Fitness Industry Trends 2022
Fitness Industry Trends For 2022
Happy New Year to our friends in fitness.
Raylee Rice here from Arrow Commercial Team to share the industry trends for 2022.
With 27 years in the industry, I have seen many trends come and go. To stay relevant in this industry, it is important to re-evaluate what our members are wanting, needing and provide them the best we can.
January is the perfect time to plan the year ahead for your facility.
What will you be offering and how will you be working out in 2022?
What will be your point of difference?
How will you show up year after year offering a free feel to fitness?
Our expert team has been gathering all the resources to help you navigate through the new ways to delivering fitness in 2022.
Let’s be real, the past couple of years in the fitness industry has not been a place for the faint hearted in business. We have faced unprecedented challenges through public health orders to reduced class numbers, isolation periods and prolonged gym closures. Let’s hope those days are behind us.
The way the world approaches health and fitness has changed, and many industry leaders have quickly pivoted with it. Although the fitness industry faces roadblocks, there’s also the opportunity and room for innovation with the massive influx of digital fitness. Fitness trends will always evolve as a customer behaviours change. Let us share how you can evolve moving forward.
Due to multiple lockdowns and the fear of more in the future, many people had to adjust how and where they exercise. From this, the continue rise of “you can exercise anywhere” mentality has clients craving flexibility and convenience. Facility owners will need to adapt and serve the needs of their members to reflect this growing trend to create consumer confidence.
While the industry is facing new challenges, forward thinking fitness providers are re-evaluating their value proposition and finding opportunities to not only retain existing members but target new audience segments. As people continue to reassess so many different aspects of their lives, the way we approach exercise is also under review.
The upside to the Covid 19 pandemic, is it continues to place a major focus on one’s physical AND mental health. Fitness facilities are responding by aligning with mental health providers, Life Coaches, Mindset Coaches and Yoga instructors to offer a complete holistic approach to well-being. Mental health and the fitness industry now come together to form complete wellness facilities.
The rock stars of fitness, incredible fitness instructors are the key part of the ultimate human need, connection. You can see the key drivers in the industry like Peloton and SoulCylce using such rockstar’s to help build thriving fitness communities. At the end of the day, a customer wants to be apart of a community where they are recognised and missed if they are away. The great news for facility owners is, no global rock star will ever be able to create true loyalty like you can in your smaller community. Nurture your current clients like family and you will create long lasting consumer confidence.
“Enter as strangers leave ad friends” moto will always be a favourite of mine.
2022 Trends.
1. Hybrid gyms memberships.
We are seeing an increase of gyms offering hybrid memberships to reflect the demand for online workouts. This does not make online fitness necessarily a competitor to a tangible business but an ally if you can adapt to the needs of your members. Members are now wanting the option to head to the gym a few times a week, but also the freedom to workout at home. Hybrid memberships are all about providing a level on convenience that consumers not only demand but expect. Consider recording your workouts to create a “member only” login on your website. This affords not only flexibility and a workout library but amazing SEO opportunities and upselling of other products for your website. Contact the commercial team at ARROW®/SCF to work out how we can offer your members a discount for their “workout from home packages” when associated to your studio.2. Wellness-tracking wearable technology.
Wearable technology and activity trackers continue to be a big trend for2022. This year smartwatches and fitness tracker have
endless features such as body temperatures, stress levels,
sleep, and heart rate. Customers are looking to track a variety
of wellness metrics that go beyond calories, distance, and
speed. A great example of this is the growing popularity of the
human performance company Whoop. Whoop can track even
health strain and recovery so that you have a bigger picture of
your overall health.
3. Exercising Outdoors-
With the past closures of gyms and current covid numbers, people are spending more times outdoors. This reflects in the increased appeal for outdoor
bootcamps and running clubs. Adding outdoor class options
not only offers variety to indoor class option but also low
equipment requirement for online clients.
