What are the fitness and health tracks for the elderly?

I have been working in the fitness and health care industry for the elderly for almost five years. I have found out that the track that can really be implemented and that users are willing to pay for it is based on the activity radius and real needs of the elderly. There is no fancy concept. The core is to expand around the three scenarios of community, home and outing.

Don't tell me, the one with the best policy support and the lowest user education cost is the community-embedded light fitness service point. Last year, we piloted it in an old community in Gongshu District, Hangzhou. We rented an unused 120-square-meter elevated floor of the property. The equipment was filled with rounded corners, unpowered, and resistance-adjustable aging-friendly fitness equipment. A 50-square-meter stretching area was set up with a certified senior exercise The instructor teaches Baduanjin and Tongluo exercises in the morning, and teaches strength training movements suitable for the elderly in the evening. He also helps everyone measure blood oxygen and adjust the height of the equipment. The fee is only 39 yuan a month, and free daily health consultations are included. In the three months since it started, the number of registered elderly people in the three surrounding communities has exceeded 400. Now the street has actively subsidized the venue to allow us to expand. Of course, this track is also controversial, with many colleagues complaining that it relies too much on venues and policy support. If you cannot get low-cost venues in the community, you will not be able to make money at high rental costs. It is "making money but not making money". However, there are also teams that have taken the path of value-added services and earn commissions by connecting the elderly with nearby physical examinations, universities for the elderly, and aging-friendly renovation resources. The profit margin can also be stable at more than 20%. Each has its own way of playing.

There are also many colleagues who do not want to be stuck in the venue and have turned to home-based business. However, they do not sell ordinary dumbbells and treadmills, but provide packaged services of "customized fitness programs for the elderly + supporting equipment + remote guidance." A small team in Shenzhen was previously hired to provide services to people with lumbar protrusion, knee wear, and three-dimensional height. We provide exclusive solutions for retired elderly people. For example, Aunt Zhang, who sprained her knee during square dancing, was provided with a height-adjustable low-resistance stepper and knee pads, as well as online one-on-one rehabilitation guidance once a week. A set sells for 1,299, and the repurchase rate can reach 30%. Many elderly people use it with good results, and they turn around and give it to their old sisters. However, some people are not optimistic about this track. They say that the home scene has no social attributes. The elderly can easily become idle after practicing for a few days. The user stickiness is far worse than that in the community scene. It is hard to say whether it can be used on a large scale.

There is also a category that targets young and energetic elderly people who have free time and spending power. They make packaged products of "fitness + cultural tourism + social interaction", such as the popular health and wellness study tour, where you live in Bama, Guangxi for half a month, and follow the team leader to play Tai every morning. They take hiking routes with low difficulty, do health exercises in the afternoon, visit local organic farms, and organize tea parties and calligraphy interest groups. The fee for half a month is 3,980 including food and accommodation. Many recently retired uncles and aunts drag their old colleagues to sign up for the next issue as soon as they go. However, the threshold of this track is not low. If the route is not marked well and the instructor is unprofessional, it is easy for the elderly to complain about "cheating people". There was a small organization that did this before. Because I lived too far from the hiking point and had to take a half-hour bus every day, the elderly collectively asked for a refund.

Anyway, after being in this business for so long, my biggest feeling is that no matter which track I choose, the core thing is to think about the problem from the perspective of the elderly. Don’t always think about cutting leeks. It’s like making shoes for the elderly. Fitting is much more important than looking good. You really help the elderly solve the pain points of fear of injury, no one to accompany them, and useless practice. No matter what you do, you can achieve results.