The ongoing spread of COVID-19 is a concern for many fitness facilities and Pilates studios around the world. Monday brought mandatory closures of health facilities in several states. It’s an uncertain time for many teachers and business owners so finding ways to keep the business going is of utmost importance.
Thankfully, we live in the time when technology to live stream fitness classes or record workouts for the clients is widely available. Read on to learn how to choose the best technology for your business and how to prepare your clients for the transition.
Both clients and studio owners experience concern in the face of the corona-virus pandemic. At the Pilates studio where I teach we heard multiple requests from the clients asking us to record classes for them or provide ways to take live sessions. We understand our clients’ concern to stay safe in this situation by not coming to the studio if they are not feeling well or don’t feel comfortable being in public places if their immune system is already compromised. We also applaud them for being committed to their Pilates practice and overall health and fitness.
Student/Client concerns:
- How do I continue my fitness/wellness program while staying safe and protected?
- How do I continue to exercise to keep my body and immune system strong even if I can’t come to the studio?
Studio owner concerns
- How do I teach my students who can’t come to the studio or if the studio is closed due to quarantine?
- How do I continue to get paid myself and being able to pay my instructors?
With the advances of technology teaching online classes and privates sessions is an option available even to the smallest fitness facilities. While at this moment it can seem like an overwhelming thought, with planning and a few preparatory steps you will be able to set yourself as a virtual studio in practically no time.
Use the questions and tips below to find a solution that would work for your studio and your clients.
Step 1. Determine your studio’s needs
- Do you teach only one-on-one or duet sessions?
With private training your options to teach virtual sessions are limited only by your or your client’s personal preferences for technology. Facetime, FB Messenger, Skype, WhatsApp and more are all easy to set up and start using. You can use either your computer, tablet or your phone. However, you will have a better experience of seeing your client during the sessions using a laptop/desktop or a larger tablet. - Do you need to live stream classes? You will need a solution that will allow you to conduct live training sessions and a way for your students to join each class. You will see the overview of all available options in Step 2.
- Do you need to see all participants during the class in order to provide corrections of is live streaming enough?
- Do you want to record classes and then share them with your clients? This is the easiest setup for you as a teacher but you will not be able to provide a personalized approach for your clients this way.
- Do you have a payment/scheduling method in place? Several live streaming solutions will allow you to take payments for your online classes/sessions. However, if your clients are already using packages/memberships at the studio it is best to keep the same payment structure for your clients.
Step 2. Explore available solutions
In order to ensure smooth experience for your clients and yourself make sure that you choose your main technology for online classes and 1-2 backup options. You can always expect the technology to fail at some point so be prepared to use your backup when it does.
Skype is free to use and provides both conference calls (up to 50 people) and one-on-one calls. Skype can freeze up if the internet connection slows down or if using mobile internet. Calls with several participants if everyone is sharing video get really slow and require that everyone has excellent internet speed.
Cost: FREE
Requirement: download Skype and create an account.
Facetime is a preferred choice for many iphone users but it can’t be used with Android devices. Group calls can support up to 32 people. Learn how to start a group call using Facetime on iphone
Cost: FREE
Requirement: have Apple product
Facebook lets you have calls through Fb messenger for private sessions or use live streaming to FB groups for classes. With FB live streaming you will not be able to see all participants of the call. You will need to create a FB group from the clients who will be taking the class and start streaming when the class starts.
Video quality is usually pretty good and livestream classes are saved to the group so that your clients can view them again later.
Cost: FREE.
Requirement: FB account
Google Duo supports calls with up to 8 people. This is the Android version of Facetime however any Gmail user can use the app regardless of the device that they are using. If you want to record the call you will need to use a screen recording app to do so.
Cost: FREE
Requirement: gmail account
Youtube and Youtube Live will let you save your videos and share them with your clients.
You can live stream from a desktop device using webcam or you can upload a prerecorded video. If your Youtube channel has over 1000 subscribers you can live stream from mobile as well.
