<h1><b>How Does The Fitness Industry Need To Adapt…?</b></h1>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">This week's Juicemail is primarily to provoke thinking however we would like to understand from you what you feel is required to support you, as individuals and small businesses, to adapt.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">The virus has really shaken things up for everyone, and there is a chance we ain't seen nothing yet! As the fitness industry is preparing to emerge from lockdown, how do </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">WE</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> need to adapt to meet the needs of this new world and are there opportunities amidst the mayhem?</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Firstly I would like to assure you that </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">WE</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> are stronger together and there are associations, groups, organisations and people who are fighting your corner. </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Due to unprecedented circumstances we need to educate, prepare, educate (yes I did say it twice) and be aware of all possible eventualities. This breeds confidence and enables us to lead the nation towards improved physical health that will benefit individuals as well as the nation long term. </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">We can unburden the NHS through guided exercise and improved movement but what exactly needs to happen?</span>

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<h1><b>Group Discussion</b></h1>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Last week I spoke on a panel invited together by CIMSPA including: </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Phill Wright Business Transformation Manager CIMSPA</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Colin Huffen Head of Education CIMSPA, </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Steve Osbourne from Cardiff Met Uni</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Sean Greeley of NPE</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">We discussed the question </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">“How Does The Sport &amp; Physical Activity Sector Need To Adapt…?”  </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">from each of our perspectives and we each offered our thoughts based on what we predict from the limited information we have. </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">With Phill facilitating we discussed; </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">How has behaviour changed?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">How does the workforce need to change in this new norm?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">How does delivery need to change? </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">How does the message need to adapt?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">How do our products &amp; services need to adapt?</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">I will share some of my thoughts later in this blog but if you are a member in the CIMSPA Stronger Together facebook page you can go an watch it - </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/cimspa.strongertogether/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.facebook.com/groups/cimspa.strongertogether/</span></a>

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<h1><b>IBA Webinar Discussion &amp; Lectures </b></h1>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Sunday 5th July we invited 2 guest lecturers to speak at our IBA Webinar;</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Naomi McArdle MSc, CISSN, from the Platinum Training Institute, Belfast, presented an overview of ‘Exercise &amp; Mental Health: Research &amp; Practice’.  </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Then Hunter Thomson, Health &amp; Safety Expert / Consultant, shared guidance about risk assessments, the law, PPE, government guidance and where to get the most accurate information.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Both offered great insight from their areas of expertise and again if you are an IBA member you can access the recording by hitting reply and asking or if you are not a member you can buy this 3hr webinar for £7! Also hit reply and ask!</span>
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<h1><b>What Statistics Do We Have To Help Us Moving Forwards?</b></h1>
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<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to the </span></i><a href="https://www.ipse.co.uk/ipse-news/news-listing/coronavirus-ipse-activity-and-advice-freelancers.html"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE)</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, prior to the coronavirus outbreak, self-employed people contributed £305 billion to the British economy.</span></i>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Sport England’s insight on the changes in attitudes/behaviours towards physical activity during lockdown should also provoke discussion and I invite you to consider your own service offering while taking these numbers into account….</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Savanta ComRes (member of the British polling council) conducted this data capture over 8 x weekly ‘waves’ across 4 days (Fri-Mon)in Englan</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">d</span>

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<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">‘Around 20% of adults not active on any day; and around 33% active on at least 5 days.’</span></i>

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<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">‘Other Circumstances are also correlated with </span></i><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">lesser</span></i><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> rates of inactivity.’</span></i>

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<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">These numbers below indicate the % of each group who have done 0 days of 30 mins+ physical activity (Wave 1 data - 03/04/20-11/05/20)</span></i>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">24% without kids in the house v’s 12% with kids (will do 0 days of physical activity)</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">25% without outdoor space v’s 18% with outdoors space</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">28% that live alone v’s 18% live with others </span>

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<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">‘28% of older people (55+) not doing 30 mins+ activity on any given day’</span></i>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Question: Can we adapt to ensure inclusivity for those in different circumstances and what does this mean for our businesses?</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">In wave 3: of those who viewed activity/ fitness/ exercise content.. 73% cited YouTube platform used; 19% Facebook; 19% Instagram; 9% the ‘website of my gym.’</span></i>
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">60% adults walked for weekly exercise </span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">18% run or jog</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">12% cycled</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">21% home activity, fitness or exercise class (not viewed)</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">21% home activity, fitness or exercise class (viewed online)</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">15% informal active play in the house or garden  </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">58% adults stated they now have new habits like walking, jogging, cycling. 8/10 members say they are likely to continue with gym </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Finally this graph shows apprehension about returning to gyms…..</span>

