{"id":62433,"date":"2025-08-06T10:56:16","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T10:56:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/62433\/"},"modified":"2025-08-06T10:56:16","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T10:56:16","slug":"nyc-fitness-studios-want-you-to-stop-using-3rd-party-apps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/62433\/","title":{"rendered":"NYC Fitness Studios Want You To Stop Using 3rd Party Apps"},"content":{"rendered":"

Independent fitness brands in the Big Apple are throwing their support behind a new campaign: \u201cGym Loyalty Month\u201d<\/p>\n

New York City\u2019s top boutique fitness brands are rallying behind \u201cGym Loyalty Month,\u201d a newly created campaign designed to support independent gym and studio owners in the Big Apple and eventually, nationwide. <\/p>\n

Spearheaded by James McMillian, the chief innovation officer at popular NYC strength and conditioning studio Tone House<\/a>, Gym Loyalty Month invites fitness consumers to \u201ctake a break\u201d from using third-party class booking apps throughout August and instead buy a full-priced membership directly from their favorite gym or studio. <\/p>\n

McMillian recently announced the campaign on Instagram,<\/a> and he\u2019s received early support from brands including Trooper Fitness, Aarmy and others, along with a handful of prominent NYC trainers and business owners. The campaign also invites people to tag their favorite gym and use the hashtag #GymLoyaltyMonth<\/p>\n

\u201cAugust is Gym Loyalty Month,\u201d McMillian wrote on Instagram. \u201cThis is the time to show up for the gyms that show up for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust one month of direct support can make a massive impact for the gyms and trainers during the summer months,\u201d the post continued, referencing the fact that August is usually a slow month for fitness businesses.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Issue With 3rd Party Apps<\/p>\n

Speaking to Athletech News, McMillian<\/a> said there\u2019s an \u201cindustry-wide feeling that we are starting to lose our value due to third-party apps.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to McMillian, while third-party class-booking apps can be beneficial from a marketing standpoint in allowing independent studios to reach a wider pool of potential customers, he believes that over the long run, they hurt small businesses by allowing consumers to book sessions at drastically reduced rates.<\/p>\n

\u201cSay a class costs $35; through the third-party app, you\u2019re only paying $10 to $12,\u201d he says, noting this has led to a feeling that such apps \u201care controlling our ecosystem and telling us our worth for our classes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"JamesTone House Chief Innovation Officer James McMillian (credit: James McMillian\/Tone House)<\/p>\n

While third-party booking apps like ClassPass have passionately and vigorously defended the value they provide to small business owners and the fitness industry as a whole<\/a>, McMillian isn\u2019t alone in his negative assessment of such platforms.<\/p>\n

Kenny Santucci, founder of The Strength Club and Strong New York<\/a>, says the low prices offered by third-party apps aren\u2019t sustainable for the industry, and could lead to independent gyms and studios having to close down, especially as rents soar higher in big cities like NYC.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery business works the same way: you can\u2019t expect to undermine a business you want to stick around,\u201d Santucci told ATN. \u201cIf you love going to a gym but don\u2019t want to pay for it, eventually it won\u2019t exist. Things don\u2019t run for free, no matter how much we wish they could.\u201d<\/p>\n

Celebrating Indie Gyms & Studios<\/p>\n

New York City trainers and independent gym owners are also seeking to frame Gym Loyalty Month as a way to celebrate the unique value that boutique studios provide over big-box gyms or digital fitness apps. Benefits include a communal atmosphere and hands-on, personalized coaching.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Supporting local gyms by purchasing direct memberships is a way to ensure these businesses stick around and continue to serve the community, business owners say.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cLoyalty isn\u2019t charity; it\u2019s survival,\u201d Ruben Belliard, owner of The Training Lab in Midtown Manhattan, told ATN. \u201cAnd when communities choose to train local, gyms give back with stronger programs, more events and deeper impact. Big-box gyms won\u2019t remember your name. Apps won\u2019t correct your form. But a local gym does: every time you show up, you\u2019re fueling a community that knows you, pushes you and celebrates you.\u201d<\/p>\n

See Also<\/p>\n

\"Gym<\/a><\/p>\n

Noam Tamir, founder of TS Fitness on the Upper East Side<\/a>, adds that local gym owners need the support not just for themselves, but to continue paying their staff members competitive wages.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing a gym owner means we do a lot more than just training,\u201d Tamir told ATN. \u201cWe also work to support our coaches and other staff. (through) things such as fitness education development, paid time off and team outings. We want to constantly invest in our company even when business is slow \u2014 it helps to keep the culture strong.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"credit: TS Fitness<\/p>\n

Can Gym Loyalty Month Change the Industry?<\/p>\n

While McMillian notes that Gym Loyalty Month<\/a> isn\u2019t designed to \u201cdiscredit third-party apps,\u201d he believes that, in general, there\u2019s a lack of awareness among fitness consumers about the effects such apps are having on the bottom lines of their favorite fitness brands. <\/p>\n

He\u2019s confident that if more people become aware of the benefits of booking directly with gyms, they\u2019ll do so more often. He shared with ATN a statement submitted by one of his members: <\/p>\n

\u201cWe want the best and we complain we aren\u2019t happy,\u201d an anonymous Tone House member shared. \u201cNo one thought of the money gyms were losing every month, how underpaid and overworked trainers are, how difficult it is to survive business-wise. Your posts already made people think differently \u2014 \u2018Wait a minute, these gyms are businesses, too, and the trainers are human, they need to have a way to sustain their business and lives.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

McMillian is hopeful Gym Loyalty Month will spark long-term change in fitness consumer purchasing behavior. For now, though, he says local gyms and studios will take all the help they can get, even if it\u2019s just for one month.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOne month of sacrifice will make a ton of difference for the finances of gyms,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd it\u2019s a chance to help keep your gym open, because you just never know the day you\u2019ll receive that message on Instagram that (your favorite) gym is closing due to financial strain.\u201d<\/p>\n

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