Unless you have been hiding under a rock lately, you have likely heard about, or even played, Pokémon Go. Come to think of it, even if you have been hiding under a rock, you may have noticed a lot more foot traffic around your rock than usual, with Pokémon Go players getting out and about in record numbers to play the popular game.


Pokémon Go has people out and about to play the game.

What Pokémon Go Is

Pokémon Go is a mobile phone app that allows users to play a version of the classic Pokémon game in the real world. Using augmented reality, the game places virtual characters in real world settings. Players then walk around with their smartphones attempting to find and catch these virtual characters at various real-life locations.

More than just a video game, Pokémon Go requires that players leave their cushy couches and make their way into the real world to play. The more ground players cover, the more Pokémon they discover.

To encourage people to move more, Pokémon Go scores a big win. As reported by Mashable, fitness tracker Jawbone Up claims that users of its fitness band who also mentioned that they used Pokémon Go logged a whopping 62.5 percent more steps on one weekend after the app's release compared to their steps taken during a normal weekend. Clearly, the Pokémon Go craze is good for promoting fitness.

Using Pokémon Go for Your Fitness Center

Although anything that gets people up and moving is great for the fitness business, Pokémon Go may be an exceptionally useful tool for fitness center owners. Why?

As a marketing tool to attract foot traffic, Pokémon Go is hard to beat. Discussing the obvious advantages to drawing people to your business via Pokémon Go, the article "The Pokémon Go-Retail Partnership Plot Thickens" notes: "It's a fool's brand that passes up the opportunity - just as it's a fool's brand that doesn't make the best out of the situation."

Using Pokémon Go lures purchased inside the app, you can literally lead people right to the front door of your fitness center. Once there, visitors will be delighted when you design ways to engage with them in your gym.

Another way to use the Pokémon Go trend to your gym's advantage is to host events around the game in your fitness center. Perhaps you could take a page from an Albuquerque restauranteur who hosted a Pokémon Go event at his restaurant, drawing in a crowd of players and even offering door prizes to customers based on their level in the game.


Take a look at how one NYC business profits from using Pokémon Go lures.

With the AccuroFit mobile app, you can encourage your gym members to record their Pokémon Go activity as part of their regular fitness routines. Linking their game play to results in your gym will build enthusiasm and keep your current gym members engaged, and potentially draw in new members.

The Bottom Line

Savvy fitness center owners capitalize on fitness trends to grow their businesses. With its built-in fitness component, Pokémon Go is a perfect fit for owners looking to generate excitement among gym members and grow revenues.

Integrating Pokémon Go with equipment and apps you already offer in your gym, such as the AccuroFit system, will help you leverage the fad for fitness more completely. To see what the AccuroFit system can do for your gym revenues, request a demo of the AccuroFit system today.