As founder of The Huffington Post, Arianna Huffington has long been a thought leader and trailblazer. A recent Quartz article served to remind us of exactly this fact. Because it was way back in 2016 that Huffington created Thrive Global – a company that, as the home page of its website boldly states, is “on a mission to end the burnout epidemic”. Thrive Global’s is working to “debunk the collective delusion that burnout is the price we must pay for success”.

Indeed, in a recent Deloitte survey, 95% of executives agreed they should be responsible for employee wellbeing, while 83 per cent said they would increase their responsibility to it over the next two years.

Yet increase it they must, because there remains a significant gap between appreciation in principle of the value of employee wellbeing versus acting on ensuring wellbeing is embedded at the heart of a business.

Corporate Wellness Is In Everyone’s Best Interest 

The same Deloitte report found that around one in three employees and executives are constantly struggling with fatigue and poor mental health. That 57% of employees and 69%of executives are seriously considering quitting for a more supportive job. That on average 72% would be more likely to stay with their company if it better supported their wellbeing. And that 68% of employees and 81% of the C-suite see improving their wellbeing as more important than advancing their career.

Yet in spite of all this, obstacles still stand in the way of doing things that would help – taking micro-breaks during the day, finishing work at a reasonable hour, taking a proper lunch break and getting good quality sleep, for example. The most commonly quoted issues: having a heavy workload or stressful job (30 per cent) and/or not having enough time because of long working hours (27%).

It doesn’t help that C-suite executives consistently underestimate how much employees are actually struggling with their wellbeing, or that – while 91% of executives believe their employees look positively on their company’s wellbeing efforts – in fact only 56% of employees believe their employer cares about their wellbeing.

Companies must tune in far better to their workforces’ needs, then act on them.

And it really is in everyone’s best interests. Even as long ago as 2016 – before issues were compounded by the pandemic and the challenges of hybrid working – a study by Global Corporate Challenge found that employees may miss an average of four days annually, but that they’re unproductive for almost 58 days a year. This presenteeism was reported to cost businesses 10 times more than absenteeism.

As Huffington explains: “Employee wellbeing and mental health improve business metrics like retention, attrition, productivity and healthcare costs.”

How to Start Corporate Wellness

The 2022 Employee Wellness Industry Trends Report by Wellable Labs highlights some interesting shifts in focus among organisations already striving to deliver corporate wellness.

• On-demand fitness is hot, appreciated for its flexibility and affordability, and is seeing a scaling up of investment
• On-site classes and reimbursement of gym membership are being dialled back
• Mental health is a top priority and an area where more resource is being added, including meditation, mindfulness and stress management
• Companies appreciate the importance of proper sleep, but have yet to find the resources they need to support their employees in this way

It almost reads like a who’s who of the Wexer offering, with our Mobile ecosystem putting world-class wellness content – covering all of these areas and more – in people’s hands wherever and whenever they need it, through any connected device.

Because it’s all very well encouraging micro-breaks and proper lunch hours, but you do also need to hand your employees the tools to turn these into wellness breaks.

That might be as simple as easing and re-mobilising their bodies after sitting at a desk all day. It might be achieving a moment of calm during their commute, re-energising during their lunch hour by getting their heart pumping, or winding down at the end of a busy day.

Whatever they need, they’ll find it in our ever-growing, market-leading corporate wellness library. We have a huge collection of mind-body and meditation classes. We have relaxation sessions and guided stretching. We’ve partnered with Sweat Factor to offer its fantastic Office Fit series, as well as Self-Care by Sweat Factor. Mind123 takes a holistic, educational approach to all facets and contributors to wellbeing. And we even plug the gap identified by Wellable Labs, providing content around sleep in the shape of Sweat Factor’s Sleep Stories.

And that’s without touching on the vast library of health and fitness content – from cardio and strength to dance, cycling, HIIT and far, far more besides – to get those endorphins flowing, stress released and mental focus regained.

