Industry Buzz: How to Inspire People

Watching the Olympics, it’s impossible not to be inspired. Witnessing athletes complete feats of super-human strength, agility and precision has left me in awe over what we as a species can do when we fully commit ourselves to excellence.

It’s likely your members have become inspired as well. Maybe this week you’ve noticed higher traffic, or people stepping outside their comfort zones and trying exercises they don’t normally do. In fact, some gyms have even created Olympics-inspired programs to capitalize on the fitness fervor that only comes around every 4 years.

When the Olympics end, how will you keep that inspiration going? Below are three proven ways to inspire people that you can use on your members in order to keep their fitness and health motivation going strong throughout the next few months.

Show your members you care. Nothing inspires members more than knowing that the gym they workout at is actually invested in their fitness goals. Show you care by checking in on members, offering suggestions and a few words of encouragement. Small pushes can reap great benefits.
Showcase achievement in multiple forms. Not everyone is inspired by people who run marathons or climb a mountain. On the contrary, inspiration can come from small achievements, like a member who lost 20 pounds after recovering from a heart attack, or who learned to swim for the first time in her life. Of course, highlight the huge achievements, but be sure to shine some light on the small ones as well.
Find out your members’ motivations. Without knowing why a member is striving to achieve a goal, it’s hard to help them overcome challenges. If a member wants to complete a triathlon, find out why. What is pushing them? Then, when they struggle to complete extra miles in training, you can use that motivation to encourage them to complete their task.

Use these strategies to keep your members inspired 24/7, 365-days a year.