Boot Camp Trainer from California says her Mobile App Fits the Business of Staying Fit
Four mornings a week, at a quiet park in Northern California, hardcore moms gather for burpees, squats and push-ups.
Rain or shine, they knock out endless sets of calisthenics to music blasting through an otherwise peaceful expanse of green.
“Building an App is SO much easier than building muscles,” laughs trainer Ruth Ashkenazi. “Believe me, building my app online was simple in comparison to the 60 burpees I made my clients do this morning, and sending push notifications takes me no more than two minutes, tops.”
Ashkenazi built a do-it-yourself iPhone and Android app online with MobileAppLoader.
“There’s a definite business to fitness,” she says. “Personally, I’d prefer jumping around all day, feeling that adrenaline rush and my muscles burn. But as a trainer, I need to pay attention to my bottom line. I need to treat fitness as a business, and part of doing that – a BIG PART of doing that – is communicating with my clientele.”
Ashkenazi, whose total clientele numbers in the dozens, communicates via email but “the problem is, not everyone checks their email, believe it or not.”
“Group texting feels intrusive,” she says. “And it gets a little crazy when everyone starts responding to the same group text …
“I like sending push notifications via my Mobile App, because people can email me back or chat with me one-on-one through my mobile app. It’s the perfect solution for letting people know – in real time – what’s going on.”
“The Northern California drought finally broke with a few rainstorms this week, so I was able to send Push Notifications out to boot campers who were wondering if we were still on.
“ON? OF COURSE WE’RE STILL ON! Rain or shine,” Ashkenazi says. “But if we need a change of venue, like switching to a nearby park with a rain-proof awning, my mobile app is a great vehicle for getting the message out.”
The app is also a great way to encourage people who’ve slacked.
“With fitness, as with any business, you have some clients who sort-of disappear over time. That always makes me sad because I want people to stay healthy and strong, which takes consistency,” Ashkenazi says.
“From time-to-time I send push notifications that are specifically aimed at encouraging the hard-core, as well as those playing hooky – you know, those who have been skipping class. Communication through the app reminds all of them that we’re here! We’re at the park, literally working our butts off and having a BLAST. Come join us!”
The dedicated members of “Durable You Fitness” have been showing up multiple times a week, month after month, for an hour of heart-pounding heroics that get results.
“One year ago, none of us could do what we do now,” says Ashkenazi. “You asked me how my mobile app fits with my business… Not to sound cheesy but, like exercise, it gets results…
“I love fitness. It’s my passion. Fitness is what I want to share. My mobile app helps me do exactly that. It helps me share.”