The Complete Guide to Videos
For Fitness and Wellness Studios

Introduction


In the last few years, the fitness and wellness industry leaders have leveraged the opportunities to build long term relationship with customers by having a digital presence. A digital presence helps to complement the real life, in person classes and sessions and provide more return on investment for your members.

Over the last couple of years, we’ve watched businesses move online, and this ripple effect was seen extensively in the fitness community.

Videos have continued to play a big role in helping the fitness and wellness studios build an online presence to engage with their members and the larger community. A video can be a perfect mix of engaging visuals, on-beat audio, and text animations that grab the attention. Videos make content easier to understand and help reach a more extensive and diverse audience base, across geographies, unlike other content forms.

The opportunity is enormous. There are now millions of people trying to stay in shape from the comfort of their homes. If you can adopt an engaging online video marketing strategy, you’ll be ahead of the curve and benefit from having a clear competitive advantage.

Types of Videos to Grow your Fitness Brand


Fitness and video are a powerful combination that has existed since the late ‘70s. From VHS exercise tapes to YouTube videos, the combination has proved to work wonders in the industry. Videos can be used in multiple ways to market your fitness and wellness business.

Video production is getting more affordable by the day — you can shoot your own HD or 4K video with just a smartphone. Though content creation is more accessible, getting the desired outcome from the videos can still seem daunting. Creating impactful and engaging videos needs well thought-out design.

We developed this guide to help you understand the building blocks of video design and the different types of videos you can create to grow your business. And the best part - it’s a lean process that you can follow on your own.

After watching numerous videos from our customers and across top fitness and wellness studios, we identified 4 common video types of videos you need to look at.

1. Follow Along Workout Videos with Timer - Workout with me

In these Follow Along (Workout with me) videos, the instructor performs a gym or a fitness routine with recommended breaks. The viewer can watch and participate in the workout routine along with the instructor. The video includes a timer that counts the duration of exercises and breaks.


Here's a quick tutorial on how to add a countdown timer to your workout video:



2. Demonstration Videos - How to Style

In Demonstration videos, the trainer guides the viewer on how to perform a specific exercise/routine step-by-step. These videos can also transition towards a 'Workout with me' video, but Demonstration videos usually include a lot of time spent describing the correct exercise form and common mistakes.



3. Promotional videos for Social Media - Offers, Events

Promotional videos are created to promote the different services that your fitness studio offers. These videos will include glimpses of what the fitness studio offers and details for interested participants to sign up. Promotional videos are also great if you have an event to promote or a membership drive to spread far and wide.



4. Live Video Classes

Zoom and other similar online web conferencing tools offer an interactive way to host online classes from your home or local fitness studio. It's the next best thing to a live class.

If you record your online classes, you can use these to create multiple shorter video clips of the same recording and post these to stir up some interest in your classes online.

Live classes are easy to set up, and you don't need to pay for an elaborate equipment-heavy setup. Live video classes are great to expand your clientele across geographical barriers. These types of classes make it easier for people to fit fitness into their daily routines from the comfort of their homes.




The Building Blocks of Video Design for Your Fitness Studio

‍Video creation is an act of creative expression. It cannot be produced without thinking about the intent, audience, scope and context of the video. The best videos make your fitness and wellness brand stand out.

We believe it’s futile to pursue a cookie cutter approach to creating videos. A cookie cutter approach to a function is very beautifully encapsulated in the two definitions provided by dictionary.com:

Cookie cutter videos


As a video creator, you have the opportunity and responsibility to showcase a rich palette of perspectives and design videos that make an impact while staying true to your individuality. Hope you are not intimidated by the concept of video design. If you are, take a breath and get comfortable 😃

We are going to walk you through all the key components of video design that will be relevant to you as you produce your fitness marketing videos. Let’s get started.

1. Video Format

When distributing your videos on social media platforms, tailoring your video to a platform’s video format specifications is mission critical. The user interface of each social media platform is different and the way viewers will engage with your video will depend on how well you optimize for the native format.

