Enhancing Online Fitness Engagement: Insights from Johnson Digital Studios
Welcome back to our blog, where we dive deep into the evolving landscape of digital fitness. After a summer break, we’ve relaunched our monthly webinars, kicking off with our partners from Johnson Digital Studios (JDS). This session explored the psychology of online teaching and offered invaluable tips for enhancing the online fitness experience.
Meet the Experts
We were joined by three industry veterans from JDS:
Anthony Stewart: Digital Fitness Director at JDS, with a background in exercise psychology and extensive experience in music production for fitness.
Faye Edwards: Master Trainer at JDS, international fitness presenter, and partner in launching her fitness app with Sudor earlier this year.
Sally O’Sullivan: Master Trainer, fitness educator, content creator, and pro athlete.
The Psychology of Online Connection
Anthony Stewart led the session by highlighting the challenges and opportunities in creating meaningful connections online. He explained the concept of oxytocin, a hormone associated with empathy and bonding, and how it’s harder, but not impossible, to stimulate through digital platforms.
Why Digital Fitness Engagement is Challenging
Dropout Rates: Statistics reveal that 85% of participants drop out of free online courses, with paid courses seeing a 50% dropout rate. The passive nature of online engagement often contributes to this.
Distractions: Multitasking during online sessions, such as checking messages, significantly impacts focus and retention.
Music's Role: Properly integrating music can enhance enjoyment, reduce perceived exertion, and improve recovery, making it a critical component often overlooked in online workouts.
Creating a Connected Community
JDS emphasised the importance of building a sense of community to retain participants. Drawing parallels to successful platforms like Peloton, they noted that people return not just for the workouts, but for the sense of belonging and recognition. Key elements include:
Recognition and Purpose: Peloton's use of shoutouts and community features creates a perception of being seen and connected, even from afar.
Social Motivation: Leveraging social networking within fitness apps to foster community and support can significantly improve engagement and adherence.
Overcoming Predictability
Anthony also discussed the issue of habituation—when repetitive and predictable workouts cause participants to lose interest. He suggested varying visuals, music, and workout formats to keep content fresh and engaging. The key is to surprise and captivate participants, much like a well-produced movie.
Injecting Fun and Authenticity
A major takeaway from the session was the power of levity and authenticity. Participants were encouraged to embrace their unique personalities, including mistakes, which can humanise and endear instructors to their audience. As Faye Edwards shared, showing the real you, including funny moments or slip-ups, makes you more relatable and trustworthy.
Final Thoughts
The session concluded with a reminder of the value of social connections, both minimal and significant, in fostering a robust digital fitness community. Whether through in-person events or consistent online interactions, creating an environment where members feel seen and connected is crucial for long-term success.
If you’d like to watch the webinar in full, click here!
Join Us Next Time! We’re excited to continue this series with more insights from Johnson Digital Studios. Stay tuned for our next webinar, where we’ll explore more aspects of the digital fitness revolution.