After a difficult year and a half with lockdowns and restrictions, Bradford business owners in the health and fitness industry are happy to welcome back clients at full capacity.
Local health and fitness clubs are back up and running, providing an opportunity to re-establish a healthy lifestyle through the exercise that best suits one's needs. Gym owners create a space for fitness and exercise, which for many, becomes a sort of escape or a “home away from home”.
What seems to lie at the heart of locally owned health and fitness services is the genuine investment from both the owner and client.
Owner of the Kettlebell Club in Bradford, Julie (who did not want to have her last name published), teaches kettlebell classes and offers professional nutrition coaching. She was able to offer some insight into what a career in the health and fitness field means to her.
“When I am focusing on creating my best life, I feel and see that positive energy transferring to my Kettlebell Club members, which is a great feeling," she said. "Such a simple act allows me to do my part in making this world a better place.”
Adrian Murphy, owner of REBELfit 24/7 located in the West Park Plaza says he sees a shift happening in the fitness industry.
“A big ideal for gyms is that they’re going to create more niche markets. Such as gyms just for bodybuilding, group classes, specific gyms just for cardio/Zumba.," he said. "Something I’ve always tried to establish here at RebelFit is that it’s a place where you can do all of those mediums in some way, but it’s important to consider the overall environment and that it’s right for you.
Finding the medium of exercise that best suits one's needs becomes an opportunity to bond and feel integrated within the community.
“The biggest aspect of the ‘niche’ or ‘boutique’ gyms, is the social structures you can bid from it. You meet others trying to achieve a common goal and that brings camaraderie”, says Murphy.
When asked why she believes independently owned fitness businesses are important in a town such as Bradford, Julie answered, “Over the years, The Kettlebell Club members have become a community within the community. Creating a space where people feel welcomed, appreciated, respected, and encouraged to continuously strive to be their best, uplifts those individuals, and creates people who are more positive. They then pass on that positivity to everyone they come into contact with, which uplifts the entire community”.
Both Murphy and Julie like that they can implement changes and developments however and whenever they see fit to their programming.
Murphy says, “The fact is that when I make a move, I can make it whenever I choose to. I can make changes much quicker to adhere to community suggestions and preferences. People enjoy feeling heard. Whereas something corporate, they have to go through a list of steps and people higher up before seeing change.”
For Julie, she feels that she can consider and implement the feedback she receives from her clients which helps create an inclusive and supportive environment during her kettlebell classes.
“Over the years, I have found that when someone establishes trust and feels safe in an environment, they’re more likely to fully invest themselves in their progress and achieve their goals in health and fitness," she said.
Murphy explains how the community has contributed to molding REBELfit into what it is today and believes it's the clients who have had the biggest influence on the business.
"There’s a lot of people who have had a hand in creating this atmosphere. Without them, I don’t learn more, and I don’t figure out my path without these other people," he said. "It’s definitely due to the people who are in this town that I am in this position with my business and I don’t know that if I were anywhere else, I could say I’d have or be able to see the same kind of support”
Julie says, “I love my business because it has allowed me to provide support for my family, do something I am passionate about, and keep me active at the same time. Having the opportunity to positively impact someone else’s life is an added bonus for which I am deeply grateful as it enriches my life.”
She adds, “Choosing to build a business within Bradford has been a fantastic experience. The fact that we moved online and there was no change in social engagement. Running my business over the years has been incredible. The people in my classes are just the most wonderful and they’re all very caring and supportive of one another.”
