The list of varied yoga and Pilates styles can create confusion among club owners as to which classes to offer members. This lack of understanding leaves many club owners in the dark about where to begin. However, according to Maeve McCaffrey, the director of specialty programming for YogaWorks, going through the confusion of deciding what yoga and Pilates classes to offer is a necessary evil. “Any club offering yoga and Pilates with the proper teachers — their members are going to be happier and healthier for it,” she said.
Yoga
Heather Bahlmann, the fitness director at Pura Vida Fitness and Spa in Denver, Colo. understands how it feels to develop a yoga program from the ground up. “In the beginning, everything was hard,” she said. Now, “yoga programming has been the highlight of our facility.”
Offering a variety of staple programs such as Anusara-inspired, EmPower, guided mediation and Iyengar yoga — Pura Vida has developed a traditional yoga studio atmosphere in the club that caters to “yoga-junkie” individuals. “We create that traditional studio feel — in health club yoga you traditionally don’t get that. We’ve managed to maintain the integrity of traditional yoga student programming.”
Pura Vida accomplished this by dedicating space solely to yoga programming and by offering traditional yoga classes taught by top instructors. All of these elements, “mixed with our in-house named offerings (Pura Flow, emPower, PurAlign, etc.) have also contributed significantly in maintaining the experience of a studio versus club yoga experience,” explained Bahlmann.
“Truthfully, with yoga, if you can name something you need to work on — such as weight gain, pain, flexibility — yoga really provides that,” said McCaffrey. As a result, yoga has been a great compliment to any workout program members may have followed.
When thinking about offering yoga classes, McCaffrey has advised clubs to be specific about the programming they’d like to offer. “Let people know what style it is and educate your members about it. It’s important for facilities to be educated on what styles they’re offering,” she said. “When introducing yoga — I’d say get a variety of classes and a variety of personalities so that people have choices.”
Clubs can do this by educating members on what yoga and its different styles can offer — having an educated and properly certified instructor that can assist in that effort is a must. This is especially important due to the mind/body element that lies at the core of yoga. “It’s called mind/body for a reason,” said McCaffrey. “I think that people look for guidance from their teachers because there is [that] mind/body element in yoga — it speaks volumes to their students and creates a connection between the student and teacher.”
“Personally, [yoga] makes me a better person,” continued McCaffrey. “[Yoga] provides a whole new string of programming that members most likely need. You want to retain your members and you want to offer them things that will keep them engaged. Yoga can do all those things.”
Pilates
Additionally, Pilates provides that mind/body element to your members. However, when offering Pilates, it’s important to keep in mind the different benefits that Mat-based Pilates versus Reformer or Chair Pilates can offer your club.
“Mat is where everyone starts,” said Howard Sichel, the executive vice president of Apogee Wellness and the president and CEO of PowerPilates. That may go for you as a club owner as well. If you’ve never offered Pilates programming before — Mat-based Pilates is a good place to begin.
Mat Pilates gives you the ability to teach a larger number of members at once, in an affordable way, explained Natalie Gennett, the Pilates coordinator for the Colorado Athletic Club Inverness and a STOTT PILATES® certified instructor. “Offering Mat and its props (such as flex-bands, fitness circles, stability balls, foam rollers and toning balls) typically facilitates teaching more clients at once, giving great exposure to a profit-based equipment studio.”
That exposure is where Reformer and Chair Pilates begin — “An equipment-based profit center allows clients to practice in the fullest sense, and provides revenue for the club,” explained Gennett. “With trained instructors, an equipment studio facilitates a post-rehab client base, private training, as well as fantastic group workouts for clients, for example, on Reformers. The Reformer is the ‘workhorse’ of Pilates equipment, the most recognizable piece.”
With Reformer and Chair Pilates, members work one-on-one with an instructor, or in semi-private or small-group sessions and receive individualized instruction, using machines such as the Reformer. Just as with yoga, carving out a space specifically for Pilates will differentiate it from other Group X classes, and provide for another source of revenue. “By carving out a small standalone space, [members] accept it as personal training instead of just Group X, and will be more willing to pay for it,” versus Group X, which they consider free, said Carol Tricoche, the vice president of education sales for STOTT PILATES®.
“Pilates is mind/body exercise that has immense potential to bring clients back to the club, time and time again, for the experience they have and the benefits they embrace for a long-term active lifestyle,” said Gennett.
Instructor Certification
For both yoga and Pilates, the success of a program is based on the success of the instructor. “It’s more about the instructor than it is the class,” said Bahlmann. “At Pura Vida, we want instructors who are willing to commit to our studio alone.” Look for individuals with certifications who are passionate about what they do and who are dedicated to the success of your club.
“You need [instructors] who have quality training — find that person that is outgoing and that can sell themselves. Like any personal trainer, they have to be able to sell, but above and beyond that, be fully engaged in their clients progress and success,” said Tricoche.
If instructors have the proper certifications — that will greatly add to the value of a quality instructor. Club owners can go through a variety of companies to get their instructors certified, such as STOTT PILATES®, Peak Pilates, YogaWorks, Yoga Fit and Balanced Body Pilates, among many others.
By carving out a separate space for yoga and Pilates and by offering the top instructors, marketing your yoga and Pilates programs becomes practically obsolete. “We try to get members excited about the classes because the best way to market is by word of mouth,” said Caitlin Corry, the group fitness and Pilates coordinator for Wellbridge Athletic Club and Spa. “One bad experience they’ll tell everyone. You have to keep the good experiences coming.”
As a club owner, you already have a leg up on traditional yoga and Pilates studios. “As a club with an in-house Pilates studio you do have the advantage over private studios because clubs have the ability to offer amenities that normal Pilates studios don’t have,” said Tricoche — such as locker rooms, saunas, additional Group X classes, strength and cardio equipment and childcare.
Use those amenities to your advantage, and create the perfect place for your members to improve their bodies and minds.
By Rachel Zabonick
