Motivated fitness business members are engaged fitness business members, and engagement is essential to both recruitment and retention. Which begs the question: What most motivates members, and how can your fitness business facilitate both motivation and engagement? Here’s a closer look at some must-know information for fitness industry leaders.

What Motivates Your Members?

Healthy lifestyle brand Life Time recently released the results of its annual survey determining the trends and habits motivating people to get healthy in the new year. Its findings offer invaluable actionable insights for fitness businesses looking to increase member motivation. 

When asked what their primary motivations were for working out, 44 percent cited “health concerns.” This was trailed by improving their own self-image (30 percent) and “doing it for the ‘gram” (11 percent). 

The survey also addressed what types of workouts were most motivating to members. A whopping 47 percent of survey respondents reported that they found working out in small group settings of less than 20 people to be especially motivating. This number more than doubled other modes of working out, including working out independently (21 percent) and working out with a friend (19 percent).

Respondents also revealed that sticking with a wellness/fitness routine topped the list of hard commitments to keep (47 percent) -- even though 99 percent shared the belief that working out benefited their mental health.  

Lastly, respondents opened up about the parts of the health club experience that most intimidate them. Weights led the pack (37 percent), followed by group fitness (17 percent) and yoga (14 percent). 

Meanwhile, a survey conducted by the Customer Engagement Academy yields additional insights into member motivation, engagement, and loyalty, including that gym members are more likely to be satisfied if they have more than one reason to workout. Member satisfaction also increased with frequent visits. Conversely, member satisfaction rates decrease the longer someone is a member of your gym. Therein lies the challenge: Fitness business owners need strategies in place to capitalize on satisfaction-boosting elements while mitigating those that detract from satisfaction and engagement. 

Tips for Motivating Your Members

Based on these findings, there are some things fitness businesses can do to increase member motivation and engagement, including the following:

1. Offer more group classes.

This one’s a no-brainer. If members are most motivated by group classes, give them to them! 

2. Offer educational opportunities.

Your members are probably aware of the benefits of weight training, but if they’re too intimidated to use weights, they’re losing out on these benefits. Offering a class on “Weight Training 101” for beginners can help bridge the gap.

3. Incentivize members to visit the gym.

The knowledge that more visits = greater engagement means gyms should be looking for more ways to entice members through the door. Special events, classes, and promotions can improve participation and engagement. 

4. Set up a selfie station.

More than 10 percent of your members say sharing selfies is their primary reason for working out. Arrange a flattering location for selfie-taking, complete with a visible logo for your gym and hashtag; be sure to remind members to tag the location and use the hashtag when they post.

5. Request client feedback.

People love to feel heard. Asking for their ideas, suggestions, and input can help them feel more engaged. Plus, it will give you the opportunity to do better where you’re falling short. Just be sure to act on the feedback, whenever possible. 

In addition to bringing revenue in the door through their own membership dollars, your members have the potential to be significant advocates and ambassadors for your health clubs. However, this hinges on one thing above all else: their level of engagement. Understanding their motivations and leveraging this understanding into improved engagement can lead to big payoffs for your fitness business and fitness business community.  Speaking of big payoffs for your gym or health club, keeping up with the latest trends is a must-do. At the top of the list? Wearables.  Download the catalog today to learn how AccuroFit's fitness monitoring technology can help your members -- and your business -- reach their goals.