Leisure Connection is launching The Pod, a £120,000 youth fitness facility, at its Loddon Valley Leisure Centre. The Pod will include ZigZag's interactive fitness equipment, specially designed to engage younger people and is the latest in a series of initiatives by Leisure Connection to help raise young people's activity levels and help combat the growing problem of obesity in the UK.

Created by Leisure Connection and Wokingham Borough Council, The Pod will include ZigZag's second-generation Xer-Dance platforms - arcade style dance mats that cater for up to 16 dancers at a time with various levels of intensity, so that all abilities can take part together.

The technology also includes a leadership board so that young dancers can have fun battling against their friends to the latest chart hits, while keeping fit and active.

The Pod also includes ZigZag's Sportswalls - 8ft x 4ft panels that offer hundreds of games based on points/lives won and lost.  Flashing lights turn on and off in a particular sequence and players must simultaneously track a ball, targets, sounds, scores and a time clock, earning extra points for accuracy, skill, speed, cardiovascular stamina and team co-operation - the faster and more accurately they play, the more points they earn.  The fun game provides a fantastic cardiovascular workout that also develops ball tracking, agility and hand eye co-ordination.

For the next Mark Cavendish or Bradley Wiggins The Pod has 10 X Dream interactive bikes, that allow riders to watch themselves cycling over a range of different terrains without having to worry about traffic or the weather. The fun bikes are linked together so cyclists can race their friends and there is even a virtual coach to help people on their way.
Kate McKnight, Leisure Connection's Contract Manager for Lodden Valley Leisure Centre said: "Leisure Connection and Wokingham Borough Council have a common goal when it comes to helping younger people raise their activity levels and have jointly invested £120,000 to set up The Pod.

Leisure Connection is continuing to look at innovative ways to keep young people active while they are having fun, and intend to roll out this initiative across the rest of our estate."

Fergus Ahern, Managing Director of ZigZag said:  "The invention of the 'interactive gym' means that Leisure Connection can offer its younger visitors a range of up to the minute computer games.  But these games are all worked by the body, rather than the thumbs, so while the children's minds are in a game, their bodies are in a workout and the longer they play, the stronger and fitter they get!"