YouTube prefers 16:9 (landscape) and Facebook loves 1:1 (square) videos. Want to leverage Instagram Stories to raise awareness about an issue? 9:16 (portrait) is the way to go. The effort that you put into optimizing your video design for a specific format is a sign to the viewer that you actually care about their viewing experience. Grab those brownie points!



With Typito, you can choose from a wide collection of aspect ratio formats that work well for different social media platforms. Note that the leading social media platforms keep releasing new video formats and updating existing ones.

Here’s a one-stop comprehensive guide to all the format specifications across social media platforms.

2. Brand Essentials

The most engaging videos are good at humanizing the brand. You need the videos to be ambassadors which stay true to your organizational values. When investing in creating videos for your cause, your choices about the text animations, the font, the colors and how these elements will interact with each other, all will play a key role in the effectiveness of the video.

This section will discuss the core elements of your brand design on video and share how they play a key role in creating an engaging, memorable video that will encourage your audience to act.

2.1 Intro Text Animations

An Intro is a motion graphic or text animation element that is added within the first few seconds of the video popularly called the bumper section in a video. It is most commonly positioned at the centre of the video frame. Intro, like title of a story, gives context of what the video is going to be about.

Workout videos with titles like '20 Minutes Full body Workout' or 'Warm up Routine' are highly contextual and help the viewer prepare beforehand.

The Intro added on your bumper is effectively the first impression of your brand on video. Try to bring out your style and personal touch. Text on plain background is a non-starter 🙂. Here’s how to design a great bumper from our friends at Wistia.

Explore intro text templates for fitness videos →


2.2 Lower Third Text Animations

A lower third refers to the text in the lower portion of the video. This is primarily used to display information like the name of a speaker, their title, the company name etc.Contrary to the name, such titles may not need to occupy one third of the video frame area. In most videos, the lower third is at the bottom left or bottom right of the frame, and the space occupied depends on the length of the text and the design choice of the graphics.

Lower thirds can help with better content retention and association on a fitness video. An excellent animated lower third adds impact and subtly draws attention to important contextual information about the person in the frame.

Explore lower third text templates for fitness videos →


2.3 Captions and Subtitles

A caption is a type of text animation that communicates (in real-time) what is being said. If you have watched any videos on your social media stream today, it is likely that you would have seen captions it at least one of them.

Facebook says internal tests showed that captions can increase video view time by an average of 12%. Captions have become more relevant thanks to the growing trend of silent videos across platforms like Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. More importantly captions enable deaf and hard of hearing users access your videos. There are specific laws in many countries that make captions mandatory for video content across a number of industries.

Captions and subtitles may not always be necessary in a fitness video but there can be exceptions. For instance, a video featuring an instructor in a video titled, ‘Top Tips to Enhance your Exercise Routine’, may require captions as they will help in message retention.

Typito lets you create captions automatically for your video using speech to text conversion. Learn more about it here.

2.4 Outro Text Animations

As the name might suggest, the ‘Outro’ is a text animation that plays at the end of your video. As a best practice, it is advised to offer a call-to-action (CTA) which is relevant. The call to action can be to check out your website, invite memberships or just call a number.

Quick tips while designing Outros:

1. Abrupt endings reduce the impact and retention of your content and reflect an amateur take. Be clear about the goal of every video and find creative ways to nudge the viewers towards the goal using the outro.

2. For YouTube videos, it is advised to have at least around 8 seconds for the outro.

Explore outro text templates for fitness videos →


2.4 Progress Bars

Progress bars are great for giving your audience a visual preview of the duration of your video. Progress bars also help keep your viewers engaged throughout the duration of your video since they already have an idea of the total time of the video and are more likely to feel invested to watch the entire video.

