Staying Ahead with Programming

The fitness industry has been rapidly growing and evolving over the past couple of decades. It’s a highly cyclical industry, and we have witnessed fitness trends fade in and out.

With this in mind, it is extremely important as fitness professionals to understand the history of the industry, as well as where the industry is headed, in order to create successful programming. It is vital to research and stay ahead of the game as far as equipment and trends.

When it comes to fitness, one size does not fit all. What motivates and excites one member, may turn another member off. Offering a wide-range of programming within your health club can appeal to different demographics of members and help ensure success.

Free group exercise classes are a great selling point when trying to lure in members. Offering free group classes can help jump-start your members’ motivation and excitement about being a part of your health club. Where this programming falls short, however, is it does not provide accountability. Members may fade out of these classes due to lack of accountability.

Paid programming offers accountability to your members, while also creating a revenue stream for your health club. When someone pays for something, they are more likely to commit to it. Boot camps, TRX, dance fitness and HIIT are all examples of popular paid programming you can implement within your health club. Find out what your members want and do your best to deliver it in some capacity.

Your health club can reap some major benefits from being a one-stop shop, but you must have the right plan and employees in place to successfully launch new programming. Fitness professionals need to educate potential clients on the benefits of the programming and promote it with enthusiasm.

Overall, stay relevant and passionate about helping your members, and you will not have to worry about losing them to the competition.

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Brittany Horton is the personal training manager at The Club Fitness Centers. For questions on programming she can be reached at brittany@theclubms.com.