One of my initial thoughts about the release of the Apple iPad is it's potential use in the fitness industry. More specifically how gyms, personal training studios, personal trainers, and other fitness facilities or fitness professionals could use this new device as a tool to draw in and retain members. There can be a few road blocks for a fitness facility adopting technique Apple iPad, but I think it can be done and be very cost effective.

One of the main challenges a gym or a personal training studio faces is how to draw in members and keep them. Attrition can make or break a facility, so it is important that a gym maintains a healthy relationship with its members. As well as the boom of fitness franchises around the country has made it easier and easier to open a health club. The recent increase of places to workout has made it increasingly difficult for each individual gym to stand out from the rest.

Think about it? No matter how you spin it, a gym is a gym. They all have pretty very similar components. Yes various provide more classes then others, a number of are open 24-hours a day, several are built for athletes, but they are all built to result in the same thing, fitness. However, the one thing that does make every gym different from the rest is member experience.

Keeping members at your facility is about the member's experience at the facility.

• Are they getting the results they want?
• Is the facility meeting or exceeding their expectations?
• More importantly do, they want to come back day after day?

How does the Apple iPad fit in all this?

I have mentioned in prior articles how an iPad could help personal trainers. But how could a gym leverage this new technology to their advantage. Well one thought is the recent media buzz about the iPad is actually a draw for members. Just advertising that you rent out or loan out iPads to your members might bring various interest to your club. However, I don't see how that buzz could be sustained long term. Another thought is a workout request for members. Picture a member filling out there profile and they mention that they would like to lose weight. The gym could rent out the iPad to the member during there workout. The iPad would have a workout application that displays the member's custom workout. The member would have access to exercise pictures, descriptions, and videos at just a swipe of the finger.

My final thought of using the Apple iPad is more general to all industries. It may be easily used as a sales presentation tool. Imagine a prospective member walks straight into the club, the sales staff takes the member to a relaxed location and has a conversation about the club, all while the sales staff shows the prospect details about membership dues and other details about the club. Using the iPad as a sales presentation device could be an entirely different article in itself. I'm sure there are many other ways to integrate the iPad straight into a health clubs, the ones I mentioned are where it starts. I predict within a few years we will see increasingly more ways for the iPad and other tablet devices make their way into many different industries.