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Technogym | Fit Tech promotion
Technogym | Fit Tech promotion
Technogym | Fit Tech promotion
features

Promotional feature: Active IQ

Mental health awareness is high and not before time, says Active IQ, with one in four of us fighting a mental health problem each year. This month sees Mental Health Awareness Week from May 13-19 hosted by the Mental Health Foundation

Published in Health Club Management 2019 issue 5

Awareness of mental ill-health is the starting point and a gap exists between this and the action needed to find solutions. Leisure operators have the opportunity and responsibility to take action.

Upskilling across the board – from senior management and front-of-house staff to PTs and instructors – will ensure both members and staff are covered.

Expert training
The Active IQ Level 2 Award in Mental Health Awareness has been expertly assembled and comprises two units: Mental Health Awareness and Mental Health First Aid. The qualification provides learners with an understanding and awareness of common mental health disorders and issues; reduces stigma and discrimination; encourages people to talk about mental health; identifies the early signs and highlights signposting options.

The qualification was developed by Andy Gilbert, Active IQ qualification development manager, in tandem with Dr Dane Vishnubala, Active IQ chief medical adviser and mental health organisations.

Gilbert has a professional and personal interest in mental health. He holds a degree in psychology and additional qualifications in mental health and has worked with mental health charities. From his experience of mental illness, he understands how hard it can be to talk about how you’re feeling, for fear of being judged or considered a ‘lesser person’.

“Reducing stigma and discrimination will lead to people being more open about mental health and thus able to access the support needed,” he says.

“Our qualification increases learners’ awareness, encourages empathy and instils confidence to speak to people affected by mental ill-health. The first aid module makes our qualification stand out from the crowd and equips learners to speak to someone experiencing a decline or crisis in their mental health. Having the confidence to step in here has the potential to save lives.”

Example: Fusion Lifestyle
Fusion is one of the first operators to implement the Level 2 Mental Health Awareness qualification.

Its staff training was delivered by Robin Gargrave, co-founder of Ad Lib Training, whose insight as a contributor to the qualification and an experienced Active IQ training provider is second-to-none..

“Leisure centres act as community hubs and it’s important our services are all-encompassing, ensuring mental as well as physical health support is available,” says Fusion's Matthew Houghton. “With 87 sites and around 3,500 employees we’re conscious we can make a difference. We've trained mental health champions in centres to look out for members and colleagues, especially staff working shifts or long hours.

Heightening awareness
“The Active IQ course heightened everyone’s awareness and developed empathy. It made us more mindful of staff needs and we’re looking at creating a mental health module to enhance employee training," says Houghton.

“We've applied our learnings to our Exercise on Referral Schemes that previously only focused on improving physical conditions," he says. "We get referrals for depression and anxiety, so this is important. We knew the positive benefits of exercise for mental health, but the course went into more depth in identifying symptoms and giving helpful strategies.

“We trained a variety of colleagues to ensure our sites are covered including a learning and development manager, GP referral instructors and stroke referral instructors. From here we can cascade knowledge across the group and ensure ongoing training as new staff join.

“Mental health issues are not always visible, but we now know the signs to look out for and how to help.”

Andy Gilbert, Active IQ
"Reducing stigma and discrimination will lead to people being more open about mental health and able to access the support needed "
Prioritising mental health at work

1. Promote a culture of openness, team feedback and reflection to help manage stress

2. Educate staff in mental health awareness and mental health first aid

3. Create quiet spaces where colleagues can enjoy some headspace

4. Give colleagues an opportunity to speak up, knowing they can expect full, non-judgemental support

5. Work with local mental health charities to promote mental health wellness for members and staff

From awareness to action
Dr Dane Vishnubala

“The industry has mental health awareness but now we need to see action,” says Dr Dane Vishnubala. “I’m pleased to be chairing a seminar at the Elevate conference on ‘Ending the stigma of mental ill-health and the role of physical activity in promoting positive mental wellbeing’. That pretty much sums up the next steps for the sector. Our Mental Health Awareness qualification combined with the industry’s desire to bring about change can really make a difference”

Sign up here to get Fit Tech's weekly ezine and every issue of Fit Tech magazine free on digital.
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features

Promotional feature: Active IQ

Mental health awareness is high and not before time, says Active IQ, with one in four of us fighting a mental health problem each year. This month sees Mental Health Awareness Week from May 13-19 hosted by the Mental Health Foundation

Published in Health Club Management 2019 issue 5

Awareness of mental ill-health is the starting point and a gap exists between this and the action needed to find solutions. Leisure operators have the opportunity and responsibility to take action.

Upskilling across the board – from senior management and front-of-house staff to PTs and instructors – will ensure both members and staff are covered.

Expert training
The Active IQ Level 2 Award in Mental Health Awareness has been expertly assembled and comprises two units: Mental Health Awareness and Mental Health First Aid. The qualification provides learners with an understanding and awareness of common mental health disorders and issues; reduces stigma and discrimination; encourages people to talk about mental health; identifies the early signs and highlights signposting options.

The qualification was developed by Andy Gilbert, Active IQ qualification development manager, in tandem with Dr Dane Vishnubala, Active IQ chief medical adviser and mental health organisations.

Gilbert has a professional and personal interest in mental health. He holds a degree in psychology and additional qualifications in mental health and has worked with mental health charities. From his experience of mental illness, he understands how hard it can be to talk about how you’re feeling, for fear of being judged or considered a ‘lesser person’.

“Reducing stigma and discrimination will lead to people being more open about mental health and thus able to access the support needed,” he says.

