There’s no denying that Covid-19 has changed the game for the health and fitness industry, as indeed it has for many other industries.
The global pandemic has totally transformed the way a huge number of industries operate, forcing entire sectors to adapt in order to simply survive.
For some industries the pandemic has been devastating, but for others it has provided a pathway for evolution, albeit at a rapid rate. This has resulted in the short-term changes and habits that were forced on consumers as a result of lockdown becoming the very same factors which are actually shaping the future trends of certain industries.
The health and fitness sector is a prime example of this. Leading leisure industry publication, Health Club Management Magazine, recently published their Top 20 fitness trends for 2020. This list was specifically updated to reflect the impact of the global pandemic on the UK health and fitness sector.
The first national lockdown forced gym operators to pivot to online models to stay engaged with their members and to continue to provide the help, motivation and instruction to enable members to stay on course with their fitness goals. Given how important physical fitness is to many people’s mental health and their ability to fight off diseases such as Covid-19, this shift and the continued connection to their gym provided a welcome lifeline that members embraced.
Whilst many gym members were naturally disappointed to not be able to attend their local gym in lockdown, the innovation show by operators such as énergie Fitness has actually opened up more opportunities and provided greater flexibility for members.
Through the process, we have discovered that a digital online fitness offering has now become a critical component of any gym’s membership offer. This is the very reason why we see the “hybrid gym model” which combines both a traditional gym and digital online offer occupy the top spot in Health Club Management’s list of Top 20 Fitness Trends.
Second on the list of the Top 20 trends is “Outdoor Fitness”. Whilst it can be said that an increase in people exercising outdoors was a direct result of the first lockdown, the outdoor fitness trend has been steadily growing in recent years and offers consumers an array of benefits.
Not only is outdoor fitness safer in the current environment, but it also carries a strong “feel good factor”, with people appreciating exercising in the great outdoors and open air.
Even in the darker months of winter, exercisers enjoy a quiet self-satisfaction that comes from braving the outdoors and fluctuating weather conditions for a workout. This is further boosted by the strong camaraderie and sense of community that comes with outdoor group exercise.
With the above in mind, it’s easy to see why Health Club Management quote that: “One of the greatest areas of demand from consumers when it comes to their health club offering over the next few years will be all forms of outdoor fitness.”
The necessity to exercise at home and outdoors has forged a trend which has now become central to any forward-thinking gym operators’ membership offer.
It is for this reason that énergie Fitness has developed its omni-channel membership offer which combines a traditional in-gym, digital online and outdoors fitness offer. The omni-channel membership puts the power firmly in the members hands, providing the ability for the member to choose where, when and how they work out – in the gym, at home or online.
However, the omni-channel membership offer goes beyond simply being a matter of choice and convenience for members. It’s about connectedness and the ability to stay connected to the gym owners, managers, instructors and workout buddies with whom members have forged meaningful relationships over time. The element of connectedness has been a longstanding hallmark of the énergie Fitness offer and is why our ethos has always been to create communities rather than clubs.
In addition to standard gym access, the omni-channel membership provides access to over 50 live and on-demand classes per week. This is supplemented by an outdoor fitness offering that has been developed in conjunction with BMF with Bear Grylls, the leaders in outdoor fitness. This is more than instructors simply delivering a few classes outdoors, this is an entire outdoor fitness programme designed for everyone from absolute beginners to aspiring athletes.
The gym of the future is indoors, online and outdoors…and it’s ready.
This article comes courtesy of énergie Fitness, the longest established and multi-award-winning fitness franchise in the UK. Get in touch with énergie Fitness to discover how you can bring the gym of the future to your community and join an innovative fitness franchise operation in this exciting and fast-growing industry.
