Educational classes and motivational contests are an excellent way to stimulate member interest and participation in your facility. By developing and offering instructional classes and motivational contests, you will assist members in pushing themselves to exercise, try new things and learn new skills.
While many fitness centers across the country provide the standard offering of wellness classes such as weight management, stress management, smoking cessation and healthy back, you may want to branch out and offer a wider variety of exciting classes and instruction. For example, consider trying classes in low-fat cooking, in-line skating, snow skiing, golf and competitive running and swimming, to name just a few.
In addition to your schedule of classes and seminars, how about developing a series of contests and competitions that run throughout the calendar year. Contests can be motivating for members and can assist them in combating boredom and burnout in their fitness program.
One popular contest idea is the “frequent fitness program.” Modeled after the airline industry’s frequent flier program, this contest rewards points for specific amounts of exercise preformed by members. Points can be accumulated and “cashed in” for prizes such as T-shirts, water bottles, lunches, free tennis lessons and even a free month’s dues.
Remember the age-old saying, “variety is the spice of life.” Give your members the variety they need and the opportunities they want to try new skills and events. Help your members to stay motivated and participating in their health and fitness programs. By doing so, you not only help your members stay happier and healthier, but help increase your facility’s level of membership retention.
Basic medical screening Finally, like many health and fitness facilities across the country, consider offering a comprehensive program of basic medical screenings and services. Basic fitness testing and nutrition analysis are a wonderful complement to any membership and help document member progress.
Also, offer a gait analysis for members who enjoy running or walking. Simply videotape your members while they run or walk on a treadmill, then have a physician or a local track coach analyze the members’ strides and give pointers on how they can perform more efficiently.
One final example of a creative screening is to have a certified athletic trainer visit your fitness center once a month. The trainer can answer questions on basic sports injuries and give basic treatment instructions.
Many of the preceding services can be performed in your lobby or other high-visibility areas, and done for little or no charge to you or your members. By working with your local medical community, you can expose your members and staff to a wealth of highly beneficial resources and expertise, while providing valuable programs and services.
Consistent quality service can be a rare commodity in today’s business environment. When competitors are closely matched, those that emphasize superior customer service will win. Be willing to invest time and money into developing creative, educational and motivating programs and services for your members. By doing so, your dividend will be an improved membership retention rate and a healthier corporate bottom line.