertrek 2013


Full-service fi tness serves clients best I completely agree with Kate Cracknell that group exercise needs TLC to ensure it continues to bring results for providers and their clients (see editor’s letter, HCM April 13, p3). However, I struggle to see how the new generation of group exercise-only venues will ever be more than a niche market. Classes should never be seen as an


add-on: they are key and core to leisure centres. We give classes top priority: over 40 per cent of our customers regularly participate in group exercise, and we offer 80–90 classes a week at many sites. The ‘focused fitness’ model makes


sense to ensure the best-of-the-best is available; multi-purpose operators can learn from the trend towards bespoke exercise by ensuring all aspects of their gyms and group/studio programmes remain innovative in their own right. However, very few of our members


do just one type of exercise, combining gym with classes, swimming with group cycling. As an industry, we advocate a variety of training for all-round fitness, and we should offer that variety in one place to allow people to cross-train effectively and time-efficiently. The ‘future of fitness’, I’d suggest, is


full-service fitness done well: this will prevail over more niche offerings.


Michelle Bletso Group exercise development manager, Everyone Active


Group exercise in a full service setting remains a desirable offering


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  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84