Wexer is here to help you create a first-class corporate wellness for to improve employee wellbeing.

Read more here or get in touch at info@wexer.com

The post Corporate Wellness Strategies: How to Take the Leap to ‘Nailing It’ appeared first on Wexer.

The partnership will see Wexer Virtual technology harnessed to make Hanu’s world-class content available for on-demand, 24/7 use in gyms, hotels and residential developments across the American continent. End users will be able to enjoy more than 20 different training disciplines, all automatically programmed and customised for each location.

José Antonio Condell, CEO and co-founder of Hanu, says the company has identified strong opportunities within “off-peak hours in gyms, multi-purpose rooms within residential buildings and hotels, and hotel guestrooms”, with the Wexer-Hanu partnership now set to “enable and make profitable the spaces that are under-used for much of the day”.

Felipe Apablaza, Hanu Co-Founder and CEO of DMOOV Fitness Clubs & RFA Fitness Equipment, adds: “Our extensive research into the innovative, disruptive technologies within the health, fitness and wellness industry brought us to Wexer. We are delighted that this partnership will bring our platform and content to an even broader audience.”

“This unique solution for the Latin American market presents fantastic opportunities for both Wexer and Hanu,” confirms Robert Louw, Chief Growth Officer at Wexer. “Adding Hanu’s full range of high-quality content allows us to even better penetrate and serve Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking markets with content that immediately resonates with local audiences.

“Meanwhile, Hanu benefits from a new distribution channel that brings with it significant growth opportunities, both in terms of verticals and geographical territories.

“It is a win-win for both our companies, but also for gyms, hotels, residential developments and consumers alike as this fantastic content becomes available through our platform.”

For more information, get in touch at info@wexer.com

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The addition of Cycling Sophie’s German language content enriches Wexer’s library, catering to a diverse global audience. In this blog post, we dive into what makes Cycling Sophie’s content unique, her inspiring journey, and how this partnership with Wexer is set to revolutionize the indoor cycling experience.

Pedaling to the Rhythm of Success: What Cycling Sophie Offers

Cycling Sophie’s philosophy centers around rhythm and performance-based indoor cycling with a special emphasis on the power of music in every class. But it’s not just about the music beats, Sophie crafts her classes with specific goals in mind. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced cyclist, each session is designed to cater to your needs and help you achieve your fitness objectives.

With the integration of Myzone heart rate zones, Cycling Sophie ensures that every class is a personalized journey for you and your body. Sophie shared, “It really is just about you and your body. You don’t ever need to worry that you won’t be good enough to do my classes.”

“Cycling Sophie offers classes for all levels – beginner, intermediate and advanced – with workouts ranging from 15 to 90 minutes. There really is something for everyone.”

~ Sophie Joline Fischer ~

From English to German: Unveiling the Surge in Demand

While Cycling Sophie initially created content in English to connect with a global audience, it was the shift to producing German language content that truly set the wheels in motion. As the first to offer this unique approach to indoor cycling in Germany, Sophie saw her YouTube user numbers skyrocket. With a gap in the market and a strong demand for quality content in the German language, Cycling Sophie quickly became a sensation, filling a void that enthusiasts had long been searching for.

There just wasn’t anyone else doing this for indoor cycling, and the demand in Germany was high.

A Powerful Partnership: Cycling Sophie Joins Wexer

Sophie’s journey took an exciting turn when Core Health & Fitness, the exclusive commercial licensee of the Schwinn brand and owner of Wexer, approached her. This partnership led to the integration of Cycling Sophie’s content into the Wexer ecosystem. With her workouts now available on Wexer Virtual – the in-club system – and Wexer Mobile, Sophie’s reach extends to indoor cycling enthusiasts in clubs worldwide who may not have previously encountered her captivating content.

Sophie shared, “It’s really exciting, because it gives us a chance to reach people who cycle in clubs and who might not have come across Cycling Sophie yet. We will start with 30 workouts on the Wexer platform – 80 per cent of which are in German, the remainder in English – and will regularly add new multilingual content.

