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FITNESS, HEALTH, WELLNESS

features

Editor’s letter: The mind-body connection

Improved mental health – from a post-workout feelgood buzz right through to the prevention and treatment of depression – is a huge benefit of physical activity. So why is the health club sector being so slow to pick up on this?

By Kate Cracknell | Published in Health Club Management 2016 issue 11
Equinox’s HeadStrong class: Designed to target stress
Equinox’s HeadStrong class: Designed to target stress
By 2020, depression will be the second biggest cause of premature death and disability globally. So what are you offering in your club for that?

By the year 2020, depression will be the second biggest cause of premature death and disability globally. This the WHO statistic quoted by Colin Milner, CEO of the ICAA, in his interview on page 34. And he asks the question: “What are you offering in your club for that – what life balance programming, what social programming? We spend so much money on cardio equipment, and yes, cardiovascular disease is a major health issue – but there are some real basics that clubs are missing.”

Milner is absolutely right: improved mental health is such a fundamental benefit of exercise – we all know how much better and more positive we feel after a workout – yet somehow the vast majority of health club operators have failed to harness its potential to bring in a whole new raft of members.

This in spite of robust evidence that backs up what we innately know: recent Rutgers research, for example, which shows that combining meditation with exercise (30 minutes each, twice a week) reduces the incidence of depressive symptoms by as much as 40 per cent in just two months.

The good news is that things are starting to change, with operators such as Nuffield Health in the UK leading the way. At the end of September, Nuffield Health acquired cognitive behavioural therapy business CBT Services, enabling the not-for-profit healthcare organisation to add an emotional wellbeing provision to its growing list of health and wellbeing services. The new service – comprising cognitive behavioural therapy, counselling and general psychological therapies – has been designed to provide coping skills and support for those suffering from stress, anxiety and depression and will be available to all, regardless of a gym membership.

Speaking to HCM, Nuffield Health CEO Steve Gray acknowledged that “few people do emotional wellbeing very well” in the fitness sector, in spite of the fact that “emotional health is just as important as our physical health”. He added: “You need to bring fitness, nutrition and emotional wellbeing together to create a bespoke response for the individual. That sort of personalised, holistic approach is, I believe, the biggest opportunity in the health and fitness market at the moment.”

Other operators are also starting to latch on to this. Not all will be able to go in at the treatment end of the scale like Nuffield Health, which through its hospital heritage has the credibility to do so. However, a small but growing number of operators are incorporating elements of mindfulness and meditation into their offering – Equinox, for example, with its HeadStrong class, which targets stress by working body and mind in equal measure.

As consumer expectations of health clubs move away from fitness provision alone and towards a broader wellbeing agenda, this sort of offering will be key. Indeed, when HCM spoke to industry consultant Bryan O’Rourke recently, he predicted that mindfulness “will become a trillion dollar industry in the next few years”.

So, as Milner so rightly asked: What are you doing about that in your club? What life balance programming are you offering? What approaches have you made to local businesses to provide stress management programming for their employees? Schools are even introducing mindfulness sessions – could you deliver these?

And if that’s too big a first step, why not test the waters by simply marketing the benefits of exercise differently? Consider focusing not on distant fitness or weight loss goals, but on how people feel straight after their workout. I firmly believe the immediacy of this benefit will keep people coming back for more.

Kate Cracknell

[email protected]

@healthclubkate

Sign up here to get HCM's weekly ezine and every issue of HCM magazine free on digital.
Tribe organises non-profit running festivals to bring people together
Tribe organises non-profit running festivals to bring people together
The three friends created the nutrition 
bars after an ultra-marathon event
The three friends created the nutrition bars after an ultra-marathon event
Tribe sports bars are only stocked by gyms
Tribe sports bars are only stocked by gyms
https://www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/images/167143_254838.jpg
Physical activity is one of the best ways to improve mental health. So what is your health club doing about depression?
Kate Cracknell, Editor, Health Club Magazine,Kate Cracknell, depression, Nuffield Health, Colin Milner, cognitive behavioural therapy, Steve Gray, Bryan O’Rourke, Equinox
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features

Editor’s letter: The mind-body connection

Improved mental health – from a post-workout feelgood buzz right through to the prevention and treatment of depression – is a huge benefit of physical activity. So why is the health club sector being so slow to pick up on this?

By Kate Cracknell | Published in Health Club Management 2016 issue 11
Equinox’s HeadStrong class: Designed to target stress
Equinox’s HeadStrong class: Designed to target stress
By 2020, depression will be the second biggest cause of premature death and disability globally. So what are you offering in your club for that?

By the year 2020, depression will be the second biggest cause of premature death and disability globally. This the WHO statistic quoted by Colin Milner, CEO of the ICAA, in his interview on page 34. And he asks the question: “What are you offering in your club for that – what life balance programming, what social programming? We spend so much money on cardio equipment, and yes, cardiovascular disease is a major health issue – but there are some real basics that clubs are missing.”

