Anytime Fitness moves from bricks to digital

Having launched the Anytime Health fitness industry portal last year, 24/7 fitness franchise looks set to expand its focus on reaching members and customers online.

With more than 2,200 clubs globally, Anytime Fitness has already laid claim to a significant share of the 24/7 fitness market.

However, Forbes contributor David Tao believes that the franchise is shifting from pure geographic expansion toward building a strong online presence.

Beyond Anytime Health, where clients can track their progress and connect with other members, the group sees the platform as offering more than a series of tools to download new workouts and track food.

Rather, Anytime Fitness want to develop an ecosystem of gym-goers and franchise operators sharing their progress and exchanging feedback on the Anytime Fitness experience.

Anytime Fitness co-founder and Chief Executive Chuck Runyon is hoping that the site can engage clients beyond their club visits, something many fitness brands have tried to accomplish.

Runyon told Tao, "it's about merging digital with the brick and mortar store", adding that "the (gym) chain that can bridge the gap between a physical location and life (will) win."

Runyon, who is surprisingly focused on getting his customers online, added "we have a five year plan to really get outside our clubs, it's one of our two main goals including expansion.

"If half of our members are using (Anytime Health), we'll be ecstatic about it."

Tao sees that Anytime Fitness faces a long road ahead of them to convert clients, many of whom are already using countless other tracking platforms and devices like the Nike FuelBand and Jawbone Up, explaining that currently only 18% of Anytime Fitness members currently log on to Anytime Health.

While Runyon says his company plans to make the platform compatible with popular tracking devices, they have not yet chosen to partner with existing software companies, many of which have user bases in the tens of millions.

Runyon explains "if we're one of many other partners,we're just a client. It's our ability to imprint a consistent culture on our clients lives that's important, and we have to create that ourselves."

That culture has pushed Anytime Fitness to strive for a seamless experience both online and at their gyms. All locations are open 24/7, and automated services and support from regional offices have slashed overhead and salary costs for franchisees. With keycard access and 'panic button' security systems, most locations don't require a staff member present at all times.

Of course, Anytime Fitness isn't the only fitness brand working to change the perception of gyms from a physical space many dread to a holistic brand users embrace.

Competitors like LA Fitness are now offering online support and coaching for members while CrossFit has famously bucked the franchise model to immense success with over 7,000 affiliates worldwide.

But while CrossFit's affiliate program leaves significant freedom for gym owners to forge their own, unique environments, Runyon is committed to keeping the Anytime Fitness experience uniform across locations. CrossFit also has the added advantage of fostering a budding sport in addition to a fitness methodology, which gives followers added incentive to follow along online.

Runyon adds "I like CrossFit, I think it's going to do tremendously well, but it's still a niche offering.

"Back when Anytime Fitness was founded, our model was more like theirs, there was more flexibility for franchise owners to do different things. But it didn't work for us, the uniformity just wasn't enough."

In Runyon's mind, there's never been a better time to be a fitness consumer, and he's enthusiastic about the sheer volume of choices customers have in picking their gyms, tracking platforms, and support systems.

For a brand that's already carved out a significant chunk of the fitness marke