Technology
Empowering Your Studio with AI to be Smart, Safe and Strategic
As a fitness club or studio owner, AI (artificial intelligence) isn’t just a buzzword – it’s a powerful partner that can help elevate the member experience, optimize operations, and drive…
The Responsibility of Fitness Professionals in Building Welcoming Spaces for All
The concept of inclusivity has become a focal point in many sectors, from education and business to healthcare – and the fitness industry is no exception. Yet while the term…
Staying in the Fitness Game
How do you succeed in the fitness profession? Whether you’ve just gotten certified, you’re returning to a fitness career or you’re an experienced pro who wants to develop new skills, the answer is the same: keep learning. Continuing education is a career necessity that becomes increasingly important as the fitness industry grows more sophisticated, diverse, specialized and evidence-based.
Don’t Let AI Be Your Only Coach
In today’s tech-centric world, it’s tempting to ask an AI chatbot for a personalized fitness plan. However, while AI tools can offer ideas and structure, relying solely on them comes…
Fitness Trend 2025 – Wearable Fit Tech
Wearable Fit Tech: A Must-Have for Fitness Professionals in 2025 In 2025, wearable fitness technology is one of the hottest trends transforming the fitness industry. Whether you’re a trainer looking…
Evolution in Pandemic Teaching
Fit pros share how pandemic teaching changed their approach through embracing virtual classes and learning new skills.
Merrithew Connect™: Online Pilates, Fitness and Mind-Body Workouts
Keeping programming fresh, effective and interesting for clients is a common struggle for fitness professionals. After a year of teaching virtually, you may be feeling like your program design has…
Ramping Up Your Virtual Zoom Studio
It was early March 2020 when Seattle, where I live, shut down very quickly due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We immediately knew we’d have to move into the virtual world within a matter of days.
For my first class, I didn’t know what microphone I should use, and I barely knew how to share music, but I flipped on the camera.
Virtual Reality and Indoor Cycling
Indoor cyclists who wore virtual-reality headsets experienced less leg-muscle pain during brief, high-intensity intervals than cyclists who wore headsets showing static images, according to a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2019; 51 [10], 2088–97).
What’s Your 2020 Vision?
Do you have a 2020 vision?
Do you have a clear view of what you’re going to do in the new year to grow your business even more?
As 2019 closes, it’s important to take stock. What can you improve to ensure a higher-quality customer experience and more revenue in 2020?
Let’s take a look at four areas that impact your business going ahead so you set yourself up to succeed.
Level-Up Your Text Message Marketing Game
Text messages are a vital part of any good marketing strategy. Studies show us that 98% of marketing-related texts are opened—83% of those are opened within 5 minutes of being received. Those open rates far outpace even the cleverest email subject line, so texting should definitely be in your marketing toolkit. Text message marketing is a great way to retain customers by letting them know about promotions, discounts, and special events in the way they clearly like being reached. With that in mind, let’s look at some things to keep in mind when you’re crafting a text to send to clients.
Do It for the ‘Gram
Instagram’s billion active monthly users and 500 million active weekly users demand your attention. If you’re doing any marketing for your gym or fitness studio, it’s a platform you can’t afford to ignore.
But, being strong on the 'gram doesn’t have to dominate your time.
Excellent Customer Service in the Digital Age
What has changed with customer service in the last decade, and certainly in the last five years? The intersection of customer service and technology. Nowadays, clients interact more with devices, apps and platforms than they do with a live person. In many instances, these online interactions make for rapid, efficient service.
Virtual Group Fitness Classes
Exercising in front of a television, computer screen or mobile device is nothing new. Since the advent of VHS tapes, fitness programs have offered users an opportunity to get their sweat on whenever they choose in the comfort of their home. Over the past several years, however, fitness facilities have leveraged new technology to offer virtual classes on-site in hopes of luring exercisers out of their living rooms and into the group exercise room.
November 2019 Question of the Month: Is Social Media a Nutritional Black Hole?
Nutrition advice from social media “experts” is best viewed with a huge grain of Himalayan pink salt, says new research presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity. British researchers at the University of Glasgow recently combed through popular U.K. nutrition and weight loss blogs to determine how much of the advice being dished out was trustworthy. The social media influencers were graded on transparency, nutritional soundness and use of research-backed references.
To Break the Sugar Habit, Dial Down the Blue Light
Being glued to your smartphone at night may not be so smart if you’re trying to stick to a healthy diet. In research presented at the 2019 conference of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior, in the Netherlands, rats exposed at night to just 1 hour of blue light—the same type of light emitted by many digital devices like smartphones—consumed more sugar afterward than when they were not exposed to blue light at night.
Could Gaming Help People Eat Better?
As we become better informed about the potential pitfalls of too much screen time, findings in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine suggest that sitting in front of a computer to play a diet-focused game may drive people to trade in their candy for cauliflower!
Providing Excellent Customer Service in the Digital Age
Outstanding customer service has always been the number-one way to attract and retain customers, clients and members. In recent years, the notion of great customer service has changed as a result of high expectations from informed consumers. This switch has occurred in large part because people can “connect” with a company easily and quickly through a multitude of channels, both offline and online.
Embrace the Future of the Fitness Industry
The fitness industry has never been so exciting, and there is so much renewed interest in wellness and our collective desire to seek optimal health. The concept of a “traditional gym” has slogged it out for about 50 years, starting in community halls and evolving into big-box gyms, budget clubs and boutique studios. Adjacent industries—such as entertainment, health, athleisure, franchising, food and hospitality, social media and gaming—are investing money.