Fitness centres around the world have closed their doors due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Even as some states plan to reopen businesses, including health clubs, the protocols for social distancing are likely to remain, forcing owners of fitness businesses that will soon reopen or those that must remain closed for the time being to consider two options: go digital or possibly disappear.
The good news is that forward-thinking fitness professionals have long used digital tools to engage with members outside of brick-and-mortar locations. The number of digital fitness tools available to help health club operators deliver and monetise digital fitness content has also recently increased.
A successful digital fitness business starts with a content and delivery strategy. With the right content delivery and community engagement tools in place, the best digital fitness platforms enable operators to quickly launch branded digital fitness products.
In this regard, an Indonesian health start-up aims to fill this void in the Healthnet space. The newly launched start-up was created as part of the telecommunications industry’s larger digital innovation strategy, which aims to empower Indonesian society in the digital realm beyond connectivity services.
“The key idea is to have programmes that help Indonesians create healthy habits and be conscious of those habits,” explains the start-up chief product officer. The platform offers users customised programmes to help guide them on the journey toward a healthier life. When users first download the app, they only need to fill out a simple questionnaire about their habits and health goals. This data is used by the app to create a fitness or wellness programme tailored to each user.
In addition, the app can track meals and water intake, count steps, and monitor exercise routines. It also provides fitness and wellness videos, recipes, meal planning tips, and guidance from its team of coaches and health experts who assist in the development of the platform’s routines. The app also features health and wellness programmes with notable Indonesian influencers such as a local bodybuilder and a television host and actress from Indonesia. Moreover, its community feature allows users to connect with and encourage one another on their individual health journeys.
According to the start-up’s chief product officer, such regionalised content is essential to bringing Indonesians onto the platform and keeping them there to cultivate healthy habits. “It’s about making sure the users feel at home, and having that very local focus,” he adds.
The platform’s app has finally been released after months of extensive product development and testing. The company also has a head start: thanks to the large network company, it now has over 40,000 users, which it acquired during its beta testing phase. With the platform now operational, that number is expected to rise even further. However, the platform went through several iterations before reaching its current form and finding the right product-market fit for the platform was particularly difficult.
The app will be a constant work in progress as the team continues to provide new and improved services to users. “Our users are dynamic, and the app is dynamic,” he says. “We will keep iterating to understand their problems and meet their needs.”
The platform’s public launch is just the beginning of its journey toward helping Indonesians live healthier. The plan is to roll out new features later in the year, including gamification and rewards to help drive up user stickiness and an enhanced push notification system to encourage habit formation. The firm also plans to explore new technology such as artificial intelligence-powered photo recognition that can help make the platform easier to use. Finally, the platform aspires to be Indonesians’ health and fitness app.