When live-streaming or uploading a video you can set the video to be “Unlisted” which means that only people who have the link will be able to view the video or join live stream. All live stream videos will be automatically saved to your channel. Unfortunately, you are not able to view your students while live streaming.
Cost: FREE
Requirement: none, you can share a video link with anyone
Google Hangouts is an enterprise level solution for GSuite users. Even with the basic GSuite plan ($6/user) you can schedule video conference calls with up to 100 users but if you want to record your live streams you need to upgrade to the Enterprise level ($25/user). This solution easily integrates with Google calendar. You invite clients to a class that you create on Google calendar and they receive a link that lets them join the meeting. Drawback: clients need to have a gmail account in order to join the video call.
Cost: from $6/mo, sign up for G Suite here. Use the following codes to get 20% discount:
Google Basic: F4U4TENUW46EDDA
Google Business: W7TKLA6LJP3AM3A
Requirement: Gmail account
Zoom is a video conferencing software that makes it easy for people to join meetings using their preferred email provider or device. With a free account you can schedule and record meetings with up to 3 participants, group meeting recording is limited to 40 min. With a PRO plan ($14.99) you are able to record meetings with up to 100 participants. You will be able to view all students during the class unless they turn their video off. You can make another attendee a call host if you need your teachers to lead the sessions instead of you.
When you record a Zoom session all participants present on the class will be recorded as well so you will have limited uses for the video after the class.
Important NOTE: Many professionals are flooding to Zoom to offer online sessions to stay in business. I’ve heard several reports that Zoom technology is not able to support this surge of users so connection can be unstable. Make sure that you have a backup option on hand in case technology fails during the class.
Cost: FREE, $14.99/mo for group calls with recording
Requirement: download Zoom
Free Conference Calls offers video conference tools. In order to help business owners they are giving 2 months of free service on their starter plan that includes video calls with up to 15 people. This plan includes only audio recordings of the meetings. If you need video recordings then the next plan ($25/mo) offers this functionality.
Cost: FREE, $24.99/mo for group calls with video recording
Requirement: follow instructions through the link
UberConference allows you to have up to 10 participants on a call with a free plan. Free plan limits calls to 45 minutes. Paid plan supports up to 100 participants and 5 hour long meetings. However, Uberconference allows only audio recordings. You can use screen recording app of your choice to record sessions if necessary.
Cost: FREE, $15/mo for calls longer than 45 minutes
Requirement: none
Yondo allows you to sell virtual training sessions and on demand videos. With this solution you can conduct private 1-on-1 sessions as well as host live streaming classes (unfortunately, you are not able to view class attendees.) Clients can book and pay for the sessions using Yondo tools.
Cost: from $39/mo
GymGo is a personal training software designed for fitness professionals to provide their services online. You can conduct live small group (up to 12 clients) training classes using 2-way streaming (clients see you and you see them.) Training sessions can be recorded and shared with the clients after the event. This solution comes with a complete client billing module integrated into it. Pricing plans depend on the number of clients and features used. This solution can get quite expensive if you want to use all features and have more than 10 active clients.
Cost: $75+ / month for 50 active clients
Vimeo Premium lets you live stream unlimited events, embed the video player directly on your website, brand the video player and also upload videos to your Vimeo channel. This solution is expensive but is worth your time if you are planning to take your entire business model online by creating a full-fledged online studio/membership site. Online membership site creates flexibility for you as a teacher and lets you add another income stream that is not limited by your geographical location.
Cost: $75/mo and requires additional website setup
Step 3. Prepare your clients
After you decide on the solution that works best for you and for your clients it’s time to get your clients ready.
- Motivate your clients. Make sure that your clients understand the importance of keeping up their fitness program even if they can’t make it to the studio. Create a special 4-5 week fitness/Pilates challenge that they can follow to stay on track and to add extra value to their virtual classes. Regardless of whether you decide to livestream classes or send new recordings for your clients every week, you can make it fun and exciting for them. Add a daily task (for example, walk several flights of stairs, fix a new healthy recipe, hold a plank for 1 minute etc.) and a motivational tip for every day. You can share these both as social posts, in a private FB group or through an email campaign.
