Wellbeats expands virtual fitness solution to workplace wellness programs

Wellbeats’ commitment to delivering “fitness that fits” allows employers to offer personalized fitness as part of employee well-being programs

ST. LOUIS PARK, MN (August 7, 2018) – Wellbeats, a content and software-as-a-service (SaaS) company that provides virtual, on-demand fitness classes, is out to prove that fitness can be personal and meaningful. The company is at the leading edge of a push toward personalization in healthcare that emphasizes fitness that fits into people’s lives regardless of current activity level, health status, or lifestyle. The company announced today that it has recently expanded its sales focus to the employer market, where increasing movement and physical activity is a key strategy for improving workforce health and influencing bottom-line financial performance.

“Employers continue to make employee health and well-being a priority, and on-site workouts are an increasingly important part of their initiatives, but these same employers also struggle with keeping employees engaged over time,” said Jason Von Bank, president, and CEO of Wellbeats. “Virtual fitness removes common barriers to getting and staying active by providing anytime access to fitness content that is relevant and meaningful to individuals. And most importantly, participation data shows that virtual fitness addresses the engagement dilemma.”

According to Wellbeats, industry data and consumer trends show a clear opportunity for employers to influence workplace well-being. Consider the following:

● Recent research predicts that the virtual fitness market is expected to reach $2.6 billion by 2022, up from $849.5 million in 2017.
● More than 38 percent of people work remotely or are not in an office where they have access to a gym or fitness center.
● 64 percent of people say they would use on-demand fitness if their employer offered it; however, less than 1 percent of employers do.

According to Von Bank, Wellbeats is a cost-effective way to help employees get and stay active. It integrates seamlessly into a company’s benefits portal, making it easy to track participation in workplace well-being initiatives and align rewards with program participation or completion of goals. Virtual fitness also supports long-term employee engagement, with Wellbeats recording an average of 212 activity minutes per month. Wellbeats currently has more than 2,200 commercial clients in all 50 states and 19 countries and will be available for purchase on an individual basis through the Apple App Store this summer.

Wellbeats content can be licensed by corporate clients and made available to consumers via Windows, Android, and iOS devices. The Wellbeats solution features more than 350 fitness classes for a wide range of consumer interests. All classes can be accessed through an online portal or a mobile app.
“Wellbeats has been incredibly useful, and I’ve been surprised by the metrics. I talk about it a lot with people who can’t come to our wellness center,” said Ashley Wood-Suszko, wellness coordinator at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. “Obviously, if employees at a satellite site just have access to a room, they can use Wellbeats by themselves and there’s a lot of value there. I even do the classes quite often now myself.”

Wellbeats was formed in 2008 by a group of fitness club owners who noticed members were bringing their own workout videos into the club’s multi-purpose room to create a do-it-yourself “club within a club.” The company, which was originally called Fitness on Request, sold kiosks with custom-created, on-demand, fitness video content. Fast forward to 2014, and the company had changed its name to Wellbeats and shifted its focus to content and SaaS.

As part of its evolving focus, Wellbeats recently introduced a new brand identity that underscores its commitment to “fitness that fits” and that speaks to the commitment by all Wellbeats employees and instructors to inspire consumers to find engaging, high-quality workouts that fit their unique abilities and styles.

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For more information:
Barbara Tabor, APR
(651) 230-9192 / Barbara@taborpr.com / @taborpr

About Wellbeats
Based in St. Louis Park, MN, Wellbeats is a leading provider of on-demand fitness classes for use in workplaces of all sizes, on college or university campuses, multi-family housing, the U.S. military, and fitness and health clubs. Wellbeats makes fitness easy, accessible and affordable for everyone. More than 350 workout classes are available via kiosks, an online portal or via Android and iOS apps. To learn more, visit www.wellbeats.com or check out a sampling of the company’s fitness classes during a Facebook Live session. Follow on Twitter or LinkedIn.