As gyms closed across the country, Bannatyne Health Clubs joined an increasing number of operators pivoting to digital with the launch of live and on-demand group exercise classes from Les Mills, the group fitness expert behind classes such as Bodypump and Bodycombat.

Through the Bannatyne Health Club app, more than 200,000 members across 72 clubs can now access Les Mills on Demand free for 60 days. This includes more than 1,000 Les Mills workouts, alongside fitness and goal tracking capabilities.

Les Mills on Demand enables users to stream or download world-leading workouts at home or on-the-go, presented by the world’s best instructors and supported by expert training guides.

“We’ve been blown away by the support from the Les Mills team during this unprecedented time,” says Peter Wilkinson, national sales and marketing manager at The Bannatyne Group. “Our goal is to keep members moving, and Les Mills on Demand plays a key part in that. Within a matter of weeks, we were able to completely update our app with Les Mills on Demand and communicate the 60-day offer to members.

“The production quality of the content is second-to-none and as close as you can get to an in-person experience. So far, member feedback has been phenomenal, both from regular group exercisers and also from those that have never done it before. It’s given them the confidence to come and try a live class when we reopen.

“Les Mills digital will continue to play a part going forward, to complement the fantastic range of fitness equipment and classes within our health clubs.“

Alongside Les Mills on Demand, Bannatyne has also launched a live timetable of group exercise classes, including Les Mills programmes, via its YouTube channel, led by qualified Les Mills instructors.

Themed days, such as the recent ‘Les Mills Lockdown’, also generated significant member engagement, with thousands watching the replays afterwards.

“Supporting our club partners and instructors during this time remains our number one priority,” says Martin Franklin, CEO, Les Mills Europe.

“We’re working with each club to provide vital support during the lockdown and we’re thrilled to see the response from Bannatyne members.

“We believe people will be back at the gym for live workouts as soon as the lockdown is lifted. But the shift to digital fitness is helping to break down barriers to fitness for people you might not typically see in the gym, and that’s really exciting. With this expanded member reach, we’ll continue to support Bannatyne members through their fitness journey, now and once they reopen.”

All Les Mills club partners have the option of providing their members with a free 60-day trial of Les Mills on Demand. To further help club partners, Les Mills has created a weekly club support webinar series and a new Re-set Hub to support club’s reopening plans. In addition to the LMOD offer and webinar series, the company has also provided instructors with access to more than 25 royalty-free workouts that can be live-streamed to members from home.

• To find out more, visit: lesmills.com
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