Author: Lisa S

6 Mistakes Fitness Studio Owners & Entrepreneurs Make

Posted on by Lisa S

A fitness studio owner is a lot like a startup entrepreneur. Both are constantly hustling, and both need to find ways to stand out in a crowded marketplace. There are many mistakes that fitness studio business owners and entrepreneurs make, but there are some that occur more frequently than others. After all, your work doesn’t stop once you learn how to start a fitness studio business. So why do some fitness businesses fail?  Here are 6 mistakes entrepreneurs make when starting a fitness business.

1. They don’t know their target audience
In order to reach your target audience, you need to know who they are and what they want. You also need to understand what demographic age groups you can target, how much money they have and how often they exercise currently. You can’t just assume that everyone wants to lose weight or get in shape because they don’t!

2. They don’t have a business plan
Outline your goals and objectives. Set realistic goals that are measurable. Identify potential pitfalls, risks, and opportunities. Lastly, make a plan for how you will use your resources and money to accomplish your objectives.

3. They don’t track their marketing efforts
Marketing is a critical component of your business, and tracking your marketing efforts will help you improve your performance metrics over time. It would be like a gym owner who doesn’t know how much money he or she makes per month. Without tracking your business, you have no idea if you are making progress or not!

4. They take shortcuts with employees or contractors
It takes time, effort and money to find great people who fit into your culture — especially when it comes to trainers who help build relationships with clients. Many business owners do not pay to hire great talent. This means that their employees have no incentive to go the extra mile for your business success. The value of high quality instructors maintaining positive word-of-mouth marketing for your gym can’t be emphasized enough.

5. They invest in the wrong equipment
You don’t want to cheap out on quality when it comes to buying new equipment because as soon as someone uses it once or twice, they will know if it’s not well-made or sturdy enough to last long term. In other words, if you buy cheap equipment, it won’t take long before people stop coming because they don’t like how flimsy everything feels or how slow the machines move when compared to other gyms that use better quality.

6. They take on too much risk
The health of your business is important! If you’re taking on too much risk, it could be a sign that there’s something wrong with your business model or strategy (or both). You might need to step back and reassess what needs fixing before moving forward again. Along with a passion for fitness, what you need to start a fitness business is great business acumen as well.

Some of these common mistakes made by fitness businesses can cost them their profits. If you want to run your fitness studio more efficiently with a comprehensive studio management system, click here to know more.

How Much Time Do You Need to Exercise To Lose Weight?

Posted on by Lisa S

When it comes to getting in shape and losing weight, there’s no shortage of advice. We all know about the benefits of exercise. But much of what you hear about how to lose weight is wrong. That’s not to say that exercise isn’t important for weight loss. Exercise can help jump-start your metabolism, build muscle, improve mood, boost energy levels — and the list of benefits goes on and on.

But if you are specifically looking at exercise to lose weight, you may encounter a few challenges. It’s possible that you could exercise too m­uch andovereatas a result. Or if you don’t work out enough, you may not end up seeing results on the scale.

So how many minutes, hours or days do you need to exercise to lose weight? The simple answer is that it isn’t as simple, and it certainly isn’t the same for everyone. Read on to know more.

The best exercise to lose weight is the one you’ll actually do.
If you’re a runner or a swimmer or someone who likes moderate activity (like walking), then stick with that activity and use it as part of your plan to lose weight. You might think walking doesn’t do much for you — but you’d actually burn about 100 calories by walking one mile. Any form of activity is good for you.

Weight loss is about creating a calorie deficit
You need to be burning more calories than you take in. If you’re trying to lose 10 or 20 pounds, you can safely aim to lose 1% to 2% of your body weight per week, which comes out to 1 to 2 pounds per week. Along with your exercise routine to lose weight at home or the gym, it’s often useful to think about the proportions of food you eat at different meals. If breakfast is 300 calories, lunch is 500 and dinner is 700, try changing that around a bit so that breakfast is 400, lunch is 300 and dinner is 600.

Create an exercise routine that works for you
Wondering how many times a week you need to exercise to lose weight? If you’re more inclined to do shorter workouts, 25 to 30 minutes of daily exercise is probably best for you. By exercising every day, not only will you make it a habit that is likely to stick, you will also meet the health recommendations for weight loss. However, sometimes getting in a daily workout is just not realistic. If you exercise for fewer days during the week, each workout should be longer. For example, if you do a 60-minute workout on the weekend and two 45-minute sessions during the week, you could easily skip a few days of exercise, while still meeting the exercise guidelines for weight loss. So the short answer to ‘How often or how long do you need to exercise to lose weight’ is, it all depends on what works best for your lifestyle.

