Intro

Fitness gamification is a combination of existing training methods with game mechanics, such as progress tracking, interactive visual feedback, reward system, friendly competition between participants, etc. The idea of ​​competition and compensation through rewards increases the motivation and enthusiasm of the trainees, making fitness more effective and exciting.

What are the gamification benefits?

For many members, a training routine is what it is - a routine.
Once the gamification element is added, it completely changes the whole user experience. Gamification creates a fun and challenging environment for the participants. It transfers them from their reality to a virtual world where they need to achieve certain goals, compete with their friends and continue to strive to do their best.

Competition, goals, achievements, progress, and rewards are the keys to the successful implementation of gaming techniques that will turn your members' workout experience into a fun and addictive experience.
For additional information, check out this article that demonstrates the benefits of gamification for your fitness facility.

In this post, we will introduce 5 best practices for adding gamification to your fitness facility.

Run challenges

A “competition," by its very nature, is what psychologists call an “extrinsic incentive". Extrinsic simply means that the motivation to adopt a behavior or decision is sourced externally rather than internally (e.g. when you do something because you get a reward for it). When you run challenges in your facility, you actually increase your members' engagement levels because they are motivated by an “external force”. The challenge itself can be anything from the number of classes taken, the number of calories burned or the total distance covered. You can run challenges during your workouts or run them over a certain period of time, i.e., weekly or monthly.

Running

To make your challenges effective, make sure to reward the winner(s) with an appropriate prize. If you run a short-term challenge during a workout, a good shoutout from the instructor at the end of the class will be fine. For longer challenges such as a monthly challenge, you can reward your winners with a free class pass, a free class invitation to their friends, credits on your store, or anything else that will be valuable for both your member and your business.

 

Integrate immersive software solution

Implementing a dedicated immersive solution is a true game-changer for your facility. With dedicated technology, the whole experience will be changed. A good example of such a solution is the Spivi Studio system, where the instructor selects a virtual scene for the class and each member is represented by an avatar on a big screen and the result is a dynamic immersive workout experience, where each workout is a true game and the members are the players on the scene. The system captures data from bikes and HR monitors that drive the avatars in real-time. Additional gaming elements such as live challenges and effort-reward points make Spivi a true leader in the fitness gamification field.

spivi-studio

Reward your members

The reward system stands at the core of every game. The idea is simple, to keep the player playing, you have to provide an incentive. Traditional board games simply do that by announcing the winner of each round, early days computer games did that by showing points and high score tables. In the fitness world if you want your members to keep working out and take more classes you have to motivate them with appropriate rewards. A successful reward program can increase your member retention rates dramatically, so make sure to design it carefully and choose appropriate rewards for members' achievements.

Here is a shortlist of some of the most common rewards in the fitness industry:

  • Free class
  • Free class with a friend
  • Free personal training session
  • Free personal training session for a friend
  • Fixed amount of credit for in-club purchases
  • Workout gear such as shirts, pants, heart-rate monitor.

 

You can manage the reward system manually by one of your staff members or use a dedicated referral and rewards solution such as Perkville.

Use group tracking platform

Showing progress over time is a key element in extending the lifetime value of your members. Adding a dedicated group heart rate tracking platform that performs this task seamlessly can help you to achieve it while also adding another gamification element of live stimulating feedback and post-workout rewards. With the Spivi Arena platform, members accumulate Spivi Ecosystem Points based on their personal effort. These points are accumulated over time and can be used to reward members. The platform is seamlessly connected to your facility leaderboard that shows the top 10 members of each month.

spivi-arena

Engage your staff

As part of the gamification implementation process in your facility, you should also involve your trainers to make sure they are completely on board with this approach. The trainers are in direct contact with the customers, and they can help build excitement and anticipation for the gratifying experiences at your facility. Once your trainers support and adopt the gamification they can create friendly competition between them and the members and between the members themselves.

Summary

Gamification has many benefits: it combines fitness with fun, the members enjoy a different virtual fitness experience, it helps to create a sense of belonging to the group, it helps members to keep their training routine, and thus increases their commitment to your facility. It also allows trainees to track their progress and increases their motivation to push themselves higher to get better.

Gamification eliminates many factors that people do not like in workouts – repetition, slow progress, and boredom. Combining fitness with games increases motivation, interest, and a sense of achievement. It is never too late to add gamification elements to your facility, and when implementing correctly, you’ll see results pretty fast.