Digital or Die - Gym Owner Monthly Article

The fitness industry has dived in at the deep end of the digital world during lockdown. We were slowly evolving with online offerings and programming apps. Now we must accelerate our adoption of technology to stay in touch with and retain members. If you are waiting for things to get ‘back to normal’, you will be left behind.

It’s critical that you get on the digital fitness bandwagon right now, not only to help your members and your business to get through lockdown, but to come out the other side fit and fighting, and prepared for the next phase of the fitness industry.



Health and fitness are at the front of everyone’s mind now more than ever. And while gyms are closed, people are finding ways to keep fit and active online. This ranges from searching for dumbbells to attending live workout sessions. Social feeds are full of fitness classes, tips, and challenges. It can be difficult to be heard over all the noise, but as a gym owner, you already have dedicated followers in your members. You also have a database of ex-members and prospects that should listen to you, if you put out the right messages.

Online Classes – Live-stream or catch-up

During lockdown, you need to provide for the majority of your members as best you can. Consider options to motivate the members that need it most. Some will be happy to do several Les Mills classes per week (these will likely be the first members back through the door when you re-open). However, there may be more members who prefer to see one of your instructors running a class from their own home. It might not look so professional, but it will keep your members connected to your club.

Class timetables are still important, but shift workers, home-schoolers, and your instructor’s schedules are all over the place. You can now be a 24/7 online club (regardless of whether you were before), with members doing classes when they want.

Encourage members to comment or tag friends on live-stream or if they catch-up on a class later. It is a great way of tracking and interacting with members while they’re not in the club. Instructors should ‘shout out’ members in a class, and follow-up by liking or replying to comments after the event.

Workouts, Fitness Tests, and Challenges

Unless you are a boutique studio, it’s not just about classes. Many members need workout plans, for which there are a plethora of apps, platforms, and systems that can support them online and remotely. The best systems build in fitness challenges, one-to-one coaching sessions and two-way messaging. If your PT or instructor can see the effort your member has put in, they can help with accountability.

A series of WOD or WOW (Workout of the Day/Week) are a good idea for helping members to try new things and level up. They are a staple of the CrossFit model, great for engagement and a challenge.

Some clubs have been setting simple fitness tests for members to support programming, challenges and personal goals. Cardio, Strength or Flexibility are three key areas, with around three tests in each. The focus here is on measuring results and building clubs within the club. You are providing additional motivation to those who need it. Accuracy is unimportant, self-measurement and reporting are adequate. If the members want to use body composition scales when they return, then you have got them into a great habit.

Digital to support re-opening

When you can re-open, it’s unlikely that all your members will be able to access the club on day one. Firstly because of social distancing, and secondly because many will still be furloughed (or worse) and will not be able to afford a full membership.

Your digital fitness offering needs to support these other members, and to provide a solution for new members looking, but perhaps unable, to join on a full membership. What seemed at first like a stopgap solution becomes a whole new business offering, that helps to service members while they wait their turn to get into the club.

You need to think what your online fitness product is worth right now, if you haven’t done so already. Imagine your club is open, and price your online membership(s) accordingly. The sooner you do this the better, as you can start offering your ex-members and prospects access to your online content and live classes right now, especially all those ex-members who claimed to be moving away!

Lockdown phase 2

At the time of writing, it is too early to say, and we hope it won’t happen, but we would be foolish not to consider options for a second period of lockdown. If this occurs, only clubs with an online fitness product will survive, and those with the best digital offering will thrive.

Bricks and mortar clubs will still be at the core of the fitness industry, and I believe that many independent gyms will come through this tough time in good shape.
But the industry will not get ‘back to normal’. Digital fitness will be the new normal, alongside the in-club experience, and for a new type of member who is supported online only. We’re in the digital deep end and need to swim to survive!

This was originally published in Gym Owner Monthly, along with many other insightful articles, which you can read here.