05 Jan 084 Ray Algar – Fitness Substitutes, Who Are They and Why Should We Pay Attention?
We are kicking off the year with a guest by the name of Ray Algar. Ray is the Managing Director of Oxygen Consulting, he has a wealth of knowledge and has been analysing and commentating on the industry’s evolution for the past 15 years.
He talks to us today about some of his recent research around fitness substitutes which he’ll explain exactly what they are during the chat. We talk about a project he has done on boutique fitness studios and last of all we discuss Gymtopia, which you may recall I have mentioned in a few earlier shows. Gymtopia is a website that shares stories on how the global health and fitness industry uses the power of philanthropy to reach out and support people and communities.
Top Tips From The Show
- Consider the competition that exists outside of traditional places you may be used to. Ray calls these ‘Fitness Substitutes’ and he gave examples like outdoor bootcamp or Zumba in a local community hall or church.
- Often participants who attend a Fitness Substitute have a strong connection to the instructor, which makes me ask the question, are our big club owners putting enough focus into their relationship with their GX instructors to ensure they foster that connection those instructors have with members?
- In regards to Gymtopia, I want to remind you to think about the Good Gym example that Ray talked about. They are turning a workout into exercise that is socially useful, and he gave the example of taking a run to a local nursing home to visit people that may not have had a visitor in a while. That is just one example, but perhaps have a think about how you could relate that to your fitness business and your local community.
Inspirational Quotes From The Experts
“It’s about doing less, but elevating what you do” – Ray Algar
Resources Our Experts Shared In The Show
Ray Algar
Website
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
The November Project as mentioned by Ray
Show Sponsors
OneFitStop
Tribe Team Training
Flashback Show
Show 62 – Vickie Saunders
Tweetables – Share The Experts Knowledge To #STRENGTHEN
[Tweet “Fitness substitutes can often grow by stealth @RayAlgar”]
[Tweet “What is grabbing the attention of the consumer? @RayAlgar”]
[Tweet “People want variety and are starting to hold more than one membership @RayAlgar”]
Share Your Thoughts
Tell us your #1 Takeaway from this show or what success you have had from implementing an idea you heard here! Comment below and you could win a 3 minute interview on the Fitness Business Podcast!
