new year fitness trends

NEW YEAR NEW FITNESS TRENDS

Steven Virtue, Fitness Content and Programming Manager at Total Fitness, shares his predictions for the fitness trends we’re expecting to see in 2020.

“Exploring new fitness trends and finding a training method that suits your lifestyle is a great way to make exercise exciting,” says Steven. “Not only does this provide a new surge of motivation but it allows you to keep up to date with any new developments in the fitness industry.” HIIT Training One of the fastest-growing trends to hit the UK over the last few years is HIIT training, with fitness experts including The Body Coach regularly sharing exercise routines focused on this method. The programming developed within the HIIT concept is becoming more comprehensive. For those who enjoy an intense method of training which burns fat quickly, Les Mills GRIT, Les Mills SPRINT, Insanity and Synrgy 360 Rig classes are a great place to start, all centred around cutting edge results. Fitness Apps Fitness apps are becoming a popular training tool for gym-goers at all levels, as they have been specifically designed to make the fitness experience easier. Users can do all sorts, including book classes, monitor workouts and gain specific advice

and guidance to help achieve their goals using app technology. The apps are easily accessible to anyone with a smart phone and are ideal for those who need some guidance and inspiration. With a wide range of exercise videos, workout tips and supporting information available etc. Express Les Mills Classes There are more and more operators offering the Express Les Mills Classes as a quick and intense training option for gymgoers. This is a 30 or 45-minute variant of class disciplines such as Body Combat, Body Pump, RPM and Body Balance, and is expected grow in popularity next year. The class runs the same focusing on cardio, body tone and strengthening, but removes any lower intensity tracks, so members still get an effective workout in half the time. This training class is great for those who are limited on time but still want to gain an intense, full-body workout. Virtual Fitness Equipment Virtual classes have been extremely popular in 2019, with the virtual concept set to develop even further next year. Equipment manufacturers are developing more equipment which has built-in virtual training concepts, including x-trainers, treadmills and indoor cycles, which are all set to be big in 2020. Total Fitness itself has a Life Fitness Treadmill Run Social which immerses users into the ultimate, virtual running experience

allowing them to remotely run alongside a partner - great for those who need a further injection of motivation. Functional Training Rigs Growing demand and improvements in materials mean that Functional Training Rigs are becoming more accessible for 2020 with improved designs to meet the training needs of its user. Functional Training Rigs bring together a variety of exercises and allow the user to weight train, bodyweight train and stretch all in one space. These rigs are hugely practical as they offer a full functional training experience, like our Life Fitness Synrgy360 rig which has been designed for everyone.

“Consumers can expect to see a broad range of fitness trends set to make their mark in the industry next year. This is the time for people to start a new fitness journey or assess their existing training, so they can identify what trends are most suitable for them and implement this into their 2020 routine.”

Total Fitness is the leading mid-market health club in the north and provides more ways to get fit, stay in shape, and more support to keep members focused. For more information, please visit: www.totalfitness.co.uk

THE FREEMOTION COACH BIKE

The connected fitness revolution steps up a gear with the launch of the Freemotion CoachBike™

Freemotion Fitness, the global manufacturer of pioneering fitness equipment, has unveiled its ground-breaking CoachBike™, a stateof-the-art, content-driven indoor bike that delivers a game-changing, interactive personal training experience for riders.

The indoor cycling market is estimated to have surpassed $500 million and is expected to grow nearly 50% more by 2024, according to a recent press release on MarketWatch. And with busy schedules, changes in lifestyle, and higher expectations of brands driving the boom in connected fitness, it means that more individuals are looking for new, fun, engaging, and efficient ways to work out, and the Freemotion CoachBike delivers on every aspect.

Coachbike The CoachBike is the first piece to be released from Freemotion’s highly anticipated, content-driven cardio series, which will enter the US market in early 2020, then be rolled out globally in the summer.

Powered by iFit – the world’s only truly interactive connected fitness platform – the CoachBike is set to take indoor biking to the next level, creating new possibilities for riders. Featuring in-studio classes, customised Google Maps™ routes, and trainer-led workouts filmed globally – even providing the option to take part in famous events like the Tour de France – the CoachBike offers an

unprecedented amount of choices that allow riders to take control of their workouts for the ultimate, personalised experience. This will continue to expand with the upcoming release of live workouts – adding yet another dimension to the CoachBike’s impressive and growing content offering.

