Getting Ahead of the Game with Workout Anytime

Some companies are good at being reactive. Others can be a little late to the party but still do a good job. And then there are those who are proactive and really get ahead of the game - and the competition. If you were looking for a good example of the latter, then Workout Anytime fit the bill perfectly. The historic US brand, which started in Georgia in the early 1970s, works with 170 fitness businesses across 21 states and is one of the fastest-growing franchises in the whole of the country. They are driven by three principles - to think big, keep it simple and act with integrity. This combines with an overarching vision to reshape the fitness community and change and enhance the quality of people’s lives by helping everyone to aspire to be the best they can be.

The Demand for Digital

It is easy for well-established businesses to become stuck in their ways but not Workout Anytime. Indeed, a few years before the COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed an increased adoption of technology into fitness, Greg Maurer, Vice President of Fitness Training & Education, was proposing the idea of using a mobile app. That ambition was only increased by an anonymous survey with their franchise partners. The number one thing that they said they wanted? A mobile app. The team at Workout Anytime understood that fitness business owners were needing to use multiple applications to meet their growing needs, and that the speed of technological innovation was only going to increase. And whilst they knew it was a long-term challenge, they believed that it would soon be just as important to ensure a personal connection with those outside of the four walls of a gym as it is for those within them. For example, via on demand video content.  For Greg and his team, a large pool of demand for a mobile app existed, offering the chance to connect with a far greater breadth of potential customers who wanted to engage with their fitness but who weren’t comfortable relying on going to a physical gym.

The Client-Facing App

The desire from Workout Anytime was for an app that was for members, not just trainers, that could do something that previously would require four different apps to achieve. And we are happy to have been able to deliver! The innovative app now at their disposal has a robust exercise and workout library, video on demand, and a barcode generator to increase ease of use. Those using it can develop personalized plans with their trainers and work on their health and fitness in a way and at a time most suitable for them. For example, by doing certain training at home or outside, as well as at the gym, before meeting their trainer once or a couple of times a month. Users also have the ability to track and measure their progress through integrations with wearable technology provider Accuro as they seek to reach their individual goals. This in turn provides invaluable data for trainers to tailor plans for their clients. To date, there has been a huge increase in engagement, with approximately 1,000 new members per week thanks to expert marketing by Workout Anytime and quick responses from Virtuagym to iron out any creases as the roll-out kicked in.

There’s More to Come!

Yet for Workout Anytime, this is only the start of their fitness technology journey. We are working hard with them to progress their Coaches app, as they look to help as many of their franchises to deliver the best service possible. According to Greg, the primary challenge is to get both franchises and clients on the same page about technology being here for the long-term. They believe that there is a void that digital coaching can fill. Within the client-facing app, they hope to include a personalized Workout Anytime tile through which users can get access to vender partner fitness products and branded apparel. There are also further improvements being worked on to enable reporting on what individuals are using in the app and full integration with billing partner ABC fitness, including scheduling for trainers and clients. The app is already in all 170 clubs, with the next aim being to hit the target of having 65,000 consumer users. The planned PRO+ upgrade is now also up and running in all locations! And it doesn’t stop there - Workout Anytime is also looking to invest more in wearable technology to make the very most of integrating other apps with Virtuagym, with the view to keeping everything running through one intuitive platform.

Forward-thinking

The team at Workout Anytime passionately believes that the convenience, community and personalization provided by technology can give people the confidence and motivation to work out more. They feel that the investment in combined physical and digital memberships is opening up the industry to more people, with a combination of technology and the human connection offering greater opportunities to fitness providers and consumers. For them, it will soon be an expectation from everyone for a gym to have some form of digital offering. The ambition of Workout Anytime is a grand one. Yet through a hybrid offering that maximizes the potential of technology and appreciates that personal touch, they are well on their way to achieving it.