Category: Fitness Page 1 of 3

Customer demand for health clubs and gyms in the UK was ‘back to normal’ during January 2022, according to proprietary search data from fitness marketplace Hussle. The insight shows that customer demand volumes for gyms nearly doubled between December 2021 and January 2022, going up by 96.7 per cent.

The volume of customer searches in January 2022 was back up to 95 per cent of the absolute volumes seen in January 2020 – the historic peak of the fitness market in the UK.

The impact of Plan B measures (the re-imposition of homeworking in the UK during January) are also having an impact and Hussle says that while its insight numbers signify a return to “normal” levels of demand for gyms, this demand remains soft, with the usual January uplift being deferred.

“While high demand is obviously great for the sector, it is important to note that demand varies both in quantity and quality,” Hussle said.

“We group customer search terms into ‘high intent’ and ‘low intent’ cohorts as a proxy for the quality of the demand volume. For example, a high-intent search term might relate to specific gym exercises or venues, indicating a customer who is more likely to be ‘transactional’. A low-intent search term would be more generic, such as ‘gym’ or ‘gyms near me’ which indicates a customer who is in a consideration phase, without this necessarily progressing to a transaction.”

“While the low-intent search terms did increase dramatically, the high-intent search terms lagged behind. This suggests that for most of the month of January, customers showed a lot of interest in gyms and health clubs, but were reluctant to transact as you would expect them to do during a ‘normal’ January.”

According to Hussle, customer search terms that reference a particular fitness brand are down, due to operators not spending on marketing as they would normally do in January, due to the imposition of Plan B measures.

Hussle provides a number of conclusions, based on its data.

Firstly, customer confidence appears to be returning, but it’s not completely back. This potentially means that ‘peak’ demand for gyms and health clubs in 2022 may extend beyond the traditional ‘January jump’ into February and March.

Secondly, investment in marketing by operators has been deferred in the year-to-date. This presents an opportunity for well-capitalised operators to gain market share through returning consumer confidence in February and March.

Commenting on the data, fitness analyst Ray Algar said: “It was always going to be a challenging January across the entire active leisure industry with Omicron cases in England still running high.

“The Office for National Statistics estimated 2.5m to 2.7m people had COVID-19 in England (around 1 in 20 people) towards the end of January, so regardless of motivation, they were isolating and then recovering. With the work from home guidance in England also not lifting until late January, it could be that February and March will be better barometers of consumer intent.”

Rebecca Passmore, UK MD at Pure Gym told HCM: “Typically, January is the busiest period for gyms and new member sign-ups, and there had been some concern across the sector that Plan B restrictions and working from home guidance would impact demand in the New Year.

“We were pleased that as soon as these restrictions were lifted in January there was an uptick in demand, particularly in city centre gyms, which demonstrates how the pandemic has placed a renewed focus on health and wellbeing. We expect the recent momentum to continue and for the typical January boost to fall slightly later in the year, with a stronger-than-usual February / March period.”

“Gyms have a unique role to play in driving activity levels – after walking, going to the gym is the most common form of exercise. We look forward to welcoming new and existing members into our gyms for what promises to be a very active 2022.”

To read the full Hussle analysis, titled What January tells us about the ‘Golden Quarter’ for gyms in 2022, click here.

Lockdown Transforming People’s Exercise Habits.
The restrictions on movement caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown are transforming the UK’s exercise habits, with home fitness workouts, cycling and walking now the most popular methods of exercise, according to a Savanta ComRes study commissioned by Sport England.

A quarter (25 per cent) of people now regularly undertake home fitness workouts – far above the UK’s gym membership penetration level of 15.6 identified by the LDB’s 2019 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report.

More than half of adults in England (59 per cent) are using their daily activity time to go for a walk.

One of the biggest changes people are reporting is the company they keep during exercise.

More than a third (37 per cent) of those doing home-based fitness sessions – often using live streaming or online platforms – involve the children in their household in the exercises.

Cycling is also proving to be a popular family activity, with 22 per cent of those who are cycling, doing so with children in their household.

The research also shows how the lockdown – and the threat of coronavirus in general – have led to people recognising the importance of physical activity to staying healthy. Nearly two thirds (63 per cent) of adults say it’s more important to be active now, compared with before the outbreak.

An even larger majority of people (67 per cent) also believe exercise is helping them with their mental health during the shutdown.

Sport England CEO Tim Hollingsworth said that while the crisis is severely disrupting the sports and physical activity sector, the silver lining is that people are realising the importance of exercise.

