Club and studio membership levels are between 50 and 60 percent compared to early spring 2020, with many members on freeze without a committed return date, according to a recent 2021 Club Industry report. Many states now allow nearly full capacity in gyms. New data suggests that members do eventually want to return to the club despite having grown accustomed to home fitness apps. Help guide members back through your doors with an engaging indoor cycling experience using these five tips.
1. Help members create attainable and measurable fitness goals. Achieving a short-term goal provides a sense of accomplishment and leaves members wanting that same rush of pleasure again. It could be as simple as attending two classes per week or increasing their power threshold by five watts. Before they know it, they’ll have a lasting fitness habit and be recommitted. Consider running a goal-oriented challenge so members can keep each other accountable and work together toward success.
2. Offer personalized workout experiences. Once members have an established goal, providing a workout they can follow along with can reduce the barrier to get started. They might prefer to regain confidence by riding a virtually guided bike on the cardio floor or feel more motivated following a workout personalized to their level but alongside friends in a group environment. Allow members to book a bike in the group cycling room so they have a bike waiting for them. Help keep them engaged with post-workout stats in their inbox.
3. Invest in innovation in group class programming. Bring elements of what members have grown to love through home fitness apps into the studio but with the unbeatable atmosphere of camaraderie. Offer workouts with visual stimulation and enable post-workout email summaries with members’ analytics. These digital elements will attract tech-savvy Gen Z and Gen X — your largest growth opportunities. Incorporate their desire for challenging, personalized, results-driven experiences into your programming. Tech companies are creating competing solutions for your members to use at home, but an experience where the latest innovation meets group camaraderie is an unbeatable match.
4. Bring your instructor team up to speed with online or virtual group training. Top-notch, trained instructors are one of your greatest assets. Now is a great time for instructors to dive into an online training course from home to brush up on their knowledge, learn new skills and feel a renewed sense of excitement with a fresh education certificate in hand. Recruiting new instructors? Showing that you’ll invest in their career by footing the continuing education bill will make for an attractive offer, resulting in a consistently high-quality member experience.
5. Offer a hybrid content strategy and unlock a new audience type. After a year of lockdowns, people grew accustomed to exercising at home in front of a screen. While some are anxious to get back into the club, many still want to access content remotely. A hybrid membership solution that supplements in-club workouts with streamed workouts ensures members remain in your ecosystem, working out with the same instructors as in the club, even when at home or at work. An added bonus to growing a virtual community is reaching folks new to fitness, those previously uncomfortable in the gym or those who are not local. They can work out remotely with your instructor team, grow confidence by participating with your programming and maybe even walk through the gym doors again someday. Tap into a new, growing segment of people that have realized the mental health benefits of prioritizing fitness from wherever they are most comfortable.
BIO
Stages Cycling works with its partners to create a connected and consistent member experience with industry-leading studio bikes, immersive group fitness software, virtual bikes for the cardio floor and comprehensive instructor certifications. Whitney Dawson is the product marketing manager at Stages Cycling and a 100 percent cycling enthusiast. Find out more about Stages Cycling at stagesindoorcycling.com or at TheTeam@stagesindoorcycling.com
