Europe's premier health, sports and leisure group has unveiled three indoor padel courts at David Lloyd Bushey, Hertfordshire, the second club in the estate now with facilities to play what is one of the world's fastest growing sports.
(PRWEB UK) 3 January 2013
David Lloyd Leisure has invested a further £650,000 in padel tennis and its new DLicious food and beverage concept, supporting fitness from the inside, at its Bushey club.
In a bid to develop the game for disabled players, the courts feature a unique, groundbreaking design incorporating wheelchair access by the Padel England Association, with whom David Lloyd Leisure has been working closely for over a year to develop the sport in the UK.
In January 2012, David Lloyd Leisure became the first nationwide operator in the UK to launch the tennis-squash hybrid - which is hugely popular in Spain and Latin America - with three new courts at its club in Chigwell, Essex. The group also has a padel court at its Chelsea Harbour Club and nine at its Barcelona club.
Padel courses for members at both Chigwell and Bushey are being run by an expert team of tennis coaches specially trained by the Padel England Association, a not-for profit organisation formed by players, padel professionals and sport developers to govern and grow padel in England.
The Padel England Association, which aims to get one million people in the UK playing padel by 2015, has taken on a co-ordinator role to oversee courses at both clubs, and at any future David Lloyd Leisure padel installations.
Hazel Geary, David Lloyd Leisure's product development director, commented: “We are incredibly excited about padel and are delighted to be continuing to work with the Padel England Association to grow the sport in the UK, as we both recognise its huge potential for this market.
“David Lloyd Leisure has invested heavily in the provision of the best traditional tennis facilities, programmes and expertise for both adults and children, but it's also important to introduce new and innovative ways to encourage people to play.
“Padel is a fantastic way for the whole family to keep cardio fit and is easier to play than tennis or squash as less strength is required. It's brilliant for improving hand-eye co-ordination, footwork and reaction times, and is a great sport for all ages and abilities.
She added: “Padel has already proved really popular at our Chigwell club and we are sure that our members at Bushey will be equally taken with this dynamic and exciting game which is played by 10 million people worldwide.”
David Lloyd Bushey now also features the group's second bespoke DLicious cafébar, offering the new DLicious: Fast Fitness Food menu launched in September 2012 for health-conscious members who want to be fit on the inside as well as the outside.
The open plan design features dedicated zones to cater for every need and desire, including adult-only areas, facilitating work and relaxation, as well as family-friendly areas for parents and children.
Hazel commented: “From social dining to food on the go with take-away options for busy professionals, the design reflects the wholesome, healthy and nutritious choices of the new menu with the use of natural wood, earthy colours and premium materials to create a high-end, inviting feel with an ambient atmosphere.”
The DLicious menu integrates David Lloyd Leisure's approach to eating with its expertise and experience in helping people achieve their health and fitness goals through sport and exercise. It is based on:
- Paleo-inspired dishes: high quality, grain-free, natural foods that deliver better fuel for efficient digestive function, improved blood sugar levels and more energy all day
- Healthy and balanced: A variety of choices to meet a daily intake of 40 per cent good carbohydrates, 30 per cent quality proteins and 30 per cent essential fats, providing optimum nutrients and burning fuel more efficiently
David Lloyd Bushey general manager Craig Knowles said: “I'm very proud that Bushey has been chosen as the latest club to launch padel and the DLicious cafébar.
“It is always exciting to introduce something new and different to your fitness routine, and now our members can do so at their very own club with our padel facilities and coaching.
“David Lloyd Bushey is as much about the social aspect as it is about fitness, and I couldn't be more thrilled about the new, beautiful DLicious cafébar. Members have already commented how inviting and enjoyable the new space is.”
About David Lloyd Leisure Group
The David Lloyd Leisure Group operates 81 clubs in the UK and a further 10 clubs across Europe. It has over 440,000 members and employs 6,000 people. This includes an expert health and fitness team of over 1,800, while it contracts the services of more than 400 tennis professionals. Across all clubs, David Lloyd Leisure has over 150 swimming pools (of which half are indoor) and offers over 10,000 exercise classes per week. Every week 20,000 children learn to swim at David Lloyd Leisure and 14,000 learn to play tennis. Its racquets facilities are unparalleled with 700 tennis courts as well as 180 badminton courts and 140 squash courts. Additional facilities include health and beauty spas, club lounges with free internet access, crèches, nurseries and specialist sports shops.
About Padel Tennis
With an estimated 10 million players worldwide, padel, is a tennis-squash hybrid which originates in Mexico and today is hugely popular in Spain and Latin America. It is considered to be one of the fastest growing sports in the world.
A fast-paced game, it is played in doubles, indoors or outdoors, on 20-metre courts – shorter than traditional tennis - with glass panels at each end allowing the ball to bounce off and remain in play. Using a padel bat and a padel ball, the sport also differs from tennis in that the serve is underarm.
About DLicious
Inspired by Paleolithic and 40:30:30 healthy and balanced food philosophies, the DLicious approach aims to help members feel energised throughout the day, enabling them to reap the rewards that eating a healthy and balanced diet brings to physical performance and well-being.
It has been devised as a result of feedback from members suggesting they want to enjoy healthier dishes at their clubs in a fast casual dining environment, and taps into the world's fastest growing cuisine trend of healthy eating concepts.
A children's menu, jam-packed with tasty, wholesome foods, has also been specially developed to complement the adult menu and make it easier for parents to make healthy choices for their youngsters.
For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2013/1/prweb10286024.htm
© 2023 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.