Feeling comfortable at the gym or with a certain type of exercise is one of the most crucial pieces to finding a sustainable fitness plan. But for those who are new to the workout world, how does one uncover the right fit for their specific fitness journey?
Leonard Love and Jerome Touchstone encountered firsthand just how difficult it can be to find the right fitness options when you’re not even sure where to start. After graduating Appalachian State University, Love and Touchstone were having a difficult time finding quality fitness opportunities while on the road for work. Whether the hotels they were staying in had lackluster exercise equipment or they were unfamiliar with local studio offerings, the pair realized the gap to finding your fit often extends even within your own city. They started to ask themselves, what if there was a way to access new fitness classes and gyms, all under a singular membership option?
Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Charlotte, Gymonkee is a mobile application that provides instant access to hundreds of curated fitness experiences throughout the United States. From fitness fanatics to drop-in explorers, the mobile fitness membership gives you discounted access to an extensive network of fitness gyms and boutique studios in over ten cities. True to its name, Gymonkee allows its members to “swing” from gym to gym and city to city within its network, with a flexible, no obligation membership subscription.
When asked what spurred Gymonkee's concept in its early days, Love explained, "Many people lead unhealthy lifestyles or fall out of fitness because of the lack of a community or inability to find their fit at the right fitness studio or gym, and we wanted to be the bridge to help people find a fitness experience that they love."
In Charlotte, over twenty-five exercise studios and gyms are available on the mobile application, a number that continues to grow. Gymonkee currently also offers classes in Raleigh, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Dallas, Chicago, the Bay Area and London and they plan to expand to every major city within the United States over time, starting within the southeast region and stretching out towards the west coast.
Still, garnering support for their business hasn't always been easy. The Black-owned tech startup has faced a few challenges since its launch, primarily within the local media landscape. Love explained, "Our biggest challenge since launch is getting the Charlotte media community behind our Black-owned tech startup that is a local fitness class booking platform that also supports local small fitness businesses. Supporting Gymonkee is supporting Charlotte local businesses in more ways than one."
Unlike other monthly fitness membership applications, Gymonkee offers a more transparent and advantageous payout structure for participating gyms and studios. The company also extends a personal relationship to its partner network, with high customer service standards and hands-on approach to the entire partnership process. The company offers free integration to list classes, pays out a percentage higher for each user, and allows fitness partners to control how many individuals are allowed to enroll in any given class without additional fees or penalties.
As an added bonus, the Gymonkee app hosts a marketplace where fitness partners can offer promotional opportunities to members without forced discounts or additional fees from the platform.
For Gymonkee members, the mobile application provides easy access to exploring a wide variety of group classes and new fitness activities. Users purchase coins directly on the app, which then act as credits to access classes of varying amounts. Unlike many of their competitors, Gymonkee coins will roll over from month-to-month or can be shared among friends who also join the network. There are also no restrictions for how many times a user can use their coins at any given gym, giving the member full flexibility with their purchase. Subscriptions range from $19.95 to $99.95, and new users can access a free, seven-day trial for monthly memberships.
“Boutique fitness is exploding and studios are popping up all over the country. There are a ton of fitness studios and gyms in just Charlotte alone that many people are unaware of and these are experiences that people need to know about and have because it could change their lives," said Love.
In light of North Carolina remaining in Phase 2 of reopening due to Covid-19, many gyms and fitness studios have pivoted to offer outdoor and virtual exercise opportunities for its members.
"Gymonkee has responded to Covid-19 by continuing to partner with our fitness studios and promoting their virtual classes with our users. Our users have the ability to use their Gymonkee coins to purchase access to virtual classes which allows us to still provide our partners with much needed incremental revenue during the shutdown," commented Love.
Currently, there are over fifty virtual and outdoor offerings listed on the Gymonkee app for the Charlotte area each week.
