Following a roundly rough year for gyms and other public fitness facilities — a year in which pandemic-related precautions forced widespread facility closures throughout the industry — business owners are beginning to see real hope for a rebound. As vaccination numbers climb in the United States, more and more Americans are returning to their fitness routines (albeit often via a new approach), and many are even heading back to their gyms for in-person workouts.
A recent nationwide survey of health and fitness consumers conducted by The Brandon Agency offers some cause for optimism, as it gives clear indication that Americans are ready and willing to get back in shape — with numbers even eager to return to the gym.
An insightful study
The recent TBA survey offers a range of insights for the health and fitness industry — and some inspiring news for the COVID-strained segment can be found among them, along with many actionable considerations for business owners.
Just a few of the interesting facts the TBA-led marketing research study uncovered regarding the mindset of the post-pandemic health and fitness consumer:
- A large majority of fitness and nutrition consumers — 7 in 10 of those surveyed — plan to make health and fitness a top priority in their lives over the next 12 months.
- 53% of surveyed health and fitness consumers said they expect to get their bodies in “excellent” condition over the next 12 months.
- When evaluating or deciding to join a gym or fitness center post-pandemic, cleanliness is considered a priority by 81% of surveyed fitness consumers. This top priority is followed closely by considerations including the quality of the gym’s equipment (78%), the gym’s ability to facilitate social-distancing measures (74%) and the variety of the gym’s equipment (74%).
- 24% of surveyed consumers said they plan to return to the gym almost daily (compared with 29% who said they did this before the pandemic began), and 17% said they plan to return a few times per week (compared with 26% saying they did this pre-pandemic).
- Surveyed consumers seem to anticipate shorter workouts post-pandemic. While 42% of respondents said their pre-pandemic workouts lasted an hour or longer, the percentage who anticipate hour or longer workouts over the next 12 months falls to 36%. On the other end of the spectrum, 37% of respondents said their pre-pandemic workouts lasted 30 minutes or less, while 43% anticipate half-hour or shorter workouts over the next 12 months.
- When it comes to equipment and facility usage, 62% of respondents said they use a gym’s cardio equipment often, followed by 54% who say the same about weight machines, 49% who use free weights often, and 44% who attend group classes often.
Ready to learn more about the survey results? Download our exclusive white paper, “The New Fitness & Nutrition Consumer,” to take a deep dive into the data and the mindset of today’s fitness consumer in our post-COVID world.
Need assistance with getting your health & fitness-focused business back on track — and beyond — after the tough 2020 the pandemic delivered? Our team of marketing experts has gone to great lengths to get inside the mind of the fitness & nutrition consumer, and it’s eager to help. Contact us today to discuss how we can help your health- or nutrition-focused business grow.
Ed Lammon
Managing Editor of Agency Content
Ed Lammon is the Editorial Director of Blog and Long-Form Content for Brandon. A native of Enterprise, AL (home of the world’s only monument to an insect), Ed is a 1998 Journalism graduate of Auburn University (War Eagle!). When not working, he enjoys travel, hiking, telling dad jokes, and hanging out with friends and family (particularly around campfires, at concerts and at tailgates).