Keep Residents Engaged: Top Fitness and Wellness Trends for Multi-Family Housing

Embracing the latest fitness trends will help you stay connected with residents and re-engage those who have fallen out of their wellness routines. Here are our favorite ways to use new activities and technologies to help keep your residents healthy and committed.

Maximize Resident Engagement with Property-Wide Fitness Activities

Multifamily communities often have workout facilities with all the necessities — think cardio machines, strength training equipment, and maybe even saunas. However, during busy periods residents may not feel motivated to use them regularly. The summer months also tend to have less traffic as people lean towards the outdoors.

Create opportunities for residents to come back together by offering wellness activities. These events will boost community engagement by transforming your property and the surrounding neighborhood into a fitness playground.

Organize Outdoor Fitness Events for Community Building

Outdoor workouts surged in popularity during the pandemic and are still in high demand as people look for fresh ways to reconnect with nature. Coordinating outdoor community events gives residents the perfect excuse to get outside and mingle.

Running clubs are one of the hottest new fitness trends, especially among young singles. It’s not hard to see the appeal. According to a 2024 study, running groups can improve mental health and build confidence. These activities are also a great way to meet people while breaking a sweat.

Organize a weekly running group that leaves from your lobby every Saturday or Sunday — and make it early before the heat of the day kicks in. Map out a scenic route through your neighborhood and wrap up at a local coffee shop or breakfast spot. This approach lets you showcase the local area and create opportunities for shared resident experiences.

Experiment with other trending outdoor activities, too. For example, many fitness lovers have taken up rucking, which involves walking with a weighted rucksack. Invite residents to join you for a rucking session around your neighborhood to improve endurance and physical health. You could even organize a friendly rucking challenge to build camaraderie and encourage residents to test their limits.

Host On-Site Yoga Sessions to Enhance Wellness

Yoga has become one of the most popular fitness activities in the United States. Approximately one in six Americans now practice this discipline, and it’s especially trendy among women.

Take advantage of this phenomenon by starting a community-wide yoga group. Some people may enjoy a casual get-together after dinner or on the weekends. Others might prefer having a local instructor lead a more intense class that meets in the morning or at sunset. Consider offering several options at different times and for various skill levels so everyone has a chance to participate.

Pairing yoga with another activity can also boost engagement. We’ve all heard of goat yoga, but why not partner with a local animal shelter to host a bunny or puppy yoga event? Participants can relieve stress while interacting with adorable animals — who knows, they might even find a new friend to adopt. Themed events like glow-in-the-dark yoga sessions or yoga and wine nights could attract more residents, too.

Engage Residents with Fitness App Challenges

A 2022 Insider Intelligence survey found that 63% of Americans have used a wellness app in the last 12 months. Mobile apps can help your property management team engage diverse audiences, such as first-time apartment renters, professionals, and couples emptying their nests. Here are two ways to use this cutting-edge technology in your community.

Run Monthly Challenges for Motivation and Socialization

Thanks to social media, monthly challenges are one of the fastest-growing fitness industry trends. These competitions encourage residents to focus on a specific aspect of their health for four weeks. The goal? To help participants build lasting healthy habits while strengthening their relationships with their neighbors.

Fitness On Demand’s app makes it easy to upload pre-made challenges, or create custom fitness challenges for your entire community. Simply log in, name the challenge, and push it out to resident users. You can also set milestones and schedule daily tasks that unlock one at a time to keep users on track. Day one might challenge participants to get 10,000 steps in, while day two involves watching an on-demand meditation class.

Keep things interesting by designing themed contests. For example, you could host a “30 Days of Strength Training” challenge to encourage residents to use your fitness equipment. Or create a month-long run challenge that invites residents to run on your building’s grounds, treadmills, or around the neighborhood. Other ideas include fitness bingo, cardio competitions, and plank challenges.

Build excitement and engagement by promoting your challenges to the entire community. To get the word out, create building flyers, newsletters, social media posts, and text messages. Be sure to include instructions for downloading the app for residents who haven’t joined yet.

Reward Achievements to Boost Participation

Residents are more likely to participate in your challenges if you offer fun incentives. Use leaderboards to track everyone’s progress and introduce a little friendly competition. You should also celebrate milestones along the way. For example, you could reward residents who make it to the halfway point with small prizes like branded water bottles or a $10 coffee gift card.

Offer bigger prizes for residents who complete the challenge or climb to the top of the leaderboard. Free pet rent, fitness classes, or monthly parking can go a long way in increasing participation.

Promote Holistic Wellness Beyond Traditional Fitness

We’re way beyond the gym-fanatic, competitive culture of the 2000s. Today, fitness is about holistic wellness. According to a 2024 study by McKinsey, 82% of Americans consider wellness a top or important priority. This shift has led to the rise of wellness real estate. These complexes offer state-of-the-art amenities and luxurious living spaces to improve residents’ mental and physical well-being.

Of course, most modern multifamily housing communities don’t have the budget for rock climbing gyms or on-site acupuncture. But that doesn’t mean you can’t offer great wellness services and resources. Here are two wellness trends to incorporate into your fitness programming.

Offer Nutrition and Mindfulness Resources

Nutrition is a top priority for many people, but eating a healthy diet can be challenging. Support your residents by bringing in a local nutritionist for an educational weekend session in your facility or organizing on-site cooking classes featuring healthy meals. These activities will teach residents practical strategies for improving their health while also allowing them to socialize.

Help residents walk the talk by offering healthy snacks in your fitness facility. Consider offering a weekly smoothie bar or setting up a grab-and-go snack station with delicious fruit and trail mix. You could also invite a local food truck to drop by your parking lot once a month to sell nutritious meals — maybe acai bowls packed with berries, veggie-filled tacos, or crisp salads. These options will fuel your residents during their workouts and help them achieve their wellness goals.

Mindfulness is another key aspect of holistic health. Encourage residents to unwind with a journaling workshop, stretching sessions, or music therapy. Community nature walks or gardening sessions can also provide opportunities for participants to clear their minds and reduce stress.

Platforms like Fitness On Demand enable you to offer an even broader range of mindfulness activities. Stream relaxation and stress management workshops for residents in their homes and on their apps. You could also broadcast meditation workshops and virtual yoga. These online activities let residents prioritize their mental health and practice mindfulness on their schedules.

Collaborate with Local Wellness Experts for Enrichment

While virtual activities offer convenience and flexibility, many people also enjoy face-to-face interactions with wellness experts. Invite local wellness experts to lead community events at your fitness facility.

For example, you could invite a fitness trainer to host free healthy lifestyle checkups for your community. During these sessions, they can share workout tips and offer personal recommendations for on-demand content. Similarly, a chef might be delighted to lead a cooking workshop or share healthy eating tips on your social media accounts. These programs allow your guest experts to promote their small businesses while also allowing residents to learn from specialists.

Enhance Resident Engagement with Fitness On Demand’s Solutions!

Integrating your on-demand, social media, and content offerings into the real lives and activities of your residents (or those considering renting) takes time. With a little creativity and patience, though, you can support resident wellness and strengthen your community.

Are you interested in learning more about how Fitness On Demand can improve the quality of life for your residents? Schedule a free, no-obligation demonstration today.