New Year’s resolutions are one of the greatest opportunities gyms have to boost their memberships. However, a recent TIME article states that 60 percent of gym memberships actually go unused. To avoid the drop-off in attendance come March, it’s important to stay on top of the latest trends and engage members with a fresh approach. You can keep your gym’s client base steady – and potentially attract new ones – by incorporating some of 2015’s health and fitness trends into your practices.
Wearable Tech For many consumers, fitness is no longer measured in number of trips to the gym or fitness classes completed, but rather by how active they are throughout the entire day. An estimated 84 million tracking devices were purchased in 2013, according to analyst group HIS Inc., and the adoption of wearable fitness technology will continue to rise in 2015. With products like Fitbit and Jawbone, the ability to track steps walked and calories burned at any time has made fitness a 24/7 research project.
Due to consumers’ new desire to personally track their fitness, gym managers should consider incorporating their members’ results into their workout protocols. Personal trainers and class instructors can offer step count and calorie estimates as incentives to enroll. In goal setting sessions staff can review the clients’ progress by asking them to share their weekly totals. It doesn’t matter that your gym didn’t invent this technology. Simply accommodating its uses will go a long way with members.
Streaming Workouts For new parents, traveling business professionals and those merely seeking a quick way to sweat, streaming workouts has become a go-to option to get more done in less time. In fact, health and fitness was Google’s fastest-growing app category in 2014. People allocate just enough time to stream these workouts, because they know exactly how long it will take, and can get back to their day-to-day with minimal interruption. Not having to deal with traffic or inclement weather is just one more reason that former gym-enthusiasts are focusing on these quick and effective DIY workouts.
While streaming workouts can threaten gym traffic and profits, gyms can counter the trend by developing an online presence of their own. Launch a series of easy-to-follow health and nutritional videos with tips from well-known trainers to get in on the online video trend. Social media sites like Instagram allow gyms to create teasers to workouts, enticing consumers to pursue a gym membership. The key, however, is to offer short, intensive classes that fit into a variety of schedules. By remaining on a tight schedule, personal trainers and coaches can guarantee their clients will know how long a workout is going to take. Gym members won’t have to worry about making it home for dinner or picking up the kids. They’ll have reassurance that a gym visit can fit in their schedule.
Alternate Workouts High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) exploded in 2014. HIIT topped the American College of Sports Medicine fitness trends list in 2014, and it dropped to only the number two spot in 2015. Other workouts like hot yoga, barre and Pilates have also moved into the top 10, and are emerging as popular alternatives to your standard run-of-the-mill cardio workout.
If your gym’s clientele is pursuing alternate workouts, it’s important to consider creating your own HIIT, barre and Pilates programs. The notion of having an expert in these areas of fitness can be appealing to gym-goers. A classroom setting offers an option to people of all fitness levels, and creates the competitive vibe found in specialty gyms which offer CrossFit training. By accommodating the changing interests of your clients, you can foster greater membership retention, and maybe even get your members hooked on a new way to workout.
If gym owners incorporate more technology-based measurement, a digital presence and alternate workouts, they can reap the benefits of consumers’ renewed pursuit of an active lifestyle well into 2015.