Wellness offerings are becoming increasingly popular across the industry. Here’s how three clubs are capitalizing on it.
“Our bodies are our gardens to which our wills are our gardeners,” wrote William Shakespeare. Just like how a plant requires water, a person should attain a certain amount of exercise. But like overwatering a garden, over-exertion can be harmful.
To help bounce back from an intense workout and prevent injury, mental burnout, muscle soreness and more, many club operators are turning to recovery modalities. Offerings range from saunas, yoga and foam rollers to cryotherapy, red light therapy and massage beds. Having a wide variety of modules ensures you’re serving the needs of a diverse and ever-changing member base.
“In your clientele, you have those who want to come in, do their thing, then leave,” explained Daniel Stickler, a co-founder and franchisor of FitCo Health Club. “Then you have the members who are a little more educated on what the process of working out looks like and what recovery can actually do for you. They’re the ones spending more time in the gym using these modalities and taking the extra step to take care of their body and mental wellness.”
FitCo started introducing recovery offerings about three years ago and is continuing to grow in this area. Modalities include red light therapy; Therabody’s compression boots, cupping equipment, vibrating rollers and massage goggles; a Cryo Innovations cryotherapy chamber; a cold plunge tub from Cold Plunge; and products from WellnessSpace Brands including HydroMassage’s massage beds and RelaxSpace’s wellness pods.
The increase in variety corresponds with the rising popularity and demand for recovery which Stickler attributes partially to the post-COVID-19 mindset. Members are conscious about their holistic health more so than ever, and exercise is not the only contributor to physical well-being. “Exercising and eating well are no longer the only avenues that lead to wellness,” said Stickler. “Things like cryotherapy and red-light therapy complement your daily workout and can increase your mental and physical well-being.”
Along with promoting holistic health, recovery is a unique area where each modality has a specific result.
When Fit Athletic Club East Village realized it lacked a cold modality, the team began researching potential options. It decided cryotherapy was the best option and partnered with CryoBuilt to provide full-body cryotherapy.
“As an industry leader, we wanted to partner with someone that had the same vision as us and are trendsetters and industry leaders,” said Jordan Goll, the general manager of Fit Athletic Club East Village. “If you want to expand your offering and work with an industry leader in the cryo space, it’s definitely CryoBuilt.”
Even though unique modalities like cryotherapy and red-light therapy are just beginning to become more common in health clubs, they’re already well known throughout the medical community. According to Burch Valldejuli, the co-founder of mActivity, using heat, cold and red-light therapies — all of which are offered at mActivity — activates the mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell, which increases our metabolism and blood flow. Some health benefits include improved longevity, increased blood flow, less muscle soreness and better sleep.
“What we’re using are methodologies that have been around for decades,” said Valldejuli. “The medical community is aware of them, and now it’s time for us health clubs to make it more readily available to the everyday person.”
While mActivity does attract people who simply want to try the electric, full-body MECOTEC cryotherapy chamber and other recovery amenities, Valldejuli emphasized the most sustainable way to offer recovery is getting current members interested in it.
“We really see our recovery offerings as a retention tool,” explained Valldejuli. “It’s attracting some new members who found a local place that offers cryo after a Google search, but really the bread and butter of a gym are memberships. So, we have to figure out how to engage our current members.”
One strategy mActivity employs is offering a complimentary session for one modality of the member’s choice per month. This gives them the chance to try out cryotherapy, compression from NormaTec and full-body red light therapy. After that, members can pay $15 for an individual session or an additional $50 per month for unlimited use. Steam and sauna are complimentary to every member.
Figuring out the best way to offer recovery modalities can also involve trial and error. Fit Athletic Club recently changed from offering cryotherapy sessions a la carte to including it in their member base. As such, the club has seen an increase in users, and the elimination of a financial barrier has encouraged more people to try it.
“Getting the member to try it for the first time is always the challenge because they don’t want to be cold,” said Goll. “But anyone who’s done it has felt the endorphin rush afterward. That’s what gets them to come back and upgrade their membership to the one that allows them to use cryo every day.”
At FitCo, educating members on the benefits of exercise recovery is one of Stickler’s keys to success for monetizing it. Upon joining the club, members are introduced to different amenities which decreases potential intimidation. Within the first 90 days of a new membership, FitCo offers a discount on the rate of an upgraded membership. This price also appears every quarter to continue encouraging members to take advantage of the club’s services.
“We’re constantly trying to stay in front of, consistently educate and keep in touch with our audiences,” said Stickler. “We’re close with our members, and a lot of them open up to us about problems or issues they’re having like lower back pain. We offer them a free session on the hot/cold bed to help them feel better and understand the unit is here for their disposal, even if it costs a little extra.”
In fact, communicating what results to expect can help ease potential concerns members may have. As such, it’s essential staff are knowledgeable about the scientific benefits of your different recovery modalities.
In addition, Valldejuli encourages staff to personally use these services. That way, when they’re with a client they can share advice based on their own experience. “We make sure all our staff are using these modalities so they can speak to it not just off a sheet of paper but from personal experience,” she said. “For example, we had our red-light therapy available to staff for a month before we made it available to members. We do that for other modalities as well. I think it makes a huge difference.”
Along with staff talking about the benefits of different recovery modalities, Valldejuli noted the impact of members sharing about their experiences with one another. As such, find ways to stir up conversations about your recovery options, and make sure recovery equipment can be easily viewed from the workout floor or other gathering areas. For mActivity, seeing the modalities in action and being able to hear first-hand reviews from users have been successful in growing its offerings.
From there, it’s important to keep member interest. Being intentional about the space you’re putting recovery in was a top tip from Amanda Benson, the managing director of Burbank Fitness Club. “It’s important to offer effective recovery options to support your members’ needs while providing a welcoming and comfortable environment,” she said. “Having these amenities easily accessible to all members is key. This means having designated spaces for recovery and making sure things like the temperature is comfortable and the area is clean.”
Keeping these factors in mind enhances members’ experience and results from the session — one being the mental wellness aspect. Benson explained how Burbank Fitness Club emphasizes this connection which increases member engagement.
“I believe recovery is more prominent in gyms today because people are recognizing the role in achieving optimal fitness goals and overall well-being,” explained Benson. “There’s a lot of awareness around muscle repair, injury prevention and mental rejuvenation which is why it’s important for gyms to integrate recovery options. People are increasingly looking for holistic approaches to fitness, and our members truly value our specialized post-workout amenities.”
One offering Benson mentioned to not overlook is yoga. Burbank Fitness Club offers indoor and outdoor classes, and both have proven popular. She noted part of the reason why is due to the inexplicable link between yoga and mindfulness.
“We have a very healthy following for both our indoor and outdoor yoga classes,” said Benson. “Members who attend these classes are often seeking mental relaxation and physical flexibility. Whether they prefer the serenity of outdoor sessions amidst beautiful mountain views or the comfort of indoor practice, our yoga offerings aim to harmonize mind, body and spirit.”
As general ideas of fitness and the industry evolve, the focus on comprehensive wellness will lead to healthier, happier and more engaged members. Recovery is a way to nourish our body and ensure our inner garden is flourishing.