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<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23080" src="https://www.biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screenshot-2020-07-06-at-11.06.38.png" alt="" width="788" height="704" />

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<h1><b>So How Does The Fitness Industry Need To Adapt…?</b></h1>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">From the information I have read, the professionals I have spoken to, the panels I have discussed this with and the information I have found on the most reliable sources, plus some common sense; here are my thoughts &amp; suggestions on how we might want to consider adapting….</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">There are things that will affect our businesses &amp; things that </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">may </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">affect them, let's break them down so we can consider each and prepare to adapt ourselves and our businesses systematically and logically. </span>
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<h1><b>Risk &amp; Risk Assessment </b></h1>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Risk assessing has NOT changed!</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">It is the same as it was before covid and we do it all of the time. We assess risk daily, as well as periodically when circumstances change. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">So please do not panic! Think of it like this:</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">You assess the risk on the road before you cross it checking for cars coming</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">You assess risk in the gym environment before you use it by checking if the weights are lying around.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">You assess risk without thinking too much about it simply to protect yourself when using scissors, a knife or an electric power tool. </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">The key factors to consider when risk assessing for your work environment:</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Only if there are 5 or more employees is it law to have a written risk assessment. However good practise would be to have something documented for the worst case scenario and to highlight if you need tp put anything in place.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Health &amp; Safety Consultant, Hunter Thomson, suggests using these 3 simple questions for logic and common sense to evaluate:</span>

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<ol>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">HAZARDS? - what can you see (or not see) that could be deemed a hazard?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">SEVERITY? - what would the severity of that hazard be should it occur?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">LIKELIHOOD? - how likely is it to happen?</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">There are lots of templates around or you could make your own and then ask a colleague, or several, to check it over and see if they have any suggestions to add. Then repeat the process periodically to ensure its up to date.</span>

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<h1><b>Duty of Care</b></h1>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">We have a duty of care to help and educate our nation in moving better and with less pain. Our role is also to empower and enable as many people as possible towards a quality of life that can begin to unburden the NHS of many modern ailments caused by poor lifestyle choices. </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">We MUST see our role in this way and understand, behave and attain the right skills to do this to show the nation what we are capable of as a profession. </span>

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<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">How do we do this?</span></i>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">We MUST demand better education, not cheaper or easier to access but better quality that is of a standard comparable to our camarades in the clinical world.</span>

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<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">How good is your report writing?</span></i>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">How well do you transfer meaningful information about clients between a multidisciplinary team?</span></i>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">How good is your vocabulary when speaking to the medical world?</span></i>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">How much detail do you know about what your insurance covers you for?</span></i>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">We should also aim to deliver our services to as many people as possible, in whatever way we can. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Design a system that provides an appropriate service, to the right person, at the right time, from the right professional and prioritising the clients welfare.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">WAIT...there's more…</span>

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<h1><b>Service Provision </b></h1>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">We now have a digital world that is a commercial no brainer! </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">When we decided to become trainers or coaches we didn't do it for the high income and so seem to get uncomfortable when talking about money and thinking</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> commercially….</span></i>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">BUT</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">LIsten, we MUST THINK commercially or we won't survive and then we cannot offer our service and help people!</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">So start thinking about the commercial opportunity to HELP MORE PEOPLE rather than simply make more money, with less cost.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">This shunt forward in time with technology has offered us this fantastic opportunity to get online, reduce costs AND our need to be present WITHOUT the cost of staff!.....for at least a portion of our service offering, which means we can serve even more people all around the nation and even the world!! </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">WOW!! </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">We must move (scuse the pun) with the times and adapt by educating ourselves and maybe watching what others do but please don't get left behind or you could find yourself with no business due to the competition. </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Like it or not (if self employed or a director) you are in the business of business!</span>

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<h1><b>Behaviour Change </b></h1>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">This is a subject we need to study further and be aware of since behaviour has changed, attitudes towards health and fitness have changed and all of this means we need to be mindful of our message and platforms we use for delivering our services. Researching modern behaviour change studies will be vital. </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Some gym goers are now afraid</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Some no gym goers now want to go</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Some sedentary people are no longer sedentary</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Some active people are no longer active </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Maybe you could create a questionnaire for your clients or members to better understand how they are feeling about their overall health, going out to your facility/gym or even for a walk? </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">This market research will help you to adapt to their altered patterns of behaviour or views of health and fitness. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">PLUS the act of asking them their views/opinions lets them know how much you care and wish to accommodate them.</span>

