DR JOHN MORGAN

PHILLIP
MILLS
LES MILLS:
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
echnology can be most useful
on the motivational side: making
T exercise fun and adding a social
aspect, as well as setting goals – which is
shown to be motivational for adherence
– and mapping progress.
You do have to be careful with
technology though, as overtechnicalising
can remove the
enjoyment and the social factor. We’ve
experimented with setting up leader
boards in cycle studios and people tend
to fi nd it interesting once or twice, but
it can become a tyranny, taking them
away from the right brain enjoyment
and into left brain analytical. A Japanese
chain went from 950,000 members
to 600,000 not very many years ago
because it digitised the workout
environment and made it too scientifi c.
Operators should incorporate
technology that makes the club
interesting, entertaining and social:
it’s great to look at YouTube while
you’re exercising, for example, and
communicate with friends and do email.
By using technology to create immersive,
highly experiential environments, people
can expend a lot of energy without
realising it. It becomes fun and addictive.
I think virtual will be the next big thing,
as it brings something cool to clubs and
“You have to be careful
with technology, as
over-technicalising can
remove the enjoyment
and the social factor”
helps the bottom line. It doesn’t make
economic sense to employ an instructor
for all classes if you’re a 24/7 operator,
but if you can fi ll off-peak hours with
virtual classes, it’s great for the operator
and convenient for members. Lots of
suppliers are experimenting with virtual
at the moment, so it’s likely that some
interesting products will come on-line.
Beyond this, I think it’s important
that clubs start to make good use
of technology for convenience, such
as booking systems. Educational
technology, like online links illustrating
how to use equipment, is also good
because it’s a great form of motivation.
Les Mills’ immersive
technology: An experiential
workout environment
BRIAN
WANG
FITOCRACY: CEO
perators need to adopt
technologies that support
O people outside of the club,
bringing services such as PT to end
users via digital and mobile. The
traditional health club model is based on
a monthly membership, with clubs then
trying to upsell a PT package – but most
people can’t afford it. It’s not a great
model. Even for those who see PTs once
or twice a week, there’s a gap in regards
to what’s happening in between, when
the PT isn’t in touch with the client.
By using the internet for PT, clubs
could eliminate overheads, speak to
multiple people and have effi cient
interactions: providing a fi tness plan,
tracking using an app and motivating
between sessions. Unless clubs adopt
this type of technology, PTs will move
away and clubs will lose business.
November/December 2014 © Cybertrek 2014 Read Health Club Management online at healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital 51