Exercise motivation and in-facility engagement are crucial targets for community health centers. This is due to regular visits being a top predictor of membership renewals. Members are motivated by their health goals but often undervalue the day-to-day process and have low daily workout motivation. While identifying personal health goals is a good start, members overestimate their self-control. A process-focused approach drives greater goal achievement for those seeking health improvements. Drawing member attention to the value of every workout is a challenge, but it’s important to address because their decision to renew their membership reflects the gap between their expected and actual facility visits.
Engagement and facility visits matter because the physical adaptations members desire often reflect consistency. To support member motivation, many facilities are exploring innovative digital options. (Since COVID, on-demand workouts have continued to gain interest.) Instead of digital support for at-home workouts, offering these options in-facility provides members with several advantages. For instance, being around others creates a more motivating exercise environment, leading to better physical performance. The fitness environment also increases exercise persistence, helping members complete their workouts. Yet another advantage is that digital fitness engagement can keep workouts fresh and interesting, encouraging members to try new approaches to fitness. This enhances the lure and enjoyment of every facility visit, and studies confirm these psychological variables strongly impact membership decisions.
Goal: Our objective was to understand the impact of in-facility on-demand fitness content. Workout quality and adherence were subjectively assessed in those who tried our high-quality training sessions.
Treo Daily: Workout of the Day is a patent-pending QR code program that provides an on-demand fitness experience for members. Members scan the QR code with their personal device from any cardio equipment and start the virtual training session. These small decals offer a non-intrusive way to suggest new workouts, giving members the choice of participation without significant advertising or the need for additional group exercise classes. This patent-pending approach was designed to enhance member experiences without imposing additional requirements on the facility. No pre-planning, sign-ups, or commitments were required to try these digital options, and workout options varied daily. Several certified personal trainers guided these sessions, each selected for their ability to provide fun, positive exercise sessions.
The community center included a diverse member-base with over 42,000 members, averaging 33 years of age. Within the facility, small QR decals were placed on cardio equipment, such as treadmills, upright indoor cycles, and studio cycles. 
Data were collected from August 2023 to March 2024. During this time, treadmills recorded 82 views, followed by the upright cycle with 46 views, and the studio cycle with 41 views. At the end of the study period, surveys assessed the perceived impact of these digital options.
Survey results:
Members had the option to complete surveys in April 2024. These offer insights about how the digital offering impacted members. Of the 37 members who responded, 24.3% had used their smartphones to access the Workout of the Day content. Among these respondents, notable responses indicate that these were effective in supporting greater exercise engagement.
As a result of using Treo Daily, the experience proved beneficial:
These positive outcomes indicate a higher perceived value of facility visits, which is central to member satisfaction. Not all survey respondents had noticed the Treo Daily QR codes. Of these individuals, 74% said they would look for the new virtual training content next time they used the cardio equipment at the facility. This suggests that these kinds of features provide a value-add for members and may drive greater engagement.
The case study highlighted the effectiveness of on-demand, trainer-led fitness content for member engagement. Consumer trends reveal a preference for digital fitness solutions, so these can offer a strategic option in today’s competitive market. This is especially important given that GenZ and Millennials now make up more than 80% of all fitness consumers.
Millennials (born between ’81 and ’96) have been dubbed “The Wellness Generation” due to their high interest in preserving health, and their interest in technology is no surprise. In fact, surveys suggests that 72% of Millennials say they rely on digital devices to help them stay fit and healthy, which is a trend that is likely to continue in the future.
As digital natives, many younger generations prefer finding their own way when it comes to fitness. For example, 34% of GenZ (born between ’97 and 2012) say they are fitness explorers who are looking for new programs and ways to workout. Similar to Millennials, this generation is very comfortable with technology and digital engagement is a key driver of their exercise engagement. Gen Z is poised to exert a more significant influence on the fitness market than any previous generation. In the coming years, membership growth will require catering to their interests with scalable and innovative approaches to fitness guidance.
Treo Daily provides a positive impact through high-quality, on-demand fitness content. And with low commitment, virtual training sessions are accessed without a need for downloads or subscriptions. A significant percentage of Treo Daily users report higher motivation, engagement, workout intensity and persistence. Most importantly, members express a greater inclination to visit the facility knowing that free virtual training is available.
Overall, the case study demonstrates the effectiveness for on-demand options to elevate in-facility engagement, ultimately driving more frequent visits.
Are you interested in learning more about bringing Treo Daily to your members? Let’s get in touch! Email us at info@treowellness.com or schedule a demo today.
As Treo’s Global Wellness Researcher, Karlie uses recent research findings to support healthier daily habits. Karlie earned her doctorate in Neuroscience and Behavior and bachelors in Health and Exercise Science.
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