Milner is absolutely right: improved mental health is such a fundamental benefit of exercise – we all know how much better and more positive we feel after a workout – yet somehow the vast majority of health club operators have failed to harness its potential to bring in a whole new raft of members.

This in spite of robust evidence that backs up what we innately know: recent Rutgers research, for example, which shows that combining meditation with exercise (30 minutes each, twice a week) reduces the incidence of depressive symptoms by as much as 40 per cent in just two months.

The good news is that things are starting to change, with operators such as Nuffield Health in the UK leading the way. At the end of September, Nuffield Health acquired cognitive behavioural therapy business CBT Services, enabling the not-for-profit healthcare organisation to add an emotional wellbeing provision to its growing list of health and wellbeing services. The new service – comprising cognitive behavioural therapy, counselling and general psychological therapies – has been designed to provide coping skills and support for those suffering from stress, anxiety and depression and will be available to all, regardless of a gym membership.

Speaking to HCM, Nuffield Health CEO Steve Gray acknowledged that “few people do emotional wellbeing very well” in the fitness sector, in spite of the fact that “emotional health is just as important as our physical health”. He added: “You need to bring fitness, nutrition and emotional wellbeing together to create a bespoke response for the individual. That sort of personalised, holistic approach is, I believe, the biggest opportunity in the health and fitness market at the moment.”

Other operators are also starting to latch on to this. Not all will be able to go in at the treatment end of the scale like Nuffield Health, which through its hospital heritage has the credibility to do so. However, a small but growing number of operators are incorporating elements of mindfulness and meditation into their offering – Equinox, for example, with its HeadStrong class, which targets stress by working body and mind in equal measure.

As consumer expectations of health clubs move away from fitness provision alone and towards a broader wellbeing agenda, this sort of offering will be key. Indeed, when HCM spoke to industry consultant Bryan O’Rourke recently, he predicted that mindfulness “will become a trillion dollar industry in the next few years”.

So, as Milner so rightly asked: What are you doing about that in your club? What life balance programming are you offering? What approaches have you made to local businesses to provide stress management programming for their employees? Schools are even introducing mindfulness sessions – could you deliver these?

And if that’s too big a first step, why not test the waters by simply marketing the benefits of exercise differently? Consider focusing not on distant fitness or weight loss goals, but on how people feel straight after their workout. I firmly believe the immediacy of this benefit will keep people coming back for more.

Kate Cracknell

[email protected]

@healthclubkate

Sign up here to get HCM's weekly ezine and every issue of HCM magazine free on digital.
Tribe organises non-profit running festivals to bring people together
Tribe organises non-profit running festivals to bring people together
The three friends created the nutrition 
bars after an ultra-marathon event
The three friends created the nutrition bars after an ultra-marathon event
Tribe sports bars are only stocked by gyms
Tribe sports bars are only stocked by gyms
https://www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/images/167143_254838.jpg
Physical activity is one of the best ways to improve mental health. So what is your health club doing about depression?
Kate Cracknell, Editor, Health Club Magazine,Kate Cracknell, depression, Nuffield Health, Colin Milner, cognitive behavioural therapy, Steve Gray, Bryan O’Rourke, Equinox
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Featured supplier news: Group exercise complaints now a thing of the past for Reynolds Group
Complaints about group exercise have become a thing of the past for the Reynolds Group thanks to its partnership with CoverMe, a digital platform that simplifies group exercise and PT management for clubs and instructors.
Company profiles
Company profile: We Work Well Inc
We Work Well is a global premier hosted buyer event company, connecting high-level executives from ...
Company profiles
Company profile: Elevate
The UK's largest annual trade event dedicated to physical activity, health, and performance...
Supplier Showcase
Supplier showcase - Jon Williams
Catalogue Gallery
Click on a catalogue to view it online
Featured press releases
ABC Trainerize press release: New ABC Trainerize Webinar: How to earn more with clients and members you already have
ABC Trainerize, a leading software platform for the fitness industry, recently ran a webinar for studio and gym owners on how to increase gym revenue with Gym Launch CEO, Cale Owen.
Featured press releases
Alliance Leisure Services (Design, Build and Fund) press release: £26 Million Investment Paves The Way For Health and Wellbeing Hub At Lincolnshire Sport Complex
South Holland District Council has bolstered its successful £20 million UK Government, Levelling Up Fund bid with a £6 million investment to see the Castle Sports Complex in Spalding transformed into a health and wellbeing hub to drive positive health outcomes for residents across the district.
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Flooring
Total Vibration Solutions / TVS Sports Surfaces: Flooring
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salt therapy products
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Diary dates
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Diary dates
30 May - 02 Jun 2024
Rimini Exhibition Center, Rimini, Italy
Diary dates
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Diary dates
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Diary dates
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Diary dates
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Diary dates
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Diary dates
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