The 2019 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report reveals that the UK health and fitness industry is healthier than it has ever been. It has more gyms, more members and a greater market value than ever before. Several key milestones have been achieved over the last 12 months. The total UK membership has broken the 10 million mark and the industry is now worth more than £5 billion for the first time.
Read MoreBalance Festival 2019
Today the team attended Balance Festival at the Old Truman Brewery in Shoreditch. It’s the UK’s largest celebration of the wellness movement and it’s the festival’s second year running. There’s wellness talks, group exercise classes with top boutique fitness studios and so many delicious freebies to try!
Read MoreElevate 2019
Yesterday was the opening day of the annual Elevate event at London ExCel. It’s the UK’s largest physical activity trade show and hosts over 350 exhibitors and 300 speakers.
David was a guest speaker and his presentation about the “golden age of fitness” revealed headline stats from the 2019 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report which is due out next week.
Read MoreFifth birthday for the park
The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London is celebrating it's fifth anniversary this month (April 2019) since re-opening to the public in April 2014. This birthday month provides a timely opportunity to revisit the legacy of the wider concept of creating a dynamic new metropolitan centre for London and develop a place where people can live, work, play and visit.
Read MoreWorkouts at London's boutique studios
In the past few months we’ve tried classes at Ministry of Sound Fitness, Equilibrium, The Yard at Third Space, Ten Health & Fitness, 1Rebel, Digme and many more. Check out @thefitness4 on Instagram for more of the team’s fitness adventures.
Read MoreFitness is getting more fashionable
Fitness is getting more fashionable, which is good news for the franchise industry…
There are over 7,000 gyms in the UK for the first time, up by 4.5 per cent year on year, while total membership is approaching 10 million (up two per cent).
Read MoreDavid Minton Podcast with Bryan O'Rourke
Bryan and David, together in Bologna, Italy, for the 20th anniversary of ForumClub, comment upon that country's place in the fitness landscape, where work-life balance is key, and where big companies like TechnoGym call home.
Read MoreBoutique fitness attracts a wide range of investment
London’s growth in both supply and demand for boutique studios has become the fastest growing fitness segment. By the end of October 2018, London had 278 boutique sites with over 400 studios offering 15,806 classes each week. The popularity of this segment, which sets itself apart by offering captivating experiences providing a memorable visit, is detailed in the new benchmark report 2018 London Boutique Studio Report.
Read MoreRISE Event
Two weeks ago David spoke at the Power Plate RISE event at Transition Zone in Fulham. What a great day! Watch the promo video below.
Read MoreUK Prime Ministers Influence on Sports Policy 1948-2018
The 1948 Summer Olympics, known as the Austerity Games, took place in London when the country was recovering from war. At this time sports and politics did not mix; Clement Atlee, leader of the Labour Party in 1945-1951, had a mandate to implement post-war reforms but sport was not a priority. As the government had a no sports policy, the Olympics was instead overseen by the British Olympic Authority (BOA) as it is known today.
Read More2018 LONDON BOUTIQUE STUDIO REPORT - OUT NOW
The 2018 London Boutique Studio Report shows that the London boutique studio market is rapidly expanding. There are 278 boutique studios across the city: 114 HIIT studios, 111 Mind & Body studios and 53 CrossFit studios. They offer over 15k classes each week and at any one time, 9.6k people could be taking part in a class.
Read MoreAggregators - To aggregate or not to aggregate, that is the question
The health and fitness industry has been slow to adopt aggregators. Are clubs right to be cautious, or are they missing out on business? Kath Hudson finds out more…
Read MoreThe benefits of exercising to music
Everyone loves listening to music in the gym.
I’ve even arrived at the gym, realised I'd forgotten my earphones and then gone home to get them because the idea of completing an hour workout in silence is just too stressful.
Read MoreSept 2018: UK Fitness Members
The September infographic is out in Gym Owner Monthly & WorkOut magazines.
Read MoreChelsea Physic Garden
Yesterday, the LeisureDB team visited the Chelsea Physic Garden, the oldest botanical garden in London, to celebrate David's birthday.
Read MoreChay's 13-minute circuit
With the days getting shorter and weather getting colder, day-to-day exercises such as walking to the shops will soon be replaced by a quick drive in the car. Instead of having a lovely picnic in the park, you may soon be watching a movie under a blanket.
If you are worried about putting on a few lbs, don't fret! I have you covered.
Follow this 13-minute circuit, 3 times a week to burn calories and define your muscles over the coming months.
Read MoreCalories and losing weight
How many people can say they go a whole day without thinking about calories and losing weight?
Calories are the body's energy source, it fuels you when completing your daily circuit class, and even when walking to the kitchen to make that morning cup of tea. Still we devote so much time to calorie counting…they’re not the enemy, are they?
Read MoreSweat by BXR
On a sunny Thursday afternoon, the LeisureDB team (plus friends of the company) headed to Anthony Joshua’s BXR gym in Marylebone to experience the new cardio class, Sweat. Utilising cutting-edge technology, this 45-minute VersaClimber session offered us a total body workout. On average, the class burns 8-9 extra calories a minute than the equivalent group cycling sessions…. meaning you could have just over 3 glasses of red wine, and not feel guilty!
Read MoreAugust: Gym Owner Monthly
The 2018 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report reveals that London has 805 fitness clubs with an estimated total market value of £1.2 billion. The penetration rate is 20%.
Read MoreConnecting the World to Wellness
Hosted by David Minton, Director at LeisureDB and David Caygill, Head of Innovation at Iris, alongside a panel of industry experts.
Together, we’ll:
Delve into the technology that’s disrupting the marketplace. Reveal the businesses that are innovating to future-proof themselves and discover how brands are attracting new audiences in the age of digital and social.
Read More