Optimal Aging

Selling Longevity: How to Attract Over-50 Fitness Clients and Grow Your Business

• Jay Croft

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In this solo episode of the Optimal Aging Podcast, host Jay Croft shares a powerful chapter from his new book Selling Longevity: How Over-50 Fitness Can Transform Lives and Your Business. If you’re a fitness professional wondering how to better serve and attract people over 50—this is your playbook.

You'll learn:

  • Why the over-50 market is your biggest growth opportunity
  • What older clients actually want in a gym experience
  • How to design programs, space, and language to connect with this demographic
  • Real-life examples like Richard’s gym loyalty and Betty’s incredible resilience at 83

Jay also reads “Designing the Over-50 Customer Experience,” a key chapter, and shares a bonus story that proves: older clients aren’t just inspiring—they’re good business.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Why longevity is the biggest fitness opportunity
 01:10 – Who the book Selling Longevity is for
02:20 – Two types of gym owners over 50
03:30 – Why this market is good business
04:00 – Reading Chapter 8: Designing the Over-50 Customer Experience
05:00 – First impressions: respect, language, and imagery
06:30 – Designing welcoming spaces and programming
08:00 – Importance of small group personal training
09:30 – Retention tips and long-term loyalty
11:00 – Bonus Story: A failed customer experience in Nashville
12:20 – Message to fitness pros: How to engage people over 50
13:00 – Bonus Story: Betty and Rob's inspiring journey
14:00 – Final thoughts and call to action

Resources Mentioned:

🎤 Host: Jay Croft
Jay is the founder of Prime Fit Content, helping fitness businesses grow by connecting authentically with people over 50.

🌐 Podcast Website: https://primefitcontent.com

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📱 Follow on Instagram – @primefitcontent
📥 Contact – jay@primefitcontent.com

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Speaker 1:

Hey everybody. You probably know that longevity is a big buzzword these days. To talk about living better for longer, right, and I love it. I think it's a great word because it encapsulates so much of what's happening in fitness and health and well-being for people over 50, which is the topic of this podcast, optimal Aging. I like to focus on content and communications and how content marketing specifically can help you grow your business to reach more people who are over 50 and typically ignored by people in the fitness industry. Now, if you are already doing that, then this particular episode will be helpful to you in that I hope it gives you some ideas about how you can do a better job of presenting your story to people who are over 50 in your community. And if you're not yet hip to the idea of why this is the greatest economic opportunity you have right now, then this episode's for you too. Those two groups of listeners are, in fact, the reason why I wrote my new book, which is called Selling Longevity with the subtitle. That's still so long I have to read it. Over 50 Fitness Can Transform Lives and your Business. It's available today on Amazon and I hope you'll check it out.

Speaker 1:

The reason I wrote the book is again because I see two camps of gym owners that are most relevant for this discussion. There's the group that sees this opportunity and wants to help more people over 50 and understands that they can make a lot of money doing so, but needs a little help in figuring out how to do it, and I get that. That's, in fact, why I'm in business, why I created Prime Fit Content to help gyms and other health and fitness and wellbeing professionals do that. The other group is people who don't quite get it yet. I don't understand this. I feel like I've been talking about this for years. There's still a lot of people who are not interested in marketing to people who are a little bit older, despite the fact that people over 50 have more time and money and compelling reasons to become long-lasting, high-paying fitness customers for you. So that's why I wrote the book Again. It's called Settling Longevity and I hope you'll check it out on Amazon Today. I'm going to read one chapter from it and another little story that I highlight in the book. The book has a lot of great stories in it about fitness professionals and gym owners, but, most importantly, about the fitness consumer people over 50 who are changing their lives for the better by getting strong and getting agile and building stamina to live better lives longer.

Speaker 1:

I'm a storyteller by nature and by profession. I come to this from journalism, where I went out and interviewed people all day about all kinds of things, and there's been nothing as rewarding in my career as talking to people who are improving their lives in ways that they never imagined when they were growing up, because they didn't know that lifting weights and going to a gym would improve their health, their quality of life, their day-to-day activities, their relationships, their sleep, their medical outlook and more. It's fascinating, it's moving and it makes sense financially. So that's what we have to look forward to. Today on this episode of Optimal Aging, I'm going to read you chapter eight and then I'm going to share with you just a little story that's also from the book, from a different chapter. That's about one of my favorite fitness couples, betty and Rob. Enjoy chapter eight.

Speaker 1:

This is chapter eight of Selling Longevity. The title of the chapter is Designing the Over 50 Customer Experience, and I begin it with a quote from Will Rogers, who said you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. Here it is. The over 50 fitness market isn't a niche anymore. It's the mainstream. Yet most fitness businesses are still stuck designing experiences that don't fit the needs, expectations or preferences of this powerful, growing demographic. This chapter shows you how to build a full customer experience that attracts delights and keeps active agers from first impression to long-term loyalty.

Speaker 1:

Start with respect, not assumptions. Older adults don't want to feel babied, patronized or ignored. They want spaces that feel vibrant and welcoming, staff who treats them with dignity, programs that challenge them appropriately. As a doctor in New York City, he looked around his neighborhood for a gym. He was ignored everywhere he went. When he moved to rural Massachusetts, one gym greeted him warmly, introduced him to a trainer, made him feel like he belonged there. That was five years ago and Richard is still a loyal member, paying dues to that gym and trainer fees to his trainer. He has no plans to ever stop. So all those boys back in Chelsea who ignored him because he was a little bit older well, they missed out on an opportunity. You don't want to be like that.

