final draft

The evolution of the fitness industry has seen
an interesting shift from boxing gyms to the
spacious, all-purpose, 24-hour health clubs now,
that offer anything from Tai Chi classes to holistic
analyses of individual health and team coaching.
With customers seeking a more specialised
experience, boutique gyms too have begun to
pop up across the fitness scene over the past
several years – small studios that focus on group
exercise in one or two areas.
Embody Fitness in Neutral Bay is one of these
boutiques, embracing a vibrant and natural
aesthetic. Merging their innovative regimes
with a healthy, eco-friendly philosophy, Embody
Fitness has but one goal: to create an ultimate
fitness experience tailored for every individual.
ECX spoke to John Rahme, co-founder, to discuss
how he and Scott Capelin combined the best
elements of fitness and brought them under one
roof.
What John observed was that of the people
who attend the gym on a semi-regular basis,
many tend to stick with one training regime,
whether it’s weight training or cardio. His goal
for Embody Fitness is to expose people to
different disciplines, combining yoga and pilates
with more common elements of cardio work to
diversify and improve workouts. “I think variety
is an important factor to get people engaged,
coming back and create consistency in their
fitness journey,” John says. To him, it’s all about
building an environment that feels different and
almost-therapeutic; a change of experience and
a place where people can escape to.
Being one of the only places to offer yoga
combined with pilates, strength training and
personal training, Embody Fitness is a key
insight into the future of trending gyms. We saw
big box gyms, large health clubs with thousands
of members as the big hits in the 2000s. And
then it was the 24-hour club experience that
soon followed, where people craved convenience
and efficiency more than anything. “Now,” says
John, “I think people want more personalised
interaction when they come to the club.” The vast
amount of corporate resources and equipment
no longer seem as desirable, with the ‘one
size fits all’ approach no longer motivating or
engaging customers like it used to. “They want
to get to know the trainers and they want to be
remembered.”
One of the things we find most admirable here
is the team’s desire and dedication to providing
a high quality of employment. “The average
trainer in Australia lasts about six months in one
gym, so we looked at that statistic and thought:
how can we let them in as part of the family?
We want our trainers to feel good, to be happy
and comfortable enough to sustain a long-term
career. So we look after our trainers. It’s actually
our mission to be the best employer in the
industry.”
Ultimately, their ideal is to set a new benchmark
in fitness and create a new standard of living, in
such a way that other businesses in the fitness
sector feel the urge to follow suit and continue
improving the model. To set off a ripple of change
in the fitness industry, John believes, would be a
great thing.
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