Health and fitness trends that never fade are those that focus on real results and a whole-body approach to health and well-being. With a huge demand for social interaction following the coronavirus pandemic, new fitness trends are coming to the surface. The need for interaction is feeding into the community aspect of fitness and driving demand.
With a big interest in health and fitness and an increased understanding of the benefits of exercise to both physical and mental health, certain fitness trends are growing. We’re seeing a huge rise in home fitness with people finding more inventive ways to work out. There’s a demand for fitness technology and wearables that make fitness as easy as possible. In this article, we talk about the modern fitness trends you need to know about.
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Coronavirus and the Fitness Industry
Since the beginning of lockdown, the fitness industry has seen some massive changes. The closure of gyms resulted in a pivot to digital fitness. The majority of gyms quickly began streaming classes live and hosting on demand content to reach their members at home.
Consumer behaviour has transformed almost overnight in the fitness industry. Because of restrictions on movement and capacity gyms need to focus on being “anytime anywhere”. The gym needs to be flexible with its services. Technology has enabled businesses to keep generating income and serving their members’ needs while sticking to social distancing rules.
Many gyms and studios are starting to re-open while some are already running at a reduced capacity. Just because the public is allowed to return to the gym, doesn’t mean that everyone is ready to. You now have to deal with the ongoing concerns and worries surrounding COVID-19 and member safety.
Some businesses have taken the opportunity to pivot their business model and switch to a hybrid approach. This presents a chance to target multiple audiences and expand your membership base.. You can now reach potential members with different price points and obstacles, using a hybrid approach. When it comes to member pain points, you can overcome time and financial constraints as you have both a digital and physical offering to offer.
One of the main takeaways from the pandemic is simply the importance of exercise and movement to mental and physical fitness. Despite your doors being closed, the fitness industry provides an essential service. As the need for social interaction continues as well as the demand for home fitness, certain modern fitness trends look set to stay.
In the ever-changing world of fitness, it’s important to keep up-to-date on the latest fitness industry trends. The Fitness FoundersPodcast regularly brings on industry experts to discuss the latest fitness news. Listen to a recent episode on bringing your studio back strong after lockdown with Kristina Ejem and Helene Jafine from Girls Just Wanna Box, a studio based in Toronto.
12 Modern Health and Fitness Trends You Need to Know
Trends come and go. That statement applies to all industries. But if you offer a service that drives results and keeps members motivated, they are much more likely to keep renewing their membership. Staying on top of the latest trends is an important part of running a business and meeting consumer demand. Let’s take a look at 12 modern health and fitness trends you need to know about in 2020.
1. All-in-One Health and Fitness
The coronavirus pandemic has taught all of us about the importance of health. Although most people know to eat healthily and exercise regularly, it’s easy to slip up. There is a growing trend in the industry to offer more than just a fitness experience. For example a gym may have a team that includes a physical therapist, personal trainers, nutritionist, and a mental health provider.
When you have a one-stop-shop for all health and fitness demands, members won’t have the need to visit multiple businesses. With a more holistic approach to fitness and taking on a whole-body approach, fitness experts can drive member results. Often, nutrition gets in the way of achieving fitness goals. With everything under one roof, members may overcome obstacles that have previously been a challenge.
2. Community-Centered Fitness
The role of community can’t be overlooked when it comes to fitness. A sense of community and belonging is a big motivator in fitness. People are now looking for more social interaction within their exercise routine. A class setting can help keep members motivated and give them a feeling of obligation to stick to their class schedule.
Social experiences at the gym are one of the main reasons to join the gym. This can include things like group classes as well as member-only social events. Tap into your gym community both online and offline to create a welcoming environment for both existing and potential members.
3. On the Go Wellness
In today’s society, time is a commodity. It’s the thing we always want more of. While health and fitness are considered essential, many people value the ability to check in on their fitness while on-the-go. Whether you’re traveling or running late from work, your members may want to squeeze in a workout on the move.
Nowadays, people want their workout, health stats, and meditation practice at the touch of a button. They want to exercise consistently no matter where they are. A digital platform that can stream on multiple devices not only fits your members’ needs for convenience but it also allows you to tap into a much larger audience.
4. Hybrid Approach to Fitness
Gyms and fitness studios have been closed for months. Up until recently, many people had strict lockdown rules to abide by. In order to survive and thrive during the pandemic, many businesses have shifted to a hybrid approach to fitness. This means they are now combining both digital and in-person elements.