Explore cool progress bars for fitness videos →


3. Fonts and Colors

Colors do so much more than just making your video appealing. Have you come across the ‘color wheel’ used in most designing or video editing software? Using the wheel, you can choose any of the 4294967295 variations of just the red color!


Here are the quick tips to get the color right:

1. When choosing a color palette for the text and overlays on your videos, a simple thumb rule is to go with your brand colors.

2. Colors are great at invoking emotions. Make sure the colors you choose go along with the values your brand wants to reflect.

3. Contrast is crucial. Go for colors that contrast well with the background or the footage of your video that you have captured.

4. Colors have their own language and deeply affect your mood and perception. Go with the psychology of colors to hit the right chords of your viewer's heart. For instance; red and orange are powerful colors that represent strength, motivation, positive attitude, and enthusiasm.

The font that you use on your videos can leave a lasting impact on the viewers. It is a good rule of thumb to use the font that you have on your website, in your videos as well.

Some quick tips:

1. Legibility is mission critical. With your videos getting distributed across social media, make sure you check the readability of the font in different screen sizes.

2. Respect the different sizes and hierarchy across the text used in different sections. For example, the title of an exercise rep needs to be thinner and smaller in size compared to the text to showcase the name of the person.

4. The Logo

Logos speak. They do. When producing videos for your fitness studio, you can find smart ways to reinforce the brand using a logo in sections where the core value is being derived. You can use the following methods to use logos and keep your video brand compliant.

1. Small sized corner logo: Small sized logo could be positioned on the on top right or bottom left with 2.5% padding from the border. It could be maintained at 70% - 80% opacity to ensure the content behind is not blocked.

2. Mid sized centre logo: A mid sized logo can be positioned along with Outro motion graphic template at the end of the fitness video.

3. Motion graphic logo template:
You can also use motion graphic text animation templates that have a logo placeholder, very similar to news banners. It could be the lower third for fitness routines, over the establishing shots of the studio or while the instructor conducts an online video class.

Explore branded templates with logos for fitness videos →


5. Audio and Music

The success of your fitness videos will greatly depend on the quality of sound and music you choose. Clear audio and well synchronized music makes viewers comfortable and plays a key role in engagement.

Also, studies have shown that the tolerance level for bad audio is lower than that for lower quality images or footage in your video. There are 2 audio files you need to take care of:

i) Audio of the recording when instructor speaks
ii) Background music to go along with the footage

Here are some quick tips to get the sound right:

1. The background music sets the mood and can invoke the emotions you want. Libraries like Marmoset and Tunefruit have sorted tracks across tag like “empowering,” “playful” and “peaceful.” Get a head-start 🙂

2. Have you watched videos where the background music takes over the rest of the crucial audio? Well, not good! When editing, keep background music in the background.

3. Setup a dedicated space in the venue with relatively low noise levels to record video testimonials and interviews.



How to Create Videos for Your Fitness Brand with Video Design Elements

Before diving deep into actionable tips to create different types of videos for your fitness studio, we thought it would be good to quickly learn some best practices of filming. We found this video by UScreen super helpful.


Now let's look at what goes into making different types of videos to grow your fitness and wellness studio:

1. Follow Along Workout Videos with Timer

'Workout with me' videos should excite the viewer and make them want to spend time and subscribe to your sessions/classes. This has to reflect well in the design elements used in these videos, especially the text animations.

Intro text animations give context of what is in for the viewer throughout the video. Intros help to create an effective first impression of your brand. For instance, the title ‘15 Minutes Abs Workout’’ prepares you for the rest of the video.



Lower third templates enable you to introduce the instructor and fitness studio and also establish their roles. Such templates can also be used to equip the video with more particulars on the routine to be performed. Timer templates on the other end help the viewer follow a time-bound sequence. It is best recommended to place the timer templates on the left or right top end corners. Here's a quick glimpse of how you can do it on Typito:


Outro:
While the Intros help establish the intent of the video, outros help end the video with a call to action (CTA) that warrants a response from the viewer. The CTA can vary from asking viewers to sign up for a scheduled class to following on social media. 

