Success Story: One Playground – elevating the fitness and wellbeing experience
NIDA Corporate Training was proud to support One Playground’s One Life Internal Summit in July, showcasing how our communication training empowers professionals and high-performing teams in the fitness industry.
About the organisation
One Playground is redefining the gym experience with a dynamic blend of fitness and wellness offerings housed in world-class facilities across Sydney. With a commitment to inspiring change, One Playground delivers high-quality experiences that empower members to achieve meaningful transformation. Each location is uniquely designed to inspire and energise, offering an inclusive and motivating environment. From innovative group classes to expert-led personalised training, every workout is crafted to support individual goals and foster a strong sense of community.
One Playground’s focus on their people makes them a real standout in a competitive fitness market. They were named Australian Business Awards Employer of Choice in 2020 and 2021; were listed as one of the Best Places to Work by Australian Financial Review; and Great Place to Work in 2021.
The challenge
At One Playground, effective communication goes far beyond the gym floor; it plays a vital role across digital platforms, team meetings, and high-energy events. In such a dynamic environment, emerging leaders need more than just confidence; they require practical, accessible tools to communicate with clarity, consistency, and impact. Whether guiding a member through a transformation journey or collaborating internally, strong communication skills are essential for building trust, presence, and connection across every corner of the organisation.
The NIDA Corporate Training solution
We were invited to present at One Playground’s One Life Internal Summit – a large-scale organisation event in which the entire team, including personal trainers, group fitness instructors, and leadership, participated.
In order to provide a framework that resonated with team members across the organisation, we customised a 90-minute program that combined our expertise in communication and performance techniques with One Playground’s leadership values.
The workshop was grounded in real-life scenarios drawn from the fitness and wellness space, ensuring immediate relevance and application, while reinforcing a shared communication standard across the team. The practical nature of the workshop allowed participants to enhance their physical and vocal presence, active listening, and agility in high-energy environments.
Our impact
Led by NIDA Corporate Training tutors Helen and Duncan, the workshop delivery demonstrated how to make conscious communication choices and awareness of existing communication habits, from body language to tone of voice.
One Playground staff rated the workshop highly, and when asked about their key takeaways, they said:
“Learning how easily body language can be misunderstood. This is so useful for myself so that I can be more self-aware of how I can be perceived by my clients.”
“It was so useful that I will be looking to continue this externally to further improve my skill set. Also, it was just great fun.”
Tom Merriman, Head of Education at One Playground, also commented, “Helen and Duncan were fantastic and the feedback we received from those that attended the session was brilliant. The lessons will no doubt have a huge impact on our team.”
These key communication skills will have positive flow-on effects for the business with outcomes in improved internal team communication, as well as positive gym member experiences and relationships.
NIDA Corporate Training tutors are passionate about distilling tools for effective communication across a broad spectrum of professional contexts. Contact us to talk through your organisation’s communication challenges and learn about how we can help.
Images courtesy of One Playground.