A key feature of the CoachBike is its trailblazing, terrain-matching technology, which autoadjusts the speed, incline, and resistance in sync with the instructor’s experience as the route is displayed on the spectacular 22-inch interactive HD touch screen. By accurately simulating the hill climbs and downward stretches of outdoor cycling, the CoachBike offers a unique, true-to-life experience while helping to maximise muscle activation.

Commenting on the launch of the CoachBike, Dan Toigo, Freemotion’s Senior Vice President and Managing Director, said: “At Freemotion, we live and breathe innovation each and every day. We’re always striving to create products and solutions that bring something new to the industry and offer an unparalleled user experience that adds value to a person’s workouts and genuinely has a positive impact on their life.”

Only available on the Freemotion CoachBike, users can choose from an expansive workout library to train with their favourite coach in exotic, breath-taking locations around the world.

The CoachBike’s Google Maps integration is another feature that sets it apart from other indoor bikes currently on the market, enabling users to create and cycle their own routes anywhere in the world, with iFit auto-adjusting the incline/decline through the terrainmatching technology.

By combining a built-in AutoBreeze™ fan, which automatically adjusts the flow to the rider’s pace, dual-sided pedals (SPD on one side and toe strap on the other), versatile handlebars (with convenient controls for resistance and incline), a 5:1 gear ratio, and a free-wheel design, the CoachBike delivers immersive, true-to-life workouts that keep riders engaged and wanting more.

“A tremendous amount of product research, development, and testing has gone into the creation of the CoachBike, and we’re excited to share it with the world. The CoachBike is designed to fit in any setting, including hotel gyms, multi-housing gyms, corporate gyms, as well as small or boutique studios. I truly believe that the CoachBike and the entire content-driven series provide the best, most interactive, and immersive experience in the world,” added Dan.

To experience the CoachBike and the entire content-driven cardio series for yourself, visit the Freemotion booth at IHRSA this March, or contact your local Freemotion Consultant to give your members an interactive, immersive and highly engaging workout experience.

www.freemotionfitness.com Call: +1 (877) 363-8449 Email: sales@freemotionfitness.com

THE 2020 GYM CHECKLIST ARE YOU READY FOR THE FIRST QUARTER

One of the biggest January cliches is that gaining and attracting new clients is the most important thing you can do this season. Yes, getting more people through the door will lead to more sales. But don’t overlook the importance of engaging with your current customers and making sure they stay with you even as the new-year-new-me January crew pour in. And of course, you also want to make sure that your brand new customers like your gym enough to stick around. This checklist will help you find new ways to engage with your customers and give them an experience that will make them glow as though they’ve just exited a 7 am spin class. Get yourself ready for new years with the latest update of our gym software. How to attract new customers Okay, so let’s deal with this biggie first. Attracting new customers is the best way to scale up your business. Luckily for you (and thanks to new year’s resolutions), every Instagram

influencer and his uncle will be hitting the gym extra hard at the start of this quarter. This could be as simple as regular posting and could be as advanced as paid advertisements. Around 45% of the world’s population use social media, with an average of 2 hours and 23 minutes spent per day on social networking platforms. Use incentives such as discounts, giveaways or a referral system to make your advertisements stand out. Here’s a great example of a fitness brand that is getting it right when it comes to online advertisements. Ashley Galvin has built her brand as a yoga instructor that runs online fitness classes. She perfectly exemplifies how social media can be used to target an audience and drive them to subscribe to classes. These images feature a video advertisement created by Ashley and shared on Instagram. The short video shows a combination of yoga poses and then cuts to bold white lettering that tells viewers they can achieve goals such as to ‘tone and define’ their whole body. It also invites the viewer to watch a longer video to get more information. This ad is shown to a target audience as they scroll down their Instagram newsfeed. While a video may require more budget to produce, this method can also be used by creating attractive graphics for your target customer profiles to view instead. Remember that creating a call-to-action is key. You should make it easy for social media users to sign up to classes or for membership directly after seeing the ad. When viewers click on Ashley’s page, they see that her bio also includes a call-to-action. She provides a link to her website, details her latest class launch and the paid ad also means that a link to watch more on the website is also provided at the bottom of the page. It’s easy to focus on lead generation. But remember

