Recent events have brought a whole new meaning to our Core Value, “Find A Way”. Whether you have been working from home for the first time, managing a household or trying to find ways to connect with your members, it has been a difficult adjustment for many. We have been so inspired by vendors, customers and complete strangers who came together to Find A Way through these tough times. People in all facets of the fitness industry came together to innovate and make a difference in their communities.
Many fitness facilities throughout the country had to temporarily close their doors due to government mandates, but that didn’t stop them from making a difference in their community. The YMCA community banded together throughout the nation to help those in need.
YMCA of Metro Dallas has handed out over 6,000 lbs of food, provided emergency childcare for those who are working on the front lines, checked in on their elderly members and scheduled blood drives at multiple locations. “With our branches temporarily closed, we are working differently to serve our members and the community.” Says Curt Hazelbaker, President and CEO of YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas. “But through all of this, I’m confident we will emerge stronger together.”
YMCAs across the Greater Tampa Bay has been working together with Feeding Tampa Bay and local school districts to bring fresh produce and health food choices via the YMCA Veggie Van. The Veggie Van is a mobile food pantry stocked with fresh produce packages ready-to-hand out to local families.
(Image Credit Fox 13 News)
To remain connected to their Y members, the YMCA of the USA launched a free online workout program. YMCA 360 is offering over a dozen fitness classes taught by Y instructors. “Shifting to offer classes online through YMCA 360 felt like the best way to continue to live out our mission to strengthen communities.” Ronn McMahon, president and CEO of the Greater Wichita YMCA. We are so proud of our partners at the YMCA for stepping up in a time of need.
Julie Guttormson, VIM studio owner and Schwinn Master Instructor was also dedicated to stay connected to her community during this time of temporary closure. When her studio closed, she rented out her 44 Schwinn bikes, 17 rowers, other strength accessories and offered online options for her members during their time at home. Through huge success, VIM now has an extensive waitlist to rent bikes and over 70% of their other equipment rented out. Julie’s innovative and creative thinking kept VIM Studio going through these tough times and members at home happy to stay connected to their favorite studio.
With most people forced to complete their workouts from home, gym owners have been looking for new ways to stay connected with their members. Motosumo leveraged their current technology to launch HomeTeam, which enabled club and boutique operators to offer online group classes with the same technology they would use in brick a mortar application. “We think that the thing missing from these livestreams is interaction between users. With HomeTeam, users can actually work as a team, compare stats, or even compete and race against each other. We’ve tried to capture the group fitness vibe and bring it to your living room.” Kresten Juel Jensen, CEO. Motosumo was determined to find a way and pivot their current product offering to keep members connected with their gyms even in these tough times.
We are so proud to be a part of the fitness community, where taking care of one another and staying connected is at the forefront of our minds. We can’t wait for this next phase where we work together to create safe and friendly environments for members to come back to. As you make plans for reopening facilities, know that we at Core Health & Fitness are here to support you and provide resources so that you make the best decisions to impact your members.
Reach out to your Representative today to talk through some of our ideas and resources we’ve collated on various plan components; everything from tuning your idle fitness equipment, managing your assets for social distancing guidelines, offering virtual programming to replace group exercise or small group training revenue, or even sanitizing your facility and assuring members that cleanliness is your top priority. We’re here to support you.
