Every day more and more business and commerce is occurring on the web, and why should the fitness industry be any different? Online fitness training has many advantages for you and your clients, which makes it a viable option as an additional revenue source. Here are the five greatest benefits of the future of fitness training.

1. Cost

Studies have shown that utilizing a personal trainer has a positive effect on health and fitness results when compared to those who exercise without one (Maloof, Zabik and Dawson, 2001). However, the cost of employing a personal trainer can often be cited as a barrier. Online personal training can be a great addition to the services you offer as it is associated with a lower cost threshold for a consumer. Often the price of online fitness training is approximately 10 to 20 percent (or less) of the budget needed for regular participation in personal or semi-private training sessions.

Furthermore, many of your overhead costs, whether it is renting floor time or the costs of turning on the lights and temperature control, are no longer an issue when you train clients online. Your per-hour income (especially when systems are implemented) will be similar or even greater even though your are offering a lower-cost product.

2. Location

How many times have you lost out on a great lead because you were five minutes too far away? Or perhaps one of your customers has moved, never to be heard from again? These issues go away with online fitness training because where you are located is no longer a consideration. Think of how large your consumer base could be without this barrier. No longer are you the fat-loss expert of the downtown area; you can be the fat-loss expert to the world.

The consumer experiences the same benefits, as they are no longer limited to the fitness experts of their small town (if there even are any). Their choice in a personal trainer increases exponentially with online fitness training, and they can find the expert that caters to their specific needs and goals.

3. Convenience

Scheduling conflicts become a thing of the past when you train online. No longer are you concerned about the clients you have to turn away because your morning sessions are always booked (just convert them to online clients). No longer does the large break in the middle of the day represent wasted time and lost income; rather, it becomes the time to work on the online side of your business. You will even be able to start making money while on your vacations!

Clients can now work out when they want and where they want. Waking up at 5 a.m. to meet with a trainer who only has that time available is a thing of the past. Personal training that fits around an ever-changing schedule—what a concept!

4. Comfort

Not every client is comfortable working out in public. Having an expert watch you train can be intimidating for many individuals and may prevent them from attempting to improve their health and fitness. For many, being anonymous is an advantage of online fitness training. On the training side, there is obviously the comfort of being able to design programs at your convenience in the comfort of your own home (or whatever work space fits you best).

5. Volume

Increasing the number of clients you train is one of the biggest upsides of online training. The number of clients that you take on is limited only by how efficiently you design your training implementation systems. More clients mean more income with less work than in-person training can ever offer.

Clients can also take advantage of a community built by your stable of online clients. Balance personal emails with mass messages and create online communities through message boards or social media groups. If your clients are supported through the online community, their adherence and results will sky rocket.

Online training is part of the future of the fitness industry. While in-person training with a coach or trainer will never fully disappear, online training can reach a much wider group of consumers that may not have been able to improve their health and fitness due to barriers like cost, convenience or schedule. Creating additional sources of income is also essential for the savvy fitness professional and online training is a great way to do just that.

References

Maloof, R.M., Zabik, R.M. and Dawson, M.L. (2001). The effect of use of a personal trainer on improvement of health related fitness for adults. Medicine in Science & Sports & Exercise, 33, 5, S74.

Adding online training isn’t the only way you can grow your business. Focusing on retaining the clients that you do have will help you, too. Click here to register and watch a free webinar on how to retain existing clients.