North Warwickshire Leisure, a leading local authority leisure provider in the UK, has set its sights on prioritising community health and wellness.

In a strategic move to empower their community with valuable health insights, they have partnered with renowned health technology company TANITA. Together, they are revolutionising the way their members approach their health and well-being. The MC-780 MA body composition analysers, in conjunction with the TANITA Pro App, will be implemented across all three leisure centres, ensuring that members can access comprehensive Health MOTs like never before.

Russell Simkiss, Leisure Facilities Manager at North Warks Leisure, shares the organisation's vision and commitment to community well-being. "Our journey began with the Borough Council's strong dedication to promoting physical and mental health, fostering community engagement, and encouraging an active lifestyle," said Simkiss. The goal was clear: to offer a health-focused market to local residents, delivering detailed health checks conveniently at their doorstep, and extending this essential service to businesses, schools, and outreach locations.

The Health MOT initiative goes beyond a mere health check; it complements existing services, enhances the member journey, and adds value to memberships. North Warks Leisure aims to equip individuals, both facility users and non-users, with the tools and knowledge they need to take charge of their health journey effectively.

So why TANITA? The enthusiasm among customers and staff alike, as they tested and launched the service, revealed the true impact of the TANITA scales. An eye-opener for almost everyone who uses them, the health check provides invaluable insights into one's well-being, regardless of experience or ability. The informative statistics and injury prevention information are indeed priceless. However, it's the 'metabolic age' figure that captures people's focus, ultimately reflecting how well they are doing health-wise.

"Many questions arise after receiving the results," Simkiss explained, "but with the training and support offered, our exercise professionals can educate, reassure, and help individuals set achievable goals." Encouraging regular re-tests enables users to monitor their progress, fostering a commitment to improvement through facility usage, other activities, or a combination of both.

The Launch of the Service was meticulously planned to ensure maximum impact. The staff underwent comprehensive training, while awareness and promotional material created a buzz around the groundbreaking technology. A staggered launch approach allowed them to fine-tune the service at one site before expanding to others. Opting for instructor-led scales ensures customers receive personalised interaction and advice when receiving their results. The discreet placement of scales and the incorporation of positive messages and simple goals further enriched the experience.

From a facility management and local authority standpoint, the TANITA scales are proving to be a game-changer. They enhance customer interaction and offer residents meaningful data to focus on improving their health, positively impacting customer retention rates. Moreover, these scales are invaluable tools for engaging new patrons at businesses, community events, and outreach locations, driving footfall back to the leisure centre.

Focusing on Disease Prevention: The Health MOT initiative is about more than just 'cure'—it focuses on disease prevention and empowers individuals to lead healthier lifestyles. A testament to its immediate success, within the first month, over 15% of the membership base has already undergone their first MOT.

Simon Wilkinson, Sport & Fitness Lead for TANITA in the UK comments, “it’s essential that if we want to impact the health of more people we need to think outside of the walls of the gym. Utilising body composition technology and health assessments with members and non-members allows for a clear and meaningful conversation about what matters to the individual, and most importantly how you can support them to improve it.”

As North Warks Leisure and TANITA join hands, their shared dedication to fostering a healthier and more active community promises a brighter future for all.

The ‘health seeker’ is a term being used a lot within fitness right now, as recent surveys have shown.

At Tanita we’ve been using this term for some time to describe those gym members where perhaps the aesthetics of fitness are not the main motivator, instead consumers are more interested in health benefits.

They’ve often been the most difficult to engage with, as they largely have quite vague reasons to join and retaining them can be challenging.

Body composition technology and the wide range of health data available such as muscle, fat, visceral fat, water and metabolic age has been utilised for a long time as an essential tool to facilitate engagement with this gym member demographic.

Focusing on the different areas of ‘health’ motivates these members and when they can monitor and track their improvements in these areas, they remain members for longer.

What strategies do you have in place to hit your January new member targets?

Body composition assessments with Tanita Europe B.V. – the worldwide leader in health monitoring – are a proven method of attracting and retaining members.

"To attract and retain members in 2022, focus on health," Simon Wilkinson adds, Tanita's fitness & sport lead/technical rep UK.

What are the benefits?
– Show prospective new members more about their health than they’ve ever seen before!

– Evidence your value immediately!

– Personalise your discussions with members about their health and activity!
– 'Free' health assessments for all new starters in January!

The possibilities with Tanita go on and on, speak with us today about how your health and fitness facility can benefit.