Fuel the debate about issues and opportunities across the industry. We’d love to hear from you – [email protected]

I don’t like the fitness industry much. It often does a poor job of serving its clientele and supporting its professionals.

In my view, the nation’s mental and physical health is at an all-time low and the commercial gym model is – in many cases – contributing to a cycle of unused memberships and unhappy staff who are overworked and underpaid.

The focus for many of the top players in the industry is on making money, rather then having a genuine intent to improve their clients’ lives.

Commercial gyms charge members a fee to essentially gain entry to a building and have access to the equipment in it. While this can be beneficial for some, the majority have no idea of what exercises they should be doing, how to lift safely and correctly and what other lifestyle changes they should be making.

In the average gym, many of the people who sign up never actually go and others leave when they don’t attain the results they’d hoped for.

In my view there’s no hiding that the industry need a serious rethink, which is why fellow PT Richard Malpass and I have co-founded Factr, a group personal training facility offering a community-driven approach to fill the gap between PT studios and commercial gyms.

We observed the lack of support given to gym-goers by operators running commercial gyms and the fact that these memberships don’t provide any sense of community, camaraderie or accountability, which are all proven to result in a more enjoyable and effective fitness journey.

We have a genuine intent to improve the quality of service to our clients, and Factr was born to be the missing link in a broken chain. We treat every member as thought they’re part of the family and we have a genuine desire to help and support them.

It not just clients who are failing to get the service they deserve in mainstream gyms; we’ve seen firsthand how trainers are facing burnout, with many leaving the industry. This is because PTs are forced to set up their own businesses and go self-employed due to a lack of opportunities to take a role as an employees.

Many don’t know this before they do their training and aren’t prepared to start their own business and a brand-new career path; many also receive little or no support and are thrown onto the gym floor without much guidance.

At Factr we’re doing things differently. Our PTs are full-time, they’re employed and they’re supported by us from day one to grow and succeed, with clear career direction and purpose, as well as the opportunity to upskill and progress.

Our entire business model is designed to improve clients’ lives, while at the same time creating a more supportive and progressive industry for those who work in it. Hopefully those in the fitness industry not already on board with this more positive philosophy can make similar changes for the better.