Conquering With Some Tips the Game of Fitness Business

Eat well, remain active and stay away from vices. Common knowledge? However, extensive studies say that the human mind is fallible when it comes to instant gratification. That’s why we refuse to wear helmets when we ride a bike, undergo annual medical checks to ensure that everything is okay. It takes a mind of discipline for understanding the hidden psychology of people to really motivate them to inculcate good habits. Fitness ranks highly amongst these challenges. Imagine trying to build a successful business of fitness where the fight is not really against the competition but the psyche and discipline of your customers.

There has been an evolution of work-out or gym preferences from the ‘Akhada’ to modern air-conditioned gyms plush with the latest equipment and refreshments. Urban lifestyles need a different approach to remain functionally fit.

1.Understanding the consumer’s need
The consumer is king and it is our job to anticipate their needs and wants. A gym is not a place that you can sell to anyone. A gym is a place which aims at building a community of fitness enthusiasts. The gym is not where business is made but where dreams turn into reality. A gym is a place where patrons come to leave all their worries aside and focus on their body and mind. If we start thinking in this way, we will be able to build and sustain a healthy place for the consumers.

2.Variety is the spice of life!
We don’t like to eat one food item every day, do we? In the same way, we need to create different items which will never let the patrons get bored. Fitness needs to be as interesting as one’s favourite sport. A gym is a place where we need to break the monotony and hence offer unusual fun workouts which people enjoy and have fun with! Mapping exciting and different workouts every day gets the consumer curious and keeps them hooked.

3.The keyword for everything in the 21^st century is Choice
People will do something if they want to, not because they have to. It’s the same formula in the Fitness industry as well. The gyms and its environment have to be created in such a way where they look forward to coming there every single day; more like a habit. Apart from their personal choice, gyms need to give their patrons a reason every single day to hit the gym for a fitter body and mind.

4.Soul of the gym needs to be in its Trainers
Trainers if not adequately trained cannot get the desired results for the patrons and cannot push them either. Instead of up scaling the infrastructure and equipment’s, the focus needs to move to up skilling the trainers. They play an important role in shaping the fitness level for the members. The trainers need to be certified to impart knowledge regarding every workout that people are taking up, and how it is helping their body shape.

5.Move away from the real estate – membership connection
Gone are the days where the gym owners would run a purely real estate linked membership model. Gyms now have to show a tangible growth path to their members every single day. They need to understand the objective and aim of why a member has joined the gym. It can be to look good, to stay fit, to increase their stamina and so on & so forth. Personal attention and investment need to play an important role in how gyms manage their members and the services that they offer to harness their potential to bring in more members.

Conclusion
The business of fitness is highly rewarding but not because of the monetary angle only. The output of your business is healthy, fit and confident people who go about achieving more in life. The footprint of your achievement is virtually limitless and that is a rush that keeps you motivated every day. 

The article has been authored by Dr Samir Kapoor, Founder of MultiFit