How to Offer Fitness Incentives for Your Gym

When it comes to the fitness industry, and the world of gym ownership, retaining members is key to long-term business survival. And it might seem that members are happy to turn up, work out and go home, there is more to it than that.

Setting up a gym is just the start of your journey. As a gym or fitness studio business owner, how do you keep those existing members focused on their fitness journey? How can you help them get the best experience from their gym memberships, and even refer their friends to join them?

Knowing how to motivate gym members, offering fitness incentives, and ensuring customer loyalty is a fine art, and one that we're going to explore in this post.

Why do I Need to Offer Fitness Incentives?

While there is no rule saying that you need to incentivize members to work harder or get results, there are some serious benefits to engaging your members.

One study even found that offering rewards actually improve fitness performance in adults.

And, fitness incentives also work better over a period of time.

As if all of this wasn't enough, fitness incentives also help to improve member retention and improve chances of referrals.

So if these reasons to offer a fitness incentive program have piqued your interest, let's find out how you can help you members crush those fitness goals.

How do I Motivate Gym Members?

When it comes to motivating gym members there are numerous methods you can use. And of course, there are different ways you can promote your fitness challenges too.

We'll take a quick look at some of the methods you can use to motivate members and then showcase ways to promote these challenges.

1. Create Exciting Challenges and Competitions

Introducing challenges and competitions that ignite friendly rivalries among your members is a great way to get a buzz going. Whether it's a weight loss challenge, a push-up contest, or a step-count competition, these events add an element of excitement and encourage members to push themselves harder.

You should offer prizes and recognition to the winners to enhance motivation and create a sense of achievement. This could be anything from a free personal training session, a months free membership or even a financial reward.

2. Recognize and Celebrate Milestones

Acknowledge your members' progress and accomplishments by celebrating their milestones. This could be reaching a specific weight loss goal, completing a certain number of workouts, or achieving personal bests in strength or endurance.

Feature their success stories on your gym's social media platforms or display them on a dedicated "Wall of Fame" within your facility.

3. Offer Personalized Goal-Setting Sessions

Provide one-on-one goal-setting sessions with you or one of your in-house fitness professionals. These sessions allow members to discuss their individual goals, assess their current fitness level, and receive guidance on creating personalized workout plans.

By focusing on their specific needs and aspirations, you can boost their motivation and commitment to attending the gym regularly.

4. Fitness Prize Draw

A great way to get people focused on their own fitness is to offer a high-value prize as the reward. Partner with a local business to source a high-value prize, for example, a hotel stay or meal for two, or a new fitness tracker.

Top enter the prize draw, your gym members just need to hit a specific target. This might be running 10k on the treadmill, or losing weight within a set time frame.

5. Free Membership for Referrals

A great way to boost your sign-ups, and keep existing members happy, is to offer free membership in exchange for signing up new members. This form of rewards program might not be fitness focused, but it does give your members a reason to invite a gym buddy and maybe even hit those fitness goals with friends!

A good example of this is to either offer free membership for 5 new members signed up, or a discount off their monthly fee for one new sign-up.

6. Social Media Challenges

Another great way to boost your fitness business, and keep clients focused on their fitness journey is by running a hashtag or social media challenge.

Create a unique hashtag, for example, #YourGymYouTownChallenge.

Ask existing customers to share their workout selfies, or perhaps upload reels or videos of them following your fitness challenge. Offer rewards each week to a randomly chosen account.

This helps to improve member engagement with their fitness AND also your social media accounts. A win-win.

Read more about social media for fitness businesses.

7. Charity or Community Challenges

What better way to give back to the local community than by running a fitness challenge that gives back to a local charity? You could run a crunches for kids challenge, where your members earn sponsorship money to do the most amount of crunches in 10 minutes.

Or, treadmill marathons to raise money for a local wellness center. And, of course, as the fitness business owner, you'll match their donations, right?

