Technology has completely transformed sport and physical activity. Just thirty year ago, when MTV was big, padded shoulders were the norm and arcade games were all the rage, some commonplace features such as websites, online bookings, virtual training and fitness apps were unheard of. In that pre-internet age, the cutting-edge was a workout video led by Mr Motivator, Mad Lizzie or the Green Goddess.
Now, there are over 50,000 sport, fitness and physical activity apps available and online transactions are the norm. Technology is helping encourage participation, signpost opportunities, link players up with teams, monitor individual progress and share success.
It is essential that leisure trusts keep up with this. People are “consuming” sport and physical activity very differently from how they did in the past. The continued rise of online social interactions mean that trusts must provide customers with what they want, in the way they want it.
For example:
Modern gyms are nothing like their clanking, sweaty, muscle-bound counterparts of thirty years ago.
Take the new Atherton Leisure Centre. Highly designed, modern equipment like the Synergy 360 which provides a total body workout across twelve stations is the norm. Even the good old treadmill is nothing like it used to be. Users these days expect treadmills to have shock-absorbing decks, in-built entertainment systems, internet access and results tracking.
The gym and studios at Atherton are bright, clean, air-conditioned and offer a modern, high-tech environment, including virtual training, to give the best possible workout environment.
activeNewham is also an industry leader following its introduction of cashless systems into its leisure and fitness facilities. In January 2016, the trust took the innovative step of replacing old-fashioned staffed reception areas with an entirely self-service kiosk system.
The process is similar to using an Oyster card. Customers can use their single membership card to top up their account to pay for activities via the call centre or online.
Since its introduction, queuing has been eliminated, there has been a 9 per cent increase in usage and an 8 per cent increase in casual income. Customer feedback has been extremely positive.
The latest initiative aims to make participation in the many facilities and opportunities on offer even more easier.
activeNewham has become the first UK leisure trust to publish Open Data.
The difficulty of finding out what’s going on where and at what time is frequently cited as a key barrier to participation.
Open Data aims to overcome this by improving and opening up all the information about physical activity and sporting opportunities across the borough. The data, which does not include any personal information, will be open to anyone to access, use and share.
We all use apps and digital services to find and compare hotels, restaurants, cinema showings and so on. Open Data will bring this approach to fitness classes, walking groups, sports clubs and all manner of physical activity.
It has the potential to transform the way people in Newham engage with activeNewham’s facilities and programmes.
Critics say that access to technology is limited by socio-economic status and age but the evidence points in the other direction. Despite being one of the poorest boroughs in the country, smartphone usage is well above the national average and, for example, half of all transactions conducted with the council now take place via the LBN website.
New technology is not the whole solution but it has an increasingly important role to play. In a data-rich environment like sport and fitness, it can help break down barriers to information, knowledge and access.
That is surely a good thing.