4. Low Impact Exercises-
As popular as high-impact and HIIT exercise are, there’s a space for low-impact exercise to grow. Workouts like rowing, yoga and Pilates reformers are perfect for strengthening but are much less harsh on the body. The best news is it affords for an extra class opportunity not only for low impact class but also a over 50’s style class. Again, opening your facility to wider demographic.
5. Inclusive Fitness-
In the past many facilities focused on their niche market and stayed inside their lanes. Cultivating a diverse and inclusive fitness industry is more than ever an underling theme for gyms, fitness studios and even fitness apps. From your Rockstar instructor to workout styles, as a business owner, it’s your responsibility to create a diverse, non-judgement and inclusive environment. With the growing market of online and home workouts, more people have access to fitness like never before. The fitness app JOYN for an example focus on body-neutral movement with no judgement and no diet talk.
6. Mini Workouts-
Short sharp workouts where people don’t have a spare 45 minutes are trending in 2022. Mini workout is for people who are time-sensitive and not motivated to commit to a huge workout. Whether it’s strength with free weights or a ten-minute body weighted training program, a mini workout is quick and simple. Mini workouts could be five or ten minutes long that you can spread out throughout your day. Another great bonus service a facility owner could add to their member only logins on their websites.
7. High-Intensity interval training (HIIT)-
HIIT continues to trend for another. Typically, HIIT workouts involve short bursts of activity with periods of rest. Great thing about HIIT training is again, you don’t need any special equipment for your online or outdoor clients. ZUU training is growing in popularity due to its effective, yet tough full-body workouts inspired by the animal kingdom. Checkout ZUU training to add variety to you exercise arsenal.
8. Mind-body-
Moving into 2022, there will be a focus on holistic fitness programs and practices like never before. Following multiple lockdowns, financial strain, and general stress from living through a global pandemic, mental health is a key focus in health. People are seeking ways to ease stress, anxiety and support mental health through yoga, tai chi, mindset coaches and medication as well. Create value to your membership by adding guest speakers or free mindfulness programs to create a holistic fitness facility that cares about one's physical and wellness goals.
9. Outdoor personal training-
As the trend towards outdoor exercise and personalised training continues, outdoor PT’s looks set to be an area of growth this year. Personal Trainers also have the opportunity to capitalise on their dollar per hour rate by offering small group in an outdoor setting. Many clients are hesitant about exercising indoors in fear of being considered a close contact effect not only their own employment but families health also. By training outdoors, you can maintain social distancing more easily and have fresh air circulating reducing the chance of infection. Please check out the Arrow website for Outdoor Training Packs to get you started.
10. Smart home gym-
Smart home gym equipment was already trending before the pandemic, but multiple lockdowns really accelerated client’s adoption and growth. While ARROW® offer high end home gym equipment, SCF continues to offer a price point to suit most peoples budget. We at ARROW® and SCF have adapted also designing and manufacturing compact and innovative equipment to replace most piece in a standard facility.
11. Fun group fitness classes-
Clients are craving like never before connections and fun in their lives. There is something about working out in a group that makes you feel good. Entire brands are built on the premise that people like to work out together and that feeling of community/family elevates the business. While HIIT, CrossFit and yoga will be continuing to be a popular group fitness class, we’re seeing and increasing demand for fun classes like trapeze, trampolining and even roller-skating. Now this does not mean as a facility owner you should install a rink, but maybe incorporate fun classes on occasions heading out to other facilities or fun venues like Ninja Parks.
12. Movement as medicine-
My personal favourite trend we’re seeing is fitness going beyond achieving the perfect bikini body but rather moving towards overall wellness. Finally, we are seeing the decline in “before and after” shots style advertising and increasing benefits on daily exercise, movement, and mindfulness for overall well-being. The days of body shaming have been replaced with daily practices of mindfulness and the increasing demand for meditation at the conclusion of group fitness classes. The Parasympathetic nervous system is simulated after the classes restoring balance after the stress response from vigorous exercise. Give your members something to look forward to are whipping butts.