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New year, new me – right? If only it was as simple as setting an intention. New year fitness goals may be easy to write down but they’re tough to keep up. This has never been truer than right now.  COVID-19 has closed the gyms and made group exercise, even outdoors, impossible. Our free time now…

Which is better: cycling or treadmill? There isn’t a universal answer to this question, because it depends. Cycling and running both have advantages and disadvantages, and the weight of one over the other will depend on an individual’s circumstances and needs. What’s better for one person isn’t necessarily best for another. Before we explore this…

Spin bikes are sexier than they used to be.  Remember when indoor bikes were paired right down and stripped back to basics? Pedals, handlebars, an uncomfortable saddle…If you were lucky, there was a drinks holder.  Then sensors, calorie counters, heart-rate monitors started appearing on exercise bikes and now you have spin bikes with touch screens and…

Whilst spin bikes and exercise bikes aren’t the same, they are part of the same family of stationary bikes. With more than a passing resemblance to road bikes, both have pedals, handlebars and saddles but unlike a road bike, they’re used indoors and will remain in place no matter how hard you pedal them.   Stationary…

Will Cycling Give You Abs? Cycling won’t give you rock-hard abs but that doesn’t mean that your core won’t benefit.  And building a stronger core will make you a better cyclist, too.  In cycling, you use your abs for stabilisation; your core keeps you steady and stable in the saddle. This is intensified when you’re…

Why are Spin Bikes So Expensive? Of course, it depends what you’re looking for.  Spin bikes vary in price from basic set-ups costing around one hundred dollars to the more advanced models costing thousands. People also tend to lump together the different types of stationary bike. You have an upright bike resembling the more traditional…

We’ve all had buyer’s remorse: the dead-weight that drops into your stomach after a big purchase.   It’s common with exercise equipment because aren’t we all looking for that magic bullet? We all want to find a way to make our workouts more effective, efficient and enjoyable.  And Peloton bikes are sleek and they’re sexy, and…

Start-ups need momentum to grow. But it’s difficult in the beginning. New businesses may feel unable or unqualified to access the relevant funding, facilities, or the professional expertise required to start scaling up quickly. And innovation can be a lonely road; it’s tough to blaze a trail in science or technology, and start-ups may not…

Whatever you think about the Trump administration, its track record on climate change has been disappointing. From calling climate change a hoax (but then later saying it’s a ‘very serious subject’) to pulling out of the Paris Agreement (and then saying the environment is ‘very important’), Trump’s commentary on climate change has frequently been confusing and…

It’s one thing to attract new gym members and another to keep them paying their membership month after month. You only need to look at the numbers in January and then compare them to memberships in March or April. Given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the gym industry, it’s never been more important…

We’re big fans of spinning.  It’s one of the reasons why we’re putting microgeneration devices into spin bikes so that gyms can generate their own clean energy, reducing electricity bills and carbon footprints. But the spin bike isn’t just useful in renewable energy generation; it’s great for health and fitness, too. We wanted to find…

It’s been quite the year. COVID-19 has made an unprecedented social and economic impact on the lives of billions of people around the world.  It has infected around 420,000 people in the United Kingdom alone, leaving many with long-term health issues. But aside from the obvious impact of the pandemic, there’s also the attention it…

We’ve written a lot about climate change in recent months and about the importance of celebrating and commemorating the dates dedicated to shining a light on environmental issues. Business Clean-Up Day World Bicycle Week World Environment Day It’s a great way to mobilise people, raise awareness and to educate children on things like biodiversity, habitat…

Walk into most gyms and you’ll probably see rows of static bikes.  You might see advertisements for spin classes, too. You might even mistake a spin bike for an exercise bike because a lot of people use the terms interchangeably but what is the difference? And when it comes to spin bike Vs exercise bike…

For most UK businesses right now, becoming more sustainable can feel like a big decision and one made more difficult by the COVID-19 pandemic and its legacy. Businesses have a lot on their plate right now and going green can seem like a distraction from more pressing financial and social matters. Gyms and fitness centres…