Sophie’s Story: From Professional Cyclist to Inspiring Influencer

Sophie’s path to indoor cycling stardom is one of perseverance and passion. Having been a member of the German national youth cycling team from the age of 16, Sophie’s love for cycling ran deep. She embraced indoor cycling, starting out as a participant before becoming an instructor in 2017. 

However, a life-altering accident in 2018 forced her to shift her focus from outdoor cycling to indoor workouts. She shares, “I had a serious bike accident outdoors. I only survived because I was wearing a helmet. I lost confidence outdoors and indoor cycling became my go-to workout. There’s now nothing I enjoy more, and I aim to share that passion with everyone who cycles with me.”

What began as a personal coping mechanism soon evolved into a mission to share her newfound passion with others.

The Spark Behind Cycling Sophie: Empowerment and Inspiration

The onset of the pandemic brought about unprecedented challenges, but it also fueled the birth of Cycling Sophie. She saw in-club fitness attendees were looking for ways to stay active during the lockdown. Sophie and her business partner Jan envisioned a platform that offered more than just exercise routines. They aimed to inspire and empower individuals at various fitness levels and offer workouts ranging from 15 to 90 minutes that truly reflected Sophie’s unwavering enthusiasm.

They uploaded the first Cycling Sophie multilingual content to YouTube in January 2021. Their goal was to change how people felt about indoor cycling. Sophie said, “In Germany, it’s always been seen as a tough workout where the room is full of men in lycra. I wanted to change that, sharing my passion with new and younger audiences.”

Milestones and Dreams: Cycling Sophie’s Impact

Cycling Sophie’s influence is undeniable. Sophie’s online presence is a testament to the positive impact she’s making in the fitness world. She has almost 1 million YouTube clicks and a robust following on Instagram. However, beyond the numbers, Sophie’s proudest achievement lies in the lives she’s touched.

Daily messages of gratitude pour in from individuals whose lives have been transformed by her approach. Sophie envisions a future with her own indoor cycling studio, but for now, her focus remains on radiating positive energy through her virtual presence.

“Cycling Sophie’s excellent content is exactly what we were looking for, allowing us to support our customers across Germany with expert but fun classes that will help clubs do exactly what Sophie set out to do: change the way people view indoor cycling and inspire new audiences to get involved.”

~ Morten Andersen, Global Head of Content at Wexer. ~

Embracing the Cycling Revolution with Sophie and Wexer

The partnership between Cycling Sophie and Wexer marks a significant stride in the evolution of indoor cycling and provides more cycling multilingual content. By joining forces, they’re breaking barriers and redefining the way we approach workouts. Check out this article about The Future of Indoor Cycling: The Virtual Trends Fueling the Evolution by Morten Andersen, Wexer’s Global Head of Content.

With a commitment to offering tailored experiences and fostering a sense of community, Cycling Sophie’s content on the Wexer platform promises to captivate, inspire, and empower cycling enthusiasts around the globe.

As Sophie continues to pedal to the rhythm of her dreams, her journey becomes an invitation for us all to embrace the joy and vitality of indoor cycling.

If you want to learn more about how Wexer can support your digital content strategy, get in touch – info@wexer.com  

More Information

Wexer Press Contact: Claire Evans claire.evans@wexer.com

Cycling Sophie

Sophie Joline Fischer

Cycling Sophie YouTube

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You might think of it as a gentler side to fitness – the yin to HIIT’s yang – and it’s all about taking care of your body and mind. It’s about recovering from your workouts and creating some headspace in stressed times.

And it’s a huge growth area, with our Q3 data showing a significant rise in usage of our Stretch and Recover category. We’re seeing high levels of interest in all-round stretching sessions to relax the body, but also in targeted sessions for desk-sitters, for example, who need particular stretches and movements after spending a large portion of their day at the office.

