Since the start of the pandemic, the rising popularity of outdoor group fitness classes has shown us that to stay competitive, you must offer the most popular options to retain your members and grow your business.
Rather than randomly tossing darts and hoping for a bullseye, understanding emerging trends will help you make accurate business decisions to position your studio well for future development.
If you were to rely on social media influencers or any of the Kardashians for the inside scoop on industry trends, you would have missed the dartboard entirely and wondered who the heck you could have relied on to make the best decision for your business.
Ahead of the pandemic, the American College of Sports Medicine predicted group fitness would be one of the top three fitness industry trends of 2020. Although this data-based prediction remained somewhat correct, the emphasis on outdoor would have been as difficult to foresee as the pandemic itself.
Online fitness attendance spiked, and a new group of enthusiasts began to feel the positive effects of adopting a healthier lifestyle and being part of a virtual group.
It is specifically a group setting that seems to have people wanting more and are heading to the gym for some actual face-to-face interaction and human connection.
Maybe because we haven't been able to socialize and make new friends for such a long time, it's making us want to be around new people even more. Considering I have personally made zero new friends this year, I can sadly relate!
Perhaps it's because more people are taking their health more seriously and want to be around like-minded people. This makes sense because we all know how much being the only one at the bar sucks just as much as being the only one in a group class, showing us that people need people who share the same interests.
The power of others' actions and feelings can influence our attitude and how we emotionally respond to fitness, which means that the actions of others affect how we feel about exercise in general.
If everyone else is doing it, then why not join the club?
Although any exercise requires self-motivation, the support you can obtain in a group setting can make motivating yourself the easy part. Working out with others will make the process more habitual, giving group exercise certain benefits that individual training may not.
Those who begin to take group classes and have a good experience from the start and feel connected to the group will attend more classes, arrive on time, are less likely to quit an exercise program, and become class advocates. Group class attendees have the most power to grow your business than any other kind of member. They become your cheerleaders, tell their friends, and bring new members to you. Simply put, give the people what they want, and they will be solid brand ambassadors, making group class members the most valuable you can have.
Although Cycling, Pilates, Hot Yoga, and Boxing show no end in rising memberships, everyone still seems to want a couple of days a week to play outside! Considering outside was the only place suitable to hold a group class, it began as the only option but rapidly grew into an obsession and welcomed addition to a previous workout routine that was 100% indoor.
So, what are they loving, and what is keeping them coming back for more? Read more....
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