You’ll hear a lot about the advantages of going green and most of us will agree that it’s a good thing, but small business owners could argue that it can hard to be both economically viable and environmentally friendly.  We’ve written before about why businesses have to respond to climate change and how gyms can…

We all know how important exercise is for our mental and physical health but we wanted to look more closely at why working out is good for the heart.  Many of us will be familiar with the short-term benefits of exercise: the runners high or the half-inch off the waist, but there’s more to staying…

It’s been a funny old year but that’s not stopping the Wildlife Trust celebrating everything in and under the sea for National Marine Week 2020. And it isn’t even a week at all. Running from July 25th until August 9 2020, National Marine Week will take place over 15 days to accommodate all the UK’s…

Most of us feel that we need to do more to protect the environment. You might already participate in behaviours that minimise your impact on the world around you: by taking public transport, recycling the plastic you use, opting for paperless bills, or driving an electric or hybrid car.  You might also be part of…

The more obvious signs of climate change are happening thousands of miles from where we live: the deforestation in the Amazon and the melting permafrost in Siberia, for example.  Australia’s bushfires happened in another time zone. Whilst many of us are horrified, saddened or angry to see the devastation, it can feel like someone else’s…

Last month was the hottest May on record. 2020 was already a hot mess but this is getting ridiculous. Few will complain about glorious sunshine during the UK’s lockdown but these latest global record-breaking temperatures remind of us the other big challenge we’re facing: climate change. According to BBC Science Focus website, the EU’s global…

Sustainability is a powerful marketing and buying tool.   Customers still want quality, affordable products and services but they also want to know that the brands and services they’re engaging with align with their values. For example, if you’re against the use of palm oil then it’s likely you’ll avoid companies that use palm oil…

Clients and consumers are more environmentally aware than ever, and they’re choosing products and services that align with their beliefs and lifestyles. Green marketing helps businesses create the stories behind their brand by delivering a positive environmental message that’s not just about building a customer or client base, but about creating a community. What is…

On May 20th, a European Media agency leaked details of the stimulus package that would help the EU economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. EuActive said the leak came from a ‘trusted source’, and one week later, in a speech given before the European Parliament, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that the EU’s…

It’s hard to think about anything other than COVID-19 right now. Unfortunately, environmental challenges don’t disappear just because we’re facing a pandemic.  World Environment Day 2020 (WED) will look and feel a little different this year.  With much of the world either in lockdown or adhering to some form of social distancing, it will mostly…

Fitness isn’t a one-time gig.  It’s a journey that can take a lot of time and a lot of effort.  Some people will work at their fitness because that in itself is a reward but others may feel that their motivation is only as good as the incentive they’re getting to keep showing up and…

World Environment Day on June 5th 2020 is celebrating biodiversity.  The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that many of us don’t have the freedom to explore and experience the world around us like we used to.  We can’t take the holidays we want and even visiting local beauty spots has been out of bounds for many…

There’s been a boom in bike sales since the UK entered lockdown back in March.  Bike chain Halfords has reported a 23% jump in shares as more of us take to two wheels as a means of exercising and commuting safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.  It would be great to see people continuing to cycle…

COVID-19 has changed a lot of things, and it’s still unclear as to whether or not it’s changed the fitness industry forever.  UK gyms have been shut since the lockdown was first announced back in March, and it’s unlikely that they’ll be reopening in the near future. But people are still exercising.  We know how…

The Coronavirus pandemic is having a huge impact on people’s physical and mental health.  Since the UK Government’s lockdown measures began on March 23rd, many people have been struggling with social distancing measures.   Family members from different households have been unable to visit one another and children have been kept from school friends.  Employees…

The global fitness industry is worth around $100 billion and shows no sign of stopping or slowing down.  The market is strong but so is the competition. Prospective members have a huge choice when it comes to finding a gym so it’s never been more important to stand out from your rivals.  One way of…

