The future of the fitness industry is a combination of in-club and online experiences. This hybrid model has been forced on many businesses and members during lockdown. As clubs re-open, we are all adapting to new needs and uncertain about what is in store next. Health and fitness are high on many people’s agenda, but not everyone is willing or able to visit a gym.
What is Hybrid?
Hybrid is a combination of two different things. It is also a buzzword, covering everything from cars to bikes, golf clubs to genetics. It sounds cool, which is another reason why it is generating a lot of discussion in our industry right now. Hybrid fitness has been developing for years, the pandemic has simply accelerated things.
Back in 2010, Movers and Shapers (small group training on PowerPlate, now RIZE) offered FitBugs (Omron pedometers) with their membership to track members’ activity in-between visits. There were no online classes, just a requirement to sync your FitBug every few weeks, on your home computer or in the club.
Technology has developed at a rapid pace over the last 10 years. Apps, wearables, and phones record our activity levels and fitness every day. Apple, Amazon, and Google now offer wearables to track activity, heart rate, sleep, body composition, even tone of voice. There’s value in the data, of course, but the real opportunity is helping with member motivation, turning it into actions and results.
Fear of Tech
Some gym owners and fitness professionals fear that technology will replace them, especially with the more recent rise of AI (Artificial Intelligence). The fact is that tech is here to stay, people will adopt it as they see fit (pun intended). You need to view it as a tool to help you understand your members better and support them with their health and fitness.
Online Personal Training
A good example of hybrid fitness is online personal training. An independent club I work with offered little in the way of online fitness during lockdown. This caused concern, but many loyal members kept paying, even though the club was closed.
Now open again, they have created online PT packages, with programming and email support. Many members have bought these through credits they earned by paying through lockdown. The monthly fee covers online only, either standalone or as an uplift to full gym membership. The PTs naturally interact more with their clients when they visit the gym, sometimes for a quick question about form, or technique correction. But this can be a great upsell opportunity, either for an in-club session, a nutritional appointment, or supplements. By delivering an affordable, reliable service, many members are continuing to pay for online PT, or adding face-to-face sessions on top of the online package.
Not Just Classes
This example, and the Movers and Shapers model above shows that hybrid fitness is not just about virtual classes, or an app. Sure, for some businesses, online classes are a big draw, and will help with member retention, particularly for members who are unable to book an in-club class because they are at capacity, or because the member is isolating, shielding, or simply uncertain about returning to the club.
Think about how you can offer programming, coaching, challenges, nutrition, mindfulness, weight management, or other services to members outside the four walls of your club. You might have people visit once a month to weigh themselves on your scales, run a body composition analysis, or body scan. This is a valuable service for which you could charge a one-off fee or subscription. Next, you can uplift and support them with health coaching, nutrition advice, or other services through your app.
What’s the Goal of Hybrid Fitness?
The goal is not to build a funnel of ‘online members’ that you can convert into club members. Some online members will naturally migrate to join the club. They all know that is your core business and will convert if they wish. But you are creating a new business stream of online member subscriptions, most of which will be happy where they are, so long as you continue to deliver value and work on retaining them.
The best hybrid fitness models will see members flip-flop between memberships. Some will want to work out in the club in the winter, then convert to online (outdoor) fitness tracking in the summer, for example. Others will take up a challenge, or achieve their goal, and then want to switch their membership as a result. The switch should be a simple process for the member; as easy as joining, if possible.
Online Fitness as a Retention Tool
An online fitness offering may save a member who is looking to cancel their club membership. As above, the idea is not to bring the member back into the club, but to keep them engaged with your brand, people, and payment system.
Hybrid fitness will be how many businesses survive and thrive. As a gym owner, you are closer to your members than any other fitness operators. You know what they want and need. Offering your current members a hybrid model is a good place to start, and this will help you to sign up more members, without so many capacity issues.
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