“This is a new and challenging time for everyone and it’s clear from this early research into the nation’s activity levels that there is significant disruption to how people usually seek to build physical activity and exercise into their lives,” he said.

“It’s heartening to see, therefore, that for many, the importance of it has increased – and in particular that they see the benefit to their mental as well as physical health and wellbeing.”

The research does also show, however, that some people are finding it harder to be regularly active than others during the lockdown. These include older people, those on low incomes, those living alone and those in urban areas.

The study was carried out in early April 2020 and surveyed 2,043 English adults.

Is Physical Therapy Right for You?
Do you spend most of your day in discomfort? If so, you could benefit from physical therapy.

Physical therapy is a form of treatment that helps you overcome back, knee, shoulder and neck pain without surgical intervention. It’s a proven set of techniques that have helped millions of people all over the world to overcome previously intractable chronic joint and muscular issues.

Physical therapy breaks down into several distinct categories of treatment, depending on the type of pain that you have.

Back pain. For some people, back pain is a niggling sensation that crops up from time to time, particularly when sitting or standing. For others, it’s a chronic, debilitating condition that can make it difficult to walk and sleep. Physical therapy for back pain is a set of procedures that helps you do all of the things that you used to enjoy doing, such as walking the dog, riding a bicycle and even playing sports.

Knee pain. Knee pain is more common than you might think and is one of the leading reasons people seek physical therapy in Scottsdale. We use a combination of treatments that help make it more comfortable to stand up, sit down, walk downhill and get upstairs. We identify the cause of your knee pain and then use this information to make it more manageable.

Shoulder pain. The shoulder is a unique joint in the body that is highly susceptible to damage. Once the pain starts, it can go on for years. We provide a range of treatments that help you tackle the issue head-on, providing you with bespoke advice and treatment that will help your case. No matter how complex the issue, we pride ourselves on teaching you the long-term strategies for wellbeing and healing.

Neck pain. Neck pain can prevent you from sleeping and enjoying your life. To help, we teach you a range of postural and movement strategies to manage and reduce pain over time.

The Benfits Of Physical Therapy

Going to a physical therapist, for example, visitng The Doctors of Physical Therapy in Scottsdale, can result in all kinds of benefits.

Improve Mobility

Are you struggling to move around like you once did? If so, a physical therapist can help. We work to help you to get going again by providing you with techniques that let you enjoy to the lifestyle that you want, including playing sports where possible.

Prevent Sports Injuries

While the human body is a remarkable biological machine, it has its limits. If you push it too hard for too long, you’ll eventually hurt yourself.

Physical therapy is an ideal intervention for those recovering from sports injuries or wanting to prevent another from occurring in the future. It teaches you how to move in a way that makes further injuries less likely.

Avoid Surgery

In some circumstances, physical therapy can eliminate pain, negating the need for invasive surgical interventions. If you can avoid an operation, you can recover faster and get back to your routine quicker.

Reduce Pain

Physical therapists use a variety of techniques to help reduce and even eliminate the pain in your joints. These techniques include electrical stimulation, ultrasound and taping, as well as balancing and strengthening exercises. You could begin to notice improvements in the way that your back, knees, elbows, neck and shoulders feel almost immediately.

Manage Age-Related Joint Issues

As you get older, the risk of developing conditions such as arthritis rises. Over time, joints become inflamed and begin to cause pain.

Physical therapy is a powerful tool that you can use to slow age-related decline and improve your quality of life.

Improve Your Balance And Posture

Physical therapy is ideal for people who want to improve their balance and posture.

Having good balance is crucial because it helps to prevent falls and improves your sports performance. Excellent posture is critical too because it prevents muscle imbalances that could lead to excessive strain on particular joints.

Deal With Post-Natal Issues

Women who have been through pregnancy often require special women’s health management and care. Physical therapists can help with a variety of abdominal and pelvic issues.

Most people think that their joint pain will eventually go away, but often it doesn’t. Sometimes it can drag on for months, if not years, and never really subside.

The good news, however, is that you don’t need to put up with it. Physical therapy can get to the source of the problem, reduce pain and help you avoid surgery. What’s more, you’ll learn the techniques you need to use to prevent a recurrence of pain in the future. Even if you’ve tried physical therapy in the past, you’ll still experience benefits. Why not try it for yourself today?

Recovering from Injury with a Knee Support
If you live an active lifestyle and play sports on a regular basis, injuries are an unfortunate reality. Most of the time we’re able to shrug them off as a natural consequence of wanting to get off the couch. However, some parts of our bodies are able to recover more quickly and readily than others. When we sustain an injury to the delicate ligaments in joints like the knee, full recovery can take a long time.

