People walk into their gym each day with a fitness goal in mind, but often supported with little confidence in achieving it. It is no shock to most that retention within the fitness industry is an ongoing challenge. When people yearn for results but don’t enjoy the process, it is only a matter of time before members feel their efforts are invaluable and give up.
Understanding how to increase retention means understanding why members left in the first place.
Millions of people around the world frequently admit to being intimidated by the space of a gym. A recent government study claimed that almost 80% of the population do not meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity each week, often due to the feeling that the environment within a gym is intimidating and overly competitive.
Why is building a fitness community important?
It is important for staff to create an atmosphere in which everyone feels comfortable, confident, and supported throughout their fitness journey. People join a gym for a reason, however, when members fall short of their fitness goal, they often become defeated and quit.
Most members in a gym are not intrinsically motivated, meaning the process of working out consistently can be very difficult. According to a study conducted by the International Health Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) in 2017, 90% of studio members admitted they value consistent communication from staff. With a strong community culture, coaches and gym staff can invest interest in the success of their members.
Community also means positive relationships between members themselves. When people motivate as well as challenge each other to take part in rigorous workouts, they ultimately push themselves and each other towards their fitness goals.
What are the benefits?
Building a community within a facility holds members accountable and makes every second spent exercising efficient and progressive.
Community Means Everyone Feels Included
Whenever a member first joins a gym, it is easy for the member to get demotivated because they feel lost and overwhelmed in the new facility. With the help of building a community, individuals are taken care of and respected, meaning trainers and coaches are aware when members aren’t present. It is important for coaches and gym staff to not only educate their members but motivate them as well. This helps to cultivate a sense of personal attention, making each member feel as though they belong.
With Myzone, trainers and coaches can monitor their member’s workouts and know how often each member is exercising whether inside or outside of the gym. Because of this, trainers can stay in touch with their members, making it known when a member has slacked off, creating a sense of care and support within their fitness journey.
Community Makes Achieving Goals Possible
According to a study conducted by IHRSA, 50% of all new gym members quit going to the gym within the first 6 months. Building a supportive community means people of various ages and backgrounds can come together to carry out their workout routine with the shared goal in mind to just to be better than the day before.
With Myzone, members can like, comment, and share workouts, creating a social support system both inside and outside of the facility. The more people feel a part of something that is bigger than just themselves, the more engaged the members are and the more effort they put into their exercise, creating a desire to want to come back again.
Community Yields Greater Fitness Results
Apart from the culture present within the community, people opt for functional fitness because of the results it produces. According to a study conducted by IHRSA, 44% of members in a gym admit to working out more when with a partner, and 40% of members have enrolled in group exercise programs on top of their gym membership.
Working out as a part of a community helps to keep the people within it motivated. With Myzone, members view their live effort tile throughout a class, which serves as a level of competition pushing each other to work harder. The workout summary email members receive immediately after their class has finished provides that instant sense of gratification that the workout has pushed them further towards achieving their goal.
Building a community within your facility is the saving grace that will captivate members and make exercise a priority. The relationships and camaraderie amongst members combined with the live-in club heart rate tracking and smartphone-based gamification from Myzone adds an element of purpose and intensity to an individual’s workout. This sense of reward and accomplishment is what keeps members motivated and eager to attend the next session. If you are ready to take the plunge with Myzone and increase the lifetime value of your members, give us a call today.
Blog written by our partner, Myzone. Myzone is an innovative wearable heart rate based system that uses wireless and cloud technology to accurately and conveniently monitor physical activity. Myzone delivers a fully connected solution for anyone who wants an accurate (equiv. to an EKG at 99.4%), gamified and motivating wearable experience. Myzone monitors heart rate, calories and time exercising that convert into Myzone Effort Points (MEPs), with a focus on rewarding effort rather than fitness. Myzone offers a range of fitness technology products.
