Anytime Fitness enhances coaching offering with International Fitness Academy partnership

Anytime Fitness has announced a new partnership with leading fitness education experts, International Fitness Academy (IFA), to significantly increase the availability of high-quality personalised coaching to its members.

With coaching and member support at the heart of Anytime Fitness’ offering, the partnership will make industry-leading fitness qualifications more accessible to its club staff via AF Academy, Anytime Fitness’ in-house personal learning and development platform.

With 62% of personal trainers in the UK being self-employed[1], working alongside the IFA will provide franchisees with the platform to employ AF Coaches themselves and capitalise on the opportunity to earn secondary revenue through providing personalised coaching and personal training to its members.

“Our partnership with the International Fitness Academy provides substantial support to our franchisees and will be a key part of our future strategy,” said Neil Randall, CEO of Anytime Fitness UK. “High-quality coaching is at the heart of our member proposition and working with IFA will allow us to upskill current team members within the network and help recruit highly qualified and motivated fitness professionals into our clubs.

“Via our AF Academy platform, we aim to provide all the training and development needs for our network which will help them operate more successful and profitable clubs. Having more AF Coaches and highly qualified team members within our network will enhance the quality of service and coaching we provide to members and the support we provide to them to achieve their health goals.”

As well as adding to the membership experience, the partnership will support Anytime Fitness’ 185+ UK & Ireland clubs with their staff recruitment and retention. With the fitness industry one of many facing significant recruitment challenges since the pandemic, Anytime Fitness clubs will have the opportunity to develop its current team members, as well as tapping into an enthusiastic pool of enthusiastic fitness professionals.

“Given the global challenges around staff recruitment and retention, our partnership with Anytime Fitness will give its current team members a clear career pathway, as well as significant personal and professional development opportunities,” said Rhys Davies, CEO of International Fitness Academy. “We will support Anytime Fitness’ network of club owners with onboarding new team members into the network, giving them the knowledge and reassurance that personnel are both highly qualified and fit the culture of their brand.”

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[1] HFE - https://www.hfe.co.uk/personal-trainer/careers/personal-training-employed-vs-self-employed