HEALTH & FITNESS


Wearable Bite Counter bids to improve eating habits


A new piece of wearable kit has been devel- oped to stop people from overeating, with the Bite Counter looking to provide a rem- edy to the developed world’s obesity crisis. The counter has been designed as a


wristwatch to detect, count and display the number of bites its wearer takes each day, in a bid to prevent them from eating too much. Te device uses wrist-motion tracking to


count bites and estimate calories, while an alarm buzzer can be set to allow users to be warned when they’re reaching their daily bite count. Te device was developed by research- ers at South Carolina’s Clemson University and can be used to build up a food profile log. Details: http://lei.sr?a=C5E3F


Heartcore bets on boom in classes


Te co-founder of group fit- ness studio chain Heartcore Fitness has revealed ambitious expansion plans as the busi- ness bids to cash in on a sector that is “about to explode.” Speaking exclusively to


Leisure Opportunities, co- founder Brian Schuring said the chain hopes to have nine London locations in place by the end of the year – there are currently five – but is also looking further afield. “We’ve been working really


All Heartcore classes are designed in-house by Jess Schuring


hard in recent years to refine the business and our product to warrant scal- ing it up, and now there’s a cluster of growth scheduled in London aſter 18 months of scour- ing the market for suitable properties,” said Schuring. “15 London sites would proba- bly be the saturation point for our business in London. But we’re close to securing an exciting partnership that would enable us to expand across the UK and possibly into major financial centres across the world.” The business was founded in 2007 by


Brian and Jess Schuring – once married, now good friends and business partners. Brian’s


Harry Sowerby started the company in 1999


BMF swells ranks with the return of original founder


Harry Sowerby, original founder of British Military Fitness (BMF), is returning as chair, 11 years aſter leaving to be a section commander in Iraq and Afghanistan. He first conceived the BMF concept while


working on the set of Hollywood block- buster Saving Private Ryan. Having recently completed his Army PTI (Physical Training Instructors) course, Sowerby was asked if he would be interested in setting up a company to deliver British Army-style fitness classes in parks across London, prompting the first class to be held in Hyde Park in April 1999. Aſter nearly five years of heavy involve-


ment, Sowerby leſt the company to serve his country in 2003, later joining Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR) as project man- ager, providing support on all Ministry of Defence sites across Afghanistan. As the operation in Afghanistan started


to draw to a close in 2014, Sowerby decided to return to BMF in a full-time role as chair, though he remains a serving member of Army reserve battalion 7 Rifles, with the rank of sergeant in the Mortar Platoon. Details: http://lei.sr?a=E9H5h


8 Think tank: GPs should prescribe fitness classes


Tink-tank Policy Exchange has suggested that the UK government pilots a scheme to allow GPs to refer patients to non-clinical sources of sup- port, such as fitness classes that are held in local parks. Te mooted idea would see


the patient pay a standard pre- scription charge, while the relevant clinical commission- ing group would fund the rest of the cost, providing different options for the Department of Health and local providers to tackle key health issues and get to grips with growing levels of obesity. Te argument that physical activity can help


manage chronic illnesses and prevent the devel- opment of serious diseases is growing in weight following increasing amounts of research. Such is the importance of solving the inac-


tivity crisis in the UK that key stakeholders have been holding discussion on poten- tial solutions across the UK. Te suggestion from Policy Exchange could open up oppor- tunities for local leisure providers to make


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


background in private equity and hedge fund investment is combined with Jess’s fitness expertise honed from her time working as a celebrity Beverly Hills personal trainer. Offering a wide range of customised classes,


Schuring is confident of the chain’s longevity. “We’re well positioned to move forward in


this market. People say high intensity group exercise is a fad that will be gone in two years, but I think we’re only 10-20 per cent of the way towards the market maturation. We think this market is about to explode,” he added. Details: http://lei.sr?a=b2v3y


GPs could potentially refer patients to exercise classes in parks


greater use of the new roles placed upon them. Policy Exchange has also suggested an idea that would see volunteers who take time to clean and maintain local parks, allotments and cemeteries, rewarded with council tax rebates. A recent study highlighted the positive impact


green spaces can have on the health of urban dwellers, with the report suggesting that green spaces have a better impact on mid to long- term mental wellbeing than winning the lottery. Details: http://lei.sr?a=Z6u6c


Twitter: @leisureopps © CYBERTREK 2014


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