Nick Christie, Courier mail

Angela Houseman believes the future of the fitness industry is in holistic, personal training and not stock-standard gym memberships.

“I see too many people buy a gum membership and after a few months of doing the same exercises leave dismayed because they don’t see any change.” She says.

“I believe the growth industry is personal training where the trainer can deliver a customised program to get the best results.”

Alongside husband Darren Robinson, Ms Houseman has grown her business Body4u to 350 clients since she started out four years ago. Body4u’s older client base has meant the impact of the global economic downturn on the business has been minimal.

“It has been a quieter year for us this year but we are seeing our clients prioritising their health over and above other things,” Ms Houseman says.

“Because many of our clients are over 40 and a little better established, the impact of the downturn on them hasn’t been as severe.”

Ms Houseman is forecasting that Body4u will grow to 450 clients in the next 12 months.

“We will be capping Body4u’s membership at 450. If we get any bigger, we won’t be able to deliver the level of personal service we know is necessary,” she says.

On average, Body4u clients spend about $65 a week on the personalised sessions.

“Some clients come in for a single session, others we see five or six times per week,” she says.

Body4u’s commercial premises differentiate it from the larger, franchise-style gyms.

“We try and provide a less intimidating environment for people to come and get healthy,” Ms Houseman says.

“Lots of gyms don’t have windows. That’s why we love being able to do yoga on the veranda looking out over the park.”