Our Wellness category is also growing in popularity, including the broad range of meditation sessions we offer – a trending content genre. Most users prefer short meditations that provide a quick mental boost during the day or around bedtime, including using some of our dedicated bedtime meditations or sleep stories.

Look After Yourself In 30 minutes – or Less

When it comes to workout time, our data is clear and confirms previously observed trends: short workouts are trending. Indeed, 84% of all workouts selected on our Web Player have a duration of less than 30 minutes.

The most popular workout durations are 10–20 minutes and 20–30 minutes – but that may change soon, as usage of the 0–10-minute category is up almost 8% this quarter. The trend towards shorter and shorter workouts and sessions continues.

In turn, this is casting a spotlight on the value of Wexer’s large, varied workout library:

• You can always find something relevant, wherever you are and whenever you need to squeeze a workout into your busy schedule.
• It’s easier to experiment: You can try things you normally wouldn’t, as you aren’t committing yourself to a long workout.
• Stack and build: 30 minutes available to work out means you can stack 3 x 10-minute workouts to create precisely the session you want.

Top 25 Fitness and Wellness Options = Huge Diversity

As mentioned previously, one of the main advantages of Wexer’s digital library is the huge variety it offers. Certainly, when looking at our top 25 titles, it’s clear you can look after yourself by taking full advantage of the breadth and diversity of our library, with almost all training types and categories represented.

The top 25 includes six yoga classes or yoga-inspired stretch sessions. Another six classes focus on stretching, recovery practices or meditation, confirming the holistic fitness trend. The remainder of the top-ranking classes range from classic cardio workouts to dance moves to a lot of strength and conditioning sessions: HIIT-based, core-focused… you name it, it’s there in the list!

Find out more about Wexer’s unparalleled content library and how it could add value to your customers at info@wexer.com

The post It’s Cool To Look After Yourself With Fitness and Wellness Options appeared first on Wexer.

We thought it might be useful to move on from the why and look instead at the how of taking your business hybrid. We’ve stripped it back to five important steps.

Steps To Digital Transformation

#1 – Have a clear Digital strategy

Before you act, ensure you have a strong digital strategy in the first stages to digital transformation.

Acknowledge and embrace the change that’s happening, recognise your strengths and weaknesses, and develop a strategy you can execute.

Remember that your digital offering will be your extension of your brand. If you have loyal members at your club, and you create an online offering that’s relevant to them, the big brands – the Apples and influencers of this world – become less of a threat.

So, who are your members, your demographic, and what do they want?

What would a digital extension of your offering and your brand look like?

This isn’t about copying others. It’s about complementing your unique in-club experience with a digital one that’s equally unique and relevant to your customers. It’s about creating a seamless journey that allows your members to step into your brand more often.

It’s also about choosing your digital partner wisely: one with relevant and reliable technology, content that suits your model, an option to monetise should you wish, scope to own and personalise the experience. A partner who will be with you every step of the way, taking the headache out of getting things up and running and providing ongoing support and expertise.

#2 – Understand what hybrid is

Digital isn’t, or certainly shouldn’t be, an add-on. To bust a common misconception, hybrid categorically doesn’t mean ‘in-club over here, digital over there’.

What hybrid actually means is embracing digital and in-person equally, enabling an omnichannel approach where a seamless series of touchpoints allows every single customer to consume your product in the way that best suits them on any given day.

As Garrett Marshall of Xponential Fitness observed in a recent edition of The Wexer Podcast, it’s then about understanding the consumer value of these different facets of your brand experience. His advice: it’s OK to acknowledge that the in-studio or in-club experience remains the pinnacle, while all the while selling digital too.

Because in-person will always be your all-singing, all-dancing sensory experience: the lights, the scent, the community, the atmosphere. But for the role it plays – allowing people to still participate when time or geography doesn’t allow for in-person, or indeed complementing in-person with stretching, meditation and recovery for example – the experiential step down doesn’t in any way diminish the relevance, importance or value of digital.