While a knee support can help you to make a faster and more comprehensive recovery that gets you up and active sooner, there are other ways in which you can help yourself to recover from an injury with a knee support.

Choose the right support

One knee support might look the same as any other at first glance, but there are a range of knee braces for many different purposes and choosing the wrong one could prevent you from making the fastest possible recovery. Some are designed for wearing as a preventative measure when skiing or playing high impact sports while others are designed exclusively for the needs of those with arthritis.

As well as choosing the right support for your needs, correct fitting and sizing are also essential. The goal of a support is to compress the knee, taking the pressure off your muscles and ligatures so that they can heal better. It should also help to maintain warmth and blood flow to aid in a quick recovery.

When it comes to recovery… you are what you eat!

An injury is more than just physical pain. It can also take a toll on your mental health. Deprived of the ability to lead an active lifestyle, you may feel the temptation to indulge in less healthy eating habits. But this can do way more harm than good.

When injured, your dietary choices can play a huge part in making a speedy recovery. Make sure you are eating lots of green leafy veggies which are full of both vitamins and fibre. It’s also important to ensure that you get plenty of protein to allow muscles and ligaments to grow back stronger and faster.

As tempting as junk food maybe after an injury, you’ll need to double down on your healthy diet if you want to get up and active sooner.

Raise your knee when sitting or lying down

When you’re recovering from a knee injury you’ll need to get into a different set of habits. For example, you’ll need to keep your knee raised when sitting down or going to bed. This will help to alleviate the pressure on the joints, muscles and ligature to ensure less strain and a faster recovery.

Take efforts to reduce pain and inflammation

Inflammation is your body’s natural response to injuries, but it can also make living with an injury much harder, especially when moving around, getting dressed etc. With that in mind, try taking steps to reduce pain and inflammation like giving your injured knee an icing for 20 minutes every 3 or 4 hours or taking anti-inflammatory painkillers.

With a little preparation and know-how, recovery can be a much quicker and easier process.

Overcome Sports Injuries with Physical Therapy
At Balance and Body Restoration they aim to help people maintain their optimum levels of heath and activity by providing and excellent range of to quality physical therapy services. Whether their client is recovering from a sports injury, experiencing age related knee pain or is suffering from lifestyle related back pain they are able to offer a personalised and comprehensive physical therapy plan that is designed to target key areas and make any pain disappear for good.

Based in Dublin, California, Balance and Body Restoration was set up by husband and wife team Kevin and Thuy who are both committed to leading a healthy lifestyle and helping others to improve their general wellbeing, With a wealth of experience between them Kevin is fully qualified Physical Therapist who has been practicing within the area for years and Thuy is a professional masseuse who has a unique set of skills designed to help relieve tension and stress in key areas, they decided to set up Balance and Body Restoration together so they were able to offer their clients a place where they would be able to heal their bodies naturally in a calm and caring environment.

At Balance and Body Restoration they believe that the majority of pain related issues such as knee or back pain can be resolved naturally without the need for medication or surgical interventions by simply identifying the root cause and taking the appropriate steps to resolve the problem. Although they are unable to offer a miracle cure or instant pain relief what they can do is teach you how, with a little effort and dedication you will be able to cure the problem by simply carrying out an individual physical therapy plan.

By using a combination of specialist exercises, stretches, massages and other techniques a good physical therapy plan should be able to help you realign your body and start feeling much more back to normal.

If you want to find out more but are unsure if physical therapy will be right for you at Balance and Body Restoration, they are able to provide you with all the information you require before you commit to anything at all. With a range of information booklets available, a fantastic, informative website that answers many questions and the opportunity to take advantage of a free telephone consultation before you even make a booking you can be sure that you will be able to make a completely informed decision if you do decide to go ahead.

As they believe that the key to good health is based on leading a balanced lifestyle you can also benefit from plenty of valuable advice and education regarding diet and lifestyle that can help to reduce stress and help look after your physical health as well so once you have completed your physical therapy program you can continue leading an active lifestyle and reduce the chances of any problems recurring in the future.

Recovering from a sports injury or feeling that your lifestyle has become limited due to knee or back pain can leave you feeling really demotivated if you have been used to being active all the time so it can be easy to accept it and just try and get on with it but with the right help and support it is possible to return to your normal levels of fitness and at Balance and Body they provide a nurturing and energizing environment that helps their clients heal completely naturally as they understand this.

So, if you want to find out more about how physical therapy may be able to help you overcome sports injuries, why not get in touch with one of their friendly team today?