There are still vast swathes of the population who are not walking through the doors of health clubs. Are we not meeting their needs? Or is it because they are put off by the media’s representation of the sector?
Never has it been more timely to provide a service that caters for all. The obesity crisis reflects how important it is to bring the sedentary population into exercise, while the Paralympics were a great leveller, proving that having a disability does not preclude someone from participating. Elderly people and children, meanwhile – often insufficiently catered for – are in as much need of interesting opportunities to participate in activity as anyone else.
So is the sector providing these opportunities, or are we too elitist? With hardcore workouts such as HIT and CrossFit grabbing the headlines, are we putting off the overweight 40-somethings who haven’t done any exercise since school? (see HCM NovDec 12, p3). Is the trade-off at least that HIT workouts succeed in attracting a younger audience, getting people into the habit of staying fit even though they no longer play team sport? Will this help prevent another sedentary generation?
How can we ensure clubs appeal to the super-motivated gym goers as well as those who are just setting out on the path to a healthier lifestyle? Does segregating the hardcore crew from the newbies work? Or is it more motivating and aspirational to have everyone in together? Helen Tite, who runs The Core fitness studio in Cornwall, mixes cancer patients, people with disabilities and people of all abilities in her GRAVITY classes, and says the psychological impact for special populations taking part in a regular class can not be underestimated.
Are we in fact already offering the right mix of activities – do we simply need to get the message out there more effectively? We ask the experts...