The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing events to go digital. Earth Day 2020 is all about the environment and the outdoors but this year it’s being celebrated remotely.  The Importance of Earth Day Earth Day began in the USA on April 22nd 1970 and has been held annually ever since. It’s now a global environmental education…

We’re all wired for short-term hits and immediate gratification. As consumers, we can be impatient to get what we want.  Businesses should be different. Often, they’re not.  The Problem of Short-termism.  Short-termism is when businesses make decisions based on short-term benefits. It’s recruiting an unsuitable candidate where you’re desperate for the additional manpower; it’s accepting…

What hasn’t the COVID-19 outbreak affected? We’re all adapting to new circumstances and situations as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic but for the global fitness industry, it’s been a particularly challenging time. The industry does so much in-person: gyms, classes, PT sessions, team sports, group training, community events, etc.   So, when the UK Government announced tighter…

We’re all adjusting to life in lockdown. Whether we’re working from home or not working at all, caring for children or looking after the sick or vulnerable, COVID-19 is affecting everything: the way we live, work and socialise, and it’s having an impact on the environment, too. How is COVID-19 Affecting our Carbon Footprint? A…

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned daily life upside down. The threat to human life and health has always been at the fore but now we’re starting to see the implications of social distancing and isolation on the UK economy.  Some businesses won’t survive this pandemic.  Gym owners have a responsibility to ensure the health and…

It’s hard to imagine a world without COVID-19.   Coronavirus is transforming the way we live, work and travel.   What was unthinkable months ago is now commonplace: international borders closing, sporting fixtures postponed, planes grounded, mass gatherings cancelled.   There’s no doubt that the pace of the Coronavirus outbreak is deeply unsettling.  The pandemic…

There’s not a day in the calendar that doesn’t now have a call-to-action or a cause to celebrate attached to it. And one of the year’s most important dates is World Wildlife Day on March 3rd.   World Wildlife Day was created to raise awareness around protecting the planet’s wild animal and plant populations, to…

Business Clean Up Day happens each year in Australia in February.    The concept is simple: you register your intent, you pick a local spot that would benefit from a litter pick, you grab your work colleagues, employees or team and then you dedicate 2 or more hours to cleaning that area up.  The initiative has…

In 2019, Scottish wind turbines produced almost twice the amount of electricity needed to power every household in Scotland. Between January and July 2019, it achieved 9,831,320 megawatt hours (MWh) of wind energy. Robin Parker, WWF Scotland’s Climate and Energy Policy Manager says, “These are amazing figures, Scotland’s wind energy revolution is clearly continuing to…

The Carbon Footprint of Food Food production is responsible for a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions. It’s an astounding figure made even more so by the fact that a third of all food produced globally is wasted.  We’re regularly told to reduce the number of flights we take each year and to switch to…

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, but this year… we gave Gymshark a Human Powered Christmas Tree. Date: Wednesday 11th December, 2019 Location: Gymshark Lifting Club, Solihull, Birmingham Last month, to bring the world of fitness some Christmas cheer, we decided to use our clean energy tech for festive good and to light up…

Greta Thunberg, David Attenborough, Australian bushfires, MET Office figures announcing the last 10 years as the ‘warmest decade on record’… You can’t switch on the television or the radio at the moment without being confronted by news reports on global warming, calls for environmental action or extreme weather despair. In 2019, the UK declared a…

In 2014, Barack Obama – then US President – told the UN climate summit in New York “We are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change and the last generation that can do something about it.” We no longer have the luxury of ignoring the effects of global warming.  What’s been a…

The social impact of climate change in the UK isn’t as widely discussed as environmental or economic influences. We all understand the role global warming plays in rising sea levels, bush fires and extreme heatwaves, but climate change will have an impact on people’s daily lives here in the UK, too. Social impact refers to…

Being eco-friendly used to mean separating the paper, cardboard and plastic from our rubbish bins. Planting trees, dropping fifty pence pieces into green charity shakers made us all feel we were doing our bit for climate change. We used to think that unleaded petrol and printing on recycled paper was enough. Now we know better.…

