03 May 2016

Exercise vs diabetes

by Kate Cracknell

The fitness and physical activity sector has been given another exciting opportunity to prove itself in the preventative healthcare arena: a new NHS-led national Diabetes Prevention Programme called Healthier You [more...]

07 Apr 2016

Prevention in the spotlight

by Kate Cracknell

These are the facts: around 40 per cent of all deaths in England are linked to bad lifestyle choices, and NHS England spends more than £11bn a year treating illnesses caused by the effects of bad diet, inactivity, smoking and alcohol consumption. This is the stark reality of the health crisis in the UK – one that’s mirrored in many other countries around the world. [more...]

05 Feb 2016

When sport meets fitness

by Kate Cracknell

Sport is just one part of a far larger entity that is physical activity, observed Jennie Price at the ukactive Summit in November – hardly a shocking revelation in itself, but nevertheless an interesting perspective coming from the CEO of Sport England, whose mission up to this point has been to develop grassroots sport across the UK. [more...]

05 Jan 2016

Upgrading the industry

by Kate Cracknell

The National Living Wage is coming, and operators across the UK will be trying to work how they can afford it. It will certainly be a challenge in a sector that has long relied on fairly low-paid staff, but we believe it presents an interesting opportunity to upgrade the industry. [more...]

06 Nov 2015

Earning loyalty in 2015

by Kate Cracknell

Are contracts really the key driver of member loyalty, as numerous retention reports have stated over the years? ukactive’s latest Business Performance Benchmarking report suggests not – or at least, no longer. It found that gyms with a minimum 12-month fixed-term contract saw an average membership length of 11.2 months – far shorter than the 17.2-month average enjoyed by gyms that didn’t require a 12-month commitment and that offered more flexible contract lengths. [more...]

01 Oct 2015

Active Every Day

by Kate Cracknell

The health and fitness industry is failing to capitalise on one of the greatest opportunities it’s ever had, according to Liz Terry, editor of Health Club Management’s sister magazine Leisure Management. [more...]

11 Sep 2015

Designing for dementia

by Kate Cracknell

We know society is ageing. We know exercise offers the potential of a healthier – as well as a longer – life. The problem is, by classifying anyone over the age of 50 as 'old', the fitness industry is missing a trick. [more...]

05 Aug 2015

Demographics are dead

by Kate Cracknell

It’s no longer possible to predict consumer behaviour based on long-accepted demographic norms – age, gender, income and so on. That was the clear message coming out of the recent London Trend Seminar, run by global agency trendwatching.com. [more...]

30 Jun 2015

The power of positivity

by Kate Cracknell

When it comes to member feedback, clubs have a great opportunity to move beyond simply responding to the negative – addressing the causes of complaints – and into fully maximising the value of positive comments. Operators that understand how to harness the power of such feedback can take a step on from merely meeting expectations, instead exceeding them at every turn. [more...]

02 Jun 2015

Is fit now offensive?

by Kate Cracknell

Fitness industry take heed: some of today’s consumers see images of fit, toned bodies not as aspirational and motivating, but rather as offensive and discriminatory. At least, that’s what the recent furore over Protein World’s ‘Are you beach body ready?’ ad campaign would have us believe. [more...]

28 Apr 2015

Use research to inspire

by Kate Cracknell

The world of scientific research can seem impenetrable at times – lengthy papers full of Greek letters and shorthand – but it’s a world we should get to grips with, because it offers new avenues to explore as we develop concepts, services and messaging to engage both members and prospects. [more...]

01 Apr 2015

Working alongside GPs

by Kate Cracknell

Recent Ipsos MORI research has revealed that 57 per cent of people in the UK would ask a doctor, GP or nurse for health advice, but only 1 per cent would turn to a gym or personal trainer. That’s disappointing given that 13 per cent of the UK population are members of a gym – people who ostensibly have bought into the whole notion of the gym as a place to improve their health. So what more can we do to establish our credentials, not just as a place to work out but as a credible health partner? [more...]

03 Mar 2015

Making activity normal

by Kate Cracknell

We want to get the nation fit and active, and to achieve this we must understand the environmental and social factors that reinforce certain behaviours at a subconscious level. We can’t simply give people information and expect them to change their behaviour. [more...]

06 Feb 2015

Food for thought

by Kate Cracknell

Imagine a scenario where everyone knows exactly how to look after their bodies. Where people are aware of their precise individual nutritional needs, as well as the best exercise programming for their body type. And imagine a scenario where they’re getting all this knowledge and guidance from their health club. [more...]

05 Jan 2015

A new call to action

by Kate Cracknell

Young or old, disabled or able-bodied, fit or unfit, the brief is clear: we should all be active on a daily basis. This is the unambiguous and very welcome message from Public Health England (PHE) in Everybody Active, Every Day – its recently published national framework designed to combat inactivity. Hear, hear PHE. In their bold simplicity, the four words ‘everybody active, every day’ become more than just the name of the framework – they become a rallying cry for the fitness sector as a whole. [more...]

13 Nov 2014

Being socially useful

by Kate Cracknell

Has your organisation recognised the value of being genuinely useful to its community – not settling for ‘doing good by helping people get healthy’, but actually putting community interests at the heart of the business? [more...]