In these uncertain times gym memberships might seem like an iffy proposition to some – especially signing up for a new gym you aren’t familiar with.FlexIt is a modern-day app, for gym-goers, designated to fit the needs of the consumers. A gym session on your time and on your terms!

FlexIt is an app that allows users to go to gyms / fitness studios where and when they want (no subscription / membership required) and only pay for the amount of time they’re there. From contracts that have a less than promising “fine-print,” as well as limitations – having a designated gym is a thing of the past.

 As an added step, FlexIt also introduced virtual training due to the pandemic, with 1-on-1 personal training sessions with a certified personal trainer from leading fitness brands, all from the comfort of home (or really anywhere). Basically, FlexIt created a much-needed change in the industry.

Identify LA had the chance to speak with CEO and Founder of FlexIt Austin Cohen on the app and just how they’re able to adjust to rapid changes in demand due to COVID-19.

Identify LA: What inspired you to create Flexit?

Austin Cohen: I came up with the idea after helping the company, Wheels Up, take off. During my time with them, I came to understand the value of on-demand access. I realized that consumption was increasingly occurring in an on-demand fashion but that the fitness industry had not kept up. This spark of knowledge inspired him to start FlexIt. Over the last few years, the modern Millennial and Gen Z’er has been conditioned to access everything in his / her life at the tips of his / her fingers, using a mobile device - think food, transportation, hospitality industry. The same has not historically been true of traditional gym (places with large cardio and strength training setups) access. This was a need in the market that presented white space, and that I was determined to cater to. Justin Turetsky joined the team as COO. Together we were able to build out the business’s core footprint and expand deeper into key markets. 

IDLA: What struggles, if any, did you encounter and how did you get past them?

AC: When COVID hit we went from 7 months of uninterrupted growth to nothing, almost overnight. It was humbling. We really had to take a step back and reassess both the fitness industry and our place in it. We had built out the world’s largest network of gyms accessible by-the-minute but now both we and our partners saw our revenues drop precipitously. We wanted to find a way to support our partners through the pandemic while helping our users continue to access fitness. Initially, we were actually deliberately slow to respond to the pandemic as we observed a substantial amount of herd mentality in the marketplace. We noticed that there were three buckets of virtual fitness across which there was significant dilution in content - 1) pre-recorded/on demand content, 2) livestream, and 3) hardware in the home. The common thread across all of these is that the services are highly impersonal - there is no communication with individuals on the other side of the screen. This presented an opportunity to modify a new solution we had just begun to build out. We had envisioned creating an in-gym, on demand app for accessing personal trainers and this was able to form the basis of our new virtual offering, helping us to be one of the first to market.

IDLA: What's been the feedback?

AC: We have seen a lot of users moving from our in-gym offering to VPT while gyms were closed. They have been grateful that we are able to provide them with an alternative to in-gym exercise in these unique times. I always knew FlexIt would make it, and the most exciting part is watching it change people’s lives. I get emails all the time from users who tell me this is something they’ve needed and wanted all along.

IDLA: What's next?

AC: In addition to creating the Virtual Personal Training concept and are seeing significant organic user growth. We want to become THE platform for online personal training. Traditional video streaming services simply aren’t built for the interactions required from a personal training session. Zoom is for meetings--FlexIt is for training. We are continuing to help our users cultivate a better lifestyle through our services and partnerships.

Simply put, FlexIt allows users to try a variety of gyms out before committing, or just maintain the flexibility to go in when they want, try out various trainers virtually or mix and match in person and virtual workouts. It’s the app that is SO 2020, an app that finally meets the needs of consumers.