Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Definition
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- Home exercising remains key barrier to market growth
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- Figure 1: Location adults engaged in regular exercise in the past year, 2012-16
- Some people prefer to exercise outside
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- Figure 2: Exercise outdoors and walk and bike to get around, by age, February 2017
- Older adults are not confident in their ability to exercise
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- Figure 3: Exercise is a low priority and do not exercise, by generation, February 2017
- The opportunities
- Low cost and local gyms could have success targeting occasional users
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- Figure 4: Interest in occasional membership, by membership type (any usage or interest), February 2017
- Outdoor fitness parks could refresh gym members’ workouts
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- Figure 5: Interest in outdoor fitness park, February 2017
- The future of fitness is digital
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- Figure 6: Use of and interest in digital fitness, February 2017
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Health and fitness club market grows steadily
- Gyms are opening at a faster rate than membership growth
- The health and fitness market covers a variety of gym formats
- Home workouts, technology, and nonexercisers are barriers to gym use
- Market and population trends influence market confidence
Market Size and Forecast
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- Health and fitness club market continues upward trajectory
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- Figure 7: Total US revenues and fan chart forecast of health and fitness clubs, at current prices, 2011-21
- Figure 8: Total US revenues and forecast of health and fitness clubs, at current prices, 2011-21
Market Breakdown
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- Number of gyms increasing at a faster rate than memberships
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- Figure 9: Number of US health and fitness clubs and memberships, 2011-15
- Chain gyms have a slightly greater reach and interest than local gyms
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- Figure 10: Any fitness chain (net) compared to any local fitness facility (net), by type of use and interest, February 2017
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- Figure 11: Any fitness chain use and interest compared to any local fitness facility, by census region, and area, February 2017
- Fitness centers are the mainstream choice compared to boutique studios
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- Figure 12: Any fitness club (net) compared to any boutique studio (net), by type of use and interest, February 2017
Market Perspective
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- Penchant for at home workouts remain a key barrier
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- Figure 13: Location adults engaged in regular exercise in the past year, 2012-16
- The home exerciser varies from a gym goer
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- Figure 14: Prefer to work out at home versus current members to any fitness facility, by gender, age, and area, February 2017
- Some people need the outdoor air
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- Figure 15: Prefer to exercise outside, by gender, age, parental status, and employment status, February 2017
- Digital fitness motivates people on their own time
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- Figure 16: Use and interest in fitness tracking devices and streaming fitness classes, February 2017
- Few just don’t exercise
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- Figure 17: Exercise is a low priority and do not exercise, by generation, February 2017
Market Factors
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- Steady disposable household income encouraging for fitness market
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- Figure 18: Disposable personal income change from previous period, February 2010-January 2017
- Population trends impact pool of potential gym members
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- Figure 19: US population, by age, 2012-22
- Figure 20: Current membership to any fitness facility, by age, February 2017
- Obesity remains an issue in the US
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- Figure 21: Prevalence of obesity among US adults aged 20 and over, 2006-15
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Working out should be a welcoming experience
- Fitness and fashion are a seamless collaboration
- Unlimited becomes unsustainable for fitness brand
- Changing trends is the downfall of luxury fitness brand
- Working out outside, in another world, or training to be a ninja
- Variable daily prices appease cost concerns
- Using alternative spaces
What’s In?
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- Exercise has no size limitations
- Catering to the underserved
- Improved accessibility to boutique fitness classes
- Building children’s confidence through fitness
- Fitness and fashion pop-up collaboration
What’s Out?
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- Unsustainable unlimited
- Not keeping up with changing trends
What’s Next?
