5 ways a fitness challenge app keeps studios & gyms competitive

Fitness challenges are one of the most in-demand services in fitness today. As Gitnux recorded, around 70% of boutique fitness goers go for the social and community aspect - fitness challenges zero in on this trend, turning individual goals into a community project.

Many gyms and fitness studios are starting to offer them, but not everyone is doing them well. At Hapana, we’ve worked with world-class gyms for a decade, and we’ve picked up a thing or two about fitness challenges. Here’s 5 crucial ways that a fitness challenge app can keep your studio competitive:

1. Seriously increase member engagement

A fitness challenge app encourages members to participate in challenges, track their progress, and stay motivated. By offering various challenges, you can cater to different fitness levels and interests, keeping members consistently engaged.

Best feature: Challenge Configuration

• Defined durations, goals, metrics, and customizable settings
• Schedule timed launches with countdowns, or activate instantly
• Customizable templates for specific workout or attendance goals
• Add objectives and prompt members to log their achievements
• App banners target specific stages of the challenge
• Business reporting tools giving insight into challenge statistics

Want to offer this feature? Schedule a 10 minute demo of Hapana’s software with our friendly team.

2. Build the two things fitness enthusiasts want: community and competition

Fitness challenges create a sense of camaraderie and healthy competition among members. Leaderboards, progress tracking, and social features within the app allow members to connect, support each other, and celebrate achievements, fostering a strong community spirit.

Best feature: Member engagement tools

• Access challenge metrics, countdowns, and daily targets
• Revise goals until the challenge begins
• Automatic achievement tick-offs for daily milestones
• Detailed insights into members' overall progress and key metrics
• Members can celebrate achievements across social media platforms
• Record and display weekly attendance for a visually engaging journey

3. Get ahead on the personalization trend

Many fitness challenge apps offer personalized recommendations based on individual goals and progress. This level of customization can make members feel valued and catered to, enhancing their overall experience and satisfaction.

Best feature: Personalized goal setting

• Selecting challenge performance and accountability goals
• Configurable checklists for goals like sleep, meditation, water intake, and stretching
• Customizable templates for specific workout or attendance goals.

4. Add an entirely new revenue stream

You can monetize your fitness challenge app by offering premium challenges, exclusive content, or integrating it with other paid services. This can create additional revenue streams for your studio while providing added value to your members.

STRONG Pilates are one of the fitness studios integrating fitness challenges into their revenue streams. They charge $30 per challenge for each member. Consider this: 5,000 people, trying a new challenge, every month, for $30 per challenge. This isn’t just a novelty. 

This is a permanent, brand-new revenue stream.

Strong Pilates were able to capitalize on the growing popularity of fitness challenges without the need for significant investment in internal app development and ongoing maintenance.

"Hapana's challenge capability is game changing for our business," says Michael Ramsey, Co-Founder of STRONG Pilates. 

Best feature: Packages

• Membership and challenge linking
• Rolling start modes for challenges
• Membership/package purchase prompts if not already purchased
• Premium challenges and exclusive content offerings

5. Promote your studio

A well-designed fitness challenge app can serve as a marketing tool. Encourage members to share their achievements and progress on social media, showcasing your studio's vibrant community and success stories. This can attract new members and enhance your studio's reputation.

Best feature: Social sharing

• Members can celebrate achievements across social media platforms
• Promoting the studio's vibrant community and success stories
• Home screen widgets and banners for visibility

Stay competitive by adding fitness challenges to your gym’s offering

Hapana’s fitness challenge app is a powerful tool for studios looking to engage their members and streamline challenge management. With its comprehensive feature set, it provides everything needed to create, track, and celebrate fitness challenges.

Do you want to add a revenue stream, engage your members, and convert new members to the family? Contact our team for a ten-minute demo.