What does it mean to truly support your members? At David Lloyd, a commitment to serving members at every life stage is driving fresh thinking across the business.

A growing focus on women’s health – something the industry has fallen short on – is a pivotal part of this, says Michelle Dand, David Lloyd’s head of product and programming.

But while this criticism might once have applied to David Lloyd, under Dand’s guidance things are changing.

Every club now has a dedicated female health lead delivering seminars on pelvic health, breast support, puberty, menstrual cycle training, menopause and injury resilience. The sessions provide information, signposting and safe spaces for members to connect and share experiences that have historically gone unspoken.

David Lloyd has also developed internal training to address the limited coverage of female physiology in standard industry qualifications. This includes menopause modules, with advanced training for fitness professionals and a foundation course for all team members.

A focus on bone health

Programming is evolving in parallel. New concepts such as Battlebox and Buggies and Spirit Pre- and Post are designed to support women through and beyond pregnancy, while in-app communities and educational content extend that support beyond the gym floor.

There’s also an exciting new pilot initiative, launched in partnership with Performance Health Systems, that combines Screen My Bones with Power Plate for a ‘screen to solution’ bone health programme.

For Dand, the preventative aspect is key: “Bone health is something we don’t talk about enough, yet it underpins everything as we age. By the time issues are picked up through traditional routes, it can often be too late. We want to provide our members with insight much earlier, so they have a chance to act.”

Currently live in four clubs, the pilot introduces advanced bone health screening via Screen My Bones’ REMS technology. Power Plate is then part of the solution on offer, its whole-body vibration (WBV) technology proven to stimulate bone formation and positively impact bone density.

To ensure its team are fully trained in the science and bone health application of whole-body vibration, David Lloyd has written a skeletal health training module that includes the role of vibration training – upskilling its PTs and wider teams on Power Plate and its benefits for a wide range of different users.

There has also been a reinvestment in Power Plate, with the latest pro8 model installed in the pilot clubs, as well as three further locations.

“Power Plate is one of those pieces of equipment that can support people at so many different life stages and needs, from skeletal health and active ageing to rehabilitation, performance and recovery,” says Dand. “But like any tool, the results members achieve depend on the knowledge and skill of the instructors guiding them. That’s why training is so important.”

Michelle Dand / Dare & Hier Media

Bone health is something we don’t talk about enough, yet it underpins everything as we age

A lifelong vision

The bone health initiative is deliberately inclusive: although introduced as part of the women’s health initiative, reflecting the higher risk of issues among peri- and post-menopausal women, it’s available – and relevant – to all members.

It’s early days for the pilot, with rollout decisions to be guided by member uptake and engagement. Yet for Dand, success is defined less by immediate scale and more by long-term impact.

“Yes, there’s a commercial lens – we have to make these things work – but the vision is bigger than that,” she explains. “Fundamentally, it’s about adding value for our members, making sure we have the products, the expertise and the environment to support every member at every stage of their life.

“If we can help people understand their bodies better, train more effectively and stay healthier for longer, that’s a win.”

“It’s incredibly exciting to see David Lloyd leading from the front, launching a joined-up MSK [musculoskeletal] model that combines assessment, education and targeted training,” says Iain Murray, MD of UK and Ireland for Performance Health Systems. “This initiative has the potential to genuinely change lives, particularly in the context of women’s health.” 

● Visit Power Plate’s HCM Gold Profile to discover more about bone health, Screen to Solution and the critical role of whole-body vibration in supporting women’s health at every life stage www.hcmmag.com/PowerPlateGP

The new pilot combines assessment, education and targeted sessions / Power Plate