The New Year brings an influx of new members seeking our services to achieve their weight loss and lifestyle goals. Our existing members are also looking for something innovative to “kick start” their training programs and keep them motivated.
When planning your programs for the upcoming year, a great way to assist members with their New Year’s weight loss goals is to offer a short-term weight loss challenge.
Why not include an “8 Week Challenge” in your plans? Here are some tips for your next weight loss challenge:
Plan the framework, including answers to critical questions. What will be the cost of the challenge? How many enrollments are ideal? When will the challenge run? What are the financial goals for the challenge? Will the program be available to both members and non-members?
Partner for success. Getting the nutrition piece of a weight loss challenge right is critical. It may be possible to outsource the nutrition component of the challenge, if you don’t have the expertise. There are many businesses specializing in the delivery of online nutrition programs, which can remove much of the administration in this area.
Promote the challenge well in advance of the start date. Utilize social media, in-club signage and your website to create excitement for the program. Having prizes for the overall winner and runner up will provide a better incentive for members to enroll.
Launch the program through a free “Information Night” — present all the information on the challenge, and if possible have guest speakers. At the conclusion of the presentation, take enrollments for the program.
Create opportunities for participant engagement with your team and each other throughout the challenge. The greater the connection between members, the better the results will be. This could include a closed Facebook group, or small group training classes only for those in the challenge.
Celebrate success. It’s important to acknowledge publicly the efforts of all who participated in the challenge. Host a mini event to present prizes and celebrate the results.
Kristen Green is the executive general manager of Aquafit.
