GROUP EXERCISE
PHOTOS COURTESY OF VIRGIN
Virgin wants to ‘engage, empower and excite’ its fitness professionals
Virgin Active Another chain to appoint a leader at the helm of group exercise is Virgin Active, which hired Israel Rivera into the role recently. Last year the operator added 24 more programming spaces across its estate, as well as a number of new group exercise programmes, including Reformer Pilates, hot yoga, barre and boxing. Its Mayfair club also debuted an immersive strength and conditioning studio for workouts called Row Strong and Shift Strong. Rivera says his primary role is to influence change in areas that help
engage, empower and excite Virgin’s fitness professionals and ensure there’s a career trajectory for his team. “I’m committed to helping our teams maximise the skills they bring to the table, so we create member experiences that actualise our mission to make exercise irresistible. I’ve inherited the legacy of the lone wolf – leading the industry through innovation.” Rivera says Virgin Active will be continuing to focus on making its exercise experiences immersive, enjoyable
and convivial, as well as extending the reach beyond the club and building communities. “The Virgin Active customer experience will be much more personalised, by acknowledging, respecting and celebrating uniqueness and individuality,” he says. “Our first Club Crawl helped us to interact and connect with members more meaningfully.” ●
The customer experience will be much more personalised by acknowledging and celebrating uniqueness Israel Rivera, Virgin Active THE FUTURE
Rivera says group exercise is no longer just about fitness, but about experience, with customers looking for authenticity and a place to belong. “We’re seeing more and more people looking to meet each other at a fitness class to socialise, rather than at a bar,” he says. “Additionally, the digital stratosphere is beginning to cause some major disruption – whether it’s via an app, pre-recorded or live streaming, the industry is expanding beyond the four walls.” Cross agrees that technology will have a massive impact going forward, as it opens up new opportunities for group
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exercise, with live and digital workouts. He says there is also a growing desire among members for workout efficiency, meaning more HIIT and functional training elements will be introduced. Stewart says the future of group exercise lies in making workouts fun, social and effective. “The group exercise I grew up with in the 90s was driven by the social elements of fun, musicality and the joy of meeting people,” he explains. “It will be the businesses that are able to combine the social element with the sexy spaces that will stay in the market. It’s not enough to build a great studio and then move on.”