On Thursday afternoon, swiss active – IG Fitness Switzerland held an industry talk on the study “The Swiss fitness industry in the first half of 2021”. Prof. Dr. Sarah Kobel presented the results of the study to all those present. The question and discussion session then began.
Among other things, the training presence of the various age groups after the restart was discussed: It is pleasing to see that people aged 30 or younger enjoy going to the gym a disproportionately high number of times. On the other hand, the study shows that people over the age of 60 in particular are (still) refraining from going to the gym. In the interpretation and discussion of these results, it was pointed out that younger members have suffered particularly badly during the pandemic due to the restricted contacts and now particularly welcome the social interaction in the gyms. On the other hand, older people are still cautious, as the vaccination rate was not yet very high at the time of the survey.
The study provided further insights into the effects of digitalization due to the lockdown. During the lockdown, many fitness industry subscribers continued to train at home. They often did this with the help of training videos provided by general platforms or their fitness providers. However, many members realized that this training or alternative forms of exercise (walking, cycling, etc.) were far from the intensity they were used to from training at the gym. As a result, many people returned to the gym with less muscle and more fat. In the future, however, gym operators will increasingly offer digital forms of training as additional services. In particular, streaming their own courses was mentioned most frequently in the survey.
Another conclusion from the industry talk is to give customers the assurance that they can exercise safely in fitness studios as quickly as possible. The established protection concepts help here. However, target group-specific communication is needed to convey this safety. Despite significant membership losses, the majority of providers are positive about the future and expect a steady increase in membership by the end of this year. However, the total number of members will not yet be at the same level as at the end of 2019.
What remains is the realization that the focus on one’s own health has inevitably increased and the importance of maintaining health through preventative muscle training has been recognized. This results in the hope of sustainable behavioral change, which can be a driver for recovery and growth in the fitness industry.
You can read the results of the study here. If you are interested, we will also be happy to send you the presentation of the results.
The next Industry Talk will take place around mid-September. Once again, many important and exciting topics will be addressed and discussed: Together we are strong. Become a part of it and join the next Industry Talk as a swiss active – IG Fitness member, exchange ideas and experience everything up close.
