Kinotek says gyms using its platform add $30,000 to $40,000 in annual revenue on average by turning movement health assessments into personal training opportunities.

Fitness and wellness enthusiasts might track their sets, steps, sleep, calories and cardio, but ask them about their range of motion and you’ll likely get a blank stare. Range of motion is widely misunderstood as it relates to overall health and fitness and, unfortunately, is often ignored by gym operators.

This is a mistake, says functional movement assessment company Kinotek, because not only can a personalized movement health score pinpoint areas for client improvement, it also creates an opportunity for gyms to grow their business.

“Movement health isn’t necessarily newer [than other longevity markers], because I’ve been teaching it for National Academy Sports Medicine for 20 years, but it is very misunderstood,” said Dr. Marty Miller, Kinotek’s Chief Movement Officer, DHSc, ATC, NASM-CPT, CES, PES and Master Instructor with NASM.

Demonstrating that movement health is a critical biomarker of longevity is easy, says Kinotek, and can be done with a few simple movement assessments (although Kinotek can measure a total of 66). The platform uses a LiDAR camera and AI to perform rapid, 360-degree biomechanical movement assessments. As the client performs certain prescribed movements, such as an overhead squat or lunge, a 3D visualization analyzes movement patterns to identify asymmetries or other inefficiencies.

The trainer can then print out the movement score and formulate a corrective program. Kinotek data shows that, on average, trainers using the platform can sign up three to five incremental new personal training clients per month, while the average gym adds $30,000 to $40,000 in annual incremental revenue.

And the potential is even greater because it appeals to all gym members.

“Unless you’re talking about elite performance, the people that tend to hire trainers in the bell-shaped curve are people who are deconditioned and don’t know what to do,” said Miller. “But even the fittest people in the gym have movement compensations and can still be candidates for a movement health screen — and be converted to training.”

Chalk this up to poor sleeping posture, poor posture from tech devices, or a sprained ankle or other injury that was never rehabilitated correctly.

Clients who complete a Kinotek assessment receive a digital printout of their results, offering benchmarking and data- and science-backed validation if the trainer recommends follow-up sessions to correct any issues. The trainer can then take an integrated approach for a movement program.

“It’s not heavy weight lifting or resistance training, it’s opening up your hip rotation, it’s activating your core, working on balance, working on posture,” said Dr. Miller. “Those small things that you don’t think are important — until they become an issue.”