H ealth and fitness is one of the fastest growing industry sectors in the world and as affluence increases, so do people’s ambitions to lead healthier and more energetic lives that are based on exercise and wellbeing.

The growing financial value of our market is constantly sucking in new competition, and with startups getting funding to tackle every possible aspect of the sector – from apps to AI and boutique studios to DNA testing – competition for the health-conscious consumer has never been more fierce or diverse.

Although many consumers assemble a healthy lifestyle with multiple memberships and supports – one or more gym memberships, the use of apps and additional specialist classes, for example – major new market types are emerging, and some of them, such as the home gym market, are going head to head with health clubs for consumer spend.

So how can we fight for market share and continue to carve out a place for the health club at the centre of consumers’ fitness universe?

I believe it’s time we switched our thinking from a focus on facilities to a focus on expertise and the provision of specialist equipment. If we’re to continue to thrive, we have to be offering customers a range of things they need (and desire) that they can’t get anywhere else.

We do have some aces up our sleeve, such as the social contact that members get at the gym, but for every member who enjoys this aspect of their club, there’ll be others who prefer to exercise in the comfort and convenience of their own home, so although the social scene can be a powerful motivator for loyalty, it isn’t a universal solution that presses everyone’s button. We need to do more.

Some industry trends could also undermine the success of our clubs if not mindfully implemented. One example – the move to virtual – is a powerful thing and when used well, can be a real asset to a club, but if the club’s own instructors are significantly weaker than those being offered by the virtual system, and that same option is available at home, there’s a danger that some members will stay there and bank their cash instead.

Similarly, if we only kit out our gyms with simple functional equipment that can be straightforwardly acquired for use at home, then members will start to question why they’re paying their monthly dues.

It’s clear that virtual and functional have a valuable part to play in today’s gym environment, however, the challenge is to integrate them effectively, balancing the offer to ensure we continue to create desire.

We need to remember that the expertise of our staff is a massive strength and that if we invest in great people and encourage them to build strong relationships with members, this will drive success and loyalty and give us an unassailable USP with which to battle for business.

If our staff are knowledgeable, motivating and working at the highest levels, then members will pay for access to this and value it as being complementary to all the other parts of their personal world of wellbeing.

In the 35 years I’ve been writing about this business, I’ve argued many times that owners in the health and fitness industry need to view staff as their most important asset. Yet today, we still have too many people on minimum wage, with no career prospects and a lack of support when it comes to building the skills and confidence they need to interact with members and advise them in ways they will find valuable.

People want access to expertise and many have no idea where to find it – they want to know how to get fit, how to rehabilitate and train after an injury or surgery – some just need to be taught how to run properly on a treadmill – and they’re prepared to pay for it.

By failing to fully engage with our members, we’re missing a huge opportunity to develop a valuable USP and set ourselves up to stand our ground in the face of the huge onslaught of competition that is coming our way. The time to act on this is now.

Liz Terry, editorial director