As the COVID-19 lockdown forced the temporary closure of businesses across the country, the outlook for companies supplying services to corporate partners looked precarious.

Among them was Gympass – the world’s largest corporate wellness platform – whose business model moved to ‘zero’ on the day that office doors shut.

Prior to lockdown, the Gympass model comprised giving access to employee members to over 2,200 fitness facilities across the UK.

When gyms closed and their members were left high and dry, Gympass tackled the challenge head-on and swiftly pivoted its business model to deliver physical activity and mental health solutions remotely.

This digital transformation saw the launch of four key services:

– Gympass Plus – a service offering its 2,200 operator partners access to more than 500 workouts from 18 content providers – including Zumba, Gaiam and Wexer

– Gympass Wellness – an exclusive collection of major wellness apps including Moneyed, FIIT, and Wellness Coach

– Live classes – the solution allows fitness operators to schedule live classes for Gympass members, with the operator receiving payment for every person who signs up and takes part. Operators which have already signed up include: F45, Bannatyne Group and 3D Leisure, as well as London-based boutiques, Victus Soul and Rowbots

– Personal Training – a new service to support PTs who have had to transition to a digital offering. Gympass clients in the UK can now get up to eight online PT sessions a month as part of their membership

All four services have gone down a storm with Gympass users and its operator partners.

More than 1,500 PTs have signed up to its new services and 78 per cent have already received bookings. Globally since launching the service, 30,000 PT sessions have been completed.

Gympass has also seen fantastic uptake from employer partners as organisations are crying out for at-home solutions to look after employee wellbeing, with 40 new contracts signed since the beginning of the pandemic including Bupa in the UK.

In Q2 alone, Gympass saw users complete over 1.4mn hours of wellness activities virtually.

“When Coronavirus forced the lockdown of gyms around the country, as a company we had to pivot in order to operate effectively,” said Eamon Lloyd, senior director – head of partnerships for UK&IE at Gympass.

“We realised quickly how imperative it was to support our operator partners as best we could during this difficult time of transition by helping them get online and driving demand.

“With virtual here for the long haul, we’re constantly considering ways to enhance our platform and offering to best serve our partners and users in this current reality and beyond.”