Among the many industries adjusting to life under the coronavirus pandemic, fitness studios have found ways to compensate for shutdown orders. From online classes to equipment rental, fitness studios remain flexible in their fitness offerings for their clients. Whether studios offer classes on Instagram or interact with students on Zoom, instructors and studios are making efforts to stay connected to their clients while helping them stay fit and healthy under stressful circumstances.
Virtual Classes & Equipment Rental
In addition to offering virtual classes, fitness centers are also renting equipment to compensate for canceled memberships and the end to on-premise retail sales. Largely dependent on physical locations and on-site staff, fitness studios have now shifted to free classes on Instagram live. Others have turned to selling bikes on pre-order with the promise of on-demand virtual classes later in the year.
A subscription service partnering with boutique fitness studios, ClassPass offers live workouts via bookable classes while also providing a venue for users to donate directly to their favorite studios, which the company is matching at $1 million.
Fitness Instructors Adapt
Fitness instructors have found ways to train clients in alternative locations with a heavy dose of Lysol and latex gloves while startups are recruiting fitness instructors to lead virtual workouts in an effort to form team bonds while everyone is working remotely.
Some instructors are using Zoom to create a sense of community allowing students to not only interact with their favorite instructor but to also create a sense of fun and camaraderie among students. Staying in touch with fellow students that have attended the same classes for years is a strong pull for students to maintain memberships despite classes being held online and despite an alternative atmosphere without the inspirational music or proper weights.
Payment Processing in Virtual World
In order to accommodate the online offerings, fitness studios are recruiting payment processors that can facilitate online payments, as well as contactless payments for safe re-openings. If fitness studios want to transition to an online business model, they will also need to accept payments online. Fitness studio payments will need to transfer to digital to complement the virtual offerings. Finding gym merchant services is key to successfully making the transition.
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