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<h1><b>Mental Health Awareness </b></h1>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">This has got to be something we educate ourselves more on moving forwards due to the implications of covid and the sheer number of cases both diagnosed and undiagnosed, of individuals with some mental health issue or concern, and the numbers are quite possibly on the rise!</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Also the fact that many of our clients won't even share this detail with us due to the stigma still attached and yet studies show mental health, and the medications that may be prescribed, can impact on their physical performance and therefore programme design. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Yet studies also show clearly the benefit of being physically active for our mental health and wellbeing </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">This subject is one I will be immersing myself into with the </span><b><i>Level 4 Award in Physical Activity for Adults with Mental Health Conditions</i></b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">qualification through Platinum Training Institute, Queens Belfast Uni </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">since they are a training provider with integrity and to encourage you to do the same.</span>

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<h1><b>Finally…...</b></h1>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">May I suggest that, if you haven't already, you set aside some time to consider the points raised in this blog and questions like these below…...</span>

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<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do you feel equipped with an awareness of your client’s vulnerability? </span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do you feel attitudes towards health have changed? </span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do you need to alter your hygiene/ cleaning protocols?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Are you expecting costs to your business to increase or decrease?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Have you discovered a new work / life balance?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do you / could you have more options/packages/value add’s with a digital service?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Has your income decreased per session due to distancing regulations? </span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do you feel you need extra training in risk?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">How important do you feel the exercise professionals role is now more important or less so?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Have you considered the thought we may have simply been nudged forward 10-15yrs technically?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">How will you reach more people? </span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">How do you feel about your duty of care to help the nation?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Would you be happily, &amp; publicly, transparent about your qualifications?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do you feel that the education standards &amp; quality in our industry are adequate for the demand today?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do you feel you would benefit from education into how the virus spreads?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do you think digital fitness is here to stay?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do you think the 400% increase in home gym equipment sales could be detrimental to gyms?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do you feel you are good at embracing change?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">How do you measure the health &amp; safety of your business?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Has your insurance changed? Does it need to? How would you know?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do you plan to add technology into your programming?</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Please do hit reply if you wish to share or discuss your fears, frustrations, ideas and thoughts - let's do this together!</span>

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<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">References;</span></h3>
<a href="https://www.platinumtraininginstitute.com/Personal-Trainer-Course/level-4-award-in-physical-activity-for-adults-with-mental-health-conditions/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.platinumtraininginstitute.com/Personal-Trainer-Course/level-4-award-in-physical-activity-for-adults-with-mental-health-conditions/</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span>

<a href="https://www.cimspa.co.uk/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.cimspa.co.uk/</span></a>

<a href="https://www.sportengland.org/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.sportengland.org/</span></a>

<a href="https://www.wellnessliving.com/blog/covid-19-changing-fitness-industry-forever/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.wellnessliving.com/blog/covid-19-changing-fitness-industry-forever/</span></a>

<a href="https://www.thetrainingroom.com/blog/fitness/may-2013/changes-in-the-fitness-industry"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.thetrainingroom.com/blog/fitness/may-2013/changes-in-the-fitness-industry</span></a>

<a href="https://www.adammendler.com/blog/gymguyz-ceo-josh-york"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.adammendler.com/blog/gymguyz-ceo-josh-york</span></a>

<a href="https://www.glofox.com/blog/fitness-technology-is-transforming-the-industry/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.glofox.com/blog/fitness-technology-is-transforming-the-industry/</span></a>

<a href="https://www.welltodoglobal.com/how-the-fitness-industry-is-rising-to-the-covid-19-challenge/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.welltodoglobal.com/how-the-fitness-industry-is-rising-to-the-covid-19-challenge/</span></a>

<a href="https://frntofficesport.com/fitness-industry-digital-changes/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://frntofficesport.com/fitness-industry-digital-changes/</span></a>

<a href="https://www.precor.com/en-us/resources/how-clubs-can-survive-in-a-changing-industry"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.precor.com/en-us/resources/how-clubs-can-survive-in-a-changing-industry</span></a>

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Your feedback is invaluable to our offering, why not share it with us by leaving comments and feed back about how covid has affected your business and what you feel we can do to help?

or

email info@biomechanicseducation.com

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