It has been a case of ‘battening down the hatches’ for health and fitness clubs in the UK over the last few years as consumers look to cut back their spending says Mintel in their latest ‘ Health and Fitness Clubs, UK’ report. While health clubs have seen business decline or stay relatively flat private health club enthusiasts have turned to training at home and public leisure centres.

With a third of the UK population now exercising at home (Mintel, Fitness In The Home) there is now a need for increased focus on safety and equipment maintenance. ‘We are increasingly aware that at this time of year the majority of our customers are now using their home gym equipment as their only means of exercise. They have often invested in a treadmill, cross trainer or vibration plate to cut out the expense of the gym and stay warm and dry when its miserable outside.’ Lloyd Martin, Owner of JTX Fitness. However, very few home fitness equipment retailers provide customers with the information and accessories to safely exercise at home and look after their machines.

With vibration plates proving increasingly popular for home use, away from the eyes of trained professionals in gyms, it has become very important for fitness retailers to provide detailed workout instructions. JTX Fitness have launched their accessories range for treadmills and vibrations plates with home workouts and equipment maintenance in mind. ‘We know there are a lot of people simply standing on a vibration plate. Although this may be helping to tone their legs, dynamic exercises like squats or press ups are much more effective. The JTX Fitness accessories range includes a DVD and Poster to help de-mystify home vibration training for people who have not attended a vibration training class run by a trained professional. ‘We always recommend trying a range of different vibration plates at the gym and in high street salons so that so that our customers understand the different vibration styles and how best to work out on them. But this DVD and poster provides a cost effective option and great reminder for those who have stopped going to the gym’ said JTX Fitness owner Lloyd Martin. The poster and DVD provide an introduction to carrying out these exercises safely and a great full body workout. The fitness retailer has also provided a few tips from the DVD at their website so that all beginner vibration plate trainers can get started with their workouts in a safe way.

The JTX Fitness accessories range also includes products for use with treadmills. The Treadmill Lubricant, £10 which will last regular treadmill users at least a year will greatly extend the life of any treadmill. Most retailers do not provide their customers with this simple kit and many customers are unaware that they are damaging their machines by not lubricating them.

JTX’s top selling accessory since the launch of the range has been the Treadmill Floor Protection Mats, with customers eager to protect their carpet or wood floor. The clever thing about these mats is that they come in two parts, allowing the mat at the foot of the treadmill to be packed away when our folding treadmills are packed away after a workout. Made from 100% Active Foam the mats will ensure the 88kg weight of the treadmill and added force caused by running is cushioned before impacting on the floor. This product is suitable for both static and folding treadmills less than 900mm wide.

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