Summer is here! For gym owners and managers, this means new challenges and chances to make your business better.
It’s hot outside, and people want to go to the beach or on vacation.
So how do you keep your members coming to the gym?
And how do you get new people to join when everyone wants to exercise outdoors?
The answer is to use summer to your advantage.
Instead of seeing problems, look for new and exciting ways to run your gym.
This summer, it’s time to think differently - like having classes outside the gym.
We’re going to talk about 7 summer fitness tips to help your gym do well in summer.
These tips will help you get more members, keep people excited about your gym, and make your fitness classes more fun for summer. Let’s get started.
1. Upgrade your Gym or Fitness Studio
Summer is a great time to make those changes you’ve been thinking about for a while.
You can buy new equipment, make your space look nicer, or start new classes and sports.
These improvements can do two important things: bring in new customers and keep your current ones happy and interested.
New Fitness Equipment
Let’s start with new fitness equipment. Think about adding more machines or replacing old ones.
Bringing in the latest fitness machines or new technology can make your current members excited and motivated.
It can also attract new people who want to try out the new stuff.
Aesthetic and Functional Improvements
When you’re fixing up your gym, think about making it look better and work better.
Maybe it’s time to paint the walls with fresh colors, put in new floors that look nice and are easy to clean, add brighter lights, or just move things around so the space works better for everyone.
Remember, how your gym looks and feels can really change how much your members enjoy being there.
Making your fitness studio better is like investing in the future of your business.
It’s not just about making things look nice - it can really help your business grow. When your current members see all the new improvements, they’ll likely feel happier about being part of your gym.
They might even tell their friends about it. And new people looking for a gym will be more likely to choose yours if they see you have modern equipment and a nice space.
if you want to learn more about fitness equipment integration, click here.
2. Improve your Gym or Studio Services
The summer months are often quieter, giving you a great chance to focus on making different parts of your gym or studio better.
Customer Service
Start by looking at your customer service. How happy your members are depends a lot on how well you treat them. So maybe it’s time to check and improve how you serve your customers.
You could train your staff to talk better with members and make them happier. You might also want to start a new way for members to tell you what they think about your gym.
Or you could offer special summer discounts to make your members want to stay with you.
Here are some ideas to help new customers feel welcome when they join.
Software and Systems
You can also try to make your office work better. Summer can be a good time to get new software systems that can help you run your business more easily.
Think about investing in a fitness studio software that keeps track of your members, lets people book classes online, or even a new website.
Making these things work better can save you time and money, and also make things easier for your members.
Keeping Things Clean
A survey by IHRSA found that if a gym was considered unclean, customer satisfaction ratings fell from 83% to 43%, and retention rates fell from 90% to 52%
This is why the hygiene of your gym has to be one of your top priorities, especially during summer.
Summer heat can make sweat and smells worse, especially during hot weather, so you might need to clean more often.
Be prepared for the scorching heat and adjust your gym schedule to keep everyone safe from any heat illness.
You could have more classes in the early morning and evening, and fewer during the hot part of the day to help prevent heat exhaustion.
You could clean the equipment and changing rooms more often, buy better cleaning products, or even hire professional cleaners to help.
A clean, well-run gym with good customer service is a place where people will want to keep coming back.
By taking care of these things during the quieter summer months, you’ll be ready for when more people want to join in the busier times of the year.
3. Prepare for September Rush
September is a very busy time in the fitness world with a reported 8.3% spike in new memberships.
After summer ends, many people want to get back to their normal routines and work on getting fit again.
This makes September a great time for gym owners to bring in new members and get old members active again.
Use the summer to get ready for the busy September. Start planning how you’ll tell people about your gym and promote your summer workouts.
Think about special deals for new members, like fitness packages for people going back to school.
You could also plan summer fitness programs or events to get people excited about getting in shape.
This is also a good time to look at how much space you have in your gym. Can your building and staff handle more members?
You might need to add more classes, hire more people, or stay open longer to take care of everyone.
Don’t forget about the members you already have. While getting new members is important, you also want to keep your current members happy.
They shouldn’t feel left out when things get busy in September.
For example, you could plan special events just for your current members. Or you could start a program where they can bring a friend to the gym. This can make them want to tell other people about your gym.
By using the summer to get ready, you can make the most of the busy September.
This way, your gym won’t just make it through the summer - it can do really well when the new fitness season starts.
Here are some tips on preparing your gym for the September peak.
4. Get Creative with Summer Fitness Challenges
Summer is a great time to make your gym more exciting with some fun fitness challenges.
These can help your current members stay motivated and can also bring in new people who want a fun way to exercise with others.
It’s important to be creative - your challenges should be exciting and make people try new things.
Summer Sprints
Set up a sprint challenge for your members. This can be done indoors on the treadmill or outdoors.
Keep a list of the fastest sprints and encourage everyone to try to get faster over the summer.
This will help your members stay fit and excited about exercising.
Outdoor Boot Camp Challenge
Use the nice weather to have fitness classes outside.
This can be a weekly or monthly event, where members earn points for each session attended.
Here is a guide on conducting a successful boot camp outdoors.
Swimming Challenge
If your studio has a pool, you can set up a swimming challenge.
This could be a distance goal for members to achieve over the summer or a race event.
Summer Fit
Start a challenge where people try to change how their body looks.