8. Wellness Upsell

While taking care of physical fitness might be your primary business, you might also be wondering how to add value or upsell services. One way to do this is by offering added value in the form of additional services or classes.

For example, if you're running a gym, you might partner with a nutritionist or local yoga studio to offer extra benefits.

This could also be used as an additional upsell and a great way to increase gym revenue. For example, offer free yoga classes or nutrition talks for one week, but make it a paid service afterward.

How Can I Increase Sign-Ups and Attendance at My Gym?

Increasing sign-ups and attendance is crucial for the growth and sustainability of your gym. By offering attractive incentives, you can attract new members and encourage existing ones to maintain their gym routines.

1. Provide Trial Memberships and Guest Passes

Offering trial memberships and guest passes gives potential members the opportunity to experience your gym firsthand. Allow them to participate in group classes, use the facilities, and engage with your trainers. This allows them to evaluate the gym's atmosphere and offerings before committing to a full membership.

2. Design Engaging Group Fitness Classes

Create a diverse and engaging schedule of group fitness classes. Incorporate popular trends such as HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training), yoga, dance fitness, and boot camps. Ensure that your classes cater to different fitness levels and interests, providing options that appeal to a wide range of members.

3. Implement a Referral Program

Leverage the power of word-of-mouth marketing by implementing a referral program. Encourage your current members to refer their friends, family, and colleagues to join the gym. Offer incentives such as discounted membership fees, free personal training sessions, or gym merchandise for successful referrals. This not only increases your sign-ups but also strengthens the sense of community within your gym.

What Do Gym Members Look for in Their Gym?

Knowing what your paying gym members are looking for in their subscriptions can also help you improve your offer and incentivize people to work harder on fitness goals. Having these elements in place can ensure your gym members feel comfortable in your service and less likely to move to a competitor's gym, or simply give up on their fitness.

1. State-of-the-Art Equipment and Facilities

Invest in high-quality fitness equipment and maintain well-equipped facilities. Ensure that your gym offers a range of machines, free weights, cardio equipment, and functional training areas. Additionally, provide clean and well-maintained locker rooms, showers, and amenities that enhance the overall gym experience.

2. Knowledgeable and Supportive Staff

Your gym staff plays a vital role in member satisfaction. Hire knowledgeable fitness professionals who can offer expert guidance and support. Encourage your trainers and staff to engage with members, provide assistance when needed, and create a friendly and inclusive atmosphere.

3. Diverse and Engaging Classes

Offering a variety of programs and activities that cater to different fitness interests and goals is a great way to manage fitness incentives.

This could include specialty classes, workshops, educational seminars, and social events. By providing diverse programming, you keep members engaged and provide opportunities for continuous growth and learning.

Keep your members up to date with your fitness incentive programs via email and make sure to share them on social media too.

Use gym scheduling software such as Arbox to plan your classes and track attendance. You can even send follow-up emails, or even send bulletins to all your gym members within Arbox.

4. Flexible Membership Options

Provide flexible membership options that accommodate the diverse needs of your members. Offering various membership durations, such as monthly, quarterly, and annual plans, allows people to feel confident that they can get the best value.

You may also want to consider options for family memberships, corporate partnerships, and student discounts to widen your potential member base.

Offering one-off access to classes or special events can make it easier for floating fitness clients to drop in and check out your service. Make it easy for them to book into classes and pay in advance by using Arbox.

5. Personalized Support and Progress Tracking

Implement tools and systems that allow members to track their progress and receive personalized support. This can include fitness tracking apps, progress journals, or access to online platforms that provide workout plans and nutrition guidance.

By offering these resources, you empower members to take control of their fitness journey and feel supported along the way.

Engage Your Gym Members with Arbox

If you're looking to communicate with existing customers, offer a great referral program or run fun new fitness incentive programs, then Arbox is your ideal partner.

Running any fitness business involves many different strategies, including marketing and communications. Not to mention making sure that everything runs smoothly.

Using Arbox ensures that you stay organized, get paid on time and offer the best service to your gym clients. Get started for free today.