CSR is corporate social responsibility.  A company’s sense of responsibility towards the community and environment (both ecological and social) in which it operates. The Business Dictionary What is Environmental CSR? The Giving Machine website uses Unilever as an example of what environmental CSR can look like.  Back in 2014, Unilever started compressing deodorant cans managing…

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), global obesity has tripled since 1975 with around 650 million people now classified as obese. The last time the Earth’s atmosphere contained this much C02 was 3 million years ago when, according to Wired, ‘sea levels were several meters higher and trees grew at the South Pole’. 1…

A carbon footprint is the impact a business or individual has on the environment.   It relates to how much greenhouse gas is produced in order to sustain your business. Greenhouse gas emissions contribute to climate change: the gradual warming of the planet due to increased infrared radiation. For businesses, carbon footprints can mean the…

Food waste contributes more to the climate crisis than plastic. Globally, food waste is responsible for around 8% of greenhouse gas emissions each year.  A report by the World Resources Institute (WRI) suggests that as much as a third of food produced for human consumption is either lost or wasted. That’s around 1.3 billion tons…

(+1 easy way to make a little extra cash) According to a State of the Industry report, there are 700+ gyms in the UK. The estimated market value of the fitness industry is now £4.9 billion strong and growing. It’s good news for anyone in the business. Whether you’re selling a product, a lifestyle or…

[MEDIA RELEASE] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 28/11/2019ENERGYM Energym’s retro-fit devices turn exercise equipment into clean renewable energy generators, reducing a gym’s energy bills with the potential to power entire neighbourhoods. The UK has 7,000+ gyms and more than 10 million gym members. Energym wants to put those gym rats and bunnies on wheels or rather onto…

And 5 Easy Ways Your Business Can Become More Environmentally Friendly… Climate change in the North Pole probably feels way above your pay grade. Perhaps, you’re a small local business: a boutique gym or mid-size company specialising in fitness equipment. You might even be the VP of a franchised gym group.  The climate crisis is…

Why it pays to be sustainable… The major non-renewable resource for humankind is time which is why we urge businesses to take control and strive towards putting the United Nation’s environmental Sustainable Development Goals into action. (Goals seven, nine, eleven, thirteen and fifteen to be exact.)  Fossil fuel energy consumption is skyrocketing at an exponential…

Being eco-friendly used to mean separating the paper, cardboard and plastic from our rubbish bins. Planting trees, dropping fifty pence pieces into green charity shakers made us all feel we were doing our bit for climate change. We used to think that unleaded petrol and printing on recycled paper was enough. Now we know better.…

Food waste contributes more to the climate crisis than plastic. Globally, food waste is responsible for around 8% of greenhouse gas emissions each year.  A report by the World Resources Institute (WRI) suggests that as much as a third of food produced for human consumption is either lost or wasted. That’s around 1.3 billion tons…

(+1 easy way to make a little extra cash) According to a State of the Industry report, there are 700+ gyms in the UK. The estimated market value of the fitness industry is now £4.9 billion strong and growing. It’s good news for anyone in the business. Whether you’re selling a product, a lifestyle or…

[MEDIA RELEASE] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 28/11/2019ENERGYM Energym’s retro-fit devices turn exercise equipment into clean renewable energy generators, reducing a gym’s energy bills with the potential to power entire neighbourhoods. The UK has 7,000+ gyms and more than 10 million gym members. Energym wants to put those gym rats and bunnies on wheels or rather onto…

And 5 Easy Ways Your Business Can Become More Environmentally Friendly… Climate change in the North Pole probably feels way above your pay grade. Perhaps, you’re a small local business: a boutique gym or mid-size company specialising in fitness equipment. You might even be the VP of a franchised gym group.  The climate crisis is…

Why it pays to be sustainable… The major non-renewable resource for humankind is time which is why we urge businesses to take control and strive towards putting the United Nation’s environmental Sustainable Development Goals into action. (Goals seven, nine, eleven, thirteen and fifteen to be exact.)  Fossil fuel energy consumption is skyrocketing at an exponential…