- Explain the solution of your choice. Let your clients know if they need to create an account and give your reasoning why you chose a particular solution. Not everyone has a gmail account, or a Fb account, or an iphone. If the solution that you chose doesn’t require extra investment on their part then ask them to create a free account in order to continue taking sessions with you. This will not be an issue with private sessions since you have a lot of flexibility in your choices but group class clients need to be prepared to go with the solution that works for the majority of your clients.
- Discuss technical requirements. Talk to your clients about the technology that will work best for the solution that you chose (phone, tablet, desktop etc.)
- Create a list of props that your clients might need. If your clients usually use knee pads or neck pillows during their sessions ask them to get these props for their personal use. If you are planning on using small props during live sessions (small balls, magic circle, bands, foam rollers etc.) then ask if your clients are able to purchase them. You can share an Amazon list of props needed (here is an example.) You can even order these small props for them and sell them at the studio.
- Explain how to sign up/access sessions. Let your client know how you will communicate with them and where they can find all necessary resources to access their live session or virtual Pilates class on time. Be proactive and set up the several online sessions options on your schedule already.
- Don’t discount yourself. If your studio is running on a membership model then keep the same rates but add extra value in the form of a fitness challenge or daily tips to keep the clients motivated. Your time and operational costs of the studio do not change regardless of whether you are teaching an online class or an in-studio session.
- Provide options for both live streaming and pre-recorded sessions for your group classes. If your clients can’t make it to the virtual class make sure that they have a recording of this class available or another video that they can follow. It might seem like a lot of work right now but it can help you grow your online presence in the future or even start a complete online studio with clients all over the world (watch a free webinar about how to run a successful online studio). Look at it as an opportunity to expand your business and to try something new.
Do you have questions or would you like to add anything to this list of options? Please leave your comments below.
Wishing you health and success!
Thank you for putting this together. It is a stressful time for all and as a small Pilates studio owner it’s appreciated.
You are welcome Mindy. Feel free to reach out if you have any specific questions
Hi there. How to teachers price their virtual lessons compared to usual human contact lessons? Thank you
Hi Victoria, pricing really depends on the pricing structure that you and your clients are comfortable with.
Some studios are pricing virtual classes the same as mat classes.
Private sessions are usually priced the same or with a slight discount.
If your students are on a membership then you can either add an extra class per week to their membership package or add other bonuses like prerecorded classes.
Some studios are keeping prices the same.
Many studios have also moved to offering virtual new client specials to keep attracting new clientele.
I hope this gives you some ideas on pricing.
This is all great advice – thank you!
You are welcome, I know it’s tough for everybody right now so if I hear of any other technologies I will keep updatuing this article.
Thank you 🙂
This is great ! And like the others listed I am now having to think about taking my classes online … good luck eveyone x
Glad it helped Trudi.
Hi
This is really helpful information. Thank you.
I’m planning to video a different class each week and upload to YouTube for my clients to access.
I need to know about recording equipment. I have an iPhone 11pro and an iPad. I’d like to buy a suitable clip-on mic to make recording sound better. Any suggestions as to what equipment I will need?
Jo
Hi Jo,
I use Android for my recordings and here is a clip-on mic that I use https://amzn.to/38Y0y11 (it says that it is compatible with iPhone but double-check of course.) If you are filming inside a studio/closed in space then iphone can do a really good job catching the sound as is. You can then use iMovie to decrease background noise and increase overall volume of the video.
If you plan on filming outdoors then you will need a mic for that.
Thank you so much for this, very much appreciated! x
You are welcome Kathryn. I hope you will be able to make some of it work
Yes, thankyou very much. Feeling very overwhelmed! When you mention about having a ” backup” if the platform that you are using fails, what sort of thing do you mean?
