The years 2020 to 2021 have proven pivotal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of the pandemic reverberates until today and pervades almost every aspect of our lives, from our careers to our social lives and to our personal well-being, including fitness.

Interest in fitness has gathered steam, as many of us who have been confined to our homes sought ways to cope with stresses from the pandemic and adjust to living in lockdown conditions. While gyms are still working to bring back full capacity, in virtually every other area of fitness, the demand has never been greater.

Here is our list of top eight trends of how the fitness industry is changing, so you can best strategize to meet the needs of your customers and residents in the future:

Trend #1: Online Fitness Continues to Grow

As countries enacted lockdowns to stem the spread of the virus, forcing temporary closures of gyms and studios consequently steered the migration of fitness classes to online channels. These online classes later proved to be highly versatile for clients; users can join live streaming classes with their friends or join new classes to meet new people. Those with busy schedules can catch recorded classes at a time of their choosing instead. The burgeoning sphere of virtual fitness will likely continue in the future given the flexibility and range of online classes that are available that suit the needs of just about anyone and everyone.

Trend #2: Personal Training Gains Popularity

Along similar lines, the busy individual may not have the time to research and to plan a workout routine that fits their goals while taking into account the limited access to gyms and equipment. Personal trainers can help to design fitness plans that are tailored to the specific needs of the individual, in addition to serving as an accountability buddy in helping clients stay motivated to meet their fitness goals. As a case-in-point, URBN Playground’s URBN Burn programs help clients to map out their fitness needs, whether its exercise, healthy eating, rest or mindfulness. The programs emphasize self-care, work-life flexibility, accountability and equality. 

Trend #3: Higher Use of Do-it-yourself Workout Apps

For DIY types and those who prefer not to have personal trainers, workout apps have become the go-to resource for fitness routines. The benefit of workout apps are their convenience; users can take their phones with them wherever they go, and their workouts are already programmed with their previous workout sessions recorded to track progress. Additionally, there is a plethora of workout routines that are readily available with varying difficulty levels that users can select based on their level of fitness, ensuring that they will never be short of challenges. 

Trend #4: Bodyweight Training Becomes the Norm

As fitness shifted indoors, users lacked the space and equipment otherwise available in physical gyms. As a viable alternative, bodyweight training has been an inexpensive and convenient means to exercise effectively. While bodyweight exercises can be complemented with basic fitness equipment such as resistance bands, these aren’t a necessity.  Additionally, bodyweight training can be modified to suit the intensity or functional needs that the individual desires, and does not need a huge space. We foresee bodyweight based training to persist as an alternative to weight or equipment-assisted training as lockdowns and social distancing remain in place for some time to come.  

Trend #5: Mindfulness is Just as Important as Fitness

Fitness is as much an exercise for the body as it is for the mind. Forced to work from home, most of us now have to deal with longer working hours, more responsibilities to your loved ones, while having to contend with reduced options for physical exercise and social activities. For some, the idea of an intense workout after a long day’s work isn’t the most appealing; a more relaxing alternative to decompress is through meditation and yoga.  Yoga, meditation and mindfulness programs have seen a surge in popularity as well, with yoga equipment seeing 154% growth in sales throughout the pandemic.

Trend #6: Higher Adoption of Wearable Tech

Wearable technology ranging from Fitbits to Garmins are becoming increasingly hailed as commodities and no longer luxury items, as wearable tech becomes increasingly affordable. Demand has risen as health concerns intensified amid the pandemic. Those of us who have become more health conscious now have a means to monitor and track our basic health indicators as well as fitness levels. The increasing sophistication of fitness trackers goes beyond measuring heart rate, calories burnt and steps taken in a day - it can now perform cutting-edge functions such as sleep monitoring, blood oxygen and electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors that could warn us if our health is at risk. 

Trend #7: Nature and Fresh Air Take Center Stage 

With travel grinding to a halt, outdoor activities have gained popularity for many looking to escape the four walls of their homes. Walks in the park, hiking, jogging  and cycling have gained popularity since the start of the pandemic. Just stepping outside for some fresh air, sunlight and greenery will reinvigorate and improve your mood.  Taking walks in nature has been shown to lower anxiety and depression and boost overall well-being, according to researchers at the University of Rochester. They found that exposure to nature resulted in participants valuing community and connectedness over superficial concerns. Green spaces, gardens and mini-parks will likely feature heavily in new properties moving forward.

Trend #8: Future Gym Spaces Emphasize Versatility

As things return to normalcy and gyms reopen, new fitness aficionados will be looking to continue the habits they had cultivated during the pandemic. The demand in fitness will likely span group classes with minimal weights and equipment and more focus on bodyweight and high intensity interval training classes. Gym studios will evolve to be easily reconfigured, depending on the needs of different group classes. This could range from dance fitness classes to meditation sessions. Additionally, gym studios would also have to be easily repurposed to accommodate social distancing or virtual classes in the event of future pandemics. 

Wrapping it Up

While the pandemic has forced many of us to take our fitness indoors, it has also enabled new types of fitness to gain popularity. New alternatives have mushroomed,  attracting a host of new fitness enthusiasts that will likely continue their newfound hobbies well after the pandemic ends. We hope the top eight trends we identified above will help guide you on how you can best plan for your properties to meet tomorrow’s demands.