Onda Group

Time to tuck into a Friday night takeaway! 😋

OK, maybe 'death' is a tad dramatic!

But people are craving flexibility, particularly on Gen Z and Millennials.

The desire to travel, hybrid work schedules, and interest in mixing and matching different boutique studios lend themselves well to a more flexible model. People want class packs and hybrid bundles that include digital and in-person classes.

So how do we keep attracting clients?

Partnering with platforms like ClassPass can help you fill space with users 'just passing through', or wanting to try out different types of exercise.

If your business model relies heavily on memberships, then using your site management software 'pause' feature can help you retain those clients who simply aren't around for 12 months a year!

Head over to Northern Life Magazine to read all about Laura's journey with the The Sisterhood Rickshaw Rally 2026!

Featured in the latest edition ⭐

We’re back at Elevate Arena on the 17th & 18th of June 🥳

They’ve got everyone in the industry. From independent gyms to major public and private UK chains, from performance coaches, sports therapists, and healthcare professionals to policymakers, kit suppliers and designers, and the sector's future leaders.

All those big brains and bigger ideas all under one roof!

Make sure you head to their website to grab a ticket and come and say hello to us at Stand D53 - right across the way from our good friends ClubRight ! 👋

🎟️: https://loom.ly/q9y9y8k

It’s been a long, hard week, it’s time to get comfy with another Friday night takeaway 🍟

As you well know, there’s been an upward trend of businesses adopting AI. But where does it belong in your business?

People want a deep, authentic human connection with their coaches. Studies tracking fitness adherence show that one-on-one personal coaching is one of the most effective ways to counteract client drop-off.

You can’t use AI to replace that. AI might be able to replace an in-person movement assessment and ask clients where a squat feels uncomfortable. It can’t identify the psychological fear a client has with performing a box jump, empathise with it and help them move past it!

AI can’t read the energy of a session. It can’t create a space for someone to rant or relieve stress. You can’t automate empathy. It can’t help navigate the emotion underlying diet plans and the nutritional side of fitness. Your clients need YOU.

But you can automate the back office bits. It can generate baseline programming for clients that you can edit to personalise, so you’re not starting from scratch every time. It can help analyse your data so you know who needs a rest day or a check-in text. This way, you free up time to spend with your clients doing the face-to-face bits that have an impact.

Where do you think AI belongs in the gym? Let us know in the comments.

Say hello to the wellness era 👋

There’s been a shift over the last few years. Physical activity is paired less with aesthetic goals and more with overall wellness.

Thanks to social media, cold plunges, compression gear, and saunas are now mainstream. We’ve all seen videos of people with inflatable cold pools in their back gardens. People want to recover.

But this doesn’t mean you have to go all out building an in-house recovery centre. There’s such a thing as high-margin, low-overhead services you can offer to give the people what they want.

👉 Team up with a local massage or physical therapist for a “pop-up” recovery clinic on site
👉 Host workshops with sleep hygiene coaches or stress-management specialists
👉 Bring in a sound bath expert for a session
👉 If you're in a fitness setting, organise an 'excursion' to your members. Partner with a recovery site and take your members for a thermal experience!

Recovery and overall wellness are no longer just an optional extra. Just some food for thought.

What do you think about the rise in recovery?

According to research from Mental Health Foundation, 82% of people believe that regular physical activity is important for their mental health 💪🧠

Not only that, but following the rise of remote work and the digital world, people are craving community. A gym or studio is one of the few places left where people can regularly interact with each other.

So what are you doing to build community?

Keep it low-stakes. Host post-workout brews, Saturday morning walks or “beginner-only” classes to get people talking to each other.

Talk to your members when they walk through the door, greet them by name. It goes far.

Building a community takes time and effort, but it pays off. Literally. Because members who feel a sense of belonging will keep coming back.

In a world where tech moves fast, members now expect support online beyond their classes and sessions 📱

There are plenty of apps and platforms which have now become a baseline expectation.

Check-ins, nutrition guidance, habit tracking, and accountability tools can help members stay connected to their goals even on days when they don’t have classes or sessions.

Essentially, the coaching relationship needs to extend beyond the studio floor. We think this ties in nicely with retention, as it helps members to feel attended to and supported.

But where is the line between work and downtime? How much of yourself do you need to give?

Let us know what you think.