The Beginners Guide To Aerial Fitness

Posted on by Lisa S

Aerial fitness can be fun, scary and entertaining all at the same time. But newbies should rest assured that aerial classes are designed for everyone. From gentle introductory sessions to more advanced offerings that combine dynamic fitness with aerial dance moves or even circus-style tricks, there’s a class for everyone.

It’s a full body workout
Fitness classes at an aerial fitness studio can be an exciting way to get a full-body workout in a short period of time. Classes are available for all ages and skill levels and can be an effective way to improve overall strength, flexibility, posture and more.

It strengthens every muscle group in your body
Aerial fitness incorporates dance, fitness and strength training into a coordinated flow of movement. It helps you develop total body strength, improve flexibility and core strength, increase balance and control over your body!

It covers a variety of styles
Aerial fitness workouts typically incorporate equipment like hoops, fabric, or trapeze. This is used to suspend users into mid air and allows for a 360-degree movement. The average aerial device supports up to 1000 pounds and the best part is that it invites people of every age, body shape and size. It’s not just for the fit or daring!

It’s different from regular exercises you do at the gym
Aerial workouts often include inversions and other movements that could cause dizziness and nausea, especially to newbies. Its recommended to drink lots of water before and after going to your first class. Simple, easy-to-digest food like oatmeal, bananas, toast are ideal.  In general, avoid heavy food within 2 hours of your class.

Final words
Remember that each person’s body is different. So let your instructor be your aerial fitness guide. Leave your expectations behind, especially when you go for your first class. Some studios might even sell merchandise such as aerial silks for beginners, which you could purchase. However, if you’re looking for the best aerial silks for beginners or anything else, its always best to check multiple aerial fitness websites for options available.

How To Use SEO To Attract Customers To Your Fitness Studio

Posted on by Lisa S

Search engine optimization and customer service are two pillars of modern business, especially for small businesses that want to stand out and thrive. SEO isn’t just about ranking pages. It’s about providing the best user experience possible to effectively lead your target audience to purchase products and services, and in the case of fitness studios, memberships.

SEO makes content more visible to potential users in the search engines.This is accomplished through several means, including backlinks and keyword usage. With the right SEO marketing strategies, you can increase your business’s exposure without spending millions on advertising campaigns. With the right marketing strategies and the right development partner, you can make sure that your website shows up first when people are searching for what you offer.

Here are some specific SEO actions you can do as part of your fitness studio marketing efforts:

Relevant web content& design
Instead of just generating content around various keywords, concentrate on creating content that is truly useful and reflects your fitness studio business. In other words, give prospective customers information that they are looking for. Using headlines and key phrases that reflect what your audience is searching for in their own words will place you ahead of your competition in search engine results. Your fitness studio website design should also be SEO-friendly. That means it should be uncluttered and easy for search engines to scan.

Easy navigation
Website navigation, particularly the navigation bar (aka menu bar), must be user-friendly and easy to understand. Visitors must be able to effortlessly find their way through a site, as it’s been repeatedly shown that they’ll quickly abandon ones that have complex navigation structures.The website navigation is where you can organize the links to the pages of your site. Make sure that all pages in a navigation menu can be indexed easily by search engines.

Easy-to-read content
If your text is difficult or boring to read, your readers probably won’t stay long enough to consume it. Eliminating the passive voice, writing short sentences and paragraphs, grouping them into small sections and using bullet points where applicable can help make your posts easier to understand. If your content is clear and easy to read, you can create more repeat visits and boost the conversion rate of your website by providing information that is relevant and interesting.

Use of images & videos
Visual media is highly effective when used to complement written content. This helps to enhance a page’s SEO and provides an interesting experience for users. However, any visual media utilized must be relevant to the page content in order to avoid losing site visitors’ attention or being perceived as purely promotional content. If you’re looking for fitness studio website inspiration click here

Keeping content fresh
Regular posting and updating of your website’s content is the best way to keep it fresh, especially if you are targeting a long-term market. By doing so, search engines such as Bing and Google will find you and your site more frequently which will increase its ranking in the SERPs.

How Yoga Can Help Your Depression

Posted on by Lisa S

Yoga is an ancient practice and it is believed to help people cope with their depression in a natural, healthy way. Because of the mindfulness inherent in yoga, it can help distract you from your problems and focus on yourself instead. It also helps relax you so that you get a good night’s sleep.

For some people, starting out small can be beneficial in helping alleviate mild symptoms of depression. Yoga’s benefits for mental health have been proven. Studies have shown that five minutes of yoga per day can be beneficial for mental health. It isn’t any wonder that the yoga business today is flourishing!

