• Subscribe
  • E-Newsletter
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • Login
Community Rec
  • Topics
    • Community
    • Facility Development
    • Programming
    • Operations
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • E-Newsletter
    • Media Kit
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Continuing Education
    • Community Rec Leadership Summit
    • Webinars
    • Pickleball Innovators
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
    • Case Studies
  • Podcast
  • Buyer’s Guide
No Result
View All Result
  • Topics
    • Community
    • Facility Development
    • Programming
    • Operations
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • E-Newsletter
    • Media Kit
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Continuing Education
    • Community Rec Leadership Summit
    • Webinars
    • Pickleball Innovators
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
    • Case Studies
  • Podcast
  • Buyer’s Guide
No Result
View All Result
Community Rec
No Result
View All Result
Home Column

24-Hour Access: Marketing to Active Older Adults

Judi Christy by Judi Christy
March 2, 2022
in Column, Seniors
0
Active Older Adults
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Judi Christy, the director of marketing and communication at the Akron Area YMCA, shares a lesson learned in marketing to active older adults when transitioning to 24-hour access at one of the Y’s locations. 

Last night, and the one before that, and most assuredly a couple of nights last week, I woke up well before my 5 a.m. alarm. Several times. I could chalk this up to my New Year’s resolution to drink more water, or to the fact that my cat was crushing my legs or even, although this is very unlikely, that my husband was snoring – loudly.

But, whatever the reason, my brain started buzzing hours before the beep.

I tried deep breathing and counting sheep. I even tried to envision my chakras and recall the United States presidents in reverse order – getting stalled before yellow, and stumped after Eisenhower.

I thought about getting up, cracking open the book I started reading weeks ago and, yes, drinking more coffee.

I even thought about driving to work and getting a real jump on my day, but that would mean taking a shower and putting on makeup. Maybe I could clean out the cupboards, write thank you notes from last Christmas, buy something I didn’t need on Amazon, worry about the future of my kids, obsess over the state of the country, make a mental shopping list, try to think of the name of all the kids in my grade school class, or just lay there and stare at the ceiling and listen to my husband (not) snore.

So many options. But one that never crossed my mind was getting up and leaving the house to work out. At least until now.

In the spring of 2022, we will offer 24-hour access to a Y in our Association. As part of this process, we consulted with other Ys that have added this type of extended access to their memberships. We wanted the ins and outs and lessons learned before we jumped into something that we had before only taken a small toe dip.

Learn More: Marketing to Active Older Adults – You’re Probably Doing it Wrong

Our colleagues were great. They shared insights and examples of what worked and what they wish they had known before starting. They also offered a surprising fact:  Older adults were the highest users of the 24-hour access between 2 and 5 a.m.

Why? Well, maybe because they could not sleep.

I was honestly stunned by this news. I thought older people – like myself – did not want to drive at night. I thought they preferred to toss and turn rather than squat and spin. I thought they would rather suffer in silence instead of getting into gear.

I’m slightly joking, but truly I did not think our 24-hour access would, or should be, aimed at older people, like myself. So much for my claim to be a marketing genius.

My astute plan was to launch our 24-hour access Grand Opening to the kids – people under 65, without cataracts and AARP cards in their wallets. I thought young people were buzzed with energy and would love nothing more than to hit a late-night Starbucks and cozy up for some cardio before hitting the hay at 3 a.m.

Learn More: Y Partners with GetSetUp to Provide Classes for Older Adults

I also thought to promote our program to local manufacturers on a 24-hour schedule, our health professionals on crazy rotations and our college students who, if I remember right, sleep in on Fridays.

I had my targets marked. But, I forgot my own peeps – the active older adults who can’t seem to sleep. So, I spent a few waking moments thinking about my pitch:

“Forget the Tylenol PM, the hot toddy, and the over-the-counter melatonin. We’ve got 24-hour access. Slip away from the snoring mate, swipe your card and see who else is living on the edge of darkness at our Lake Anna YMCA.”

There’s only so many hours in the day… use them or lose them.

Stay tuned to see how it works.

Stay up to date on industry trends, best practices, news and more.

Tags: 24-hour accessactive older adultsAkron Area YMCAcommunitycommunity recreationfeaturedMarketingYMCA
Previous Post

Deliver High-Quality Experiences for Youth with New Features from BellXcel

Next Post

Friedman JCC Day Camp Kicking off a $3 million Capital Campaign

Judi Christy

Judi Christy

Judi Christy is the director of marketing and communication at the Akron Area YMCA.

Related Posts

Wellness
Column

How to Harness Wellness Within Your Organization

July 7, 2025
AI
Column

AI Policy as a Path to Innovation: A Human-First Approach

June 25, 2025
Data
Column

Making Data Human: Teaching Your Team to Use Metrics That Motivate

June 18, 2025
Partnerships
Column

Unconventional Ways to Develop Partnerships

May 27, 2025
Padel
Column

Why Community Recreation Leaders Should Start Paying Attention to Padel

May 21, 2025
Engaging seniors
Column

Engaging Seniors at Your Center

April 23, 2025
Next Post
Friedman JCC Day Camp

Friedman JCC Day Camp Kicking off a $3 million Capital Campaign

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Exposure Guide + Media Kit

July/August 2025 Issue

Get Updates in your inbox

Stay up to date on industry trends, best practices, news and more.

Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn

Contact us at info@communityrecmag.com

  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • E-Newsletter
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us

The Current Issue

The Latest from CO

  • Bath Area Family YMCA Names Amy Vendt as New CEO
  • Getting the Most Out of Recovery in Community Rec
  • YMCA of Western North Carolina President and CEO Paul Vest to Retire
  • Future Energy Solutions Installs No Upfront Cost LED System at Family YMCA of Lancaster & Fairfield County

© 2025 Community Rec Magazine. Published by Peake Media.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • Topics
    • Community
    • Facility Development
    • Programming
    • Operations
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • E-Newsletter
    • Media Kit
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Continuing Education
    • Community Rec Leadership Summit
    • Webinars
    • Pickleball Innovators
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
    • Case Studies
  • Podcast
  • Buyer’s Guide

© 2025 Community Rec Magazine. Published by Peake Media.