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10 Smashing Fitness Challenge Ideas To Boost Client Engagement and Retention: Part II

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COVID changed the way we work out. The pandemic took over the world in 2020 and followed through with the second wave in 2021 and many experts speculate a third wave soon hitting the country. But COVID could not keep fitness enthusiasts from exercising, despite being locked inside their homes, people found new ways to sweat themselves. High-Intensity workouts, home gyms, and technology-enabled techniques became popular overnight. A rise in sales of home workout equipment was seen, devices like fitness trackers, smartwatches, and heart rate monitors became trendy. The fitness market was also swift to react to these new trends. As people took out time to find newer ways to lead healthier lifestyles and take better care of themselves, the fitness market offered remote workout solutions to allow fitness enthusiasts to follow their fitness regimes virtually. That marked the rise of the ‘hybrid fitness market’

According to a report by the Global Wellness Institute (GWI), the fitness industry is expected to grow from $738 billion in 2020 to $1.2 trillion in 2025 riding on the wave of hybrid fitness and digital fitness market including apps and associated fitness channels. Today most gyms and fitness studios have adapted themselves to the hybrid model but it comes with its own challenges.

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Challenges to hybrid fitness model

The first of them is a fitness competition. The fitness industry has always been a highly competitive market with thousands of small – big gym chains competing against each other. The shift to online or hybrid mode has only added to the competition with gyms now not only having to compete with local chains but also beyond territorial limitations or even globally. For example, anyone living in Jersey can take online membership for Zumba class with a club in Chicago. The second challenge for gym owners handling online workout sessions is keeping things interesting for their members and coming up with new and quirky ideas to keep the spirits high and dedication intact. The third and biggest challenge is retaining members (both in online and offline mode) but in online mode, the trainers rarely get a chance to form a personal bond, and coupled with countless options online, the members find it easy to switch to other class or studio. But to all these solutions, there can be one easy solution –  fitness contests and challenges.

Bookee hybrid fitness playbook

Benefits of a fitness competition

Fitness competition can be an amazing way to motivate members and keep them interested. Fitness contests are a creative and enjoyable way to retain members, attract new consumers, and increase sales. Here are a few points describing how fitness challenges can profit your fitness business.

01. Increase sales and generate leads

A fitness competition can be wonderful for marketing purposes, fitness contest and challenges allow you to converse with potential members and develop a bond. You can pitch and lure them into becoming full-time members. If your fitness contest is good enough, people will be happy to share their contact information and you can use them as leads. A fitness contest might also help you get more referrals for your membership. Participants in a fitness competition are likely to inform their friends and family about it. Maybe they'll want to join in the fun as well. As a result, these kinds of events are fantastic places to get recommendations and referrals.

02. Motivate members and keep them interested

Fitness contests and challenges give purpose to your members to work out. It is a common understanding that if someone has a purpose he has a much better chance of sticking with something long enough to see results. The exercise competition can be another pushing factor and encourage your clients to test their limits and be more focused. It helps your customers break plateaus and manage their fitness better. Fitness competition for beginners can help your clients move forward when they can’t find the mojo to push themselves.

03. Develop a loyal customer base

The most frustrating and challenging task as a fitness business owner is to retain your incoming clients. Member engagement and retention are crucial for every gym or fitness center. The best way to tackle this problem is – through fitness comeptition. Running a fitness contest urges your members to continue their gym memberships and also attracts new members to the gym. The fun activities allow you to develop a personal bond with your clients and know them closely, the camaraderie encourages members to stick around and develop loyalty to your fitness business brand.

7 Fitness contests and challenges for hybrid fitness businesses

From transformation challenges to free accountability challenges that are just there for friendly competition and motivation for your clients…to step counter challenges, there are plenty of ways you can set a fitness contest for your gym clients. Here is the list of 7 unique and creative ideas for fitness contests and challenges you can use this year!

