Welcome to the latest edition of our e-newsletter
September 2009
On Your Bike
David Minton discusses how sporting Super Heroes can have a positive effect on sports participation
An amazing transformation allowed Bradley Wiggins to equal the best ever performance by a British rider in cycling’s showpiece event. It meant a change in body shape and weight loss most only dream of.
Between Beijing and the start of this year’s Tour de France in Monaco, Bradley Wiggins dropped from 82kg to 71kg, that’s 24lbs lighter in old money. Cyclists know that less is more over a distance of 3,400km, where every kilogram of weight can save quantifiable and significant amounts of time. You can work out the exact difference weight will add to time over distance by using the website www.analyticcycling.com. Or, imagine how twelve 2lb bags of sugar on your back would weigh and slow you down.
As an Olympic track cyclist champion Wiggins needed extra muscle to produce maximum power over short distances but for his move to endurance road events he needed to reduce his body fat to as low as 4%. At this level there’s a fine balance between burning body fat or muscle. Every rider understands energy in and energy out, or the legs just stop working. For Wiggins it’s been a long and calculated process and he’s had a team of experts monitoring and assisting him every kg of the way to ensure he lost body weight without losing power.
I needed to lose some weight before taking part in L’Etape du Tour in ‘05 and ‘06 and expert performance nutritionist Penny Hunking help me understand fuelling for endurance rides. Many of the 2,000 plus riders who don’t complete the ride each year do so because their nutritional strategy failed them.
It seems children and adults across the country have little understanding of ‘energy in’ and ‘energy out’ when we look at the Department of Health figures released last month. In Stockton-on-Tees, for example, one in six children starting primary school is obese and more than one in three 11-year-olds is either overweight or obese. Pockets of significant social deprivation mix with affluent families who have one thing in common: they struggle with their weight. But what would motivate adults and children to participate in an activity that would help burn more energy? What if you got a Tweet from your Super Hero to go cycling?
The seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong has been posting his riding plans on Twitter with an open invitation to ride with him. When Armstrong was in Glasgow over a 1,000 cyclists joined him. His latest Twitter invitation this week was in LA and over 2,000 got on their bikes - so miracles do happen. I wouldn’t have guessed there would be that many cyclists in the whole of LA - but I was wrong. I do hope more sporting idols are going to help with the amazing transformation we need to increase participation.
Right now, I’m putting too much energy in and my body shape is changing for the worse, so I’m joining the majority in needing to lose some weight without losing too much of the social life. I need to find my healthy balance. Like the rest of the population I don’t have a nutritionist this time round and I don’t have a sports idol sending me tweets; it’s just me and my bike and the long road ahead. Wish me luck!
New Opportunity Analysis shows growth potential and interesting results for leisure operators
Several months ago, we offered our clients, in partnership with New Horizons Consultants, a new and free Opportunity Analysis to identify areas of growth for their business.
We undertake a detailed analysis of operating performance involving usage, income, pricing & programming and market demographics. We are then able to identify future income opportunities through a re-modelling of charges supported by programme changes where applicable. Not surprisingly, we have had a very encouraging take up of the initiative.
This is an approach based on sound market research and intelligence which have been developed over the last 18 years.
There have been several interesting results arising from the free Opportunity Analysis and significant market potential identified. David Minton will present the findings from the Opportunity Analysis when he speaks at the SpoRTA conference in October. For further details, please call 020 7379 3197.
Clubs for the Cure Invites Health and Fitness Clubs-Worldwide to Open their Doors this Holiday Season for 12 Days of Fitness to Find the Cure for ALS
“Augie Nieto has played a major role in the development and growth of the fitness industry, which in turn has contributed to the health of millions of people around the world, “ states Joe Moore, President and CEO of IHRSA. “With equal passion and perseverance, he is leading the quest to find the cure for ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and wipe out this disease that has claimed far too many lives. I am asking Clubs across the globe to join the quest- Augie’s Quest and participate in the 12 Days of Fitness Program this holiday season.” ...read more...
Sports Data: The New Currency For Success
Increasingly vital for funding and business development, Sports Data and its analysis is the new currency for success amongst sporting organisations.
BISL have recognised the need to inform their members and non members of what sports facility data exists, what sports participation intelligence is in the public domain, together with how to access this valuable data.
To find out more come to the first in a new series of BISL Workshops on 29th October for a working breakfast when David Minton will be speaking on what sports facilities and participation data there is in the UK and how to use it.
The first workshop will be at Eversheds LLP offices, One Wood Street, London, EC2V 7WS, from 8.00-10.00am. Cost £60 +VAT. Contact: Amanda Fry at amanda.fry@bisl.org or call on 020 8255 3782.
Dr Paul Bedford, the fitness industry’s authority on retention, asks
Just how long can we expect members to stay?
How long will people keep exercising if we provide them with the right environment and the support they need? If we look at our sectors what can we learn?
Financial service companies have traditionally held on to customers for years. Clubs that have been open for decades still have members that were members at the beginning. What is the magic formula for extending membership lifespan and can this be engineered into our processes and facilities?
Innovative products, customer loyalty, personalised service can all help to extend customer lifespan. And critical to the development of any of these programmes is an in-depth understanding of your customers. Just how well do you know your customers? Mosaic profiling is one tool that can help in the understanding of your customer base. For details on how profiling your customer base can help in the retention of members give me a call – 07956 311899.
ISRM Regional Seminar
How Can I Find and Keep More Members?
Dr Paul Bedford will be speaking at the ISRM regional seminar to share his experience on ‘Retention Strategies’ and on "Making the best use possible of available ‘Market Intelligence’". The events will be free of charge and non ISRM members will be very welcome to attend. To express an interest in attending, then please contact us on 020 7379 397 or email enquiries@theleisuredatabase.com
The forthcoming seminars are 20th November at Bath Leisure Centre and 18th November in Dundee.
Dr Bedford is one of the tutors on the ISRM’s Fitness Management Certificate (FMC) which now has over 100 students studying by distance learning.
For more information about Dr Bedford's work on retention click here