It’s summertime, which means many of your members are taking their workouts outside, hitting running or biking trails, or doing yoga in the park.
Typically, LizFit gym in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, experiences a significant drop in club visits during this time. At least that was the case before the facility invested in the MYZONE heart rate monitoring system, which allows members to view their heart rates in real-time.
Liz Forkel, the owner of LizFit, recently discussed this benefit and others from working with MYZONE.
CS: How were you introduced to MYZONE, and why did you decide to partner with them?
LZ: I was looking through a friend’s Facebook posts and saw a picture of a large-screen TV with heart rate tiles on it. My incentive to bring in MYZONE to LizFit came from Orangetheory Fitness. I had been a member for a few months and loved the workout and feedback from looking at the screens and seeing my heart rate in real-time.
CS: What are the benefits to your business as a result of this partnership?
LZ: Small group training participation has increased dramatically. I started with three group classes, and after investing in MYZONE, now have eight. In addition, I will be adding a few more time slots in the near future.
CS: Do you think MYZONE has had an impact on your club’s retention?
LZ: Retention has been increased through the summer months. I usually see a 20 to 30 percent drop-off in group classes and small group training. This summer, however, I only saw about a 10 percent decrease in classes and 5 percent decrease in small group training.
CS: What else can you tell other club owners about the benefits of working with MYZONE?
LZ: People enjoy the motivation of earning MYZONE Effort Points (MEPS). The fact that they can take their phone and get a workout with MYZONE anywhere — not just within the club — that was also a huge selling point for me.
Lastly, I do not charge an exorbitant price for the MYZONE belts. I found that most people already own some sort of fitness tracker, so I wanted to make them very affordable for my members. I sell them for $69, which has proved to be a good price point.
For more information on MYZONE and how it can benefit your gym, visit http://myzone.org/.
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