Yoga can ease your racing thoughts and allow you to relax.
Oftentimes, people with depression have racing thoughts about the past or worries about the future. Yoga is a great method for bringing these thoughts to a halt and letting you be present in your body.

There are several simple yoga postures that can help you calm your mind and enjoy this moment. If you’re feeling anxious, try sitting in hero pose, with your knees pressed against the floor and your feet tucked behind your butt. Train yourself to sit still while focusing on how your legs feel as they touch the floor. If you get distracted by worrisome thoughts, redirect yourself to concentrate on what it feels like to breathe and sit still in that position.

Another posture that is often used for relaxation is the corpse pose (lying flat on your back). While doing this pose, focus on each breath as if it were a wave from an ocean that was just coming up onto shore—and then receding back out towards sea again—and let yourself be carried away by each breath until you fall asleep or wake up again energized and ready for whatever comes next!

Breathing exercises are calming and can help you feel more engaged with the world.
To do this, focus on your breath. Breathe in from your nose, hold it for four counts and breathe out through the mouth for eight counts. This helps calm the nervous system. You can do this anywhere, anytime, whether you’re at work or brushing your teeth before bed. You’ll start to notice that as you focus on breathing deeply, your mind starts to clear.

Yoga is a natural, safe, and healthy way to cope with depression. Unlike prescription drugs, yoga does not come with harmful side effects. This particularly makes it beneficial for people who must exercise caution when taking new medications. It’s also a holistic approach: Yoga’s benefits extend to the body and mind, meaning it can address both physical and mental symptoms of depression.

Meditation stops your thoughts from wandering into the past or future and enables you to focus on the present.
Meditation is a central aspect of yoga. It allows you to be in the moment and clear your mind. Meditation can help you feel more connected with the world. This can reduce feelings of isolation that sometimes accompany depression. You may even find that you’re better able to focus on things and feel calmer after incorporating meditation into your life.

As with any new practice, meditation takes time and effort to master, but it’s worth it!

Is yoga good for depression?
Of course! The benefits of yoga for depression, anxiety and stress cannot be overstated. It may not be the only solution and is never a substitute for therapy, but it can certainly be an aid in your journey to overall well-being.

3 Advantages Of Integrating Fitness Software On Your Brand Website

Posted on by Lisa S

As a fitness entrepreneur, you’ve probably already realized how a fitness software helps improve your branding. Now, when you choose a fitness studio management software, you’ll want to make sure that the service includes integration of the software on your brand website. The advantages of fitness studio software are many but it’s only truly effective when it can be used via your website.   Software providers like My Best Studio seamlessly integrate the software onto your site at no additional cost.Here are the benefits of software integration on your fitness studio website

A One-Stop-Shop
When you integrate your fitness studio software with your website, you give customers the chance to book classes, view schedule availability and more, all in one place.

Fitness is a unique industry that has seen a major digital transformation over the past few years. With the rise of boutique gyms, more and more people are looking for ways to track their activities outside of going to the gym or traditional team-based sports. The need for integrated software that allows people to schedule workouts, manage their health information and pay for classes has never been greater. As a fitness business owner or manager, it’s important that you find ways to capitalize on this growing trend by integrating your workout schedules into your site so customers don’t have to go anywhere else but your site.

A Better Experience For Your Customers
Another one of the benefits of having your fitness software integrated into your brand website is that it will provide an overall better experience for your customers. The best software will be easy to use, efficient, and allow users to access it from anywhere and on any device.

The easier you make usage of your fitness software, the happier your customers will be using it. They want a convenient experience, so give it to them by integrating all of their needs right on your website. With everything in one place and with software accessible from anywhere at any time, they’ll have no choice but to keep coming back again and again.

It’s Cost-effective
The consumer and the business owner both save money by integrating the booking process into your website. With fitness studio booking and scheduling software, customers can easily book their classes, sessions, or appointments at their convenience, and you don’t have to hire additional staff to handle the scheduling of these activities. All you need is a smartphone or tablet for online check-ins. Your clients can then log on via computer at any time to reserve future spots in whatever class they choose.

Reasons Why Starting A CrossFit Studio Is A Great Idea For Entrepreneurs

Posted on by Lisa S

As an entrepreneur, the last thing you want to do is start a business that will be irrelevant in just a few years (or even months). That’s why it’s important to consider the longevity of your concept. CrossFit has been around for over ten years and has gained significant popularity in that time. CrossFit isn’t going away anytime soon and here are a few reasons to start building a crossfit gym.

