Members are returning post-lockdown expecting a fully integrated service, meaning digital connectivity has never been more important.

New habits and lifestyles have been made during the pandemic, and the huge surge in online fitness suggests a flexible offering, with digital connectivity at its core, will now be essential to ensure modern members are impressed with your facilities.

A fully connected gym floor is no longer just nice to have, it’s a must-have.

Tom Kivell, fitness development manager at Aneurin Leisure Trust, selected Precor’s Preva alongside Advagym by Sony to ensure a fully connected offer in the Trust’s three newly refurbished sites.

“We wanted to digitise our gym experience, fully connecting cardio and strength so we can set goals, create training plans and track progress to offer a results-based customer experience,” he said.

“This is the way the industry is going; gyms must offer multifunctional connectivity.”

Per Christiansson, CEO of three Formtoppen clubs in Sweden, agreed: “The biggest motivation for adding Advagym to our Precor equipment was being able to interact with members both inside and outside of the gym.

“It ensures they always feel looked after and part of our community, even when they aren’t within the facility. I see connectivity as the future; we plan to create a premium Advagym membership to help us to attract a different customer group at a higher price point.”

For Angelo Buob, Gym Manager at Halle 41 in Switzerland, the benefit of 100 per cent connectivity lies in data: “We’ve installed Advagym on Precor’s Resolute Strength kit and in our free weight areas, on Assault machines and the Queenax.

“Advagym includes a tool which allows operators to analyse data on which machines are most used and the number of repetitions each is doing. This enables me to assess usage and adjust the gym floor accordingly, to constantly optimise based on data-driven facts. We also receive notifications if the kit isn’t running smoothly, so we can immediately take action, which minimises members dissatisfaction.”

One gym already benefiting from that data is Aberdeen Sports Village. Kris McIntosh, health and fitness development manager said: “Preva and Advagym allow us to make data-driven decisions every day. Looking at kit utilisation gives us an idea of occupancy throughout the day, which informs staffing decisions – we now put on more staff at peak times, which has increased customer ratings and we’ve seen a 92 per cent rise in PT revenue.

“During the pandemic, data was invaluable in making staffing decisions, to ensure we had adequate levels but weren’t overstaffed, to make savings on the payroll. When it comes to refreshing our Precor equipment I’ll be able to analyse the selection of kit we have and what’s most- and least-used to better inform our future purchasing decision.”

To understand how you can fully connect your facility with Precor and Sony, visit Precor's official website .