Have you been spending a lot of time at the gym lately, waiting for an empty squat rack? Or maybe you’re constantly queuing up for your favorite treadmill – the one located in the best TV viewing area?
A new report says you may not be alone.
ABC Fitness’s first first-quarter Health Watch report shows that traditional gym occupancy increased by 60% in the first quarter of 2024 compared with 2023.
“People around the world are recognizing the importance of fitness for their physical and mental health, and now we’re seeing more and more people do the same,” ABC Fitness CEO Bill Davis said in a press release about the report. Recognize the social benefits of fitness.
Check-in numbers are strong in the first quarter of every year, and fitness goals often top the list of new year’s resolutions.
But reports show that since the outbreak, gyms have closed, home fitness businesses have boomed, and the fitness industry has rebounded strongly. In the United States alone, 184 million people visited gyms, almost double the number before the epidemic.
The report combines the results of third-party consumer research in the United States and data from ABC Fitness platforms ABC Ignite, ABC Glofox, ABC Evo and ABC Trainerize. The company said it “provides a comprehensive understanding of fitness trends from all angles of the industry.”
ABC Fitness said the insights revealed in the first season of Health Watch map global trends, drawing from 40 million members and 30,000 fitness businesses in more than 100 countries between January and March 2024.
Here are other noteworthy findings from the report.
Young people prioritize health
ABC Fitness says Gen Z is most focused on physical and mental health. 29% of new gym joiners are Gen Z, while 38% of Gen Z respondents use traditional health clubs.
Gen Z is more likely to seek out a personal trainer or coach (38%) than the general population (29%), although ABC Trainerize saw a 78% year-over-year increase in new personal training clients. They also have higher scores in recreational sports and group training. However, the majority of Gen Z respondents (68%) choose to exercise on their own.
Gen Z respondents said they typically spend $21 to $69 in monthly membership fees. In addition, the report shows that more than half of Gen Z (56%) in the study use wearable devices such as Apple Watch, Fitbit or other fitness trackers to monitor their exercise.
“Gen Z is more digital than almost any other generation,” fitness coach Kai Karttunen said in the report. “App-based workouts, gamified challenges and personalized data will all help connect with this audience.”
The gym has become the new “third place” for many people
Not only is exercise and going to the gym a part of daily life for many people, it can also help people find community.
The report highlights that connecting with friends through health and fitness has helped gyms become popular “third places”: places where people go to find community outside of work, school and home.
“With fitness businesses becoming a powerful driving force in communities, the fitness industry is poised to help more people in more ways than ever before,” Davis said.
Gym membership and usage continue to rise regardless of how the gym is used, demonstrating how people are prioritizing their health and wellness.
“Global utilization is up nearly 90% compared to pre-pandemic levels. Now, we see the focus turning to overall well-being,” Davis said in the report.
“Fitness businesses should recognize the increasing demand for their services and the increasing importance of healthy living in the lives of ordinary consumers.”