You can make a difference.
If you are looking to make a difference, there are so many ways to do so when you own your own CrossFit gym. You can help people transform their health and overall fitness. You’ll get the opportunity to change people’s lives for the better, and that is an incredibly rewarding experience.

Great revenue earning potential
 There are tons of money-making opportunities associated with running a successful crossfit gym. You can sell training programs, nutrition programs and clothing to your clients. Some of these items can be delivered in person, while others can be delivered online. When it comes to crossfit gym marketing, you have the space on your website and in your training facility. There is also a need for seminars as well as products and services that support the CrossFit industry, such as supplements and equipment. With CrossFit software, you can monitor your revenue at any time, as well.

CrossFit studio management services
With the availability of specialized CrossFit studio management software, a lot of the heavy-lifting is done for you. From class bookings to schedule management, salary payout, or payment reminders, it can all be customized and managed from studio software such as the one offered by My Best Studio.

 Be a part of a CrossFit community.
Cross Fitters are known for creating a community of their own. They spend much of their free time in class, honing their skills and getting stronger physically and mentally. This means that they will look to you as an owner, coach, or trainer to help them out when they need it. It also means that you will attract people with similar interests, who may also be struggling in life or want better things for themselves.

In conclusion, starting a CrossFit studio business is the perfect venture for entrepreneurs who are looking for something exciting, fresh, and new. And could there be a better way to get in shape yourself?

Design Tips To Build A Great Fitness Website

Posted on by Lisa S

Building a custom website design is key in attracting new members to your gym and retaining existing members.Your website needs to stand out from other gyms’ websites and attract people who are looking for a place where they can get fit with other like-minded individuals without spending too much time or money on equipment or facilities.

By building an engaging website design for your fitness center that reflects its culture, you can establish an online presence that attracts customers who will stay loyal over time because of what it offers them socially as well as physically!If you’re wondering how to design a fitness website, here are some important web design tips you should make note of.

Make it visually compelling.
The first step to making a fitness website that’s well-designed is to make it visually compelling, and you do this by incorporating high-quality images and video throughout the site. The best fitness website designs use high quality photos that show your gym/studio or some of the exercises being performed by your clients so visitors can get an idea of what it’s like to work with you. If possible, try using video clips as well which will help showcase your facility better than any picture ever could!

Top fitness website designs also make sure to use white space in a clean and simple layout. White space is one of those things that gets overlooked on websites, but when done correctly can really make an impact on how people experience your brand online. Too often people think more content equals success – not just from a user perspective but also from businesses seeking leads and conversions because they feel like adding more information about their services makes sense for SEO purposes (search engine optimization). The truth is there needs to be just enough content for users without overwhelming them with too much information right away because this will reduce conversion rates or engagement levels overall which ultimately hurts our bottom line goals so always keep those considerations top-of-mind while working through wireframes / mockups before finalizing them into live designs!

Match the design and photography with the culture of your fitness studio.
Use images that are relevant to your fitness studio. Website designers always recommend that the photos you use throughout the website should be of your studio, or at least have a similar style. For example, if you have yoga mats for sale in the boutique of your studio, don’t place images of equipment on the page unless it’s being used by people who look like they’d actually attend your classes (i.e., no pictures of bodybuilders selling yoga mats). Use images that are relevant to your culture. If you’re a high-end boutique fitness studio that is all about community, use images that capture this message (think: photography of people doing their pushups together on their hands and toes) Remember to use high-quality photos: blurring and pixels will ruin your site!

Give users a way to contact you – easily.
This is probably the most underestimated design tips for websites. Your contact page should be easy to find, and it should contain your phone number and email address. Even better, provide a contact form so users don’t have to actually type an email message. Some people like maps, and if you’re a brick-and-mortar gym or fitness club where members meet for group sessions or personal training, add a map to your site. This way people can easily get directions to your gym.

If you’re looking for budget web design services for your fitness studio, My Best Studio offers comprehensive affordable website design and development services along with its fitness studio management software services.

Pole Dancing Offers The Best Health Benefits – Here’s How

Posted on by Lisa S

Pole dancing offers a wide range of benefits for your physical and mental health. Here are some of the benefits of pole dancing and the reason you should be heading to that pole dancing studio soon! Read on and you’ll  discover why the pole dancing business is flourishing.

Pole dancing burns mega calories.
 If you want to burn calories and get that ever-elusive, tight tummy and butt, pole dancing classes will do the trick. However, the number of calories that you burn depends on a few factors: your weight, how hard you work out, and if you have had anything to eat before class.

On average, a one hour pole dancing class could help you burn 500-700 calories. This is because the exercise is highly efficient in toning your muscles while burning fat.