Digital must be viewed as a critical business unit that receives the same level of attention as your physical space.

#3 – Create a content plan

In a hybrid world, members need to be able to dive straight in to a familiar experience wherever they are; health clubs must deliver exactly the same user experience across all digital and physical touchpoints.

And of course, where equipment is essentially anchored to the gym, content can be perfectly replicated and disseminated across all channels. Content is therefore the key to omnichannel delivery of the club experience, so your next step must be to create a content plan.

We’re talking your own content: the content that features your own loyalty-driving superstars, that you must make available not only in-club but also digitally, via every possible channel and touchpoint, to enable omnichannel delivery of your signature club experience.

But we’re also talking third-party content, which should also be made available via every possible channel and touchpoint to ensure strength in depth of your content offering at all times: all levels, all interests, all catered for, all the time.

These dual strands of content are equally important: our data shows the variety of Wexer’s global content library is what draws people to on-demand in the first place, but the locally-produced content plays a major role in keeping them there.

#4 – Secure team buy-in

Make it a team effort. Gather your talent, identify their skillsets and clearly assign who does what. To make hybrid a success, you need buy-in at all levels of the organisation, not just your leadership.

Ensure that your whole team can talk about what you’re doing with genuine understanding and passion. And show them how they can bring value to digital as well as physical themselves, highlighting how this can, in turn, enhance their own visibility and careers.

Get your superstars contributing content digitally as well as in-person, incentivising and rewarding them for doing so. Empower and incentivise them to promote this content among their followers, too. Help them grow their profile at the same time as rewarding them for their role in your success, to ensure their ongoing loyalty to your brand even as their reach and appeal grows.

But remember it isn’t just about your superstars. Every single member of your team needs to be involved in the steps to digital transformation. Everyone needs to understand how the in-person experiences they deliver fit into the ecosystem of your now omnichannel business, as well as looking for ways to add to the digital experience too.

#5 – Critique your content plan

You created a content plan already in #3 of your stages to digital transformation,  now you need to keep evolving it, fine-tuning it, bespoking it around your members’ very specific needs and behaviours.

To get your content just right, you have to regularly dig into the data, analysing both in-club and at-home usage, then crafting your offering around your findings.

Because this is the great thing about taking the steps to digital transformation in your business model: you can very clearly track exactly what members are doing, what content they’re consuming, which instructors they’re loving and which types of classes are most popular.

Take your content lead from this. Be ready to pivot. Be ready to respond. Create more of what your members want, then place this content at the heart of your marketing.

If you’d like to chat about hybrid and how we can help you take the all-important next – or even first – step, please get in touch at info@wexer.com

The post 5 Steps to Digital Transformation: The ‘How To’ Of Hybrid appeared first on Wexer.

CITYROW started life in 2014 as a New York City-based boutique fitness studio–one that specialised in total-body, high-intensity, low-impact workouts using a water-based rowing machine alongside strength training exercises.

It has since grown and become a digital fitness platform offering group fitness experiences led by its team of highly experienced, motivational instructors and perfected in the studio for on-demand use at home, in the gym or on the go.

With a basic premise of supporting sustainable, holistic fitness for anybody of any age and any level, its immersive workouts deliver cardio, strength training, endurance and mobility in every class.

As CITYROW joins Wexer with their unique virtual content, rowing meets the mat for a total, heart-pounding, results-based workout in as little as 20 minutes.

“Rowing works 86% of your muscles in every stroke for a true total body workout,” says Wexer’s Global Head of Content, Morten Andersen. “The result is an intense, efficient yet safe workout that delivers exceptional results without pounding your joints.”

Yet there’s more to CITYROW than rowing; not all workouts even require a rowing machine. There are Signature and Cardio+Core classes that feature high-intensity intervals on the rower combined with mat-based strength exercises, while Endurance, HIIT the Rower and Power Row use the rowing machine for a majority of the workout. But there are also dumbbell-based strength workouts and even bodyweight-only HIIT the Floor, Mat Pilates, Active Yoga and Restorative Yoga classes. In all cases, the content is fresh so you never get bored.