Ask them to take pictures at the start and end of summer.
Give a prize to the people who transformed their bodies the most.
Read more about keeping clients engaged during summer.
Team Challenges
Put your members in teams and give them challenges to do together. Exercising in a group helps people make friends and reach their goals.
These challenges will make your gym feel fun and exciting. They also give your members something to work towards.
This can help them want to exercise regularly, stay healthy, and see how they’re improving. Plus, challenges are just fun! Here are some more ideas for fitness challenges.
This can motivate them to stay consistent with their workouts, stay fit, and help them see tangible results. Plus, they’re just plain fun!
Here are some more fitness challenge ideas.
5. Offer Special Deals for Summer
Summer is a great time to come up with new ways to attract people to your gym.
People are often more active in summer, spend more time outside, and think more about staying healthy and fit.
This makes it a perfect time to start promotions that can make people want to join your gym.
Membership Discounts
Think about offering a special summer price for gym memberships or certain activities.
A strategic discount can be the deciding factor for potential members, with 65% of consumers influenced by rewards and discounts.
Offer special deals for summer workout programs that encourage people to stay active during the hotter months.
You could take off a percentage of the normal price or have a lower flat rate for the summer months.
A good deal can often be just what someone needs to decide to join.
Free Trial Weeks
People often have more free time in summer, so they’re more willing to try new things.
Let people try your gym for free for a week.
This way, they can see if they like it before they join.
‘Bring a Friend’ Initiatives
Ask your current members to bring their friends and family to the gym.
To make this more appealing, you could give both the current member and the new person a reward.
This could be a free month at the gym or a discount for food at your gym’s cafe.
Exercising with friends is more fun!
Special Summer Classes or Events
Plan unique summer activities. You could have exercise classes outside, a summer boot camp, or even a health day.
On the health day, you could give advice about healthy eating, have workshops, and show people different types of exercise.
Partnerships with Local Businesses
Think about working with other businesses in your area.
You could offer a joint membership with a nearby swimming pool, or give your members a discount at a local restaurant that serves healthy food.
By being creative with your promotions, you can bring in new members while also making your current members happy.
And who knows, some of the new people might keep coming to your gym even after summer is over!
Remember, the key to good promotions is to make them exciting and valuable for both new and current members. You want people to feel like they’re getting a great deal.
6. Offer Outdoor Training
Sunny days, clear blue skies, and nice warm weather make summer perfect when you want to exercise outdoors.
It’s a great time to add outdoor classes or boot camps to what your gym offers.
This isn’t just about changing up your workout plans.
It’s also about giving your members a chance to exercise somewhere different.
This can be a nice change from always working out inside the gym.
Think about doing yoga in the park as the sun comes up, or hard, fast-paced workouts on the beach to take advantage of exercising outdoors.
You could even do strength and endurance exercises in nearby forests. You could also build an outdoor fitness station.
This keeps your current members excited about coming to your gym. It also helps more people in your community see what you do.
When people walking by see your outdoor classes full of energy and fun, they might get curious. This could make them want to join your gym.
When planning outdoor activities, consider the levels of sun exposure your members will have and monitor their body temperature.
Make sure your members are aware of the signs of heat stroke and know how to seek medical attention immediately.
Be mindful of heat-related illnesses and ensure your members drink water and take breaks as needed.
And before you schedule your workout sessions, talk to your local government or the people in charge of parks to get the right permits.
7. Create Summer Body Packages for Everyone who Wants to Become Fitter
In summer, many people go on vacations and do outdoor physical activity.
This often makes them want to get fitter. You can use this to help your gym by offering special ‘summer body’ packages.
For example, you could start ‘Beach Body Bootcamps’. These would be tough training programs that help people lose weight and build muscle.
Or you could offer ‘Summer Shape-Up’ packages. These could mix HIIT cardio (intense workouts that make your heart work hard) and strength training for anyone who wants to get fitter.
Remember to include advice about healthy eating in these packages. Eating the right food is just as important as exercise for getting fit.
If you make these packages a bit cheaper than your normal gym prices, new customers might find them very appealing.
You can also encourage your current members to bring their friends by giving them discounts or special rewards for each new person they bring.
Tell people about your Summer Body packages on your website, social media, and in emails.
Make sure to explain why these packages are good and that they’re only available for a short time. This can make people want to sign up quickly.
Don’t forget to say that these offers are only for a limited time. This will encourage customers to act fast and join.
You could also think about offering different levels of these packages.
For example, you could have a ‘beginner’ package for people who are just starting to exercise, a ‘regular’ package for people who already exercise sometimes, and an ‘advanced’ package for people who want a really tough challenge.
It’s a good idea to have your trainers ready to help people who join these packages. They can give advice, check that people are doing exercises correctly, and help keep everyone motivated.
Conclusion
These ideas are just the start of how you can keep your gym doing well all year. The most important thing is to be ready to change, think of new ideas, and listen to what your members want.
By using these tips, you’ve not only made it through summer, but you’ve probably found new ways to make your gym better.
The new clients you’ve made, the outdoor places you’ve used, and the fun new classes you’ve started can keep helping your gym even when summer is over.
Maintain that summer feeling in your gym - the excitement, the friendly community, and the desire to try new things.
This way of thinking will help your gym do well in any season, keeping your members healthy and happy all year round.
