Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Definition
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- Most adults are already regular exercisers
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- Figure 1: Exercise frequency, July 2016
- Low maintenance exercises have the greatest appeal
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- Figure 2: Types of exercise – Select items, July 2016
- Exercisers have an “all or nothing” attitude
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- Figure 3: Attitudes toward exercise – Select items, Any agree, July 2016
- The opportunities
- Improving health is the primary goal of exercisers
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- Figure 4: Exercise motivations – Select items, July 2016
- Wearable fitness trackers are the greatest opportunity for new products
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- Figure 5: Usage of fitness products and services – Select items, July 2016
- Seeing is believing
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- Figure 6: Exercise inspiration – Select items, July 2016
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- More gym facilities leads to more gym members (or the other way around)
- Exercise is increasingly popular, but hasn’t helped obesity rates
- Exercisers find value in gym memberships
- Time spent on social media leaves little left for fitness
The Fitness Market
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- Gym memberships on the rise
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- Figure 7: Total (US) health club memberships (millions), 2005-15
- Uptick in number of US health clubs to meet burgeoning demand
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- Figure 8: Total number of (US) health clubs, 2005-15
- Figure 9: Popular US health and fitness clubs and approximate number of locations, 2016
- Regular exercise becoming more common
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- Figure 10: Share who exercise regularly, 2004-16
Market Factors
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- Participation in traditional exercise types remains stable
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- Figure 11: Type of exercise participated in – Every chance I get, 2004-16
- Teens may be losing fitness motivation
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- Figure 12: Type of exercise participated in – Every chance I get, 2006-16
- High levels of obesity persist
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- Figure 13: Percentage of overweight and obese Americans, 2000-14
- Nearly half meet standards for cardio fitness, but far fewer lift weights
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- Figure 14: Percentage of adults aged 18 and over who met the 2008 federal physical activity guidelines for aerobic activity and muscle strengthening activity through leisure-time activity: United States, 1997–2014
Market Perspective
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- Fitness fans more likely to join a gym than stay home
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- Figure 15: Exercise location, 2004-16
- Low-cost gyms count on low attendance
- Increased screen time may reduce time allotted to exercise
- Lack of physical education in schools may lead to sedentary adults
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- Figure 16: Percentage of schools that require students to take physical education, 2010, 2012, 2016
Key Trends – What You Need to Know
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- Popular fitness trends provide more than just a workout
- Exercise that hurts so good
- It’s okay to try this at home
- Road races search for a new audience
- New ways to wear wearables
What’s Working?
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- Fitness trend? Fitness brand? Fitness cult?
- Have we reached peak “30-day Challenge”?
- Brands feature the best of fitness, by showing the worst
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- Figure 17: Bent Not Broken – Full Commercial – Rogue Fitness, July 2016
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- Figure 18: Under Armour | Rule Yourself | USA Women’s Gymnastics, February 2016
- Figure 19: Reebok – Find Your Way – Be More Human, July 2016
- Walking helps take away the pain (and the gain)
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- Figure 20: Sketchers Ad – GOwalk 4
- Workouts that are really, really, really short
- Streaming platforms bring fitness classes to the living room
- Think vertical
- Fitness stars on social media
What’s Struggling?
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- The “trophy generation” moves away from competitive fitness
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- Figure 21: US finishers of road races, by distance, 2014-15
- Figure 22: Avid runners, April 2004-June 2016
- Team sports lack bench strength
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- Figure 23: Kids’ participation in popular sports, January 2009-December 2015
What’s Next?
