Geelong's Gym » Fitness Statistics

Top 10 Fitness Trends For 2012

Gerard Spriet — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:40:01 +0000

Every year the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) surveys health and fitness professionals to predict fitness trends for the coming year. We thought we’d give you a heads up of what you can look forward to in 2012:

1. Educated and experienced fitness professionals. There are an increasing number of organizations awarding fitness certifications, leading to large numbers of certified professionals. The good news is, at Geelong’s Gym we’re already on top of this… our new Training School has taken off with a bang and 2012 brings the introduction of the Diploma in Fitness course.

2. Strength training. An oldie but a goodie, strength training will remain a core element of most fitness facilities and most certainly, a part of Geelong’s Gym.

3. Fitness programs for older adults. With a huge percentage of the population over 50, creating tailored fitness programs for older adults will be a focus for many health professionals. We have always advocated the importance of resistance training for older adults to help maintain bone density and this will continue in 2012.

4. Exercise and weight loss. Weight loss programs will continue the current trend of pairing exercise programs with calorie restriction for optimal weight control (as opposed to calorie restriction alone). This is nothing new for us and we have gone to great lengths to provide a nutrition program (Nutrition Complete) which operates alongside a regular exercise regime, preferably with a Personal Trainer to keep you motivated and on track.

5. Children and obesity. Health and fitness professionals will respond to the steadily increasing childhood obesity rates with tailored programs geared toward overweight children.

Our Personal Trainers like to have a little fun while making sure you get a killer workout!

6. Personal training. An increasing number of students are studying kinesiology, many of whom will pursue careers in personal training upon graduation. As mentioned already, Personal Training is a huge part of Geelong’s Gym and part of our ethos for successful weight loss and regular exercise adherence.

7. Core training. Core training focuses specifically on the mid-body muscles (lower back, abdomen, pelvis and hips) essential for spine support. Like strength training (#2, above), core training will remain a fundamental element of fitness programs. We have a number of options here at Geelong’s Gym to really blitz your core… try a Butts n Guts class or keep your eyes open for our next Zone 10 Small Group PT classes, ABSolutely Core and Punches n Crunches.

8. Group personal training. Continued economic woes will lead customers to seek cost-savings in their fitness routines – like personal trainers who offer group training sessions. We offer you both inside and outside options, with our PT Outdoors kicking off new sessions in late January and more Zone 10 classes coming up soon.

Sh'Bam... now at Geelong's Gym!

9. Zumba and other dance workouts. Zumba has been gaining popularity since 2010, when it first appeared on ACSM’s list. This is the first year it has broken the top 20, and it’s the only fitness program to appear in the top 10 for 2012. Zumba was a hit at Geelong’s Gym from it’s very first class and continues to maintain its popularity. We are delighted to introduce in 2012 Sh’Bam, the new Les Mills dance class, which is a blend of Zumba and Body Jam moves set to the latest chart topping hits. So there are plenty of dance options at Geelong’s Gym!

10. Functional fitness. Closely tied to fitness programs for older adults (#3), more focus will be put on functional fitness, which uses strength training to improve things like balance and ease of every-day tasks. Functional training has been a part of Geelong’s Gym since the opening of Zone 10 in September 2009… so I guess it would be fair to say that we are way ahead of trend!!

It looks like it’s going to be another exciting year in the fitness industry and Geelong’s Gym will continue to remain on top of the latest trends and developments, to ensure you get the best possible workout right here.

The Startling Facts About Home Gyms!!!

Gerard Spriet — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 22:43:04 +0000

Have you been thinking lately that you need to do some exercise, but you don’t want to shell out on a Gym membership? I bet the next step in your thinking goes something along the lines of… “I know, I’ll get a treadmill for home – that’ll be heaps cheaper and I’ll use it all the time!”

Sounds like a great plan. Except, it doesn’t usually work out quite the way you think it will…

Dr Marc Dussault from Exponential Programs sent me this great graph he got from GraphJam, which I thought I’d share with you. Still thinking it’s too expensive to join a Gym??!!

Geelong’s Gym: Contributing to the Australian Economy

Gerard Spriet — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 00:08:37 +0000

Yes, it’s true. Geelong’s Gym is contributing to the Australian economy and not just by providing jobs!

I’m sure you know health and fitness is good for you and everybody else, but it’s also good for the economy. Why?

Well, it has a huge impact on the cost of health care, employment and even our GDP. Currently, around 1.73 million Australians are estimated to use fitness centres. That’s a big number, true. But here’s what Fitness Australia has estimated will be the impact if that figure increased to 10% of the population:

An additional $204.8 million will be saved in health care costs
2609 extra full time employees in the workforce
As a result of the additional employees mentioned above, an increased GDP of approximately $82 million

Maybe you’re a bit sceptical. But the simple fact is, improving your health and fitness is the best thing you can do for yourself, your family, your community and your country!

You see, the fitter and healthier you and the rest of Australia are, the more energetic and productive we’ll all be and much more likely to participate in the workforce. This, of course, is fantastic for the many businesses and industries we are involved in.

Maybe it's time to pull on the exercise gear and start getting fit and healthy

But that’s not the only benefit of health and fitness. The four main diseases most associated with physical inactivity are:

Type 2 Diabetes
Cardiovascular Disease
Osteoarthritis
Cancer

Did you know in 2004-05, the direct health care relating to these four diseases was $14.6 billion?

Now imagine the savings if we could reduce the number of obesity-related chronic diseases. Even if just 50% of gym users exercised regularly, the estimated savings in direct health care costs is $71.9 million – $49.8 million of that figure is just the avoided costs of cardiovascular disease.

And it’s really simple to achieve… all you need to do is start getting fit and healthy today!

When would NOW be a good time to start going to the gym?

marc — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 23:26:02 +0000

The Center of Disease Control and Prevention states that most adults just need about 30 minutes of moderate exercise, five times a week to stay healthy. This moderate exercise can include taking a brisk walk, dancing, swimming, cycling, or even walking your dog! What you’ll realize is that packing in 30 minutes of such activity should not be an issue at all.

Did you know that more than half the people who start a fitness regime give it up within less than a year. Almost 3 in every 4 men feel that they should be exercising more than what they do. Almost 100% of men admit that they have at times skipped workouts and opted for some other activity in times of a conflict.

It’s surprising that fitness takes such a backseat in our lives especially since an average adult male can save up to a thousand dollars in medical expenses by being regular with a fitness program.

The issue doesn’t only plague adults. With increasing dependence on computers and technology, outdoor games have become a thing of the past for many kids. Even in high school, only about 1 in 5 students is physically active and for only 20 minutes in a day. Can you believe that?!?!

The thrill of fitting into a dress that you have not been able to wear for years or the great feeling you have when you know that someone is checking you out is something that really can’t be explained.

So guess what? Get yourself to the gym NOW!!!!

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