Logo: Online fitness studios are increasing rapidly and it is crucial to distinguish from others and establish your brand among the viewers. Workout with me videos should include the brand logo along with other brand essentials. This can help identify the fitness studio/centre everytime a video is produced.

Progress Bar: Add a progress bar to give your viewers a sense of how much they’ve watched, and they’ll feel more invested in watching your video till the end. Ensure that the progress bar is placed and styled so that it doesn't hinder the video-watching experience. 

Ensure that motion graphic text animation templates are compliant with the studio’s brand guidelines. Include the brand fonts and colors in all videos to ensure brand recall. You can check out the text templates for fitness videos here: Fitness Templates

Create a Follow-along workout video →


2. Demonstration Videos - How-to Style

Demonstration Videos bear the responsibility of guiding the viewer through an exercise or routine and ensuring that it is easily comprehensible. This need is made possible with the help of design elements used in these videos, especially motion graphics. Create a cool intro title to introduce the type of exercise or routine. This can be something simple like “30 min HIIT Workout” or something specific like “Advanced HIIT Workout with Paula”


Lower thirds can help present the instructor and give more context on the person’s background. Timer templates can be used to show the instructor perform the sequence in the expected speed and pace.

Outro: Outros can differ based on your goal. The CTA in a demonstration video can take you to an upcoming scheduled class by the same instructor.

Logo: Online fitness studios are increasing rapidly and it is crucial to distinguish from others and establish your brand among the viewers. Make sure your logo is placed appropriately on the video.

Ensure that motion graphic text animation templates are compliant with the studio’s brand guidelines. Include the brand fonts and colors in all videos to ensure brand recall. You can check out the text templates for fitness videos here: Fitness Templates

3. Promo videos for Social Media - Offers, Events

The goal of a promotional video is to give the viewer a glimpse of your services and to persuade them to try your services. If you are promoting any specific class or event then a an intro title will help establish the context for the video.

In case you’re creating a promo video to promote your overall brand then the name of the fitness studio will be sufficient. 

Lower third: These templates can be used to introduce the instructors and also highlight their expertise. 

Outro: In a promotional video, the outro templates can be used to invite more viewers to join your fitness studio. 

Logo: Online fitness studios are increasing rapidly and it is crucial to distinguish from others and establish your brand among the viewers. Make sure your logo is placed appropriately on the video.

This can help identify the fitness studio/centre everytime a video is produced. You can check out the text templates for fitness videos here: Fitness Templates

Audio: Audio is essential in a promo video. Upbeat music can help evoke a positive mood in the viewers. It is important to ensure that the music complements the visuals.



Create a fitness Promo video →


4. Live Video Classes

A live video class is the closest experience you can offer which is similar to conducting a session in a physical studio. Live classes are easy to setup and you don't need to pay for a heavy duty setup. Live video classes are great to expand your clientele irrespective of geographical barriers. These types of classes make it easier for people to fit fitness into their daily routines from the comfort of their homes.

Zoom is one of the most widely used teleconferencing software. Apart from Zoom, online fitness studios are also using Facebook Live, Instagram Live, and YouTube Live.

Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube lets you upload the live video on your respective profiles. These videos can be repurposed to create the three types of videos mentioned above.



Typito helps you easily edit long form live online classes into shorter format engaging videos for social media or website promotion.

Create a Live Stream Promo video →


Over to you

Glad to see that you made it till here. Now that you’ve explored what goes into creating videos for your fitness studio, that engage and convert, we hope you feel ready to get started and try creating videos on your own.

Please note that the best practices we have shared are not rules written on stone. You can explore even more types of videos and design styles to create videos that fit your intended objective. Videos have the potential to be the champion of your growth strategy.

This guide is the result of a team effort at Typito and we’d love to help make an awesome fitness video.

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