What Are People Looking For in Online Fitness Classes?

March 24, 2024 Globalinfo247

The trend of online fitness classes is on the rise, reshaping our perception of exercise. Rather than heading to the nearby gym for a session with a certified trainer, individuals now have the option to choose virtual workouts.

Users can effortlessly access their chosen platform, connect with a fitness expert, and commence their workout routine within the cozy confines and seclusion of their home.

Given this shift, it’s essential to explore the expectations people have from online fitness classes and discover ways to offer an exceptional service that aids clients in achieving their fitness goals.

What People Look for in Online Fitness Classes

8 Things People are Looking for in Online Fitness Classes

1. Flexibility and Convenience

While traditional gym training remains a perennial choice for many fitness enthusiasts, a growing number of individuals today are prioritizing flexibility and convenience in their pursuit of fitness objectives.

The challenges of commuting and adhering to fixed gym schedules can induce stress, particularly for those juggling multiple jobs or raising a family, leaving little time to spare. Given these constraints, the expectations from online fitness classes revolve around two crucial elements: the flexibility to engage in workouts at one’s preferred time and the convenience of conducting sessions in the comfort of home or outdoors.

Moreover, the appeal of an online fitness platform is significantly heightened when the sign-up process is seamless and doesn’t necessitate an upfront payment, aligning with the contemporary desire for hassle-free accessibility.

2. Access to Professional Help

Working with a personal trainer one-on-one in a gym has many advantages. A solid coach can guide their clients by providing a tailored training plan, instructing on proper form, motivating clients to work hard, and pointing out mistakes they could be making.

What Are People Looking For in Online Fitness Classes?

The challenge arises when individuals face constraints in hiring a personal trainer, whether due to financial limitations, inability to commit to multiple sessions monthly, or a scarcity of competent coaches in their locality.

The surge in popularity of online coaching addresses these issues by providing access to professionals on a global scale. Residents of small towns lacking proficient coaches can still benefit from the expertise of world-class trainers through online platforms.

Moreover, the abundance of freely available fitness information today often overwhelms individuals, leaving them uncertain about the most effective path to fitness. This situation creates a heightened demand for professional guidance. Those capable of steering clients towards their fitness goals not only establish a commendable reputation in the fitness industry but also stand to make a substantial living.

3. Variety and Personalization

People struggle to stay consistent with fitness because they lose interest in the process and end up dreading each upcoming workout. It all feels fresh, fun, and engaging initially, but the wave of motivation dissipates, leaving people to wonder, “Why am I even doing this?”

Cookie-cutter solutions, where everyone receives the same action plan, simply don’t work, as people crave personalized training plans. After all, a good fitness routine keeps people’s goals, preferences, lifestyle, nutrition, and other factors in mind.

For example, if someone wants to lose fat and only has a pair of dumbbells and a resistance band set at home, a good fitness class would guide them through effective workouts and steadily get them closer to that objective. The same goes for other goals: building muscle, gaining strength, etc.

Additionally, for trainees to stay motivated and look forward to upcoming workouts, there must be a fair amount of variety. Online classes need to change to some degree as time passes to keep clients engaged. Without the novelty factor, workouts become stale, people lose interest, and retention rates decline.

4. Attention and Privacy

High-quality trainers and fitness coaches understand that people need to feel heard, understood, and appreciated. It’s not enough to ask a few questions, put together a few virtual workouts, and call it a day.

Without attention, clients feel less invested and are more likely to walk away at the first sign of trouble.

Here are a few reasons why you should pay careful attention to your clients:

Motivation and encouragement – a good online fitness class keeps clients engaged through ongoing support and positive reinforcement
Monitoring effort – as a trainer, you must pay careful attention to your clients and make sure they are working hard enough to make progress toward their goals
Ensuring safety – while online classes can’t replace in-person training, virtual communication can still allow coaches to keep a close eye on their clients and provide feedback in real-time to promote safety and point out potential errors
Making adjustments – a good fitness coach knows that adjustments are part of the game and monitors each client to make tweaks at the right time and keep workouts fun, effective, and safe

Aside from attention, it’s essential to ensure privacy for your clients. Many people, especially beginners, feel self-conscious about their appearance and physical abilities and prefer not to compare themselves to others or compete.

In-person classes lack the element of privacy, which is why many beginners and people returning to fitness opt for online coaching.

As a trainer, your job is to provide a discrete workout environment where clients feel relaxed and able to open up.

5. Affordability

As you can imagine, the cost of individual sessions can quickly add up, even if a person were to work with a more affordable trainer. For example, if someone hires a trainer who charges $50, three weekly sessions would cost $150. The cost shoots up to $600+ per month and a whopping $7200 yearly.

In contrast, online classes are far more affordable, with trainees typically paying for a monthly subscription. In some cases, as with FhittingRoom, trainees pay for each session, but the cost is generally far lower than in-person coaching.

Because of that, people interested in online fitness classes typically expect to pay far less than if they were to hire a trainer at their local gym.

The same goes for online courses. The market has grown exponentially over the last few years precisely because courses offer a simple and effective way for people to develop expertise in various fields without breaking the bank.

6. Minimal Equipment Required

Trainees often struggle to have productive home workouts because they don’t have much (or any) exercise equipment. If anything, the average person only has a dumbbell or two, an exercise or yoga mat, and a couple of resistance bands.

You might be thinking, “Well, why not just train at a gym then? Memberships aren’t that expensive.”

That’s true, but there are other things to consider. For example, someone with a busy schedule might not be able to have three to four big, 60+ minute-long workouts each week. Instead, they might prefer six or seven bite-sized sessions weekly, doing each in the morning or before bed.

Also, as discussed above, some people value their privacy or feel anxious about training at the gym because they are self-conscious about their appearance and physical abilities.

Because of that, a good online fitness class should accommodate this niche of people and help them have fun and productive workouts with little to no equipment.

Online fitness instructors should understand bodyweight training, intensity tactics, exercise order, progression, and other training-related details to put together solid training sessions.

7. Classes are Easy to Join

Online fitness classes offer convenience and freedom. However, classes should be easy to join to maximize client satisfaction and ensure that most people go through the onboarding process.

Joining classes and testing them with a free trial period is a great way to get more sign-ups and boost client satisfaction. Also, having fewer special requirements allows you to reach a wider audience.

Take Peloton as an example. Until recently, their online fitness classes mainly focused on cycling workouts, and you could only participate if you had a Peloton bike. With the cheapest model costing $1400+, you can see how that stopped many people from checking out their online classes.

However, the company has since introduced more classes, including some that don’t require any gym equipment. That allows more people to see what the brand has to offer.

While most people don’t mind paying for quality workout guidance, enjoying some free classes that don’t require anything but a stable internet connection is a huge advantage.

8. On-Demand Follow-Along Workouts & Instructional Fitness Videos

Live classes are fun and engaging. Trainees can interact with their online fitness instructors, follow along, and test their limits. However, people sometimes just want something quick to work with and don’t necessarily want to communicate with anyone.

For example, if you’ve had a tough day at work, maybe you want a quick and intense session to melt some stress and keep your active streak going.

In such cases, recorded fitness videos are a great option. Pick from the available on-demand classes and get started. Follow along with your favorite trainer and pause or rewind the video if necessary.