Across the globe, fit-tech is booming, driven by gadget-hungry consumers who regard it as the answer to their fitness needs – helping them to do everything from goal setting to activity tracking and beyond. But when it comes to introducing fit-tech to your facility, it can be a huge leap of faith; hard to know what’s going to make a true impact on member experience, retention and that all-important bottom line.
In the UK, 85% of active people use technology to support their health and wellbeing, with over $23 billion invested in the European technology ecosystem in 2018, according to a recent report by ukactive.
With figures like these, there’s no doubt that to delight your members and support their overall wellness, you need to either jump aboard the tech ship or be left bobbing along in the water, ultimately without a life jacket or buoy. But with so many people claiming that their device will solve all your fit-tech problems (and those of your members), how can you be sure that it actually will?
When it comes to 3D body scanning – a rapidly developing area of fit-tech – it’s easy to see the effect it’s having on member motivation and retention, thanks to its visual nature.
In just 35 seconds, the Styku 3D Body Scanner can re-create a person’s body in 3D – measuring circumferences across the body with a deviation error of less than 0.5%, while also precisely and consistently predicting three major components of body composition (lean mass, fat mass and bone mass) with medical-grade accuracy, aligned with DEXA. What’s more, Styku can even predict the exact type and location of body fat and provides insight on how fitness and nutrition programmes are impacting overall health.
“The information provided by Styku allows fitness professionals to deliver highly personalised and motivational experiences for their clients and members,” said Tracy Morrell, Director of React Fitness, the exclusive distributor for the UK and Ireland.
“Styku has excellent precision and repeatability, meaning that, every time a person is scanned, you know you are seeing real and consistent change. There is no other device on the market that does this to the same level, which, from a members’ perspective, has an enormous impact on their overall experience and trust in your services. More outdated methods that measure skin folds or impedance to estimate body composition simply can’t offer this.”
One facility which has seen their membership thrive through the integration of 3D body scanning is 3-1-5 Health Club in Lancaster. In 2016, it became the first health club in the UK to install Styku and has never looked back.
Lee Jones, 3-1-5 Fitness Manager, said: “Today, members demand metrics that mean something; they want to be able to see their progression, so the challenge for 3-1-5 was to find the technology that could meet those expectations. We immediately saw Styku’s value in terms of having a significantly positive impact on member motivation, engagement and retention, as well as its ability to help us upsell other services.”
Since implementing Styku, it has become an integral part of 3-1-5’s member journey pathway. When somebody new joins the club, they are given a one-hour consultation which includes a Styku 3D body scan. From this, 3-1-5’s expert trainers work out what type of programme and nutritional guidance best suits that individual, with a re-scan after 8-12 weeks to monitor progress and track results.
Lee added: “The 3D scans lead brilliantly into consultations; they speed up the whole process of getting to know individuals, their body compositions, and health and fitness goals. From the data received, we can immediately start to delve into specific, tailored plans which meet our clients’ needs.”For James Kennedy, Owner of Get Focused Body Transformation Studio in Southampton, and four-times UKBFF Bodybuilding Champion, 3D body scanning has changed the way his members think about fitness – helping them to form long-lasting exercise habits and make positive lifestyle changes.
“When most people contact us, their goal is to change the way they look, but, once they’ve had their scan, it becomes apparent that fitness is impacting more than aesthetics; it’s about improving health and wellness,” explained James.
“One of the features of Styku is the ability to show the client how reducing their waist circumference is going to help them to live longer. What I’ve found with some clients is that this insightful data has helped to keep them on track – striking a perfect balance between science and emotion.”
The success of Styku has resulted in a “massive increase” in profit for Get Focused, with all of its clients paying a small additional fee to have their initial scans done. They’re also booking re-scans, creating additional income.
“I would consider it a centrepiece for our gym because our clients are telling friends and family about it which is increasing footfall. This means there are more people buying personal training sessions and nutritional plans from us. So, as a feature in our gym, both directly and indirectly, Styku has done wonders for increasing our profit margin,” added James.
As for the members who have experienced Styku, they cannot praise this technology enough, as shown by the comments of Darren Small, Client of Top Condition Personal Training, a Styku customer based in Kent: “When you see your body changing shape with each Styku 3D body scan, it’s uplifting, and it validates why I’d want a personal trainer who has access to this information.”
Holly Davies, a client of Well Measured, which uses Styku in Gloucester, described how seeing her body in 3D for the first time was a motivational experience: “The first time I saw my body in 3D, it was a surprise, but seeing the progression makes you feel really positive about yourself and it’s like looking at a new person. What impressed me is that there are so many ways of viewing your body through Styku, from 3D images and cross-sectional images to graphs. It’s fantastic and every gym should have one.”
While the challenge of identifying which of the latest fit-tech devices will, no doubt, be an ongoing battle, one thing’s for sure… you can’t go wrong with 3D body scanning – which has the ability to elevate your facility to the next level by improving member experience, retention and revenue opportunities.
To start your journey with 3D body scanning, visit: www.styku.com or contact Tracy Morrell via tracymorrell@react-fitness.com or +44(0)20 7272 0770.