Speaker 1:

Language shapes reality. Forget senior fitness and gentle exercise. Use empowering language like functional strength, active aging, performance, longevity. Stock photos of frail seniors no outdated stereotypes. Now you can use stock photos sometimes, of course, we all have to, but be careful about what you're putting forth in those images.

Speaker 1:

Your space matters Good lighting, clean floors and restrooms, safe navigation, without making the place feel clinical. You want pleasant background music Think Motown, 70s rock or 80s pop. You don't want to be blasting hip-hop or heavy metal. You want a front desk staff that looks people in the eye, smiles and greets them by name. Manners matter. Older adults don't want to feel like they're at a frat party. Set a tone of respect, friendliness and professionalism. Programming with purpose. Design fitness programs around real-world goals. Building strength to lift groceries and grandchildren. Improving balance to reduce fall risk. Increasing endurance for travel and hobbies. Small group personal training is particularly effective with people in this demographic and it lets you make more money per hour, even while charging each person a lower rate. It combines individual attention with a strong sense of community two things active agers value highly. Also highlight that your staff are trained and credentialed to work with older adults. Certifications from organizations like the Functional Aging Institute and others show commitment and expertise.

Speaker 1:

Retention starts on day one. Retention starts on day one. Everything about the experience should make it easy for clients to say yes and to keep saying it. Staff should know and use clients' names. Systems should be easy to navigate. Clear schedules, simple, booking friendly signage. Booking friendly signage. Celebrate milestones and improvements.

Speaker 1:

Not just weight loss, but mobility, stamina, travel, birthdays, be flexible. When life happens. Surgeries, travel, family needs like this can throw people off. That's okay. Let them know, it's okay. Consistency and personal connection matter more than clever apps or slick marketing. You know, one thing about being a little bit older is you can smell BS a little bit better than when you're younger. So keep that in mind. People don't want to be fed a line. They want consistency, they want connection. They want results. They want a good customer experience. They want connection, they want results, they want a good customer experience. So here's some takeaways from the chapter. One respectful, empowering language and imagery will attract active agers to your gym. Two your facility should feel energizing, not clinical or overwhelming. Three purposeful programming focuses on strength, balance and independence. Four small group personal training offers connection, value and results. Five every interaction, from front desk to trainer to email should reinforce that older clients are valued, capable and welcome. No-transcript.

Speaker 1:

Whenever I visited my mother in her small town in another state, it was a challenge to find a gym. I found that one was too bare, one was too corporate, too generic, too cheap, too run-down, too full of teenagers. You know the drill. I went online to explore options in the nearest big city, nashville, tennessee, and there were more options, but none of them seemed at all directed at me at age 60. None of the websites showed any photos of people in my generation. All the content was focused on being young and hot. Some had daycare options. There might've been a silver sneakers class mentioned somewhere, but no thanks, don't need that. I eventually rolled the dice and picked one. It was fine, adequate, it got the job done, but I've spent decades in gyms, so I'm comfortable in a new one. I don't need a lot of customer service and since I wasn't going to join the gym in this new city, my scope of requirements was skewed. But still, not one of these gyms in a leading regional metropolis had put any thought into a positive customer experience for someone over 50.

Speaker 1:

Hey, are you a fitness professional trying to grow your business with people over 50? Hey, are you a fitness professional trying to grow your business with people over 50? If you are, then you need to know how to communicate with them, how to market to them and how to get them to trust you with their fitness, well-being and money. We're talking about millions of people who are a little older than the typical market that the fitness industry usually pursues. They have more money, more time and better motivation to make the best long-term fitness consumers you'll find anywhere. If you're not focusing on them, you should be. Prime Fit Content is the only content marketing company designed specifically to help you engage people in this group and to help you distinguish yourself from competitors in your community. It's effective, affordable and super easy to use. Check it out at primefitcontentcom. That's prime, like prime of your life fitcontentcom.

Speaker 1:

Back to the show Now. This is a different chapter's bonus material, but it's a story I want to share with you. It's one of the favorite stories that I've gathered over the years of talking to trainers and gym owners and fitness consumers over 50. It's heartwarming and smart and gets to the heart of all of this. It's not just about being heartwarming, it's about good business. Okay, so this is a story about Betty and Rob. You can't stop Betty.

Speaker 1:

No matter what challenges life throws at her, the resilient 83-year-old keeps on exercising. For example, she battled cancer and won, and she was hospitalized after being hit by a van and came back, and when Betty faced another challenge that could have derailed her, she fought back after a mysterious leg and hip pain and she returned as resolute as ever. I don't even want to think about something so awful that I couldn't keep exercising. Betty says I will go on as long as I can. Betty's story is a great example of the power of sticking with exercise even when it can be tempting to just give up. The power of sticking with exercise even when it can be tempting to just give up. She's been working out with her trainer, robert, for years. Rob says I have a wide range of clients, from high school athletes, aspiring bodybuilders and even a former NFL player, but Betty, easily, is my most phenomenal client. So that's a little taste of what's in my book Selling Longevity.

Speaker 1:

I hope you'll check it out. I hope you'll let me hear from you when you've read it. I'd love to know what you think. I'd love to know what your experiences are. I'd love to help you grow your business through content and through communications. So thanks for joining me today. I'll see you next week with another episode and another guest to talk about all of this. Bye.

People on this episode

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Jay Croft

Host