Photo Credit: Fran Schlindwein
With the advent of warmer weather, clients and Instructors alike are eager to get their exercise (and a dose of vitamin D) outdoors. Offering services outdoors is a great way to energize your classes, help your clients maintain their practice and attract new members. Here we guide you through six tips for delivering successful outdoor services.
Location, location, location!
Every urban center offers green space of some sort, whether it be a water front, park, school yard or private lawn. Scope out a location and time of day that offers ample space and a bit of a privacy away from busy traffic or construction. Try to locate something that is accessible by transit, close to your clientele and offers public washrooms. You may have to get creative and work with a local business or organization that offers the perfect spot, like a school yard or community centre.
Bring the necessities
Clients are sure to be impressed if you come armed with the necessities that they may have overlooked. STOTT PILATES® Instructor and Junction9 owner Kailey Beddoe recommends packing a bag with spare sunglasses and hats, sunscreen, a travel first aid kit, some water and maybe even a towel or two. Charge your cellphone and keep it handy. Ahead of time, send a class reminder with what to bring, where to meet and how to get there.
Use your surroundings
Get resourceful and incorporate your natural surroundings to add challenge and variety to classes that indoor training can’t afford. Get creative with how you can utilize public infrastructure to substitute for equipment your clients love. Jennifer Glumac, a STOTT PILATES and Total Barre® Instructor and owner of Studio ENERGY FIT in Croatia, recommends park benches for step ups, stairs for lunges and fences for Total Barre workouts.
Think portable props
Think lightweight and easy to carry! Of course you’ll communicate if your class is BYO-Mat, but bringing some familiar props to the outdoors keeps things fresh. As STOTT PILATES Instructor Rebecca Beckler of Pilates949 fame says, “If I do bring a prop [outdoors], it would be Flex-Bands® because they are so small, light and very versatile.” Mini Handweights or Soft Dumbbells are great for adding challenge to exercises as well as Mini Stability Balls™, and Fitness Circle® Flex.
Invite the kids
With so many kids on summer break, many Instructors encourage clients to bring them along to an outdoor workout. It’s a great opportunity for the family to get outside and enjoy some fresh air together, and Rebecca Beckler says that encouraging clients to bring their kids instills a stronger sense of community among her clientele. Kids and parents become better acquainted, and it’s a great example for young ones to see Mom and Dad prioritizing an active lifestyle.
Bring your business card or flyer
Outdoor workouts often invite spectators, and will likely stir up the interest of passers-by. Don’t miss out on these potential new clients—be sure to come armed with your business card, introductory-offer flyer or any other form of collateral that could help grow your business.
*Merrithew™ equipment is not for use outdoors in humid environments.