Quarantined consumers inspired many exercise brands to develop and improve their digital workout offerings during the COVID-19 pandemic, permanently changing the fitness landscape. With little else to do during lockdown, a significant number of consumers turned to exercise to maintain their mental health and inject variety into the mundanity of daily life.

Though at-home workouts gained a significant foothold among US adults over the last year, only 15% of exercisers feel that digital fitness platforms have eliminated the need for gyms, signifying that in-person fitness will rebound. Traditional gyms and boutique studios must remind consumers of the benefits attached to in-person fitness communities.

Overall, a year full of economic challenges has consumers seeking affordable fitness solutions, making it crucial for brands to prove their value to exercisers as an increasing number of affordable digital workout platforms join the marketplace.

The plethora of workout options available to consumers as a result of the pandemic has exercisers seeking personalized routines, which brands can achieve through technological innovation and consumer data collection.

• The impact of COVID-19 on exercise trends

• The majority of exercisers will adopt a hybrid routine of at-home and in-person workouts post-pandemic

• Aging consumers are an area of opportunity for fitness brands

• Consumers are drawn to secondary benefits of exercise like improved mental health

• The increasing demand for holistic and inclusive fitness solutions that do not focus on weight loss

• Innovative exercise equipment and apps allow brands to provide consumers with personalized fitness

For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions:

This Report provides an in-depth look at the current exercise market in the US by analyzing exercise and fitness trends, habits, and behaviors.

This Report also covers the US market for private and commercial health and fitness clubs. Mintel defines private and commercial health and fitness clubs as those being operated by an individual or a corporate, for-profit organization. Nonprofit health and fitness clubs are defined as those facilities that offer health and fitness memberships to consumers, yet do not profit from these memberships.

The first COVID-19 case was confirmed in the US in January 2020. It was declared a global health pandemic and national emergency in early March 2020. Across the US, various stay-at-home orders were put in place in Spring 2020, and non-essential businesses and school districts closed or shifted to remote operations. The remainder of 2020 saw rolling orders, as states and local governments relaxed and reinforced guidelines according to the spread of the virus in each region.

Vaccine roll-out began in December, 2020 and has continued throughout 2021. Mintel anticipates business operations in the US will remain in a state of flux through 2021 as vaccines are administered and social distancing restrictions and capacity limitations are relaxed. The rapid spread of the Delta variant may result in increased restrictions in some areas of the country.