Les Mills Unveils ‘Blended’ Fitness Solutions to Future-Proof Clubs

SOURCE: Les Mills

CHICAGO, IL, November 13, 2020 – Les Mills has launched a suite of digital solutions to help clubs future-proof by expanding their reach in the booming online fitness space while complementing their live offerings.

The group fitness expert is rolling out new products to support clubs with driving new revenue by meeting growing consumer demand for a ‘blended’ fitness offering. This combines the best of digital and live fitness to produce a connected solution enabling members to work out however they choose.

The culmination of two years of development work, Les Mills has accelerated the product launch to help clubs embark on a post-lockdown phase of growth. This follows the recovery support provided to clubs through lockdown in the form of free 60-day access to LES MILLS On Demand for members, temporary livestream solutions, a host of club recovery assets and Instructor support.

The newly-launched digital solutions include:

• Enhanced livestream workouts – Clubs offering live Les Mills workouts can now deliver the latest versions of many of the world-famous classes to their members via livestream. Clubs can livestream using whichever platform they prefer, provided the necessary music licenses are in place with their local performing rights societies.

• App workout content – Clubs can bring the world’s best workouts into their own member app without the need for CapEx and mass content creation. Spanning various Les Mills programs, clubs host the content via their own branded ecosystem and set the price members pay them for access.

• LES MILLS On Demand Affiliate Program – Clubs can support their members’ entire fitness journey by providing home workouts via LES MILLS On Demand and receiving a share of the revenue for each sign-up. Members have access to the full LMOD ecosystem, including Les Mills workouts, training programs and community support.

• Online training – Les Mills Instructor training and Group Fitness Management (GFM) training have now been digitized, making it easier than ever for clubs to upskill their teams and improve their business with world-class training.

“The who, what, why, where, and how of delivering exercise have been changing for the past few years and this has been rapidly accelerated by COVID-19,” said Sean Turner, CEO, Les Mills US. “We’re now entering a new age of fitness, where clubs are uniquely placed to meet growing consumer demand for a blend between online and offline fitness services. With health and fitness now a top-tier priority for people of all ages, there are huge opportunities for club growth through a connected member experience. Live fitness remains the pinnacle, and a key differentiator for clubs, while online offerings can help clubs expand their reach and break down barriers to fitness for people you might not typically see in the gym.”

The updated offering comes as COVID-19 accelerates the nascent growth of consumer appetite for digital workout options. The 2019 Global Consumer Fitness Survey showed that before COVID-19, 85 percent of gym members were also exercising at home. With global club membership numbers enjoying a decade of year-on-year growth from 2009-2019, the findings indicated that smart use of digital fitness platforms was helping to grow the fitness market and reach new audiences, rather than cannibalize existing members.

Having provided a number of digital services to support clubs and Instructors during lockdown, Les Mills is now working with club partners, including 24 Hour Fitness, to accelerate their business.

“When we introduced 24GO, our personalized workout app, the digital fitness landscape was less mature.  As the market’s appetite for digital fitness developed—based on travel, limited time availability, and now COVID-19 stay at home orders, 24GO has exploded in popularity,” said Beth Smits, Vice President, Fitness Operations, 24 Hour Fitness. “We’re pleased to further our long-term partnership with Les Mills by offering an enhanced selection of extremely popular workout options that are accessible both virtually and inside our physical club environment.”

For more information on the suite of digital solutions, contact: [email protected]

About Les Mills

Les Mills is the global leader in group fitness, with 20 programs currently available in participating gyms and fitness facilities worldwide. Les Mills programs include the world’s first group exercise resistance training workout BODYPUMP™, BODYCOMBAT™ (martial arts), RPM™ (indoor cycling), BOYBALANCE™ (yoga), LES MILLS GRIT™ (30-minute high-intensity interval training) and the revolutionary immersive cycle experience, THE TRIP™. Each workout is refreshed and updated with new choreography and music every three months.

Founded in New Zealand in 1968 by four-time Olympian Les Mills, the company has grown over the past 52 years to become the world-leader group fitness. Les Mills workouts are delivered by 140,000 certified instructors in 20,000 clubs across 100 countries and are available as live, virtual and immersive classes, as well as via the LES MILLS™ On Demand streaming platform.