These are just some of the staggering findings revealed in the LA Fitness Basic Fitness Audit published today, which was commissioned by Fred Turok, Chairman of LA Fitness. (Full findings below as well as tips on "how to assess your fitness" and "how to get started on exercise - easy steps".
Spokesperson: Fred Turok - Chairman of LA Fitness and Chairman of the Fitness Industry Association (FIA)
Fred is an experienced broadcast interviewee, as an ex PE teacher - he is excellent at communicating to large and varied audiences.
To arrange an interview please call: Delia Hyde - 020 7222 4345/07831 810690
Full story
Says Fred Turok, Chairman of LA Fitness, "Fitness levels in this country are reaching danger levels – not being able to touch your toes sounds laughable, but it is really a national tragedy. This action demonstrates basic flexibility – a lack of which can result in life threatening circulatory problems and arthritis, as well as joint problems and shortening of ligaments leading to complete immobility. These worryingly low levels of fitness will ultimately ignite the time bomb that is the obesity issue; we need to create a huge culture change in our society to form healthy basic fitness habits and get more people exercising, more often."
The LA Fitness Basic Fitness Audit, which involved interviews with 1,000 respondents carried out by market research agency Tick Box, showed that the UK population now has a strong grasp of "healthy eating" with 89% awareness of the 5-A-Day campaign, but 1 in 3 stated that they feel "saturated with healthy eating material and messages". However, when the researchers investigated the public's grasp on recommended exercise, over half of respondents said they were "very confused" about what they should be doing.
Adds Turok, "This is not as a result of endemic laziness on a national level. This research shows that a big part of the problem is mass confusion about what people should do to get started with exercise. The government has done a very good job on educating the public on the importance of a good diet, i.e. the "energy in" aspect of the obesity and health debate but we now need to focus on the education on "energy out".
Whilst the UK population has a great grasp of diet and nutrition, fitness ignorance and confusion is rife. In the 1950s, people consumed 500 more calories a day than they do today, but obesity levels have increased astonishingly.
Concludes Turok, "Money invested into helping people get a fitness grip and develop basic healthy fitness habits will ultimately save the taxpayer and the NHS billions of pounds, and this needs to begin with making fitness recommendations easy to grasp and crucially achievable for everyone. Recent recommendations that people should aim for 30 minutes of "vigorous" activity every single day is for many unfeasible and de-motivational. We need to demystify fitness and offer constructive directions that are clear and simple."
The report out this month by Gordon Brown's former adviser, Sir Derek Wanless, found that most of the extra £43 billion pumped into the NHS in the past five years had not yet delivered any substantial benefits. He warned that unless the situation improves dramatically, the entire future of the NHS is in jeopardy as - within 15 years - the service could prove too expensive to sustain. He claimed the NHS funding black hole - the difference between income and spending - could soon reach £15 billion a year unless overall public health is improved.
LA Fitness last month carried out a New Member Survey of 1,000 new club members who enrolled for health checks as part of the chain's pioneering Kickstart membership programme. It is the only health club chain to offer a package which focuses on developing healthy fitness habits by rewarding members with one month's free membership once they have attended the club twice a week for 8 weeks* (see below for full details). The new member data showed that worrying BMI levels are commonplace.
* More than half (57%) had a BMI of between 25 and 30 (a healthy level is between
18.5 and 25)
* Over a quarter (26%) had a BMI reading of 30 or above, which according to
government guidelines categorises them as clinically obese
Additionally the LA Fitness Basic Fitness Audit shows that BMI is not a well understood concept with 56% of respondents confirming that they do not what their BMI is or indeed what it ought to be.
To provide some immediate impetus and guidance, all 88 LA Fitness clubs nationwide are offering free – no-strings – BMI readings as well as giving community advice on "at home" fitness activities to get them started.
Says Bevan Viljoen, Personal Trainer at LA Fitness, "We are offering everyone in our communities the chance to get free advice on how to get started. We will be giving free BMI readings, tips on LA Fitness How To Face Up To Your Fitness* which include the basic tell-tale tests people can do themselves – as well as LA Fitness Starter Steps*, which includes some simple step advice on how to introduce exercise into their lives. These will also be on our website www.lafitness.co.uk."
* Copies of both attached.
• ENDS –
Notes to Eds:
"Kickstart" launches nationwide at LA Fitness this month, an innovative member induction programme at all 88 clubs to help nurture the development of a fitness habit and healthier lifestyle, based on a unique support-and-reward scheme that encourages positive behaviour – with particular focus on the first eight weeks of membership. Member Reward is a key part of Kickstart - in an innovative move for the industry, all new members who undertake the Kickstart programme and use the club twice a week for the first eight weeks will be rewarded by a free month's membership – having the equivalent of one month's membership returned to them in the form of membership extension or a direct debit repayment holiday for one month (depending on if they are an annual or monthly paying member.)
UK FITNESS AUDIT SHOW THE UK POPULATION CAN'T TOUCH THEIR TOES
