The Buzz: Augmenting Live Classes
Each month we ask club customers and managers of others fitness facilities what are the burning issues, the questions on their minds:
QUESTION OF THE MONTH:
Q: “How do I use on-demand content to augment what my club does with live classes?”
A: Look to seamlessly integrate on-demand content with the types of instructor-led classes you offer and the needs of your members.
Fitness is no longer just about one thing: a live class with an instructor members love, or on-demand when life gets in the way of the workout. Today’s club member is looking for an immersive 360-degree fitness experience that goes with them and all works together to help them reach their individual fitness and wellness goals. To create a truly engaging experience using live and on-demand fitness offerings, do three things:
- Let Live Classes Dictate On-Demand Promotion – if there’s a waiting list for the most intense HIIT, cardio kickboxing or core-strength class you know, there’s pent up demand. Use social media, email and app messaging as well as in-club signage to promote content that aligns with popular live classes. Shadow boxing workouts. High-intensity sessions that mirror the exercise mix and calorie-burning moves of your most popular classes. And don’t forget wind down and stretch to help members engaged with classes that place strain on the body, decompress, unwind and care for their post club muscles.
- Optimize your Open Club Floor Space – one of the latest trends in integrating on-demand content into the live club setting is moving the experience from a dedicated studio to open areas of the club. For some members going into a private studio to dial up a class can be intimidating, but jumping into a looped routine that auto-plays on a display in the free weight or stretching areas of a club can be a good way to introduce members to short form exercises that get them warmed up for their regular club routine. Circuits365 from FitnessOnDemand is one example of this that includes 90 circuits each with eight individual exercise stations members can jump into at any time or work through in sequence.
- Use Instructors as Advocates – your instructors put a massive amount of time, personality and creativity into the routines and atmosphere of their classes. Offer them insights into form exercises, short form strength training content and other classes within your content library that can help them bring something else to their class members. Tips on content to use at home or outside of class to build strength, endurance and wind down appropriately.
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