“I started CITYROW because I knew there had to be a better way to work out: sustainable and effective, high-intensity but low-impact,” says its CEO and founder Helaine Knapp. “Results today, body for life. For us, it’s more than a workout. It’s a mission.”

Find out more about CITYROW joins Wexer and all the other fantastic content partners in Wexer’s world-beating library: info@wexer.com

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“At Yogaia, we therefore go beyond yoga and fitness. Our vision is to inspire and guide every body and mind to build wellbeing and self-care into every day, and we offer simple tools and guided online classes to show you how.”

Founded in Finland in 2013, Yogaia was the brainchild of CEO Mikko Petäjä, who realised he was getting stressed by having rush to a studio for yoga class while also juggling a busy work and personal life. He searched for an online alternative that would offer the in-studio experience, but at the time was unable to find one. So he founded one.

The result is a studio that comes to you, on-demand, 24/7, to put wellbeing at your fingertips. Offering all the guided classes your body and mind need – fitness, yoga and mental practice – there are also tried and tested self-care tools that guarantee ‘aha’ moments and that make minutes matter.

And it’s all now available on the Wexer platform.

“We are thrilled to work with Wexer, whose platform provides an amazing opportunity to reach so many people who are interested in wellbeing,” confirms Petäjä.

Go small, feel better

Yogaia believes people often underestimate how much they can improve their wellbeing in five to 10 minutes, meaning they tend to do nothing if they don’t have a longer period of time available.

Its 10 Minutes or Less class collection addresses exactly this issue, proving that minutes do matter when a class is well-designed. Bringing together a selection of all-time favourites, there are options here whether you want to break a sweat or just gently refresh your mind and body. Across all classes, Yogaia’s expert instructors pack a huge amount of goodness into a short amount of time – all without the class feeling rushed.

“If you could feel better in minutes, would you click ‘play’ and follow along?” asks Soininen. “Because with Yogaia, that’s all it takes. It’s why we talk about Yogaia as ‘the smallest thing you can do to feel better today’.”

Another great collection available now on Wexer is Relax and Restore, where classes have been designed to recharge our batteries, balancing out active lifestyles with dedicated time for relaxation and the restoration of mind and body. Most classes involve soothing, mindful movement, but there are also deep relaxation classes and mindfulness sessions.

Try our favourites!

With new live and on-demand classes streamed daily from Yogaia’s studios in London, Los Angeles and Finland – catering for three levels, from beginner to advanced – there’s always a fresh new workout to enjoy. Some of our favourites include…

Deep Relaxation – Yoga Nidra

Deep relaxation practice is gaining more and more popularity as a way to soothe the mind and restore the body.

This simple yet effective meditation practice is instructor-guided, meaning no previous experience is required. Practised while laying down in a comfortable position, the idea is to enter a state of complete physical and mental relaxation by reaching a stage where you’re physiologically asleep but still maintaining internal and external awareness.

Benefits include lower stress levels, improved sleep quality, reduced cognitive and physiological symptoms of anxiety, and improved self-regulation – clarity of thought, control over anger, self-confidence and so on.

Refresh & Reset In 5

This simple mindful movement class always delivers what it promises. It’s the perfect pick-me-up to do in the morning – or, indeed, at any time of day when you need some refreshment for the mind and body!

Find out more about Yogaia and Wexer’s other fantastic global content partners at info@wexer.com

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We’ve crunched all the Web Player usage data from the first half of 2022, across all our customers around the world, and there are some interesting themes emerging…

Strength is strong

Looking across all the different genres of workout available on our platform, strength has emerged as a clear favourite for the first half of this year, accounting for a quarter (25.5%) of all content streamed.