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- Outdoor gyms provide accessible fitness
- The future of workouts are virtual
- Ninjas need to train too
- Variable daily prices for drop-in fitness classes
- Hospitals transitioning to a place for wellness
- Utilizing underused spaces helps local economies
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Exercise is an investment in health, but priorities impact motivation
- Exercising outside has its draw
- Local and budget gyms draw the most interest
- Luxury gyms are aspirational, budget/local gyms profit from occasional use
- Outdoor fitness parks and incentives could keep members happy
- Basic motivations get people to join a gym
- The “basics” and alternative classes garner widespread interest
- Adults are engaging with fitness technology
Activity Self-perceptions
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- Exercise investment pays in health return
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- Figure 22: Consider exercise investment in health, by generation and age and income, February 2017
- Priorities impact likelihood and motivation to exercise
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- Figure 23: Able to exercise but choose not to and hard time getting motivated to go to a fitness facility, by exercise is low priority, February 2017
- Budget and local gym members most dedicated to working out
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- Figure 24: Fitness center current usage (net), by dedicated to a workout routine, February 2017
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- Figure 25: Motivation, accountability, and connection to community, by dedicated to a workout routine, February 2017
- Gym users are motivated by other people to exercise
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- Figure 26: Fitness center current usage (net), by motivated by other people to exercise, February 2017
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- Figure 27: Hard time getting motivated, paying keeps motivation, interest in occasional membership, and feel more connected to community, by motivated by other people to exercise, February 2017
- Exercise can be accomplished outside
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- Figure 28: Exercise outdoors, walk and bike to get around, by age, February 2017
Fitness Center Profiles
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- Local and budget gyms draw the most interest
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- Figure 29: Current level of commitment to a fitness facility, February 2017
- Member profiles of fitness chains
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- Figure 30: Profile of budget fitness club chain current members, February 2017
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- Figure 31: Profile of mid-level fitness club chain current members, February 2017
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- Figure 32: Profile of premium fitness club chain current members, February 2017
- Profiles of those interested in joining fitness chains
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- Figure 33: Profile of budget fitness club chain opportunity, February 2017
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- Figure 34: Profile of mid-level fitness club chain opportunity, February 2017
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- Figure 35: Profile of premium fitness club chain opportunity, February 2017
Gym Offerings
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- Many gym goers aspire to join a luxury gym
- Budget and local gyms could benefit from flexibility
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- Figure 36: Interest in luxury gym, occasional membership, and fitness facility in alternative space, by membership type (net), February 2017
- An outdoor fitness park could refresh members’ workouts
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- Figure 37: Interest in outdoor fitness park, by age and income and parental status, February 2017
- Young adults want motivation, discounts, and a social connection
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- Figure 38: Hard time getting motivated, discounts/perks for renewing, feel connected to community, by age, February 2017
Motivators to Join
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- Intrinsic motivators get people to the gym
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- Figure 39: Motivators to join a fitness center, February 2017
- Young adults motivated by a variety of factors
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- Figure 40: Intrinsic motivators to join a fitness center, by gender and age, February 2017
- Looking better motivates parents
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- Figure 41: Look better, feel more confident and happier motivators to join a fitness center, by parental status by gender, February 2017
- Single women want to join a gym to improve image and confidence
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- Figure 42: Look better and feel more confident, by marital status and gender, February 2017
- Black adults are motivated by more factors than other races
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- Figure 43: Look better, feel better, stronger, more confident, manage health conditions, and warm weather, by black and nonblack, February 2017
Interest in Types of Classes Offered
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- The ‘basics’ and alternative classes garner the most overall interest
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- Figure 44: Class interest if offered by fitness facility, by rank, February 2017
- Muscle building, competition, and nutrition classes draw in men
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- Figure 45: Interest (any rank) in strength training, body weight training, nutrition, cross-fit, and specialized sport training if offered by fitness facility, by gender and age, February 2017
- Yoga, dance, and kickboxing/boxing appeal to women
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- Figure 46: Interest (any rank) in yoga, dance, and kickboxing/boxing if offered by fitness facility, by gender and age and generation, February 2017
- Class scheduling should reflect interest
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- Figure 47: Interest (any rank) in stretching, tailored classes, hiit, and circuit training if offered by fitness facility, by gender and age, February 2017
Digital Fitness
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- Pairing technology and fitness appeals to adults
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- Figure 48: Alternatives to working out at a fitness facility, February 2017
- Young adults lead the way in the use of fitness technology
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- Figure 49: Alternatives to working out at a fitness facility – any use or interest (net), by age, gender, and age, and age and income, February 2017
- Hispanic adults express the most interest in fitness technology
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- Figure 50: Alternatives to working out at a fitness facility – any use or interest (net), by Hispanic origin, February 2017
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Fan chart forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Appendix – The Market
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- Figure 51: Total US sales and forecast of health and fitness clubs, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2011-21
- Figure 52: Location adults engaged in regular exercise in the past year, 2012-16
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