As reported by Reuters, “cost-conscious workouts at home and at the gym topped the list of fitness trends for this year in a survey, followed by shorter, more time-efficient regimens, such as boot camp and circuit training“.
“People are looking for ways to accomplish as much as possible with as little time and money as necessary,” said Cedric X. Bryant, chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise (ACE), which conducted the online poll of fitness professionals.
“Last year ‘budget-conscious’ was on the list but this year the majority of the respondents put it as one of the top,” he added.
Other money-saving measures, such as the shift from personal training sessions to small group training classes and in-home workouts using smaller, more portable equipment, also made the list.
“Personal trainers are seeing they’ve got to respond to market needs. Working with two to four clients at a time they can charge less but still get their hourly fee,” Bryant said.
Boot-camp workouts and circuit training, both of which burn calories while building strength and endurance, will be among the most popular trends in 2010, as time-constrained consumers seek shorter, more intense regimens.
“We’re living in a time-pressured society where people are working longer because of staff reductions or trying to pick up extra income,” Bryant explained.
But, it’s not just the economy that is driving future fitness trends.
The aging of the baby boomers and the growing obesity problem will also impact the direction of the fitness industry
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So, here’s my question…
Considering that personal training has been the biggest money maker for health clubs in the past decade, how are they going to adapt to a lingering recession, high unemployment levels and reduced disposable income?
Can they adapt?
Or maybe, just maybe, something better will emerge out of this economic mess.
Perhaps, instead of driving to the gym and paying someone to tell us how to exercise, we can adopt a DIY attitude towards our health & fitness.
- Perhaps we can pool our knowledge (see internet, social media, facebook, twitter…)
- Perhaps we can support each other (see not paying $80 per hour for support)
- Perhaps we can exercise outside of a socially approved health club facility (see outdoors, rec room, garage)
So, what do you think?
- Is the recession going to kill the corporate health club?
- Can they adapt in time?
- Is the recession impacting your fitness routine?
- If so, how?
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I think the recession will impact the fitness industry in the same capacity that it’s effecting everything else. People may start looking for cheaper alternatives but they won’t stop spending outright.
But it’s gotta be tough for a PT out there right now.
But if all that happens…aren’t you going to put yourself out of work? What would you do then?
I hope not.
But seriously, I think that is one of the big problems with the entire health/fitness industry. Instead of promoting health & fitness, the “big guys” in the fit biz keep recycling the same tired ideas wrapped in a new heavily marketed package.
The healthcare/drug industry is just as bad.
Personally, I would rather try and do something great than keep recycling the same old crap.
Hopefully, if our society starts becoming more proactive about their own health, I will be able to carve out a little niche for myself.
I notice that people like to run up and down the stairway paths, which is free other than shoes and clothes, but not so nice in the rain. I’m happy to walk up them, but I still go to the gym. I gave up a fancy gym membership for a cheapy corporate sucky one, and I make the best of it, enjoying the classes, ignoring the rest.
I train some of my clients with nothing but some exercise bands and my imagination. Some times we go to the park & use the kid’s jungle gym.
A little knowledge and some imagination replaces a lot of expensive equipment
BTW, your legs & heart & butt will love you for climbing stairs
I think people are going to continue joining gyms which they will go to occasionally. This will act as a salve on their conscience so they can crib how nothing works though they work out. They will go for half hearted walks when their doctors hammer them about their blood pressure. Only the small percentage of the population genuinely interested in fitness will benefit from these changes – good for them!! But good trainers like you will never go out of business DR because people will always want beautiful bodies!
P S: I do quite a bit of climbing too!
I don’t go to the gym even though I’m the accountant for a YM/WHA because Ii just don’t have time. I use exercise videos, resistance bands and free weights at home getting up early in the morning and doing at least one hour, three hours on Saturday. I also climb stairs at my job, I’m on the six floor.
As a Type II Diabetic, I keep my glucose numbers under control by my exercise routine.
I wonder with so many people who have job but their employers are dropping health insurance for their employees, can’t you tap into that market? It would be cheaper then personally paying for premium health care coverage. I know I’ve dropped my blood glucose numbers down to a non-diabetic level (I’m still diabetic) by my exercise routine and what I eat, or what I don’t eat. My blood pressure numbers are typically between 115 to 106 over 75 to 60, and my Triglycerides are always below 80.
Try a different market group. It may be difficult to rope them in especially if they have been couch potatoes for many year but it is cheaper than dependent on tons of medications you can or cannot afford and much better than having no feet, legs or fingers while being blind from your body organs fermenting because of too much sugar running through your veins and arteries.
It’s sad, but people with your level of self-motivation & drive are in a pretty small minority.
For most people, personal health & fitness is a pretty low priority. Changing that mindset is going to take a lot of work. And the current infrastructure (healthcare, fitness industry, pharma, insurance) has no incentive to get people healthy.
But, maybe if we start looking after our friends & family & neighbors, etc…
That’s why I started the Facebook group…community support + knowledge hopefully = action = improved health & fitness
If you know anyone who needs to get in better shape, have them join the group. If they’re not ready to start training yet, at least they can hang around & read the comments & learn from other peoples experiences
BTW, you should be proud of yourself for taking charge of your own health