Andrew Evenson, the senior director of operations and brand strategy at FitnessOnDemand, shares the biggest trends that will impact clubs this year, and how your operations and mindset need to change as a result.
We may just have dipped our toes in the membership waters of 2022, but it’s clear the demands on clubs from members we all saw over the past year or so aren’t going away anytime soon, and most likely ever. This includes smaller class sizes and more personalized instruction; 360-degree workout experiences at the club, at home or wherever they may be; and a growing shift to a more holistic, inclusive view of fitness.
Clubs may not be dealing with the constant upheaval of the open-close-open cycle of the past two years, but the fitness world continues to evolve quickly and it’s going to require some equally evolved thinking from operators. Here are the three biggest trends — and required shifts in mindset — we’re seeing.
It’s just fitness now: live, on-demand and livestreamed. Working out is working out, whether your members are joining a favorite HIIT or specialty class twice a week in studio with their instructor, pulling up on-demand content on your club app when they can’t get to the gym, or streaming a live class from that same instructor. Club operators need to realize that after months of working from home, members have become far more receptive to, and expect, a wider universe of fitness experiences from their clubs. Heart-pumping classes with trained instructors in state-of-the-art studios, premium 4K HD on-demand content from global brands, and high-quality, easy-to-stream live sessions are all viable fitness options from clubs in the mind of the member. This year just became the time to retire “hybrid” thinking.
Age-inclusive memberships are gaining a heightened focus. The U.S. and global population — and club memberships — are getting older. Between 2015 and 2030 estimates predict the number of people aged 65 and older around the world will increase by 56%. Better healthcare technologies and medications, and a growing focus on wellness, means many of us are living longer.
Many club operators are already planning around this trend with the introduction of more age-inclusive services, classes and content programs. Around 20 years ago, the gym experience was all about high intensity workouts, feeling the burn and looking good among your peers. Expect an even greater shift toward three things:
- A demand for both fitness and wellness content that promotes overall good health for all ages of members.
- A sharp increase in programming around functional exercises for older members: strength, balance and flexibility.
- An interest in self-care from meditation and stretch to a more educated approach to fitness. The demand for all of this is coming to every club soon.
Inclusive ability-level programming. Hand in hand with age-inclusive fitness comes all-abilities programming. As the industry shifts towards a more inclusive model of fitness, on-demand programming from your provider will play an increasingly pivotal role in helping less confident or less experienced members begin their own fitness journey or try a new kind of activity or class before joining a live session.
Operators need to also work with their content partners to meet this growing trend, ensuring their on-demand library features varied class levels and types so all members can stay healthy and fit.
