The growing need to care for physical and mental health is losing out to emotional barriers connected with starting training in a sports facility. The “Movement is healthy” report, carried out by Benefit Systems Fitness Branch, shows that for one in three respondents the barriers connected with starting training include the lack of knowledge about the available exercise equipment and the way to use it. The answer to the challenges related to starting activity in fitness clubs is the “How to ...” campaign organised by Benefit Systems Fitness Branch, the operator of such fitness club networks as Zdrofit, Fabryka Formy, Fitness Academy, S4, Fit Fabric, My Fitness Place and Step One.
– The pandemic made us all realise how important movement and exercise are for both physical and mental health. Regardless of whether the main motivator is the need to support physical and mental health or care for mental wellbeing, it turns out that the decision to go to a fitness club is associated with many doubts. New club members often lack the knowledge and therefore the courage to start their adventure with physical activity. Our marketing surveys showed us that 35% of people who have never exercised in a club believe that “there are so many different exercise equipment in fitness clubs that they would not know where to start and how to use it” – says Daniel Biegaj, Marketing and E-Commerce Director at Benefit Systems Fitness Branch.
How to… break down barriers
As the results of the survey show, the role of fitness clubs in the process of adapting new people is very important. They provide those who exercise with important support, firstly in the form of a safe and specialised infrastructure, and secondly in terms of trainer’s supervision. It is also an important motivation to persevere in making decisions about changing one’s lifestyle to a healthier one. According to the respondents, the greatest advantages of training in a fitness club are the possibility of using professional equipment (83%), motivation to train regularly (77%) and the fact that it is a comfortable place to exercise (73%). Training in the club also gives the opportunity to be in touch with the trainer who can provide advice on exercise (65%) and provides a sense of security (57%) or a personalised training plan tailored to individual needs (51%).
Four out of five respondents (77%) also confirmed that the trainer’s support is their main motivator not connected with the price.
– This shows that for many people taking up physical activity means the need to break down barriers connected with getting started, using the equipment, exercising at their own pace, and making progress. We see these barriers and want to overcome them. That is why we talk so much about the benefits that each type of activity brings as well as the freedom of choice, which is guaranteed by a wide range of activities and the subscription offer. Finally, we want to talk about a place where everyone can feel confident thanks to the trainer’s support, training instructions and the kindness of those exercising – adds Daniel Biegaj, Marketing and E-Commerce Director at Benefit Systems Fitness Branch.
How to… have support
That is why Benefit Systems Fitness Branch, the operator of fitness club networks, launched a nationwide campaign called “How to...”, which refers to the mentioned concerns and barriers. In the autumn campaign, it breaks with the belief that the fitness club is only for athletic, self-confident people with sculpted bodies, which we see on posters encouraging to be active. The campaign is to break these barriers and show that a fitness club is a good place to take care of one’s psychophysical condition, reduce the effects of stress or build immunity under the watchful eye of trainers and instructors from the first visit. It is also an answer to the questions and doubts concerning exercise in fitness clubs that haunt many Poles: how to get moving, how to start training in a fitness club, how to exercise at one’s own pace, how to get the support of a trainer, how to feel good with oneself or lose weight, etc.
“How to…” campaign activities
The campaign promotes an introductory meeting, during which the trainer will show the equipment, explain its operation, help to make individual training goals more realistic (based on the analysis of body components and specialised fit tests) as well as present a schedule for classes and answer any questions. The campaign slogans are kept in the FAQ convention, supported by realistic photos of people exercising who talk about the pleasure of movement, improved health, and full support of trainers, meaning all the benefits associated with physical activity in a fitness club in a simple way. The campaign will appear in the form of traditional and digital out-of-home adverts throughout Poland as well as social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, YouTube). It will last until the end of October 2022.