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MyFirstGym to open 150 outlets

Sarah Stowe

The Alliance Wellness Group is gearing up for a fast-paced expansion of its latest franchise gym concept aimed at addressing childhood obesity.

The fitness specialists behind Goodlife Health Clubs have launched MyFirstGym, an activity centre targeted at kids between seven months and 13 years, with 150 locations planned for Australia and New Zealand over five years.

Speaking to Inside Franchise Business, MyFirstGym CEO Dan Newton said that a gap had been identified in the market for a franchise concept that targeted growing inactivity in Australia’s children.

“There’s a children’s obesity epidemic right now, nine out of 10 kids are just aren’t moving enough, which is the catalyst to do something,” Newton said.

“When you look at the rise of technology and how kids are spending their time on iPad, and you combine that with time-poor families, it’s all creating this risky space for the future of this country.

“With all those things going wrong, we said, ‘let’s put in a one-stop-shop for kid’s fitness and activity and try to provide a value proposition to the market where you can do everything under one roof’,” he continued.

MyFirstGym opened in the Brisbane suburb of Hawthorne on 28 August.

Newton said initial franchisee interest had been “overwhelming”, with Queensland to serve as the initial platform for the concept in Australia before broader expansion.

The offer is looking to disrupt the traditional children’s fitness space by gamifying activities and classes on offer for attending families.

A “movement buddy” system has been developed that allows parents to track their children’s movements via an app they can access on their phones.

Children wear a wristband during classes, which translates to a movement store that enables competition and mini-games to drive engagement.

“Technology is the problem, in that a lot of families use it to take activity away, but we’re giving it back to families in a positive way,” Newton said.