How to Start Your Own Outdoor Fitness Business

Alice Tuffery, writer

Published at 04/12/2018, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 6 min

How to Start Your Own Outdoor Fitness Business — Photo © outdoor-fitness.jpg

Want to earn a great income whilst spending time in the great outdoors and motivating others to improve their wellbeing? You can do just that with an outdoor fitness business.

If you love keeping fit and helping people reach their goals, you might make a fantastic outdoor fitness coach. Here, we go through the top benefits of joining this sector and the steps you need to take to start a thriving business.

Advantages of starting an outdoor fitness franchise business

Customers can burn more calories by working out in the fresh air – Whether you’re running in the park or cycling to the shops, your body is continually trying to adapt to your environment. The varied terrain and weather conditions mean your body has to work harder than if you were running on a treadmill or sitting on an exercise bike in the gym. Use this information to market your business.
You can beat the price of a gym membership – By promoting your business as an affordable alternative to gym visits, you can attract people who want to save a bit of money – and who doesn’t?
You get a top up of vitamin D – Exercising outdoors is a great way to get your vitamin D through sunlight, helping to regulate the immune and neuromuscular systems. This advantage will benefit not only you, but your customers too.
It will boost your mood – Any exercise helps release the body’s feel-good endorphins, but these increase when you keep fit outdoors. The fresh air can blow away the cobwebs, help you feel revitalised and energised, and create an overall sense of wellbeing.
Choose your working hours – As the owner of an outdoor fitness business, you can decide when you hold your classes. Of course, you’ll probably want to run sessions when lots of people will be able to join in, in the evenings and at weekends. But you can choose to avoid times when you’re busy with the school run or other activities. And if you do decide to work 9-5, you can specialise in classes for new mums or students, for example.
You can find a niche – These days, there are sports classes covering all kinds of different exercise forms – some you’ve probably never even heard of before. This variety will give you the opportunity to choose a niche and develop a business that stands out from the competition. Consider taking advantage of unique fitness trends, like Boxercise, Pilates or Crossfit.

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How to start an outdoor fitness business

Gain the right qualifications – To become an outdoor fitness instructor, you should have one of the following certificates as a minimum:

- Level 2 Certificate in Fitness Instructing – Gym - Level 2 Diploma in Health, Fitness, and Exercise Instruction - Level 2 Diploma in Instructing Exercise and Fitness
Choose a location or a business – Your decision will affect the steps you take next. If you choose a location, you’ll need to do research on its demographics and develop your business to cater for them. If you select a business model, you’ll need to find a location where it’s likely to succeed. Remember when developing your outdoor fitness plan to make sure you’re offering something different to the competitors already set up in your chosen spot.
Get permission and insurance – If you want to use a local park or other public area, you must get permission to base your business there. This is vital, as your reputation could crumble if you’re found to be using outdoor space illegally. Also, insurance will help you protect yourself, should anything go wrong.
Have a back-up plan – Starting an outdoor fitness business has a drawback – the weather can have an impact on your classes. Decide what you’ll do if you don’t think you can go ahead with your scheduled sessions. Is there a nearby gym space or village hall you could rent out in advance, for example?
Choose your equipment – You may not need any special gear for your exercise, but you might decide to use cones, tyres, resistance bands, agility ladders, skipping ropes or kettlebells, for example. Make sure whatever you bring is easily transportable so you can pack it away quickly at the end of the session.
Decide on your pricing structure – There are a few different options here. You might choose to let customers pay as they go, or charge people for 10-week blocks. To encourage take-up, you could also offer each person a free first session.
Select your class times – You’ll probably have the freedom to choose when you run your sessions, but you should do research to find out how you can maximise your income. For instance, if you operate in a city-centre location, you might find a 7am or 8am class becomes really popular. If you set up near a student campus, running sessions throughout the day could give customers the chance to join in between their lectures and seminars.
Take your admin with you – If you create a jam-packed schedule to boost your earnings, you might find it difficult to fit in your administrative tasks – and you don’t want to be up all night sorting them at home. By taking your phone or a small tablet with you, you’ll be able to send emails, post on social media and take care of other jobs in between your classes.
Have the right attitude – You’ll need to be outgoing, approachable and passionate about what you do if you’re to inspire your customers to keep fit. They’ll want to see an enthusiastic and energetic person lead their classes, so make sure you’ve always got a positive attitude.
Use social media marketing & celebrate success – Posting on social media is an extremely cost-efficient way of promoting your business. Use high-quality photos to capture readers’ attention. Also, be sure to use your online platforms to celebrate your attendees’ successes. They’ll feel a huge sense of achievement and be able to show your special post to their friends and family.

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Outdoor fitness franchise opportunity

One Element

One Element is a franchise opportunity that will see you offering bespoke group fitness training in local parks. You’ll get to be your own boss, receive the backing and support of an established franchise and have the satisfaction of helping people keep fit in your community.

Becoming a One Element franchisee: You don’t need to have any previous experience in the fitness industry to become a franchisee, as long as you’re ambitious, driven and committed to making your business a success.
How much you need to invest: For a total investment of just £16,000, you can combine your passion for fitness with the freedom and flexibility of running your own business.
What you get for your investment: Before launching your franchise, you’ll attend an in-depth training programme in London. This is to make sure you fully understand the science behind the One Element fitness programmes, so you can offer effective and consistent classes.

Join the fitness industry and make a difference

If you want to have a positive impact on your community and help people improve their mental and physical wellbeing through exercise, the fitness industry could be for you. Why not take a look at our investment opportunities for fitness franchises?