While cardio comes in as the second most popular genre, it accounts for only 13.8% of streams, suggesting that many people still look to the larger equipment of the gym – or perhaps going for a run or bike ride – for their cardio workouts.

Strength workouts, however – often done using smaller pieces of kit or even bodyweight only – are seen as achievable, non gym-based workouts. On a similar vein, bootcamps accounted for 12.1% of streams.

We thought it would be interesting to break the strength data down further, and we found that full-body strength workouts dominated: 42.5% of all strength workouts done through our Web Player platform were full-body. This was closely followed by core workouts, which accounted for 32.5% of the strength workouts selected by our global users.

Complementing in-club

Continuing on the theme of complementing rather than duplicating in-club workouts, we’re still seeing recovery and low impact styles of workout coming through as popular choices on the Web Player.

Yoga alone accounted for 12.3% of all Web Player workouts in H1 2022; if you add together the usage of our yoga, pilates, meditation and stretch & recover content, you get to a nice round 30%.

That’s almost one in three at-home workouts incorporating a good degree of stretching, flexibility and mind-body connection.

We’re hearing a lot of clubs anecdotally reporting that members are doing different workouts at home from what they do in-club, whereby home is seen as a great space for recovery and club for the more high-impact, high-energy workouts. Our data supports this.

Stack it up

There’s a really interesting trend in terms of length of workout selected, too, whereby the most popular class length is 20–30 minutes (38.6%), followed by 10–20 minutes (29.4%).

Class durations of under 10 minutes account for 15.3% of streams, and 30–40 minutes for 12.5%. Anything longer than 40 minutes drops almost off the radar.

However – and here’s the big learning – in almost half of all sessions (47.9%), the actual stream time was less than 10 minutes. Meanwhile, 25.5% of streams lasted 10–20 minutes, and 19.2% 20–30 minutes.

Put another way, while a large proportion of users are selecting workouts that have been recorded as 20- to 30-minute sessions, not everyone is completing those workouts.

What the data suggests they are doing instead is taking the ‘meat’ of those workouts, then switching to a separate, dedicated stretch class for example – for a more comprehensive, extended stretch – rather than using the cool-down of the main workout.

The learning? Digital users want stackable content delivered in bite-sized chunks so they can mix and match at home, building a jam-packed session that fits their mood and needs that day, as well as the time they have available.

Keep it fresh

A final observation, which is a point we’ve made before but which is still absolutely key: members want a steady stream of fresh content, so they always have something new to try and don’t get bored doing the same-old virtual workout from home.

The evidence? We’re seeing significantly more usage on our platform for the content providers who are really active, launching new content on their channels on a regular basis, than for those who upload a class collection and then leave it untouched for months.

For more guidance on the content trends that can help you shape your digital business, get in touch now: info@wexer.com

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For that, it is to be congratulated. The foundations are well and truly laid for a hybrid future – one in which gym operators are as relevant to exercisers away from the club as they are in-person.

We have also played our part. Throughout the course of this year, we’ve put our foot on the development accelerator pedal to ensure world-class support for the sector as it sped forward into not just a digital future, but a digital present.

Just in case you missed anything, we wanted to take this opportunity to do a quick roll call, highlighting some of Wexer’s key innovations from 2020 that will help operators thrive in 2021 and beyond.

Wexer Web Player

• Web Player Connect – launched in June, Connect provides operators with their own space in the Web Player to stream their self-created live and on-demand content in a password-protected, white labelled, monetisable environment.
• Live streaming – available within Connect, operators can now use the Web Player to stream their own live (and ‘as-live’) content, as well as on-demand.
• Class of the day feature – ensures there’s always something fresh and engaging to keep variety-seeking members motivated.
• Collections – 30+ new class collections launched this year, all themed to help exercisers find exactly what they’re looking for.
• Updated design/UX – launched a new interface for a more user-friendly experience – helping exercisers find the best and most relevant content.
• Channels – created for a January 2021 launch, Channels shines a spotlight on content creators, inspiring a steady stream of fresh new uploads and making it extra-easy for end users to find their perfect workout.
• Adestra – launched in Q4, Adestra is a powerful communications tool that’s integrated with our Web Player offering. Free for all clients, the platform enables operators to create and automate engaging targeted email campaigns to members.

