Anytime Fitness has recently launched a new fitness initiative that is anticipated to encourage more people to participate in regular exercise and contribute to promoting mental wellbeing. The initiative, titled ‘Tread Mates,’ was designed in collaboration with Akcelo and offers participants the opportunity to run, walk, or roll with well-known Australian personalities such as Turia Pitt, Osher Gunsberg, and Troy Sachs OAM PLY.
Tread Mates is not just an exercise program, but also an innovative campaign aiming to emphasize the importance of social connection and regular physical activity in maintaining mental health. The understanding that shared experiences and movements are more motivational and enjoyable has been increasingly recognized lately. With this in mind, Tread Mates provides a virtual workout mate for users, making exercise more meaningful and interesting.
Anytime Fitness worked together with its trainers and Akcelo to produce a unique three-part podcast series that complements the Tread Mates initiative. The podcasts offer valuable and inspiring insights into the personalities’ mental health journeys, intending to help diminish the stigma around mental health challenges. Also, the series encourages users’ participation in Anytime Fitness’s annual Tread as One event, scheduled on October 12, which raises funds for R U OK?, a mental health charity.
According to Aden Hepburn, the CEO at Akcelo, exercising with a mate is better than simply working out alone. “Tread Mates provides Australians with a sense of companionship while they exercise, and its inspirational stories enhance the importance and significance of movement,” Hepburn commented. He’s particularly proud of partnering with Anytime Fitness on a campaign that promotes not only physical fitness but also drives real conversations about mental health and helps raise funds to support it.
A study conducted by Anytime Fitness showed that half of Australians don’t have a companion to exercise with. However, when they do, people are 91% more prone to have conversations about personal issues and challenges. Tread Mates is, therefore, ideal as it provides a virtual friend who motivates and helps listeners feel more connected during their workouts.
The Group Chief Marketing Officer, Caitlin Bancroft, emphasizes that Anytime Fitness is dedicated to fostering a supportive community and promoting mental health. “We want to encourage more Australians to run, walk, or roll with their mates, check on one another and lend support if needed. It can sometimes be tough to admit when things are tough, but having friends around can make it easier,” Bancroft stated.
Also, rounding up as many people as possible to participate in the October 12 event, Tread as One, is critical to raise more funds for R U OK? This charity, a long-term partner of Anytime Fitness, works with suicide prevention. The expectations for this year’s event are to get approximately $300,000, adding to the $1.2 million already raised since 2019.
Whether a member of Anytime Fitness or not, all Australians are encouraged to participate in Tread as One. The initiative underscores that everyone can contribute towards supporting mental health while keeping fit at the same time. Besides promoting physical fitness, the Tread Mates series, in its first campaign for Anytime Fitness, also features creative production, talent entertainment, public relations, social, and content that Akcelo managed.
