The London 2012 Olympic
Games in particular were
hailed as the Games that
would create a sporting
legacy in London and the
wider nation, inspiring a
generation of people to take
up sport. Post-Games analysis
revealed that only 7% of the
UK population had been
inspired. Maybe Dame Tanni
Grey-Thompson said it best:
“In the UK we like to think we
are a nation that loves sport
but perhaps we are more of
a nation who loves watching
sport.”
But let’s look at the positives;
if sporting competitions are
creating spikes in participation
“
10
FM
If you can
get people
to the
classes,
you can
get them to
the sport.”
www.exerciseregister.org
levels, there is the opportunity
for all fitness professionals to
encourage more people to
get active. need to be fit to start classes.
If you can get people to the
classes, you can get them to
the sport.
Group exercise as a
pathway for sport As stated earlier, there are
nearly 400 different concepts
out there so matching sports
with classes that can develop
confidence and fitness levels
before entering the formal
sports training environment
becomes an easy job.
Everyone has to start
somewhere and even the
most hardcore sports fan
could easily be put off from
participating if they don’t
perceive themselves fit
enough to start. This is what
makes group exercise a great
feeder activity for sports.
Research from EMD UK, the
national governing body
for group exercise, shows
that 90% of group exercise
participants agree you don’t
For example, if you’re a
strength-based facility
looking for new members, the
likelihood is that the bars, the
plates, the squat racks will
be putting some people off.
A great way of getting them
used to setting up a bar and