I was interested to read the editor’s letter in the October edition of HCM, which said the PHE report Everybody Active, Every Day presents an opportunity to further promote physical activity to the nation and embed this message in homes across the UK.

While I would agree more can be done with a co-ordinated effort across the industry, I also feel recognition should be given to what’s already been achieved.

There are very few brands in the industry that don’t actively encourage regular activity: ’30 x 5’, ‘persuading the nation to be active’, ‘keeping you active, anytime, any way’ are some examples of the brand messages already out there.

Efforts are also being made to engage with local communities, with outreach campaigns targeting families, schools, older adults, specific health conditions and designed to support general health and wellbeing.

While the comparison to the Five a Day message is an obvious one, it’s important to remember that this was officially adopted by the UK government in 2003. It has taken time for supermarkets and other companies to fully leverage this message, and even with 12 years of government support, the average person still only consumes 3.5 portions of fruit and veg a day.

There are definitely lessons to be learnt from ‘Five a Day’ to ensure the Everybody Active, Every Day message is adopted and recognised, but steps have been taken and they will continue. Our impact will only become greater with a directed, cross-sector approach.

The recent editor’s letter entitled Designing for Dementia (HCM Sept 15, p5) raised some interesting points – I was pleased to finally see an article that touched on exercise for older people.

The health suite I operate is based in a retirement village in Malvern. We’ve been open since June 2014 and have done over 400 inductions, mostly for people over 50.

However, the phrase ‘fitness for over-50s’ is something that interests me. Although we have a lot of interest from those aged over 50, I don’t actually believe the fitness industry should create gyms specifically for the over-50s. ‘Over 50’ isn’t old, nor should that age group be segregated. However I do have vast interest from people over the age of 50 who find a quieter club more appealing; I believe that, by keeping clubs small and non-intimidating, you’re more likely to encourage an older user, be they 50, 60, 70, 80 or 90 years old. 

In addition, although we see high usage levels among the over-50s, our members are not limited to that age group. Clubs such as ours encourage social interaction across all age groups, which is particularly important as people reach later life. 

With the chains still focusing predominantly on younger people, I believe we’ll see the continued growth of smaller, private clubs with values often overlooked by the larger chains: values such as cleanliness, friendly fitness staff, fully operational and easy to use equipment, and a welcoming atmosphere. Clubs with these key values, which also promote wellbeing and social inclusion, will see constant growth and engagement with the majority of the older market, while also delivering outstanding membership retention figures.