PHYSICAL

5 Ways to Upskill Your Fitness Center Post-Pandemic

By Regina Jeanne 

After having gone through difficult times, many businesses and organizations are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel — including fitness centers. In fact, they’ve never been more important as more and more people are seeing the benefits of keeping their health in top shape. Recent fitness trends and statistics show that 80% of fitness consumers say that they’re open to hitting the gym again. For companies and gym managers, this is a great time to revamp your fitness center to make sure it’s perfect for the post-pandemic era. So, here are some of the areas of improvement you should look into.

Emphasize Healthcare

Because those who are suffering from existing health conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and other comorbidities were found to be more at risk for contracting infectious diseases like COVID-19, health consciousness has become a much more common reason to visit fitness centers. Employees, especially those who spend much of their time working from home or long hours in offices, would benefit the most from getting enough exercise to boost their immune systems. This is why fitness centers and human resources teams should collaborate to provide the best programs, seminars, and incentives for their members. This can also be supported through hiring more health-centric staff to provide support for gyms.

Specialize Staff Requirements

Most establishments now operate with an onsite coordinator for assessment and control. They develop plans that encompass the training and safety of all the workers in fitness centers, including operational staff, janitorial staff, instructors, and the like. They are often responsible for communicating with patrons regarding modified gym operation processes. To train such professionals in the current pandemic, online degrees in health administration have become more widely available, allowing aspiring health managers to learn health protocols and general management through the virtual sphere. These trained experts can merge market, client, and business needs to ensure that fitness centers are sticking to guidelines. And since 46.8% of consumers regard sanitation as one of the deciding factors for choosing a gym, this commitment to sanitation and safety is all the more necessary.

Don’t Abandon Digital

Although on-site fitness centers are expecting something of a mini-boom in the following year, it’s doesn’t mean that you should abandon your digital endeavors. Incorporating what you have learned from a year of functioning digitally will provide an edge to your fitness center. Digital channels can provide another communication method for the trainer and customer. They can also have precise control of their progress and their existing training goals, and the gamification of fitness activities through providing various apps and challenges can act as excellent supports for in-person training sessions.

Adapt Your Content

In line with upskilling your digital means, be sure to adapt your content accordingly. For example, full-time employees have been found to have less time and energy for leisure, which is why they prefer shorter, more convenient workouts. In our article on the future of workplace wellness, we highlight how there’s no one solution that meets the needs of everyone, which is why some individuals may value coaches, events, classes, or therapy over others. Companies should offer an assortment of these initiatives to meet the needs of their many clients.

Keep Up with Trends

In catering to different demographics and age groups, one of the most important things to remember as you upskill your fitness center is to keep an eye out for the latest trends. For example, millennials and gen z were found to have a more holistic approach to wellness. 72% of gen z say that managing stress and mental health is their most important health and wellness concern. There’s also been a surge in downloads of mental wellness, mindfulness, and meditation apps. Information such as this can be leveraged and taken into consideration when you’re developing new programs and perks for your fitness center.

Encouraging everyone to get fit will definitely require effort from those managing gyms and organization leaders alike, especially post-Covid. But with diligent upskilling, you’ll be able to provide exceptional fitness support for your clients.

Written by Regina Jeanne

Article exclusively submitted corphealth.fit