In a world where health is often measured by numbers on a scale, My Vital Metrics takes a revolutionary leap, challenging the notion that weight alone defines well-being. Explore a world where holistic health is decoded through vital metrics, revealing a comprehensive understanding of your body’s intricate balance.
Founder Owen Hutchins, a seasoned figure in the health and fitness industries, recognized the limitations of conventional assessments during his early days as a personal trainer in the late ’90s. Back then, the pinch test was the go-to method for evaluating body fat. Fast forward 18 years, and Owen’s relentless pursuit of knowledge led him to the transformative power of regular DEXA scans, offering unparalleled insights into internal changes.
With a foundation rooted in sports therapy training in Australia, Owen has been an influential presence in health and fitness for over two decades. My Vital Metrics, the brainchild of this visionary entrepreneur, specializes in scientific assessments tailored for individuals on a journey to enhance their health and performance.
In an exclusive interview with Insights Care, Owen delves into the unique attributes that set My Vital Metrics apart from the other metabolic health solution companies.
Can you share a bit about your journey in the fitness industry and how it led to the establishment of My Vital Metrics?
I did my initial training in Australia as a sports therapist, and then came over to the UK and moved into sports therapy and personal training. I did the very usual personal training grind at one of the big commercial gyms for several years. I always felt it was incredibly challenging to really hone in on the exact results that we were getting for our clients. The theory is that we want them to potentially lose fat gain muscle or at least avoid losing muscle and gaining fat, but the data that was available only gave us and so we were not able to accurately pinpoint exactly what effects the training was having for the client. I eventually left the Personal training industry and focused on working as a sports therapist part-time whilst pursuing other career paths in project management and change management. 2014 to 16 I also did my MBA, and that led me to really want to start a business of my own.
How would you describe the core mission and values of My Vital Metrics?
My Vital Metrics’ core mission is to bring scientific grade testing to the general public and to improve their understanding of their own bodies and how to get fitter, get healthier, live longer, happier, lives and achieve their aesthetic goals.
How has the company evolved since its inception just before the COVID-19 pandemic, and what services does My Vital Metrics currently offer?
Throughout the pandemic, our service offering necessarily had to stay the same. We opened our doors for the first time in January 2020, and then of course we had to close in April for the first lockdown. This meant that the first two years of the business were deeply affected by the pandemic as the very essence of the work that we do is that it is all in person. Since September 2021, however, we moved to a slightly larger location, and this enabled us to get some more kit. We have added a functional movement assessment which assesses and measures how well people are moving through all of the main joint complexes. We also added some simple blood testing for Hba1c which is a historical record of blood sugar and a lipid profile, which is your standard cholesterol tests and fractions.
Can you elaborate on the seamless service that My Vital Metrics aims to provide? How does this set the company apart from other health and fitness solutions?
We aim to provide the most comprehensive set of tests from composition to metabolic to blood and strengthen movement tests all under one roof. There is no other facility currently in the UK which offers the same breadth of tests that we offer. With all this testing, however, our key focus is on selecting tests or scans from which Client can take practical steps to improve the measure, and those practical steps and improvement of the measure will vastly improve their lives.
Can you highlight some of the key milestones and achievements of My Vital Metrics that you are particularly proud of?
Honestly, our biggest achievement in a way was simply to still be here, despite some very unfortunate timing of the pandemic and the lockdowns and the lack of business that led to. We are, however, incredibly proud to be able to bring this set of tests to the general public and make them accessible. We are also proud to be able to work with a number of top sports teams and athletes. When we came into this business, we assumed that professional athletes already had access to these tests as there was so much literature on how important they were in particular to the athlete. What has emerged however is that many athletes do not have access to the kind of test and equipment that we do and so we are incredibly proud to be able to help and supply services to the professional sports community as well allowing them to take a more scientifically rigorous approach to their performance.
What does it mean for My Vital Metrics to be recognized as one of the Best Metabolic Health Solution Companies in 2023?
It means a great deal to be recognized as one of the best metabolic health solution companies in 2023. 2023 has been a huge year for this kind of testing when you have the likes of Dr Peter Attia and Dr Andrew Huberman, talking about the importance of testing all the time. There has been a real upsurge in interest in personalizing fitness and health plans for longer life, and for making the most out of the life we have. And it is very gratifying to know that we have been doing these tests for the last couple of years and we are very pleased to meet the demand that came from this increased interest in these topics.
What vision do you hold for the future of My Vital Metrics?
The biggest thing for us is reach. Currently being situated in London very much limits the number of people we can give access to this testing so in the New Year we will be launching a mobile testing lab which will go all over the country, allowing people from every corner of the UK to get access to the testing that they want and to be able to take a more scientific and hopefully successful approach to their health and fitness goals. We are really excited for next year in My Vital Metrics and very much hope to cement our place as the best metabolic testing company in the UK.
