Weighing In: How the Global Pandemic has Revolutionalized the Fitness Industry

The global pandemic turned our world upside down in many more ways than one. For fitness fanatics, COVID-19 meant that exercise as we knew it would no longer exist. As gyms closed down, panic struck over avid gym members as anxiety set in. Where would we work out? How would our fitness goals be kept in check? What about #gymgains? In an anxiety-provoking time filled with vulnerability, uncertainty, and fear, the beginning months of the pandemic were a time when regular exercise was needed more than ever. 

A study conducted by the software company Mindbody found that nearly half of their consumers reported worse mental health now than before the pandemic struck. However, what hasn't changed is the importance of health and fitness for our overall health and well-being. So how has society adapted to integrate fitness into daily living amidst COVID? The answer to this question can be revealed through three key themes: at-home practices, reliance on technology, and fostering creativity. 

At Home Practices

Of course, with everything shutting down and the world feeling like an episode of The Twilight Zone, people had no choice but to support their fitness practices at home. Some attempted to adapt their regular routines to at-home practices, while others began working out for the first time. A consumer survey conducted by Harrison Co in April of this year found that amongst 1000 fitness club users, 40% exercised for the first time because of COVID. 37% said they would work out more after the pandemic subsided because of their newfound appreciation for their health and well-being. It even appears that some individuals will opt out of returning to gyms and keep up with outdoor activities and at home workouts instead. Due to the sense of community and convenience of working out at home, researchers project that approximately 10 billion people could potentially leave the club sector for home options.  

Reliance on Technology

As gyms closed, the closest thing to in-person training became videoconferencing. Along with social media platforms like Instagram and Youtube, videoconferencing apps like Google Meet, Zoom, and Facetime reigned as the go-to ways to connect individuals through their shared passion for fitness at a micro-level. Yoga studios called upon their instructors to host virtual classes, the infamous HIIT workout company F45 posted live workouts, and fitness influencers took over Youtube's content with "no-equipment needed isolation workouts."

The success of at-home fitness has technology to thank for facilitating what people were craving most during the pandemic: connectivity. While living in isolation with nowhere to go, people not only had more time to dedicate to at-home fitness practices but relied on the communities that arose from the fitness industry throughout the pandemic to feel a sense of belonging. What was once a niche market of boutique gyms and clubs became a global community as fitness clubs adapted to a 24/7 engagement model. Along with live streaming and augmented reality, fitness communities grew to reach audiences they previously couldn't, thus crossing borders of time and space. The connections developed throughout these communities were also stronger than ever before. The default state that the pandemic instilled within the general population was one of vulnerability and anxiety. Hence, people could rely on, motivate, and teach one another through a foundation of shared emotions resulting in a strong sense of connectivity. Bringing the club to the home environment gave consumers access to fitness anytime, anywhere, deepening their ability to connect to the fitness industry and those within it. 

Fostering Creativity 

Professor and researcher at the University of Windsor, Sarah Woodruff, has been following 135 adults who use fitness tracking watches (Apple watches and Ftibits) since the beginning of COVID-19. In March, she noted a boost in sedentary time, which she attributes to the shift from in-office to at-home work. However, as time passed, and stress and anxiety peaked with the effects of the pandemic being here to stay, fitness creativity began to spark. Individuals reported using ingenious ways to keep fit at home. Empty sand-filled bleach bottles became dumbbells, and chairs became the perfect platform for tricep dips and elevated lunges.  

Another factor resulting in such fitness creativity stems from the rapid spike in sales of fitness equipment. Since May, sales of at-home fitness equipment grew by 300% in just ten weeks. Demand outstripped supply for equipment makers like Bowflex and Peloton and thus further fueled the need for innovation in the at-home fitness industry. 

Maximizing Gains 

Despite the recent boom in virtual workout classes, home gyms, and fitness communities, the pandemic has still presented some challenges for the fitness industry. With the shift in consumer behaviour in light of COVID-19, gyms must adapt to the new norm and address their clients' concerns, which primarily revolve around sanitization practices and crowds. In one consumer study, rigorous sanitization practices were reported to be the most important deciding factor when determining whether to return to a gym. Although most people have said they prefer in-person training sessions, their lack of comfort in crowds and gym cleanliness prevents them from doing so. Gyms must view this shift in the fitness industry as an opportunity to move forward and expand their businesses through a global reach.