To put it into perspective: 1 pound (454g) of fat gives approximately 3500 calories. So, if you take 3 one hour classes per week for 2 months (8 weeks), you will lose about 6 pounds (2.7kg) of fat!

It requires mental strength and concentration, which can help reduce stress.
 If you choose to learn pole dancing, then you are going to discover how much it can help improve your mental strength. Yes, the benefits of a pole dancing workout even extend to mental health. When you practice pole dancing techniques, you will be amazed at how quickly your ability to concentrate improves! Pole dancing requires concentration and physical control, and the mental benefits of pole dancing are real as dancers must be aware of their body positions and movements while they are performing throughout the entire routine.

You get a serious muscle workout.
There are multiple benefits of learning pole dancing, but the best of all is that it is a full-body workout. Not only are you using your arms, shoulders and core to grip the pole and maneuver your body, but you’re also using each major muscle group in your lower half. When done right, all of these muscle groups work together to make for a safer, more effective workout. While the primary muscles used involve pulling your weight up and around the pole, others come into play, too—especially those in the hips and lower back, which help with balance as you swing from side to side or hold yourself inverted on the pole.

You’ll be forced to focus on your breathing.
Breathing is essential for any physical activity, but it’s crucial when it comes to pole dancing—which involves dramatic movements that put your body weight on one arm! If you’ve ever tried a new exercise class, you’ll notice that the instructor often reminds you to focus on your breathing. This is because deep breaths help us relax and keep our minds clear. Pole dancing is no different. In fact, given how challenging pole dancing can be, focusing on your breathing will help prevent you from getting dizzy as soon as you flip yourself upside down. Many pole dancers recommend breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth while doing moves such as spins or tricks to build up strength and avoid injury.

Wondering how pole dancing changes your body?
Experience the benefits of pole dancing exercise. Find classes near you and sign up today!

Equipment & Essentials for An Indoor Cycling Studio

Posted on by Lisa S

Are you an entrepreneur looking to set up an indoor cycling studio?
Here’s a quick run-through of the main equipment and essentials you will need to get your cycling studio up and running in no time! 

 Bikes
 When it comes to indoor cycling essentials, the most important piece of indoor cycling training equipment is the bike. You can’t turn a wheel without a bike, so how do you choose the right one? You might think they’re all pretty much the same, but quite a few different types of bikes are available.

  • Upright: This type of bike mimics traditional road and hybrid bikes. The rider is seated with their legs straight down and their back at an angle to provide support while keeping their upper body open for breathing.
  • Recumbent: In this style of bike, the rider reclines into a seat that supports their entire body. They then push on pedals positioned in front of them rather than below them like on an upright bike.
  • Indoor cycle trainers: This type of stationary bike uses special software that functions as an avatar for your ride experience complete with scenery and other riders from all over the world. Some even have built-in resistance controls so you can adjust your workout intensity by “shifting gears.” It makes sense to invest in the best indoor cycling gadgets and equipment as that makes all the difference to the customer experience.

Flooring:
The flooring of your indoor cycling setup is vital to your business in that it should provide a non-slip surface for riders. It should also be elastic enough to absorb the shock of a cyclist’s movements, reducing the chance of injury. For example, if you plan to offer more low-impact cycling workouts such as recumbent or upright stationary bike group fitness classes, non-slip flooring isn’t as necessary. Flooring that absorbs sound and is comfortable to stand on for long periods would be more beneficial than non-slip in this scenario.

Sound system:
Another critical element of your cycling studio is the sound system. Music can be used as a tool to motivate your members and can be an additional safety measure in case of an emergency. It’s recommended that the sound system should output at least 100 dB of sound pressure level (SPL) at the furthest point from your speaker. Generally, speakers should be placed on either side of where riders will sit for class. If possible, speakers should be positioned about 8 feet off the floor and angled down towards riders to improve intelligibility.

Water bottles & Towels:
The water bottle and the sweat towel are two essentials that no cyclist should be without. It’s crucial to stay hydrated throughout your workout, especially when it involves high-intensity cardio like indoor cycling. Meanwhile, a sweat towel is essential because you will sweat—a lot. A few strategically placed towels around the studio will go a long way in helping members have a more enjoyable experience.

Cycling Studio Software: 
This is the key to running a successful indoor cycling studio. It allows you to manage bookings and payments, track class attendance, and provide members with the best experience possible. The most advanced class management software, like My Best Studio goes beyond simply taking bookings. It integrates other software systems like POS, allows you to automate communication, syncs with your website and more. This reduces manual work and gives you more time to focus on making sure your customers have an amazing experience when they ride at your studio.