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- Exercise in a bottle (or pill)
- The new and next in fitness tech
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- Figure 24: Under Armour | Connected Life, January 2016
- Physical fitness for mental health
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- Figure 25: Introducing Headstrong, April 2016
- VR takes fitness to the next dimension
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- Figure 26: VirZOOM Tutorial – Stampede, December 2015
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- Figure 27: Widerun – Kickstarter Video, April 2015
- Figure 28: Goji Play Demo – How to Set Up Guilt Free Gaming & Get Fit, July 0215
- Back to basics
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- Figure 29: #NPSUMMIT 4.0, July 2016
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- 75% are regular exercisers
- Walking is the most common form of exercise
- Exercisers are mostly interesting in improving health
- Most exercisers make do with little or no fitness equipment
- Looking and feeling better motivates healthy habits
- Fitness is a priority for more than half
Exercise Frequency
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- Three in four exercise regularly
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- Figure 30: Exercise frequency, July 2016
- Adults aged 25-34 are the most likely to exercise regularly
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- Figure 31: Exercise frequency – At least once a week, by age, July 2016
- Men cite higher frequency of exercise
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- Figure 32: Exercise frequency, by gender, July 2016
- High household income correlated with regular exercise
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- Figure 33: Exercise frequency– At least once a week, by household income, July 2016
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- Figure 34: Premature mortality rate per 100,000, by household income, 2010
- Lack of motivation prevents some from staying active
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- Figure 35: Barriers to regular exercise, July 2016
Types of Exercise
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- The best exercise in life is free
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- Figure 36: Types of exercise, July 2016
- Low impact exercise options appeal to women
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- Figure 37: Types of exercise, by gender, July 2016
- Walking replaces running as people age
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- Figure 38: Types of exercise – Walking and running/jogging, by age, July 2016
- Walking is the overwhelming choice for low-impact exercise
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- Figure 39: Types of exercise – Baby Boomers, July 2016
- Team sports may be losing favor to alternative options
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- Figure 40: Types of exercise – Select items, by iGeneration vs Millennial, July 2016
- Those with low body weight choose high impact activities
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- Figure 41: FabUplus magazine featuring Jessamyn Stanley cover photo, Fall, 2016
- Figure 42: Types of exercise, by BMI category, July 2016
Exercise Motivations
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- When it comes to motivation, health trumps looks
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- Figure 43: Exercise motivations, July 2016
- Women exercise for a variety of reasons
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- Figure 44: Exercise motivations, by gender, July 2016
- Health is a higher priority for older Americans
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- Figure 45: Exercise motivations – Select items, by age, July 2016
- Overweight adults exercise with a purpose
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- Figure 46: Exercise motivations – To lose weight, by BMI category, July 2016
Fitness Purchases
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- A minority of exercisers have plans to purchase new equipment
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- Figure 47: Usage of fitness products and services, July 2016
- Sport-specific gyms may grow among young fitness fans
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- Figure 48: Interest in fitness products/services – Sport-specific gym memberships, by age, July 2016
- Young generations see the appeal of the class pass
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- Figure 49: Interest in fitness products/services – Fitness passes, by generation, July 2016
- BMI has little relationship to fitness purchases
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- Figure 50: Interest in fitness products/services, by BMI, July 2016
Exercise Inspiration
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- Feeling better and looking better create an exercise habit
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- Figure 51: Exercise inspiration, July 2016
- Women seek out inspiration to stay motivated
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- Figure 52: Exercise inspiration, by gender, July 2016
- Social support more important for younger exercisers
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- Figure 53: Exercise inspiration – Social, by age, July 2016
- Setting targets helps with long-term fitness goals
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- Figure 54: Exercise inspiration, by BMI category, July 2016
Attitudes toward Exercise
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- Fitness is a priority, but a regular routine can be hard to maintain
- Being in good shape, can mean any shape
- No (financial) pain, no gain?
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- Figure 55: Attitudes toward exercise – Any agree, July 2016
- Men seek a more intense workout
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- Figure 56: Attitudes toward exercise – Any agree – Select items, by gender, July 2016
- Younger consumers more accepting of all shapes and sizes
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- Figure 57: Attitudes toward exercise – Any agree – Perception of fitness, by age, July 2016
- High household income related to spending on fitness
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- Figure 58: Attitudes toward exercise – Any agree – Purchases, by household income, July 2016
- White Americans need more exercise motivation
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- Figure 59: Attitudes toward exercise – Any agree – Motivational needs, by race, July 2016
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Direct marketing creative
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
Appendix – Market
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- Figure 60: Health club memberships (millions), 2005-15
- Figure 61: Total number of (US) health clubs, 2005-15
- Figure 62: Exercise location, 2004-16
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- Figure 63: Type of exercise participated in – Every chance I get, 2004-16
- Figure 64: Share who exercise regularly, 2004-16
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- Figure 65: Percentage of adults aged 18 and over who met the 2008 federal physical activity guidelines for aerobic activity through leisure-time aerobic activity: United States, 1997–2014
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