Do you mean eg if it fails on your laptop then switch to main computer?
Many thanks!
Hi Joyce,
As far as backup option, I mean having a different streaming solution ready. For example I was on a conference call yesterday using Zoom and the system completely froze. I was able to hop on the phone with my client (it was a call with one of my web maintenance clients, not a Pilates session.)
But in case this happens during a live Pilates session you want to make sure that you have backup technology ready to go. For example, you can make sure that you Youtube channel set up and ready to livestream for you – you can easily send your clients a streaming URL.
Or have Skype ready to go.
Or a Fb live stream. If you have your clients join a private Fb group for your studio you can direct there.
Basically anything that will allow you to continue the session without getting frazzled.
I also would suggest having a recording of a class or 2 on hand because you can share the link with the clients if everything else fails.
I hope this helps
Thank you for this, very helpful! I wanted to ask how can I charge my clients for the online classes? Do you have any specific paltform you recommend for charging? I would like to make it smooth as possible. I currently Have a wix based website and use both YouTube and FB live for live streaming.
Tally,
Most studio that I work with already use a booking system that holds all clients accounts. They add an online class on the schedule and then it pulls off the schedule.
If you are not using a booking system right now then you can check out these low-cost options https://pilatesbridge.com/booking-systems/
The first two on the list in the article would be the best choice for you since you are using a wix website.
You will have to email clients instructions on how to join the class .
From the list provides in the article above only Yondo and GymGo have booking/payment integrated into their system
How/where are you marketing to let clients know you’re out there?
Kelley
Hi Kelley,
You might find the latest interview posted on PB helpful to answer this question.
https://pilatesbridge.com/lesley-logan-grow-pilates-business/
Lesley talks a lot about social media and how to find following for your virtual lessons.
But in general being active on social platforms is very important in order to grow your virtual client base. If you don’t have a strong following then creating targeted ad campaigns would help you grow your reach.
Tally,
Most studio that I work with already use a booking system that holds all clients accounts. They add an online class on the schedule and then it pulls off the schedule.
If you are not using a booking system right now then you can check out these low-cost options https://pilatesbridge.com/booking-systems/
The first two on the list in the article would be the best choice for you since you are using a wix website.
You will have to email clients instructions on how to join the class .
From the list provides in the article above only Yondo and GymGo have booking/payment integrated into their system
Thank again for your quick reply! In order for me to keep it low-cost as much as possible, would you recommend I continue with FB and YouTube as live platforms and add for example schedulicity to receive bookings and payment? Due to the recent situation I see that people are very reluctant to paying for online classes, I thought of doing a fundraising instead, any thoughts on that as well?
If doing live classes without seeing participants is a good option for you than FB or Youtube are the best options.
Regarding payments/fundraising – it would really depend on your client base. You can say that we are in the uncharted territories now and everybody is figuring out what would work for their business.
You can also take payments through PayPal – send clients direct invoice for each session that they register for. However, it would be a lot of bookkeeping for you to keep up with. If you don’t have many clients then it can work for you because you will not have any upfront/subscription costs this way.
Make sense thanks again! Best of luck in these challenging times…
I use a iPad. I recorded a class on zoom. There were 6 people but when I want to demonstrate I want me to take up the whole picture as the clients don’t need to se the other people so how do I spotlight or only have me on the screen to show an exercise? rather than 6 people moving and me tiny square demonstrating?
Hi there!
Thank you so so much for doing this. It’s been a scary time and this eases my mind. I’m a freelance Pilates teacher who rents various spaces, and I teach privates and semi-Privates. I’m having a hard time figuring out the pay. They buy packages, not memberships, and I feel like it’d be unfair to charge them the same w/o equipment or being there in person. Should I make it discounted by 40%? Should I mark off the rental cost that I would have had to pay? I have no framework to work out of. I appreciate your feedback—thank you!!