While the fitness industry was probably heading this way, launching a digital platform usually takes months to bring to fruition. Consumer demand has influenced the industry and sped up the need to use a hybrid approach in your business. Whether you’re now running a hybrid fitness business or looking to launch a new digital offering, we’ve pulled together a guide on everything you need to know about running a hybrid fitness business.
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Discover more 5. Emotional Wellness for Everyone
In recent years, the stigma surrounding mental health has been lifted. Although the conversation is still ongoing, it has brought a lot of issues, previously unspoken, into mainstream news. With apps like Calm and 10% Happier providing meditation and mindfulness sessions, emotional wellness is now at the forefront of the health and fitness industry.
With an increased focus on digital detoxing, there has been a rise in the number of tech-free fitness studios. Studios like Woom and Unplug Meditation push for meditation, recovery, and achieving a peaceful state over fitness alone. This element of disconnected fitness will no doubt continue to show in the fitness industry as consumers’ stress levels rise. The need to disconnect from technology is something that a lot of people think about.
6. Smart Clothing and Wearables
The fitness wearable market is expected to reach USD $57,653 million by 2022 with a significant compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.2%. Activity trackers, wearables, and smart clothing look to become more sophisticated.
For example, the PUSH fitness tracker attaches to either your body or fitness equipment to assess and improve your performance in real-time. As technology advances, consumers will look for products that drive results and make it even easier to hit health and fitness targets.
7. Outdoor Exercise
In a post-COVID-19 world, outdoor physical exercise presents a huge opportunity for fitness businesses. The combination of getting out in nature while being able to stick to social distancing guidelines is very attractive. As gyms and studios may have to run at a reduced capacity for the foreseeable future, outdoor fitness classes and bootcamps can offer members an alternative to the gym.
An outdoor bootcamp could be exactly what your fitness business needs right now. If you’re considering running outdoor exercise classes, we’ve pulled together a guide that covers the basics, the benefits, and advice you can take to make actionable steps and launch your own outdoor bootcamp.
8. Smart Home Exercise Equipment
With brands like Tonal and Mirror, you can turn your home into an all-in-one fitness space. This type of technology is exciting, but we’re still in the early stages of high-tech home workout equipment.
As more people want to work out from home with the benefits of virtual training, the humble home gym is due for an upgrade. Major players in the smart home equipment sector include brands such as Peloton, NordicTrack, and FightCamp.
9. Bodyweight Training
Bodyweight training made it to ACSM’s top 10 fitness trends for 2020 and with good reason. Bodyweight training requires minimal equipment. You simply use your own bodyweight to exercise. Through a combination of resistance training and movement, you can effectively work your muscles in one of the most efficient ways possible.
Bodyweight training has been around for a while, but it continues to be growing in popularity. This type of training may be especially useful now as studios look to minimize shared surfaces. As you require no equipment, you can carry out bodyweight training classes without sharing surfaces and maintain stringent social distancing guidelines.
10. Fitness for Older Adults
Often, fitness programs are aimed at a younger generation. But as Baby Boomers move into retirement age, many older adults are looking to live out their golden years healthy and fit. It’s a good idea to create age-appropriate fitness programs that cater to older adults.
A lot of the time, people at retirement age have more time and money. This is a growing area of the market and something to keep in mind as your health and fitness become a priority across multiple generations.
11. Group Training
Group fitness classes have been around for a while. Yet, they are still a popular form of exercise. Group classes are not going anywhere and will continue to be an effective workout. Fitness classes can make exercising more fun while combining a social aspect that drives many people to work out in the first place.
Fitness studios continue to deliver exciting ways to workout with innovative new class ideas for members. With pole, yoga, pilates, barre, dance and cardio fusion, and high-intensity interval training, there’s plenty of variety to keep members excited and healthy.
12. High-Tech Fitness Centers and Boutique
Technology is always advancing and innovations continue to influence the fitness industry. Although fitness brands are already leveraging technology in their gym environment, technology will continue to innovate.
High-tech fitness boutiques that improve the efficacy of workouts and push results will continue to make waves in the fitness industry. It’s likely that fitness studios and gyms will continue to leverage technology to streamline the fitness experience and support member wants and needs.
In Summary
One of the biggest trends of 2020 looks to be virtual training, with a large majority of people turning to digital platforms for their health and fitness needs. The ability to run your business with a hybrid approach puts you in a stronger position in the wake of a potential second wave.
We’re living in an unprecedented time. The coronavirus pandemic has hit many businesses and individuals hard. As the world looks to find a new normal, no doubt certain fitness trends could be here to stay. With a massive demand for digital and home fitness, brands will need to continue to adapt and meet consumer demand quickly.
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Engagement Playbook
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