Digital wellness has transformed the fitness industry and created a new type of health community. Implementing digital fitness solutions empowers gyms to become hybrid models, encouraging members to connect online and in person.
The fitness app is the next step in this digital transformation. By adding convenience and customization beyond what a web-based tool can achieve, app-based digital platforms let members fully integrate fitness into their daily lives. The result is more engaged members and a stronger fitness community.
Key Features of Fitness Apps
The best fitness apps offer a holistic approach to wellness. They provide workout and healthy eating support so members can target their fitness goals from the same source.
If you're seeking a high-quality app for your gym, these features should be on your checklist.
Personalized Workout Plans
Access to personal training is one of the top reasons people join gyms. Nearly 30% of gym members use a personal trainer, but scheduling meetings can become a barrier.
Fitness apps provide personalized recommendations and workout schedules to help your members stay on track. They can access their personal training plan at home or the gym whenever they want to work out. This ease of use makes personal fitness more achievable, whether members use the in-app plan in combination with or instead of live training.
On-Demand Classes
Most fitness professionals are familiar with the common barriers to fitness: fatigue, lack of motivation, time constraints, and self-consciousness, to name a few. Fitness apps address these barriers simultaneously with classes that members can access anytime.
On-demand classes let members work out when they feel energized and motivated, not when an in-person teacher has a slot available. This flexibility lets members choose the classes that are best for them.
Access to World-Class Instructors
Before virtual fitness, a gym member's location limited their selection of fitness instructors. Today, members can log onto a fitness app and view expert-designed workouts or take classes from top-notch instructors worldwide.
Fitness apps bring these world-class workouts to your members whenever they wish. Members can find an instructor who's a perfect fit and take their classes from anywhere.
As a gym, you benefit from the ability to offer these classes. Someone might choose your gym because of the expert leadership they can get from your in-app classes, then stay for the other levels of value you offer.
Gamification Elements
Gamification is one of the most effective retention strategies available to gyms. Adding game elements to workouts can increase engagement, participation, and interest, leading to more physical activity and better results.
Fitness apps make adding gamification elements to your member experience easier than ever. The key is to find an app you can customize with fun competitions and challenges, such as:
- Leveling up by reaching personal workout goals
- Earning points toward a digital or physical reward
- Allowing members to set up competitions with friends
- Providing personalized fitness challenges
- Integrating participation-based or achievement-based leaderboards
- Designing video game-style workouts, such as cycling challenges with in-app targets
Members can challenge themselves or participate in group competitions that encourage building community. Research shows that people who feel a sense of community in their workout experience will work harder and enjoy the process more. The result? A stronger connection to the gym and the people in it.
Integration With Wearable Technology
Wearable fitness trackers are becoming increasingly popular. A deep dive into 2023 data showed that 14.4% of working-age adults wore wearable technology specifically for tracking fitness. Almost 30% had fitness tracking available on a smartwatch, a nearly 10 percentage point increase over the year before.
As these devices become more popular, so does the potential for engagement. Integrated fitness apps can provide workout reminders and real-time feedback on exercise outcomes such as heart rate, calorie burn, fitness zones, and duration.
Not all fitness apps integrate with fitness trackers, so finding one that does is important. Look for an app that records data with Google and Apple and offers a great user experience on both types of devices. Your members will benefit regardless of which platform they use.
Comprehensive Nutritional Guidance
Fitness apps add value for your members by providing targeted nutrition advice. Users can track calories, get meal and snack ideas, and research the nutritional content of different foods.
While members can do this research independently anywhere, an app lets them customize the advice they collect. They can input information about their lifestyle, activity levels, and goals to create personalized nutrition plans, including grocery lists, recipes, and complete meal plans. Users can access these resources anytime on the app. They won't have to succumb to grocery store temptation because their meal plan is on their laptop.
Impact on User Motivation
A feature-rich fitness app encourages your members to participate more actively in their wellness journeys. Survey data shows Americans check their phones 205 times daily or about once every five minutes. That means hundreds of potential opportunities for them to see the app and remember they'd planned to work out.
However, a fitness app is more than a notification system. It's an always-with-them assistant that makes working out more manageable, relevant, and fun.
Increased Engagement Through Gamification
Staying committed to a workout routine can be more challenging when it feels like a chore. One 2021 survey showed that 50% of people avoid exercise because they don't enjoy it. And 54% of people surveyed said they mentally check out of their workouts because of boredom.
In the same survey, 73% of reluctant exercisers said they'd be more likely to work out if their routines were more like games. More than two-thirds, 68%, said their workouts would be more successful if they felt like they were competing.
Competitions and challenges give people another reason to work out. On days when their fitness goals aren't motivating enough alone, the opportunity to level up or beat a friend on the leaderboard can provide an extra nudge.
One recent study showed that adding a gamified element to fitness increased participants' step count, notably when the game included both competitive and cooperative elements. Thus, the more variety your fitness app offers, the more opportunities for engagement you can offer your members.
Real-Time Tracking for Accountability
Tracking workout data also helps gym members stay engaged and pursue their goals. A 2022 study showed that progress tracking increases people's motivation for physical activity. Easily accessible apps proved essential for maintaining that motivation, as participants were less likely to participate when the tracker was unavailable.
One exceptionally motivating feature of fitness apps is the availability of real-time data. Members who set the goal to work out for a certain number of minutes or burn a specific number of calories can see at a glance whether they've succeeded. Accountability is instantaneous and numbers-based, with no room for excuses or adjustments.
Accessibility and Convenience
Perhaps the most important benefit of fitness apps is that they break barriers. Someone who can't get to the gym can open an app, find a workout or class that meets their needs, and participate on their own terms.
Workout Anytime, Anywhere
The rise of online fitness programs has enabled people to fit exercise into their lives instead of needing to adapt to gym and class schedules. They can still participate in person when they choose, but when life inevitably gets in the way, they can fill in the gaps with online workouts.
Gym-based apps maximize the benefit of this convenience. Unlike one-off video workouts or drop-in online classes, gym apps let members pick up where they left off. They can get class recommendations that align with their workout plans or log their activity.
Eliminating Barriers to Entry
Starting a workout routine can be challenging for people with less experience or who can't travel to a gym. Think of all the potential members in your area who lack transportation or childcare during the hours they could be working out.
An app eliminates those barriers by allowing people to work out wherever they are. They enjoy all the benefits of organized fitness programs, from expert-designed classes to personalized nutritional advice.
Similarly, fitness apps are accessible to people of all experience and fitness levels. Someone who is self-conscious or anxious about going to the gym can open an app and join a class from the comfort of home without worrying about whether anyone may be watching them exercise.
By allowing people to engage via an app, gyms can earn members' trust and establish a relationship with long-term potential.
Trends in Virtual Training Technology
Fitness apps are among the many technologies transforming personal training. Integrating an app allows gyms to engage more deeply with members and increase day-to-day engagement while providing a tangible reminder of their value.
The right fitness app allows your gym to incorporate other emerging training trends, such as real-time data tracking and fitness gamification.
Fitness On Demand's customizable app allows gyms to elevate their member experience. Through real-time tracking and personalized content, the Flex app helps gyms improve retention and keep members coming back for more.
It's the equivalent of creating your fitness app, except the design and build elements are already in place. All you need to do is customize the offerings to serve your members. Request a demo today to see it in action.
Author
Sean Obregon
Sean Obregon is an impactful Business Development Executive forming meaningful relationships to support enhancing operational and strategic success. He utilizes his industry knowledge and experience to create solutions that align with both the needs and wants of a customer, setting a business up for success.