Charity fitness challenge

Group running charity fitness challenge

Helping the needy is the biggest act of kindness. Charity events, fundraising fitness contests and challenges can not only allow your clients to chase their fitness goals but also work out for something noble and virtuous. Empathy and compassion can be great stimuli. You can start a studio fitness contest for a nominal registration fee that can be anything from a marathon to a sprint race. You can promote participation through healthy competition and keep incentives to attract people. The charity events can be organized online or offline. In online mode, you can collaborate with some NGOP or forum and promote their cause through your members by posting regularly or creating awareness, for example, AIDS awareness or breast cancer awareness.

30-day Yoga workout challenge

woman performing 30-day yoga workout challenge

Yoga is the union between body, mind, and soul. Since, its introduction in America, Yoga has never gone out of trend. 30-day Yoga exercise competition can be a wonderful way to regain physical health and mental strength. It can be a great way to keep your members active and moving. You can release a 10-20 minute video daily for your members and ask them to record it and share it with you or you can take live classes and ask your club members to join along. You can also invite a guest yoga trainer to take the classes. This can be a refreshing change for your club members and break the monotony.

30-day walking/running challenge

Daily activity tracker on mobile

Nearly all of us have pedometer apps counting the footsteps or distance we walk daily. The smartwatch is another common fitness gadget gaining popularity used to track heart rate, calories, or even blood pressure now. 30-day walking or running fitness contests and challenges are centered on tasks to cover or walk a decided distance daily and keeping a track of it, let’s say 15000 steps daily or 7 KM daily. You can use a tracking app to keep a record of the progress of members.

Social media fitness contest

woman posing for social media fitness contest

Social media has changed the world. Nearly 2.4 billion people use some kind of social media app and half of the world population has to access to the internet. People love to share stuff about their life on social media. In a social media fitness contest, you can ask your client to post their daily workouts to social media for 7 days straight. Give them set tasks to complete each day and ask them to post-gym selfies during or after. By tagging your gym or blog in their posts, you’ll benefit from increased exposure and word of mouth. And when people are sharing everything about their life on social media then why not their fitness regimen?

Eating fit challenge

Apple for diet challenge

Diet plays an important role in anyone’s fitness journey, a balanced and nutritious diet can help your reach results faster but often times it’s too tough to maintain that dietary discipline. An Eating fit fitness competition can help your clients get control over their eating habits. You will be providing your club members with the diet plan for five days of food (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks) and instructions for the other two days. They have to update through Whatsapp or Telegram and send photos or videos of the food they have been ordained to eat. Doing this in a group and as a challenge can reap faster results and encourage them to fight against the desire to eat junk or oily food.

Weight loss exercise competition

man participating in weight loss contest

Burning fat is not easy and requires a lot of effort and dedication. It tests the patience and will of you as well as your clients. But what if you put it in form of small little challenges or doable targets and ask your gym members to work through it? It can be a fun, easy, and encouraging way to drive results. For this fitness competition, you will be providing your members with a workout plan and nutrition recommendation which they have to strictly observe. The end goal can be losing a specific amount of weight with a fixed frame of time. Weight loss challenge will not only help your gym members lose excess fat but also promote strength and improved health in them.

World landmark challenge

World landmark fitness challenge

America is dotted with landmarks of great historical and cultural importance. In this fitness contest/ challenge, you can assign your participants a specific distance to cover that leads to a well-known landmark locally. This could be something that is well-known locally or worldwide. Make it difficult enough to be difficult yet still doable for the majority of people. They can keep updating their journey on social media or click selfies at each assigned landmark and update you once they have completed the fitness contest.

To make your fitness business successful in post COVID era, you'll need to come up with a new and imaginative approach to engage members and build a relationship with customers. The hybrid model has also opened a whole lot of new opportunities but it comes with its own challenges. Fitness contests and challenges can be an interesting and effortless way to increase revenue and keep members motivated by catering to both online and offline members.

If you run your own fitness center or are a group fitness instructor, its time for you to switch your business to Bookee app. Bookee is the best fitness management software laced with industry best features and everything your fitness business might need.

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