EMD UK, the national governing body for group exercise, and Fisikal have joined forces to offer a no-fee digital platform that will allow group exercise instructors and personal trainers to stream chargeable digital content.
This will support fitness professionals through this period of extended physical distancing imposed by the government to slow the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Brett Pearson, head of sales and marketing at EMD UK, said: “The platform, designed and delivered by Fisikal, will provide many instructors and personal trainers with a financial lifeline.
“With leisure facilities now closed, most instructors have lost any ability to earn money in a physical environment, creating a high level of anxiety and stress across the sector.
“EMD UK joined in the Government lobbying in collaboration with the Sport & Recreation Alliance to ensure freelance instructors and personal trainers got offered some financial support but, this funding will not be made available until June and our members are keen to access new income streams now.
“Through Fisikal, a valued EMD UK Supplier Partner, we are able to offer our group exercise and personal trainer members new opportunities to reach their audiences through professional, digital means. In addition to enabling the maintenance of a connection to their client and participant network during these times of social distancing, the solution also provides a way of generating income through the provision of online classes and training programmes.”
The digital platform is available free of charge and opens up a huge array of functionality, including class scheduling, booking and payment systems which class participants and clients can access via a free to download app.
Instructors and personal trainers have the ability to pre-record and upload their own, bespoke content or, take advantage of a huge selection of quality class and workout content, stored in the Fisikal library, provided by Escape Fitness Equipment and high profile Master Trainers, including Matt Gleed.
Matthew Januszeck, co-founder at Escape Fitness, said: “We have opened our library of more than 250 exercise videos to provide users with a professional means of compiling bespoke workout programmes and training plans. Instructors have been hit hard. For most, continuing to work and generate income is dependent on them being able to move their business online, at very short notice.
“This partnership with Fisikal enables us to make our content available, quickly and effectively to those who need it. We really are all in this together. The team at Escape Fitness is pleased to be able to play its part in offering instructors an opportunity to continue to service the thousands of people who want to access fitness services despite being confined to their homes.”
Instructors can also stream live workouts via an integration with YouTube Live, helping to connect their community via in-the moment experiences whilst fully respecting physical distancing rules.
Rob Lander, CEO at Fisikal, said: “The platform provides fitness professionals with a means of delivering a chargeable service, without the need for an upfront payment at a time when many are already financially challenged. The solution is super simple to set up. We have created a number of online step-by-step tutorials, ensuring even the most tech unsavvy can be up and running in a matter of hours.”
The platform is free and available to any individual exercise to music instructor or personal trainer, even those not currently an EMD UK member.
Pearson added: “EMD UK members taking advantage of our insurance policy will be covered to deliver online fitness content via this platform. Sadly, not all insurers cover all aspects of online fitness content delivery. We urge anyone considering migrating their services online, to check their terms and conditions carefully before embarking. Should instructors need our insurance, included in our membership package, they should use the code ‘FISIKAL’ to get a discount on membership.”
Due to the complexities of global music licensing, instructors will need to ensure the music they use is either licence free or, due to the YouTube integration, all original artists songs purchased via another EMD UK Supplier partner, FitMixPro, can be used in live streaming classes. Please visit https://www.fitmixpro.com/music/browse;ref=EMDVIP#keepmix
The platform is available now. To find out more information and how to access the solution, either visit the Fisikal website www.fisikal.com or the EMD UK website www.emduk.org/virtual-instructor-platform
