HEALTH & FITNESS


Internet giant Amazon eyes wearable tech push


Online retailer Amazon appears poised for a further push into the wearable tech- nology sector, with the company set to increase investment and staff at its secre- tive hardware operations unit Lab126. Recent reports suggest the retailer is


looking to add close to 4,000 people to its Silicon Valley-based division in the next five years, with U£34m in funding being poured into the lab. Earlier this year, Amazon opened its own dedicated online store to wearables, with the UK’s wear- able technology shopfront offering a wide range of wearable devices, including activity trackers, smartwatches and smart glasses. Details: http://lei.sr?a=H2p7v


Pure Gym sets sights on London


Pure Gym has joined a num- ber of high-profile UK gym chains in setting its sights on dominating the capital’s fitness market by announcing a raſt of new health clubs in the coming months. Having opened in October,


Pure Gym Hammersmith has become the chain’s third larg- est gym in the UK and biggest in London, while four further openings will take the total number of Pure Gyms in the capital to 13 by the end of 2014. Pure Gym’s pitch for the


potentially lucrative London market comes at the same time as rivals Virgin Active, Fitness First, LA fitness and Nuffield Health are all making moves to enhance their presence in the resurgent capital city. Pure Gym’s new Hammersmith site – to


Pure Gym founder and CEO Peter Roberts is on the hunt for more sites


week, plus specialist classes such as Zumba. “Te demand for affordable fitness is still


be followed by gyms in Finsbury Park, North Finchley, Greenwich and Bermondsey – covers a total of 23,621sq ſt (2,194sq m) and features more than 220 pieces of gym equipment from longstanding supplier Matrix Fitness. It will also offer 80 free classes per


Te ‘urban’ décor features timber and wall murals


Indie gym fuses fitness with physiotherapy clinic


A new independent health club in Christchurch, Dorset, is bidding to bring healthcare and fitness under one roof as part of an enhanced integrative offering. Manoj Patel, a chartered physiother-


apist, is the brains behind Urban Health and Fitness – a health club venture which aims to provide a joint package of care to members through qualified PTs and a team of physiotherapists and chiropractors. In addition to around 165 exercise classes a month, the facility – which opened at the start of September – offers specialised back care Pilates classes as it bids to cater for as wide a market as it possibly can. “Our focus is on engaging people who


want to change lifestyles,” said Patel. “At some point, people will consider a more active lifestyle and we offer a solution.” The 3,200sq ft (297sq m) gym fea-


tures a range of cardio machines (from Bodycharger in Taipei) and resistance machines (from Shanxi Yeekang Fitness products in China) which Patel sourced during his visit to FIBO 2013 in Germany. Details: http://lei.sr?a=q5U2G


6 Algar: Clubs under threat from microgyms


Traditional health clubs offering a broad selection of activities at a mid-range price are at serious risk of having their business ‘salami- sliced’ away by a new breed of specialised competitors. That was


the view of


respected industry analyst Ray Algar during his recent address at the IHRSA Europe Congress in Amsterdam. He said activity providers


must decide whether they wish to pursue the path of low-cost self-service gyms, which have been a big success story in recent years, or go-down the path of offering a high-quality support structure for their clients – as found in the new wave of microgyms – if they are to survive and thrive in a changing marketplace. Te traditional mid-market gyms that are


growing in London and we are continually on the hunt for more sites in the capital,” said Pure Gym founder and CEO Peter Roberts. Te chain currently operates 72 gyms in the


UK with 90 set to be open before the end of the year as it bids to continue its expansion fol- lowing the failed merger with Te Gym Group earlier this year. Details: http://lei.sr?a=K2Q2U


Microgyms like Athlete Lab are giving big clubs serious competition


charging an average of £42 a month in the UK may find that small chunks of their mem- bers will be lost to low-cost competitors and microgyms specialising in the activities they


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


most prefer – such as yoga, functional train- ing or group cycling – until the business is no longer viable, Algar added, noting 120 private gyms are closing in the UK every year. Whichever path traditional gyms choose,


he concluded, they must be clear in their approach and embrace innovation if they are to succeed. Details: http://lei.sr?a=v9k6X


Twitter: @leisureopps © CYBERTREK 2014


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