HEART ZONES CEO, SALLY EDWARDS, SHARES BOUTIQUE STUDIO TRENDS
Heart Zones Founder and CEO, Sally Edwards, recently flew to the East Coast to explore seven different boutique studios across Boston and New York City. As boutique studios are currently trending—especially with younger demographics like millennials—Edwards wanted to see what all the hype is about. During her visit, she had two goals in mind:
1. To visit current Heart Zones studios in Boston, and lead a workshop on Heart Zones Training.
2. To explore new boutique concepts in Boston and New York City that aren’t using Heart Zones, to learn how they function, and to see what’s trending.
First Stop: Heart Zones Studios
Edwards stopped at Fit Life Boston, a Heart Zones studio that offers cycling, yoga, pilates, personal training, and PulseX featuring the Heart Zones Solution. While visiting, Edwards had the opportunity to participate in the PulseX HIIT class, a mixed format of treadmills, ropes, bozu balance trainers, steps, ergs, step mills, and other equipment.
“PulseX was led by co-owner Jenine Wright—best class I have taken in decades…she’s that great” -Sally Edwards
What’s Attracting Millennials to Boutique Studios?
Boutique Studios featuring yoga, pilates, personal training, HIIT (high-intensity interval training), cycling, and running are wooing millennials with dark spaces and electronic music, but what about the experience makes them pay for it?
Food and Drinks
Many boutique studios have a drink bar that serves everything from smoothies, kombucha, fruit juice, beer, and other pre- and post-workout drinks. Members love the convenience of beginning or ending their workout with a treat.
Studio Density
With a specialty studio around every block, customers enjoy the convenience of walking or driving a short distance to make it to their class. No matter a member’s location, it’s hard to miss a class with numerous locations.
Atmosphere
Dark rooms with bright interior lighting in red, blue, and purple aren’t hard to find. Members may feel more comfortable in these environments as they are able to focus on their workout and not be distracted by seeing others.
What’s Missing?
It’s easy to enjoy a workout in a studio boutique with motivated instructors, modern amenities, and convenient treats. They’re fun, trendy, and certainly found in Boston and New York City. However, Edwards noticed a few key things missing from many of these newer studios.
Workout Metrics
Most of the studios Edwards toured didn’t show group workout data. Participants didn’t have a phone collecting their data, which should be a key part of every workout. It’s all about personalized fitness in a group setting and “leveling the playing field” with the data, creating fair competition among members. How is your workout data being used to help you improve in a group setting?
Noise
With loud music, members moving, and noises from equipment, it was hard to hear instructors over the sound. Many of these studios lack a system that drops the music while the instructor is speaking.
While boutique studios are becoming fitness destinations for many millennials, many are missing one thing— capturing and showing members what to do with their fitness data. As a generation that is so obsessed with collecting data, it’s crucial that they not only track bio-feedback such as heart rate, steps, cycling, and cadence, but have a device to collect their data and a method to show what the data means. How can they use data to help their bodies recover faster and enhance workouts? Heart Zones is the answer. Continue to participate in high-energy and motivating classes, but remember to download the Heart Zones Training app to get more out of workout data … or tell your studio about our group solutions, Heart Zones Kardio and Heart Zones Move.
Want to talk more about group training trends? Shoot us an email at staff@heartzones.com.