Christmas fitness tips: how to keep your clients motivated during the holidays

While December is filled with exciting holiday festivities it is also one of the most popular times for customers and members to skip workouts opting for holiday parties, delicious food, and Christmas celebrations. But this year, don't let your customers head out for the holiday season without leaving them a special gift to take with them.

By stuffing their figurative stockings with some entertaining Christmas fitness tips such as online classes, on-demand content, and fun challenges to do on the go, not only can they indulge in everything the holidays have to offer, but they can also stay on track and stay motivated to exercise too.

Challenge your members to the 12 days of fitness

Setting challenges is always a great way to engage with your clients and members. It adds a bit of a competitive edge to their workouts which helps keep each other motivated. Giving your workout challenges a fun holiday "12 days of fitness" theme is more than just a festive pun. It helps your clients plan their workouts over the next 12 days to come. Sure they can indulge in all the treats the holiday season offers, but they can also do so after a class or video.

You can make it quite simple as well. You don't want to create lengthy plans that are going to take an hour or more out of their busy Christmas schedules. Keep your workout shorter, with popular HIIT and Tabata style exercises. These shorter style workouts are expected to become really popular because they are perfect for anyone with time constraints and still offer similar results to a longer workout. Coming up with a few short, high-energy, time-saving workouts to complete over the 12 days of Christmas makes it easy for your clients to stick to and use when they want.

Photo credit: Regardsoe Fitness

Present your members with an online alternative

No need to brave the cold weather when your customers can hop onto Zoom and take an online class with you from the comfort of their homes. It also lets any members heading home or on vacation to attend from their holiday destination. They'll have no problem jumping in, all they'll need is good internet connection. Granny and Grandad's house might well be on the other side of the country, but that doesn't mean your members can't join their class. Who knows, they might be able to inspire the whole family to join in as well.

But wait! There's myrrh: give the gift of on-demand content

On-demand content is the perfect extra gift for those clients and members who are heading off to different time zones for Christmas. Depending on where they go, it may make attending your online classes difficult. But with on-demand content, they can still participate at their leisure and repeat their favourite themed workouts again and again.

You can even create some holiday-themed workouts and help them plan out when to do what. They can take a class when it's convenient to them and stay on track while escaping the wind and rain for some winter sun, and you're keeping them engaged by reminding them that you're workouts are still the most fun and effective.

Photo credit: Jane Mansley

And if online workouts don't work, prep a holiday pack filled with Christmas fitness tips

And if online classes or on-demand doesn't work for them, share a list of workouts and classes they can do on their own. A prepared packet or suggestion of Christmas fitness tips your customers can follow all the difference in your members sticking to their workout routine while taking part in the festivities. Handouts or PDFs, something tangible your clients can use might be just the thing they need.

Photo credit: Body Transformation Centre

Make them a referral offer they cannot refuse

A good referral program is for life, not just for Christmas. But tap into that generosity of spirit that yuletide brings, and encourage your clients to get their family and friends to come to a class. You can even suggest they give the gift of a membership or any merchandise you have for sale.

When your members encourage their friends and family to either come to an in-person class or to join in an online class you can gift them an extra class or consultation to start the new year right. There's no better way to get ahead of resolutions and goal setting than knowing your clients have something in the books right at the beginning of the year.

Photo credit: Hotpod Yoga Rusalip

Host holiday social events right in your studio

Bring your customers together to celebrate by planning your own holiday event or social. Get your customers gussied up and transform your studio into a winter wonderland. Invite your members' families along, and come up with some fun, active Christmas games before holding a small Christmas social and raising a mistle-toast to the holiday season. Your clients' families will get to see why they keep coming back to you for classes, and you can lay the foundations of your fitness business being a hub for community and not just an exercise space. Most of all, your clients will love coming to celebrate and trade exercise for egg-nog.

Photo credit: CFitness

Share your favourite healthy holiday recipes as part of your Christmas fitness tips

One of the things that we most look forward to over the holidays is all the feasting. Those delicious meals, snacks, and the excuse to have that extra glass or two are all too tempting. Your clients don't want to miss out on all that tasty goodness, and nor should they.

But you can share some healthy alternatives with them so that they can stay on track and not completely overdo it during the plethora of Christmas parties. Make one of your Christmas fitness tips showing your members that healthy food doesn't have to be boring and in fact, it can be a great addition to any festive meal.

Channel your inner Santa with a surprise stocking filler

You can offer members a free class to redeem in January or give them a gift not even related to working out. Alternatively, you can give a gift voucher and they can decide how to use it or gift it to a friend. That personal touch will go a long way with your customers and they'll appreciate your thoughtfulness.

It also gives your clients that extra bit of motivation to come back to your classes and sessions in January. A free class works as a stick and carrot method to remind your members to keep achieving their fitness goals.

Photo credit: Krav Maga Southend

Remind them that you're excited to see them again in the New Year

Some of your members may not have time over the holidays to attend classes be it in person or online. And that's ok. But don't forget to remind them of everything you have coming up in the new year. Set up an email to go out over Christmas and at the New Year to remind your members that you're still there and eager to help them set and achieve their goals in 2022. Tell them about any exciting additions and changes you're planning for your business in the new year. Give them a taste of the classes that you've got planned, and don't forget to push any special offers you have in the new year for returning members.

Dare your clients to brave the cold weather with a New Year's Day workout

Braving the frost on New Year's Day for a bit of cold weather exercise has been a tradition in some places even before the days of the Wim Hof Method. For some, New Year's Day is better known as Polar Bear Plunge Day. This practice, not for the faint of heart, sees people running into the sea or icy lakes to mark the New Year and to clear their heads of the night before.

We're not suggesting you encourage your members to do that specifically unless they really want to, but encouraging your members to celebrate the first day of the new year in the great outdoors is an excellent way to start the year off fresh.

Photo credit: Louise Redmond PT

Wrapping up

Keeping your clients motivated with a variety of Holiday and Christmas fitness tips over the festive period is a big part of encouraging them back in the New Year. Online classes and on-demand content offer fitness business owners the perfect substitute for those members who are either heading out of town for the holidays or would simply prefer continuing their sessions from the comfort of their own homes over Christmas.

Setting a number of challenges and goals keeps your members' engagement. Utilising shorter workouts with HIIT exercises is a good way of getting them to stay active. And fun festive events build the idea of community through exercise. So as you prepare for your own holiday extravaganzas, don't forget to cue up your content, plan a few classes, and celebrate with your customers too.

Keep your business thriving in the new year and find out how to increase your fitness business's attendance here, and see what fitness trends to expect in 2022 here.

Thanks for reading!