Kathleen
Hi Kathleen,
You can adjust the price of classes based on what you think is fair. It is still your time and expertise (otherwise then can go on Youtube and find a dozen workouts to do on their own.) Some studios are doing donation-based (pay what you can) classes to help their clients out and at the same time get some income coming in.
I like to think about it this way: if you were to continue teaching online-only classes for the next 5-6 months (or longer), what price would make it worth your time? I am not suggesting that studios will stay closed that long, just rather giving you an idea on how to price your time so that you don’t resent your clients/online sessions in the future.
There are many teachers who teach online-only live classes (mostly teacher trainers) and charge full price for their time. But you have to do what feels right to you at this time.
I really congratulate you on seeing a concern in our community and putting this effort in to support the current need for change or adaptability. We have incredible tech tools, with the biggest of these being our heart and our mind. We encourage our clients to expand, reach and find endurance. Thank you for helping us live that in ourselves.
We have established a Virtual Pilates studio in Munich/ Germany using Cisco Webex Technology, which you can sign up for free or a paid version depending on your client community size. Technology works better than Zoom or Skype and it is as easy to use.
Beside the pure Pilates exercises we experience increased demand in chatting about what each and everybody is doing during the day. We have a few laughs together and individuals get advice/ hints from others how to manoeuvre through these difficult times. Everybody is enjoying the sessions and it feels like the normal lessons in the physical Pilates Studio which is unfortunately closed due to Corona.
https://www.webex.com
Thank you Ursula for another suggestion for the list. I checked out the website for webex and it looks like a great platform. I haven’t tested it myself yet but it will be definitely on my backup list of solutions!
Thank you again for taking the time to share this technology. It’s extremely helpful!
Thank you so much for all of your valuable help.
I have set up a free Facebook group for my existing clients and have delivered 2 sessions a day for the last week
I am now going to charge them for a block of 4 weeks so need to set up another group. I only seem to be able to attach the group to my personal page and would rather it be linked to my business page. I’m struggling at the moment! I’m sure Facebook doesn’t like you running a business from a personal page??
Many thanks
Hi There
Thanks so much for the tips above and for answering previous questions. This has been very useful. Have you any tips on how best for the client to set themselves up for a Pilates Class so we the instructors can see them clearly? Good wifi, good camera positioning and lighting etc. Any other useful tips? Thank you.
Hi Gill,
Client set up would really depend on the device that they are using and their space layout.
Make sure that the device is located a few feet away from the client, slightly higher than the person and angled down if you are doing floor work (for example, on a coffee table, chair etc.)
The setup will be completely different for standing workouts.
Some people have used SmartTVs fr virtual classes and while it’s great for the student to see the teacher, it gets really hard for the teacher to see the student.
Hi Anastasiya.
Thank you for this. It was the second time that I have watched this and have found it very helpful.
Please can you give me some ideas of free Resources to offer people as an Optin? Besides offering them a video on how to ease back pain or free Pilates online class, I am stumped with other ideas.
Thanks.
Hi Charmaine
The free opt-in resource (or lead magnet) should be very relevant to the clients that you are trying to attract. Here are some options:
1. Discount code or special rate for a new client special.
2. List of the best props for at-home Pilates workouts – pdf.
3. 5-day (or any other length) Pilates challenge: send them a short video for 5 days in a row. You can also pick 3 Pilates exercises for each day and send them written description with the images demonstrating the moves.
4. Guide on how to develop healthy habits (focus on the healthy habit of movement.)
5. If you are teaching virtual classes – give them a free Beginner class to try.
It’s a good idea to create a follow-up sequence where you email your leads at least 3 times so that they get used to opening your emails and finding useful information there. After the initial free follow-up sequence you will email them the offer to come in and try Pilates with you.
Thank you for putting this together.
I’m planning to record my fitness video class each week and upload it to my own online fitness platform for my clients to access.
I need to know about fitness platform providers. I’d like to buy a suitable fitness streaming to record my video.
Any suggestions as to what type of features required and how to choose?