It’s safe to say: everyone is growing increasingly eager to physically return to the activities that they love. For many of us, that means heading into organized classes such as yoga, pilates or another type of fitness class. While many people have made-do for the time being by taking virtual classes or setting up shop at home, the camaraderie and community that accompanies in-person classes just can’t be beat.
As the ongoing COVID-19 situation is closely monitored, there are some considerations to take in order to reopen with the safety of your members and staff in mind. Even if your facility isn’t quite ready to open up fitness or yoga classes just yet, it’s a good idea to start gearing up for this process so that you can hit the ground running.
Here are some of our top tips!
Re-evaluate Spaces to Accommodate Social Distancing
While social distancing recommendations may be relaxed in the future, some individuals may still want to keep a safe distance between themselves and strangers for a certain time period.
If you have the space, moving equipment or workout stations around so that members can stay a further apart than usual from one another is sure to be appreciated. Or, depending on your location and time of year, offering outdoor classes is another great way to make members feel safe.
If space does not permit, you may need to reduce the number of attendees per class. If you do this, these adjustments need to be clearly communicated on your website. The right member management software can support your eager yogis in registering for classes online to make sure their spot is secured if classes fill up more quickly.
Keep Track of Your Members
Even once life begins to resemble normalcy, there are certain parameters borne from the COVID era that should stick around for the long haul. Placing an increased emphasis on cleaning and disinfecting spaces, surfaces and equipment is absolutely necessary and will give your members peace of mind that their health is a top priority. For yoga classes, encouraging members to bring their own mats and towels may make them feel more comfortable.
In addition, it is important to keep track of everyone that attends a class for the safety of other members and staff. Contact tracing allows facilities to notify members in the (hopefully, unlikely) event that there is an outbreak of the virus after in-person classes resume. With Univerus Member Management’s software, all relevant member information is housed within the system and is made available every time someone signs up for a scheduled class. This way, members don’t have to enter their information multiple times for COVID tracing, which could become tedious.
Communication Is Key
While it is not yet clear what the return to fitness and yoga classes might look like, one thing is for certain: as we have seen over the past year, parameters and regulations can change at a moment’s notice, with a fair amount of confusion and uncertainty coming along with it. For this reason, it is critical to communicate updates and changes to your members as frequently as possible so that everyone is kept in the loop. There are a number of ways to do this:
Craft regular and targeted marketing campaigns that inform members of any relevant updates or changes that apply to them
Participate in community engagement if your facility is on social media platforms
Ensure prompt and helpful communication to any inquiries via email, phone or in-person
In addition to communicating with your members, actively listening to their feedback is also crucial. Univerus Member Management’s software has a number of marketing and communication functionalities that help fitness facilities connect with their participants safely and securely, to provide a positive customer experience. We are all hopeful for a swift return to our beloved fitness classes, but it is of the utmost importance that the correct actions are taken to ensure the wellbeing of everyone involved. Want to learn more about how Univerus Member Management’s software can assist you deliver a memorable experience to your community? Contact us today to get started.
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