CEO of ukactive David Stalker reviews the themes and moods at the recent Labour and Conservative Party conferences

Does interaction with fitness staff impact on member progress, and does this have an effect on retention? Melvyn Hillsdon reports

Meet the winning health and fitness clubs, announced at the recent Health Club Awards, as voted for by club members around the UK

Nicky Jobson reports on all the news, excitement and product launches from this year’s Leisure Industry Week, which took place at the Birmingham NEC

Health clubs rise and fall on the strength of their financial control and keeping the confidence of stakeholders, says Katherine Selby

Kate Cracknell talks to the GP who hit the headlines for recommending walking to his patients, and finds out why he thinks more GPs should be following suit

Just weeks after being the subject of intense speculation over its entry to the wearable tech market, Microsoft has duly proven that there’s no smoke without fire by unveiling the Microsoft Band.

Health Club Management recently revealed how online gym pass provider PayasUgym will soon begin testing Bitcoin, potentially paving the way for the cryptocurrency to become an accepted form of payment across more than 2,000 UK gyms in the PayasUgym network.

Black Eyed Peas superstar will.i.am is poised to make a surprise assault on the burgeoning wearable tech market with a “smart cuff” featuring fitness tracking software.

Microsoft is reportedly weeks away from launching its own smartwatch with fitness tracking features, expected to challenge existing offerings from rivals Samsung and Apple.

The number of people who own wearable tech in the UK is set to double in 2015 – from 6 to 13 per cent – as products make the leap from niche to mainstream.

PayasUgym, the online gym pass provider, has teamed up with British Military Fitness (BMF) as part of a concerted push into the outdoor training market.

Online retailer Amazon appears poised for a further push into the wearable technology sector, with the company poised to increase investment and staff at its secretive hardware operations unit Lab126.

We round up some of the latest launches for your studio space

Technology has the power to transform group exercise classes. We speak to operators who are putting the latest technology to good use

The NICE guidelines on exercise referral schemes are changing, but clubs should not be put off, says Stuart Stokes of Refer-all

Findings from the 2014 IHRSA Health Club Consumer Report

As the economy improves, will fitness operators eye new markets or consolidate their existing bases?

CEO of ukactive David Stalker looks ahead to this year’s ukactive National Summit

How can you get more members attending more often and recommending your club to their friends and family?

One of the early adopters of the Gladstone MobilePro app explains how it has improved their business

Even so-called hard to reach groups have to use our streets, so that’s where we should start getting them active, says Kate Cracknell

mywellness cloud – delivering the ultimate digital workout experience for your members

Two new studies into children’s exercise look at why it matters, and how we can help ensure it happens

Alison Bledge examines how the offshore industry is managing the wellbeing of its workers, and looks at a gym installed onboard the floating hotel Safe Scandinavia

UK-based Mosaic Spa & Health Clubs is working with a charity in Uganda to rediscover the company’s mission. Ray Algar reports

Vasper claims to reproduce the effects of intense anaerobic training in just 20 minutes. We report

A look at a selection of initiatives designed to promote physical activity among children

Michael Oliver analyses the findings of Mintel’s 2014 Health and Fitness Clubs industry report

Inspired by his childhood in Africa, Amen Iseghohi launched a chain of back-to-basics gyms that use recycled tyres. He talks to Magali Robathan