The YMCA of Delaware’s longtime fitness director, Marty White, had his eye on Myzone for quite some time. He researched wearables, one of the hottest fitness trends in 2019, as well as most of the heart rate monitors on the market. When his branch renovated an underutilized space into a functional training studio, he took that as a chance to bring the Myzone system on board.
Below, Tricia Jefferson, the director of program development and partnerships at the YMCA of Delaware, shares more on why their seven branches partnered with Myzone:
Community Rec: How has Myzone helped improve your fitness classes?
Tricia Jefferson: Myzone has allowed instructors to really get to know our members. Our staff can concentrate more on engaging and tailoring workouts to member’s needs. Having the Myzone tiles up on the screen has created a stronger sense of community within many of our small group training and group exercise classes. Members now get to know each other’s names; they talk after class about which zones they were in and it provides a base to let them connect organically.
What do your members like about Myzone?
TJ: Members really like the connection to other members, as well as staff. They feel part of something. For some it helps to provide that element of competition, for others it provides the accountability they need. The social media function keeps everyone connected outside of our facilities’ four walls. Just like other social media outlets, it allows members to brag or post about their workout, give or receive comments or likes and people enjoy that. I joked when we started a staff challenge, I felt like our fitness director suddenly was my best friend. Little did I know, he was making everyone feel that way. It feels good to be acknowledged and our members like the support they get when they put in the hard work and they appreciate someone is noticing them along their health journey.
We know staff buy in is huge, so we just launched use of the challenge function. It has been a great way to get our staff excited about working out, using the belts, and getting to know the features. We know members will do just about anything for a t-shirt and so were excited to get a MEPs challenge going. The feature is an easy way for our staff to create a challenge, quickly and easily. I know members will love this feature, so we are excited to initiate some challenges in 2020 with members.
How would you describe Myzone’s customer support?
TJ: Honestly, we haven’t used customer support very often, the system is very easy to use. If something has come up, we have used many of the resources provided to us to troubleshoot. There is an easy connection with the team though, which allows us to get any issues we would have resolved quickly. They started us out with a kickoff call, then we focused on strategy, backend administration and then software launch. This step-by-step process made it easy for our staff who have a lot on their plate.
Why should other community rec professionals consider working with Myzone?
TJ: I think the system can work well in all types of facilities. Small boutique locations can enhance their sense of community and engagement, and large facilities can create a stronger sense of connection and bonding. Using the MZ3 belt has also allowed our staff to stay and feel connected outside of planned or structured classes. If you are looking for a product to connect with members to enhance their fitness goals and ensure their sense of belonging, Myzone is a great investment.
