How Workout Anytime Is Helping Members Stay Fit and Franchisees Stay Positive During the Coronavirus Crisis

Like countless other businesses across the globe, Workout Anytime is navigating the uncharted waters that have come along with the coronavirus crisis. From keeping employees and members safe to ensuring that franchisees have the resources and support they need, the fitness brand has spent the past few weeks implementing new initiatives and creating best practices to help franchisees and members alike.

With cities and states each setting their own rules for social distancing or shelter-in-place practices, Workout Anytime recognized that it needed to be prepared for its locally owned and operated clubs to temporarily close their doors, ultimately leaving thousands of members without a place to exercise. But because health and fitness are even more important now during this crisis, Workout Anytime introduced a comprehensive solution. 

First, Workout Anytime sped up the development of its mobile app. This allows members to access hundreds of workouts and exercises, including dozens of at-home workouts that can be done with no equipment. The brand is also adding more exercises and workouts to its app every day.

Second, Workout Anytime introduced a new YouTube playlist in which its master trainers record “Workouts of the Day.” Every day, this channel is updated with a new workout for anyone to try.

Workout Anytime is also continuing to develop new ways for its members to exercise virtually while more and more Americans are being ordered to shelter in place. That’s why the brand is going to be launching video on demand workouts in April, which will allow members to choose from three different types of workouts at home, including those that just require bodyweight, others with home accessories like water jugs and towels, and still others designed to improve balance and flexibility. Local franchisees are also using their club Facebook pages to do live feeds or workouts, publish vlogs and even arrange Zoom calls so that they can keep in touch with members, demonstrating how the brand’s one-on-one relationships between franchisees and members stands out in the industry.

Additionally, Workout Anytime created a designated section of its website to address frequently asked questions about the coronavirus.

Mark de Gorter, COO of Workout Anytime, said, “When it became clear that the impact of this virus was going to be long-reaching for an indefinite amount of time, we knew that we needed to take the communities formed in our clubs and put them online. Exercise is a way for people to relieve stress and maintain their health, so it’s more important than ever before for our members to feel connected right now. That’s why we decided to speed up the launch of our app and create daily workouts — our goal is always to be a source of support for our members.”

That commitment to supporting and communicating with members also applies to Workout Anytime’s franchisees. In addition to ensuring that local owners have access to resources for their members, Workout Anytime’s corporate team has been communicating with franchisees constantly to check in and help them navigate the situation.

Jimmy Mak, for example, is Workout Anytime’s area developer for the southwest in addition to being a franchise owner himself. He oversees 20-plus locations owned by seven different franchisees, and he’s taking steps to ensure that they’re all set up for success.

“I call my owners daily to see how they’re doing and if they need anything. We also have a conference call every other day so that we can get together as a group and discuss what’s going on. And by the time we hang up the phone, I know that because I feel better, all of my owners feel better, too,” said Mak. “In times like this, it’s more about the support and communication — it’s so important that you don’t leave anybody in the dark. We’re all still a team, and we need to be on the same page.”

Ultimately, Workout Anytime’s entire team — including its corporate staff and franchisees — are eager to get back in the clubs. But for now, the brand is banding together to be positive during otherwise uncertain times.

Rana Pawan, a franchisee with Workout Anytime in Durant, Oklahoma, said, “What I’m trying to do is stick with my vision. When I entered into the agreement with Workout Anytime as a franchisee, I had a vision to help people. I picked Workout Anytime because it allows me to bring the best possible fitness equipment at a very low price point into a market that needed it from a wellness perspective. That’s how I started this journey — it’s all about helping, saving and changing lives one person at a time. That’s how we’ll get through this. Now more than ever, it’s about all of us banding together and helping each other.”