With the World Health Organisation declaring the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak to be a pandemic - countries are closing borders, those who test positive are being quarantined or isolated, and businesses are going virtual with everyone retreating into a home office.
People are being encouraged to practise social distancing - maintaining a distance of one meter (3 feet) between yourself and others - as well as a range of other precautions all aimed at controlling the spread of the virus.
At the rate it's spreading, there's an increasing likelihood that many countries will adopt extreme measures such as those imposed by Italy, where pretty much the entire population are restricted to their homes.
There's no doubt that the outbreak is having an effect on businesses, and as the owner of a Personal Training business, you might be worried that it will have even more of an impact. If people are staying away from each other and gyms are closing, where does that leave you? Can you keep your business up and running and hold on to your clients?
Like you, we’ve been thinking about the best ways to keep supporting Personal Trainers during this challenging time. What your clients really need from you right now is to keep them training and keep them accountable.
We’ve gathered some tips and tools around how you can keep your Personal Training business up and running:
- Change the way you train. Rather than having your clients moving from one station to the next, set up one station for each person with all the equipment in one spot. One client, one set of tools just for them. Skipping rope, mat, kettle-bell etc.
- Zoom, Skype, Facebook Live and IGTV are all great options for setting up virtual training classes and sessions. If your clients can exercise at home, they can 'zoom' or tune in to the live-stream and you can conduct virtual one-on-one or multi-client classes.
- Make use of your social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter where you can keep your community engaged and active by offering them nutrition and no-equipment workout tips.
- Use your smartphone to film yourself demonstrating exercises or leading a class, which can then be uploaded to YouTube. Create your own channel, invite your clients to subscribe, and you can continue instruction.
At PTminder, we're here to help. Our business management software solution has a number of features that can help support your business through this crisis, including:
The Workout Planner
Use this to create an at-home workout programme. The software enables you to assign the programme to your clients, who in turn can access it through either the mobile app or the browser version. They’ll also be able to track and record their results. You could even get your clients to send you a few pictures of their workout space, so that you can tailor the programme to suit it.
The Nutrition Planner
Just like workouts, you can develop nutrition plans for your clients and assign it to them through the PTminder app. This is especially important for any of your clients who might be in isolation or quarantine, because they will have limited access to healthy food options meaning that a well-thought-out meal plan is vital.
Automated push notifications
Keep all your clients updated with everything that's happening in your business and what you're doing to continue to support them. These alerts pop up on a smartphone automatically.
As the virus spreads, people will react to it in different ways. Many are feeling worried or anxious, and maintaining their exercise and nutrition plans is an excellent way to reduce this stress. Communicate to your clients that maintaining their physical fitness and being active is one of the best ways of dealing with the situation. Exercise can help manage stress, boost the immune system, and improve energy levels, all of which are quite crucial, especially right now.
But most of all, do everything you can to stay in touch with your clients. They will appreciate the support and your concern for their well-being, and they'll welcome the chance to keep working out with you, even if it is through a screen. So, if you were starting to worry about how to keep your Personal Training business going through the outbreak - don't. There are many options for you to remain up and running, and remember that we're here to help. We're continuing to support all our valued clients through the crisis, so don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any issues.
Look after yourself, look after your clients, and stay safe!
If you’d like to learn more about how the PTminder features can support your Personal Training Business during Covid-19? Sign up for a 14 day free trial here or have a read through these articles.
