And while that flexibility can be nice for employees trying to balance responsibilities at work and home, it presents new challenges when it comes to connecting with your co-workers.

That’s because despite working from different locations, employees long for connections to their peers and to be part of something larger. The good news: Your fitness center can help them build those connections. You just need to make the necessary adjustments to accommodate your employees’ new ways of working.

Make community a selling point

There are endless at-home workout options, but people are returning to gyms as things reopen, or seeking out others with common interests. Why? In a word, community. And you can build that community through your employee fitness center. “One awesome example is group fitness. The most popular communities in a gym are those that form around group fitness classes and instructors. Leveraging this community is a great way to attract new people,” says Robert Fernandez-Vinas, a regional senior director for Exos in Texas.

Human connection energizes us, and there’s nothing better for your business than for your employees to build that connection inside your company. Deeper relationships grease the wheels when it comes to work dynamics, and happier employees are better for morale. (It can even help your employees be better leaders.)

It can also help remote employees stick to their exercise goals longer. “The community provides peer support that helps keep employees accountable to their goals,” says Marissa Morris, an Exos regional director in Pennsylvania. When you pair that with fitness center coaches who are both knowledgeable and energetic, Morris says it brings a unique sense of fun that is especially helpful for remote workers who need more encouragement. In turn, your employees become healthier, which is likely the goal of your employee wellness program.

Adapt to remote timing and challenges

With many employees no longer working 9-5, 40 hours a week in the office, your corporate fitness center might need to adjust its offerings. “Fitting in a workout at the fitness center when you’re not going to spend the full day at the office is more of a challenge,” says Morris. “But we’ve noticed that our typical corporate fitness center peak times have changed, and we can play with different time slots to suit employees’ evolving needs.”
For employees that are fully remote or just can’t find the time during their office visit for the fitness center, you’ll need to rely on a fitness programming app. In order to cater to fluctuating remote work timetables, we designed Exos Fit to have a mix of live and on-demand workouts. That way employees can connect live when timing allows, or fit in a workout when they have a sudden opening in their calendar.

You should also experiment with different types of messaging. “Remote workers get a lot of digital communications,” says Fernandez-Vinas. “You have to figure out how to break through the noise to create a human connection.” That human connection is important in our next point too.

Give remote employees what they actually want

Remote employees have unique needs and challenges that pre-recorded workout classes can’t solve alone. “Variety can be good, but your fitness solution should be more than on-demand,” says Fernandez-Vinas. “Ideally it takes on a holistic approach, offering personalization and providing accountability that they can’t get elsewhere.”

That means going beyond offering just one 30-minute virtual workout class a day. Remote employees often have longer working sessions without breaks than their in-office counterparts, so Morris says employees are interested in quick classes like stretch breaks. These recharge breaks are short enough to fit in a busy day and have low commitment.

And again, your employees want that personal connection. That’s why Exos Fit leverages the same coaches that are in the fitness center for those that are remote. “Coaches dedicated to that account, who know the culture and the organization, can leverage their pre-established relationships to keep the experience seamless,” says Fernandez-Vinas. And having one system that manages both on-site and virtual classes makes it easy for hybrid employees who go back and forth.

Contact us to learn more about how Exos Fit can help your employees reach their goals, whether they work remote or on-site.