NORTH STAR INTERVIEW: Myles Ellis [Virtual Fitness Mogul]
Myles Ellis is the fitness expert who has helped me lose 30kg before COVID hit and…let’s just say I will be remaining on his books a while longer! He’s doing things a bit differently now with a growing subscription business, Zoom classes as well as working with coworking spaces that are opening up in addition to people who are working remotely like all of us. I recommend working with him if you’re looking for weight loss, more focus and increase of general wellbeing. Contact Myles through his website: www.mylesellispt.com for more details.
You were virtual before lockdown but ramped up as lockdown was announced, right? What do you think about the future of fitness? Is it all ‘home and Zoom’ or will gyms see a resurgence? How well do you think the fitness industry has reacted to the crisis?
ME: The future of the fitness industry for me is still very up in the air due to the uncertainty of when gyms (commercial/private) can re-open. As months go by, more and more gyms are going to struggle financially. Unfortunately, I can see some privately own studios/gyms closing down due to rents having to be paid and not having the financial stability behind them. Fingers crossed most gyms come out of this on the other end and can get back to business as soon as possible. Zoom has played a huge part for many coaches including me, to still be able to offer the same bespoke service to clients whether on a 1 to 1 basis or in a group. Speaking from my own experience with my clientele, a wide range of them have adapted well to training from home. Some people have the luxury of owning home gyms, some have managed to buy equipment for themselves, but some have had to get by with just bodyweight. Nevertheless, this is not the case for a good percentage of people as they have found it challenging for the reasons of lacking motivation, needing that face to face value and their own home lifestyles that get in the way i.e. kids, lack of space. For the percentage that has been able to train effectively from home, I think it has come as a great surprise that you don’t need to pay for a gym membership and be in a gym environment to get a good workout in (from the guidance of your coach’s online programming), so in a way, it may persuade people to get rid of their memberships that they may not be getting good use out of and workout from home instead. But for most people, they enjoy the gym because of the community it brings, the classes and meeting with friends. From where I am standing, I cannot wait to get back to the gym and be back in that environment, especially as it is my second home being a coach. I feel the fitness industry as a whole has adapted well throughout the past few months, with a lot of gyms such as; David Lloyd, Barry’s Bootcamp and even the smaller private business’s offering free classes and programmed sessions for people to use at their disposal. In fact, there is so much out there right now, it’s hard to know what to choose. For me as a coach and owning my own business, when the first talks of COVID came about, I made sure I was reactive and not proactive. Making sure I had designed a bespoke service digitally that would work for my clients to help them get by this tough period and luckily a lot of gyms followed suit with being reactive to the circumstances.
Thinking post-lockdown - what do you think about the fitness industry will evolve and what should people/department heads be thinking about when it comes to the physical fitness of employees after lockdown?
ME: I think the COVID situation will play a huge part in changing people’s lifestyles for the better. In an article I read, it showed figures that over 60% of adults are classed as obese in the UK. This is a very worrying figure without even thinking about child obesity. A study found that obesity was a deadly risk factor for hospitalised coronavirus patients. Hopefully, this is a wakeup call to the population to take your health seriously and look after your bodies. The famous saying ‘health is your greatest wealth’ could not be more right in this current situation. For the company’s going back to work, it will be imperative that a wellness offering to their employees is offered if they have not got one in place so far. They need to make sure they encourage employees to take up activities during the week, whether that be going to the gym, personal/group training sessions, yoga and many more. It is proven that exercise releases endorphins into the body which is vital to keeping us happy. Also, taking that break away from work can lead to a sense of de calming where they get rid of any tension added to their body from the workload during the day. This means that they are then more focussed for the rest of the day, resulting in more productivity in the workplace. Working in the corporate world in London and being the leading personal trainer at a coworking space called Fora, I deal on a daily basis with a variety of different companies that rent office space in our buildings, sharing the light on the importance of wellness within the workplace. We are lucky enough at Fora to have our own studios within a number of our buildings that residents can come and use for personal/group PT sessions with me during the hours of 6:30 am-7:00 pm. As I am aware most companies do not have the luxury of this hence why I have spent the time to adapt my service, so it is possible to still offer company PT sessions for their employees or even 1 to 1 work if needed through zoom. I have designed desk workouts for companies that have minimal space so that it aids in keeping people active while being made convenient for them by not having to take time out to travel. Many of my clients have jumped at the chance of doing this and are reaping the benefits.
What advice do you have to people who are launching subscription/online services now and in the future?
ME: My advice for anyone (but especially Personal Trainers) is to not to rush anything. Research, research, research. The most important thing is that you understand ‘you’ and your target people. Don’t look at what anyone else is doing - some of the options out there are not well thought through and solely there to take people’s money through mass marketing. There are great personal trainers doing good things with their own services that is good advice for anyone; making sure it is detailed, professional and meaningful. For me, creating a brand showing your true identity is key as people will buy into who you are and what you represent. This comes from your branding, which means investing in a marketing company to create the best possible brand for your business which stands out from the crowd. Creating a bespoke, detailed programme for clients will give them the no-fuss feeling and show the easy nature of how fitness can be incorporated into your work/lifestyle. Making sure you have added information at your disposal for clients through easy to follow nutrition tips, desk related mobility stretches, and monthly catch-ups can go a long way and show that their health is at your best interest. All of which my business thrives upon.
Contact Myles through mylesellispt.com for your free consultation.