Wexer Virtual

• QR code integration – with the move towards hybrid, it was important that in-club Virtual was brought into the Web Player and App ecosystem. Our QR code integration delivers this, allowing members to scan an in-club Virtual workout and take it away to do at home.

Wexer Mobile

• Wexer SDK (Software Development Kit) – operators can now take some or all of the huge content library and features available in our app, and easily integrate them into their own apps. Members enjoy strength in depth in their gym’s online experience; operators don’t have to produce the content themselves.
• Club MMS integrations – we’ve integrated our ecosystem with Motionsoft, Legend and Gladstone. Any operators using these systems, who want to give their members access to Wexer’s Mobile solutions, can do so quickly and simply, with access control already in place.
• User authentication platform integrations – we’ve also integrated with Azure SSO and OpenID SSO, two of the most popular single sign-on platforms, to control access and drive seamlessness in the online member experience.

With an extensive development roadmap ahead of us, this momentum will now continue into 2021 and beyond.

Our mission: to continue to support you, through user-friendly technology and the assistance of our dedicated teams, to ensure that – even as tech continues to advance – you have the market’s easiest-to-use tools at your disposal to meet the new and emerging demands of your customers.

To find out more, please contact us at info@wexer.com

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What are you putting in place to ensure your members’ needs – likely evolved since lockdown – are comprehensively catered for when gyms are back in full swing?

Here’s what we know:

• Online fitness is here to stay
  Not a replacement for the gym, but a convenient alternative for ‘at home’ days, online fitness has fast become a staple in people’s workout routines. We also know, with the shift in working patterns looking set to stay, that those ‘at home’ days will be far more numerous than was the case pre-COVID.
• Content creators will power the online experience
  From gyms to individual trainers to influencers, lockdown highlighted the levels of engagement that can be achieved through online fitness content. 2021 will see a concerted push by brands around the world, placing their leading content creators directly in the public eye. Able to connect with exercisers even when they aren’t in the same physical room, this new breed of online content-creation rockstars will increasingly be sought out by fitness consumers for their out-of-club experiences.
• Virtual group exercise is booming
  In-club, members returning from lockdown are demanding more virtual GX, and not just because of social distancing. It’s because they’re now comfortable with following an on-screen lead.
• Gyms gave up control in 2020
  By hosting gyms’ online experiences this year, social platforms have taken a degree of ownership and control away from operators. Gyms must now build their own branded ecosystems – a way to establish ownership of, and brand loyalty through, the full in- and out-of-club fitness journey.

Here’s how Wexer can help:

• Any time, anywhere
  Our SDK solution and white label Web Player mean you can deliver the fitness experiences your members want, wherever they are and whenever they want to train.
• A white label platform for content creators
  Using Web Player Connect, clubs can upload their own live-streamed and on-demand content, ensuring all digital experiences live in one branded, monetisable space. Meanwhile a new Channels feature, launching in January, will provide top influencers and rockstar trainers with a platform to reach new audiences.
• The world’s ‘go-to’ in-club solution
  Wexer Virtual remains the world-class solution for in-club virtual GX. Bringing together over 1,500 constantly refreshed classes from the top content providers, programmers and trainers across the globe, it’s also the most robust, reliable solution on the market.
• Returning ownership to the gyms
  Wexer’s ecosystem of white label products allows operators to, in turn, build their own ecosystems: branded networks of physical and digital touchpoints through which the operator can deliver ownable experiences any time, anywhere, taking control of the customer relationship and building loyalty.

For more information on the Wexer Web Player, SDK or Wexer Virtual, or to discuss how we can help your business embrace the digital age, please contact us at info@wexer.com

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