that the flow of potential customers quickly increases management and conversion costs. This is where Lead Management comes in. This will help you figure out how to communicate and who to communicate with. It will determine your messages and when you send them. Understanding leads and effectively managing them is a great way to increase profits and drive more sales. The moment a person subscribes to a membership they should receive an email of confirmation with information on your gym and how it works there. Leave a week before sending a secondary email so that you don’t inundate them with marketing. In this second email, you should redirect them to another point of sale. That could be a premium membership, classes or a point of sale online such as a webshop. Include a call-to-action button and links in your email so everything is easier for them. Use a lead management tool to keep track of your actual and future members so you can focus on marketing and sales. You’ll have the data of all of your leads in one place. You can also easily interact with them via automated emails and messages – saving you a ton of time in the process. And we know your time is worth GOLD in January. Engage the customers Once the new customers have arrived, you have to offer the best service possible so they stay in your gym and don’t go running off to your competitors. You can have the best marketing strategy possible but if the service you offer doesn’t live up to the hype, you’re going to lose your clients faster than you can say ‘power snatch’. For starters, having the right and most qualified teachers for the job is essential. You could also try offering advanced personal training. If you pair this with tracking to encourage motivation, it could place your gym above the rest. Engaging customers is all about motivating them to keep going to the gym and the best way to do this is to allow them to keep track of their evolution and see the results for themselves. For this, you need a complete app that can offer full tracking of what you are doing at the gym but also exercise plans that you can customize. This means your teachers can focus on motivating clients, while they are equipped with the best tools to drive results (and keep people coming back for more). Create a smooth client experience Creating a seamless client experience is paramount to keeping client’s motivation up. This will keep them coming back to your gym and they will act as social proof, telling their friends and family about their positive experiences. You need to give the best tools to work out so your gym becomes a second home to them. You have to make it as easy as possible for them, which will end up making it all easier for you too. That means implementing great equipment inside the gym – but also great equipment outside the gym. That’s where software comes in. Utilize up-to-date software tools like a QR code check-in. This means that gym-goers don’t need a card to check themselves in (which means no forgetting cards), making the experience simpler for both customers and staff. This is just one great example of how you could improve your customer experience. Another way is by implementing a system of credits to book classes. These credits can be bought on the app to have a clear system of payments, for both the client and for you. The system of credits is compatible with an online schedule, which allows clients to book classes directly and have it marked on a calendar. Small adjustments like this will make you stand out in your local market. Creating an easy, enjoyable experience will drive customers to your gym or studio. Show them what unique features you can offer will encourage them to stick with you, rather than head for the other gym at the end of the street. Implementing your customer experience vision in your business development plan is one of the most efficient ways to retain clients. Create customer loyalty Bringing in new customers is great – but studies have shown that retaining customers instead of acquiring new ones is actually 6 times cheaper. That means that working on building customer loyalty and keeping the customers you already have is the most effective way to build a business. Although that doesn’t mean giving up on attracting new customers altogether. It just means dedicating more of your resources to retaining the loyal gym-lovers that you already have. To improve brand loyalty, you should also try to build a community within your gym and outside of it. This can be done by making sure that engagement doesn’t end when your client exits the building. Encourage your customers to talk and share things between them but also with you. This can be done using software such as an online community feature, which helps build a stronger relationship with your clients, keeps them motivated and engaged with your club 24/7, and increases retention as a side-effect. Ways to interact with customers include mass communication, targeted communication (e.g. only members interested in specific classes), or one-on-one messaging. This is all accessible via your web portal or mobile app, so you can engage with your clients anywhere. We believe that you never leave a gym that is filled with people you care about. Conclusion So while gaining new clients might be at the top of your priority list this for the new year. Remember not to lose sight of what the whole picture. Giving your current clients a winning service and building a real sense of community within your gym (and outside of it) are surefire ways to foster a business that will see exponential growth in 2020. Making sure that the customer journey is seamless from the start will ensure that your customers stay with you much longer – so that money spent on a Facebook ad won’t be going to waste. Check our all-in-one software that could help you to tick all the boxes and get your free demo today.

By Parisa Hashempour Read Original Article at https:// business.virtuagym.com/