“Our qualification increases learners’ awareness, encourages empathy and instils confidence to speak to people affected by mental ill-health. The first aid module makes our qualification stand out from the crowd and equips learners to speak to someone experiencing a decline or crisis in their mental health. Having the confidence to step in here has the potential to save lives.”

Example: Fusion Lifestyle
Fusion is one of the first operators to implement the Level 2 Mental Health Awareness qualification.

Its staff training was delivered by Robin Gargrave, co-founder of Ad Lib Training, whose insight as a contributor to the qualification and an experienced Active IQ training provider is second-to-none..

“Leisure centres act as community hubs and it’s important our services are all-encompassing, ensuring mental as well as physical health support is available,” says Fusion's Matthew Houghton. “With 87 sites and around 3,500 employees we’re conscious we can make a difference. We've trained mental health champions in centres to look out for members and colleagues, especially staff working shifts or long hours.

Heightening awareness
“The Active IQ course heightened everyone’s awareness and developed empathy. It made us more mindful of staff needs and we’re looking at creating a mental health module to enhance employee training," says Houghton.

“We've applied our learnings to our Exercise on Referral Schemes that previously only focused on improving physical conditions," he says. "We get referrals for depression and anxiety, so this is important. We knew the positive benefits of exercise for mental health, but the course went into more depth in identifying symptoms and giving helpful strategies.

“We trained a variety of colleagues to ensure our sites are covered including a learning and development manager, GP referral instructors and stroke referral instructors. From here we can cascade knowledge across the group and ensure ongoing training as new staff join.

“Mental health issues are not always visible, but we now know the signs to look out for and how to help.”

Andy Gilbert, Active IQ
"Reducing stigma and discrimination will lead to people being more open about mental health and able to access the support needed "
Prioritising mental health at work

1. Promote a culture of openness, team feedback and reflection to help manage stress

2. Educate staff in mental health awareness and mental health first aid

3. Create quiet spaces where colleagues can enjoy some headspace

4. Give colleagues an opportunity to speak up, knowing they can expect full, non-judgemental support

5. Work with local mental health charities to promote mental health wellness for members and staff

From awareness to action
Dr Dane Vishnubala

“The industry has mental health awareness but now we need to see action,” says Dr Dane Vishnubala. “I’m pleased to be chairing a seminar at the Elevate conference on ‘Ending the stigma of mental ill-health and the role of physical activity in promoting positive mental wellbeing’. That pretty much sums up the next steps for the sector. Our Mental Health Awareness qualification combined with the industry’s desire to bring about change can really make a difference”

Sign up here to get Fit Tech's weekly ezine and every issue of Fit Tech magazine free on digital.
Gallery
More features
Editor's letter

Into the fitaverse

Fitness is already among the top three markets in the metaverse, with new technology and partnerships driving real growth and consumer engagement that looks likely to spill over into health clubs, gyms and studios
Fit Tech people

Ali Jawad

Paralympic powerlifter and founder, Accessercise
Users can easily identify which facilities in the UK are accessible to the disabled community
Fit Tech people

Hannes Sjöblad

MD, DSruptive
We want to give our users an implantable tool that allows them to collect their health data at any time and in any setting
Fit Tech people

Jamie Buck

Co-founder, Active in Time
We created a solution called AiT Voice, which turns digital data into a spoken audio timetable that connects to phone systems
Profile

Fahad Alhagbani: reinventing fitness

The team is young and ambitious, and the awareness of technology is very high. We share trends and out-of-the-box ideas almost every day
Opinion

Building on the blockchain

For small sports teams looking to compete with giants, blockchain can be a secret weapon explains Lars Rensing, CEO of Protokol
Innovation

Bold move

We ended up raising US$7m in venture capital from incredible investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Khosla Ventures, Primetime Partners, and GingerBread Capital
App analysis

Check your form

Sency’s motion analysis technology is allowing users to check their technique as they exercise. Co-founder and CEO Gal Rotman explains how
Profile

New reality

Sam Cole, CEO of FitXR, talks to Fit Tech about taking digital workouts to the next level, with an immersive, virtual reality fitness club
Profile

Sohail Rashid

The app is free and it’s $40 to participate in one of our virtual events
Ageing

Reverse Ageing

Many apps help people track their health, but Humanity founders Peter Ward and Michael Geer have put the focus on ageing, to help users to see the direct repercussions of their habits. They talk to Steph Eaves
App analysis

Going hybrid

Workout Anytime created its app in partnership with Virtuagym. Workout Anytime’s Greg Maurer and Virtuagym’s Hugo Braam explain the process behind its creation
Research

Physical activity monitors boost activity levels

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have conducted a meta analysis of all relevant research and found that the body of evidence shows an impact
Editor's letter

Two-way coaching

Content providers have been hugely active in the fit tech market since the start of the pandemic. We expect the industry to move on from delivering these services on a ‘broadcast-only’ basis as two-way coaching becomes the new USP
Fit Tech People

Laurent Petit

Co-founder, Active Giving
The future of sports and fitness are dependent on the climate. Our goal is to positively influence the future of our planet by instilling a global vision of wellbeing and a sense of collective action
Fit Tech People

Adam Zeitsiff

CEO, Intelivideo
We don’t just create the technology and bail – we support our clients’ ongoing hybridisation efforts
Fit Tech People

Anantharaman Pattabiraman

CEO and co-founder, Auro
When you’re undertaking fitness activities, unless you’re on a stationary bike, in most cases it’s not safe or necessary to be tied to a screen, especially a small screen
Fit Tech People

Mike Hansen

Managing partner, Endorphinz
We noticed a big gap in the market – customers needed better insights but also recommendations on what to do, whether that be customer acquisition, content creation, marketing and more
More features