Confessions of a Water Fountain

I'm probably the most popular piece of equipment in your gym

You might not have noticed, because…

• Nobody posts selfies with me
• Nobody asks how to use me
• Nobody boasts about setting a new PB on me

Yet almost everyone visits me...

• The first-time member who isn't quite sure where to go
• The regular who's been coming for twenty years
• The keen beans training for HYROX
• The grandmother attending her first exercise referral class
• The personal trainer
• The cleaner
• The CEO

I'm one of the few places in the club where everyone has something in common.

I've watched the industry evolve

• New classes
• New equipment
• New challenges
• New brands
• New ways to motivate people who already enjoy being active
• Functional training
• CrossFit
• Fitness racing

They're all great additions to our industry, bringing fresh energy and helping existing exercisers discover new challenges.

But while everyone was talking about the next big thing, I quietly noticed something else.

• The people filling up their bottles weren't talking about race times or personal bests
• Many were talking about sleeping better
• Having more energy
• Lowering their blood pressure
• Keeping up with their children
• Managing stress
• Feeling healthier

It reminded me that fitness isn't the goal for most people. Health is.

And perhaps that's where our industry's biggest opportunity still lies.

Most people don't wake up wanting to get fitter, 

They wake up wanting to feel better.

Meanwhile, I've quietly welcomed everyone else

• The nervous newcomer
• The member who's lost confidence
• The person trying to manage their diabetes
• The dad who promised himself he'd do something about his health
• The woman who just wants enough energy to keep up with her grandchildren

None of them came because of me... They came because they wanted a healthier life.

I'm also in a unique position to observe something else...

• The conversations
• I've seen friendships begin beside me
• I've heard trainers congratulate members on their progress
• I've watched strangers become training partners
• I've even seen members decide not to cancel after someone simply asked, "How are you getting on?"

It's funny really, people often think the magic happens on the gym floor... and sometimes it does...

But just as often, it starts with a conversation.

I've watched clubs spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on new equipment.

And rightly so, people deserve great facilities.

But the clubs that seem happiest aren't necessarily the ones with the newest machines…

• They're the ones where people know each other's names
• Where coaches ask questions
• Where progress is celebrated
• Where health is discussed as much as fitness
• Where people feel they belong.

Perhaps that's because gyms aren't really in the equipment business… 

They're in the people business.

But I'm only a water fountain. What would I know?