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One very positive takeaway from the last year and a half is the boom in outdoor exercise that came as an answer to social distancing restrictions. We’ve all been out in the fresh air more and more and there’s little sign of that changing.

Outdoor fitness classes can help drive additional revenue for your gym and provide a different way to connect with your membership base.

Read on to find out why you should be hosting outdoor fitness classes and how to ensure your next outdoor activity is as good as it can be.

In this guide:

• What is outdoor fitness?
• Why you should take classes outdoors
• What equipment to use
• What good looks like

What is outdoor fitness?

Simply put, ‘outdoor fitness’ is any fitness class or workout that takes place outside. All forms of outdoor fitness classes can be run in local parks, rooftop gardens, or even in your gym’s car park. In the past, outdoor fitness was largely limited to solo jogging or cycling, but now group exercise is starting to become a normal sight in most parks.

Traditionally, outdoor fitness was usually taught through Boot Camp style classes. But with the development of new equipment and technology, class options are practically limitless. Anything can be taken outdoors, from yoga and Pilates, to HIIT, circuit training, Strength & Conditioning and even, with some creativity, spin.

Why you should take outdoor fitness classes

Maintain and grow your business

Whether it’s to make up for limited studio space or to attract new clientele, outdoor fitness classes are a great way to generate additional income. You can run outdoor classes as part of your membership and as standalone alternatives for non-members.

With some social distancing restrictions still in place, outdoor classes also enable you to hold larger classes than indoors. Fresh air and the ability to spread out further encourages safe exercise, giving members the confidence to return to group workouts.

Physical benefits

Some studies* suggest that outdoor exercise carries psychological as well as physiological benefits over indoor exercise. Not only do your members get to spend time in the fresh air soaking up vitamin D, but they also get to exercise and connect with each other.

Convenient and Flexible for Members

Extending your offering to include new outdoor classes adds another level of service, giving members convenience and flexibility. Some members might still feel uncomfortable working out indoors, whereas others will simply appreciate having more classes to choose from, letting them workout around their schedule. Being sensitive to their requirements lets you create better experiences for your members.

What equipment to bring for a great outdoor workout

You can run outdoor fitness classes with very little to no exercise equipment or, if your location allows, a container load of kit for your members to work out with.

But as we’re experts in technology solutions, we’re going to focus on using quality AV equipment to enhance your class experiences.

Great sound, on the move

Quality audio always creates better member experiences. This mostly comes down to your speaker system and how far you can push it before it starts to lose quality.

We recommend that for an outdoor portable speaker, you look for a rechargeable speaker with dual inputs, allowing music and microphones to be projected at the same time. Portable speakers like the Bose S1 Pro System are a great investment, as they offer an incredible frequency response providing full-sounding music to high volumes with complete control over the individual channels.

Just be aware of your volume levels. Find the sweet spot between too low, risking losing the punchy impact of your great tunes, and too loud, creating unwanted noise pollution in the local area.

Clear vocals in your outdoor classes

Two key things when teaching any outdoor fitness class are 1) being heard and 2) being able to demonstrate the exercises.

Getting your hands on a good, portable headset microphone and belt-pack is a great way to ensure your instructions are clearly heard by all participants. Using a headset microphone also keeps your hands free to fully demonstrate exercises or correct form as you're walking around.

Most quality headsets, like the Evoson Active Pro, also minimise speaker feedback, picking up only your voice and cancelling out background noise.

Though more holistic classes such as yoga and Pilates are generally quieter than high-intensity classes, being outside can impact your ability to be heard. The last thing you want in your relaxing class is to have to shout over background noise. Using a headset mic paired with a decent portable speaker, even on low volume, can make a world of difference.

It might take a small investment, but good quality products last a long time and truly elevate your classes above the average experience.

What good looks like

Here are four of our favourite spaces that are offering excellent outdoor classes already.

The Shed Health Club

The Shed Health Club in Aberdeenshire opened mere months before COVID-19 hit the UK. Owner Rachel Combe adapted quickly to get her classes running as soon as possible.

The Shed offers a variety of outdoor fitness classes such as Spin, Circuit, Combat and Dumbbell. One of their instructors recently took their Combat class into the hills, to the top of Bannachie!

Gymbox with Steel Warriors

During lockdown, Gymbox teamed up with Steel Warriors to keep classes running. Steel Warriors offer Calisthenics sessions at their urban outdoor gyms, which are built from steel taken from melted down knives taken off the streets. They use street workouts to improve the lives of young people who have been affected by crime, violence, and social exclusion.

Prime Cycle New York

Family-run spin gym, Prime Cycle, recently opened an innovative new space offering outdoor classes rain or shine. Their gazebo on Pier A in New York gives them the best of both worlds, fresh air and safe spacing with protection from the elements. Prime Cycle run outdoor classes alongside their digital fitness platform Stryde, where they teach their Prime Method in on-demand classes.

Summary

Outdoor fitness classes can bring great benefits to your members and your gym, as long as they are executed well.

In a socially distanced world, outdoor fitness allows people to work out while reducing the risk of transmission of germs and viruses. Make sure you have enough space, remain conscious of your environment and of other people you might be sharing that space with.

Go further and use available technology to be heard, and to motivate and manage the class from start to finish.

Outdoor workouts are not only a good option for now, but also in the future as more people make an effort to get out in nature and enjoy the benefits of exercise.

If you’re looking to set up any space, outdoor or indoor, to improve your member experience get in touch to tap into nearly three decades of experience working with the fitness industry.

*National Library of Medicine, Does participating in physical activity in outdoor natural environments have a greater effect on physical and mental wellbeing than physical activity indoors? A systematic review & The great outdoors: how a green exercise environment can benefit all