Fitness insights: 6 key learnings from 2024

THE HACK TO BOOST NEW MEMBER ATTENDANCE BY 200%

From January to December –- the hard work you do toin winning a new member’s custom can be undone in no time without a solid strategy to set them up for success. This year, new research from Iowa State University and the Les Mills Lab revealed pivotal touchpoints in the member journey that comehave to happen before they even set foot in the gym. And once those habits are baked in, the results can be transformative.

The research revealed that when members adopt preparation and instigation habits, exercise adherence increases by 200%. So what defines preparation and instigation? Preparation – everything needed to execute a new habit – is an event regularly preceded by a consistent environmental or behavioral cue. For example, members might have time to pack their gym bag every evening after dinner, so “finishing dinner” can be the cue/context to trigger a habit of preparing the clothes, thereby starting the process of committing to exercise the next day.

When preparation is coupled with instigation, exercise adherence becomes even stronger. This combination promotes the idea we are better at starting a new behavior when we partner it with an existing one. This asks members to think about their daily schedules to identify good opportunities to exercise that are regularly preceded by another routine or behavior and occur on at least 3-5 days of the week. For example, they might have time to exercise every day during their lunch hour and are always in the same place before lunch. That place they are in, before the lunch hour, would be the context for exercise instigation –—triggering the decision to go and exercise.

Starting your new members off strong, with powerful conversations about what success looks like to them is key to understanding their motivations and securing their ongoing loyalty.

LOW INTENSITY HIT NEW HEIGHTS

From social media to the studio, everywhere you looked in 2024 low-impact workouts were making a splash. Driven in part by a need to offset the rigor of strength training, low-impact workouts offer a gentler way for exercisers to support their fitness goals, with an added boost of mindfulness. Yoga and Barre were both in demand, but the runaway success story was Pilates. Celebrities and influencers jumped on the trend, creating a ripple effect and generating massive demand for the program.

Joseph Pilates’ original workout was anchored in addressing the bad habits of modern life. He set out to create a program to improve bad posture and introduce mindful breathing – aims as relevant today as they were then. Savvy operators looking to attract more men into their group training studio could do worse than look to Pilates as their hook. A recent survey from the US National Center for Health Statistics revealed men are more likely to favor low-impact training to manage pain than women (31.8% vs 27.5%), and its restorative powers make it an ideal gateway back to fitness for those recovering from injury or managing pain.

SOCIAL FITNESS IS BOOMING

Driven by Gen Z’s appetite for in-person, community-building experiences that deliver on connection, fitness events that dial up the social (and fun) factor are thriving. From competitive meets that inspire exercisers to hit PBs, to fitness holidays merging sun, sea, and sit-ups, consumers are increasingly looking for ways to support their gym activities with experiential ones. Gen Z are embracing fitness activities inside and outside of their gym, driven by their relentless pursuit of workouts that deliver on sociability. A recent survey from UK operator The Gym Group found 37% of this cohort use the gym as a place to socialize, and a further 42% have formed friendships while keeping fit.

Les Mills tapped into the energy of social workouts this October by hosting a fitness rave, as part of its ongoing collaboration with adidas. LES MILLS LIVE BERLIN brought together thousands of fitness fans, showcasing the two brands’ vision for the future of training. Consumers descended on iconic nightclub venue Kraftwerk to experience immersive Les Mills workouts, supported by VR technology, light shows, musical performances and the opportunity to shop exclusive adidas merch and more. And the good news for fitness operators active in this space is that showcasing services in new and novel ways builds credibility – 71% of Gen Z say their trust in a brand increased following a live event.

MENTORS MATTER FOR INSTRUCTOR GROWTH

To stimulate growth in the category and understand perceptions of the role of group training Instructors, Les Mills commissioned the largest-ever survey of Instructor prospects in 2024. Nurturing the Next Gen: Blueprint for Instructor Recruitment shares unmissable insights from 2,500 young people across the world who are open to working in the fitness industry.

The report revealed a simple action operators can take to swiftly convert prospects into qualified Instructors: provide mentorship. The Next Gen is ready to start training as Instructors if you can demonstrate they’ll continue to receive support once they’ve qualified. The lack of a mentor is the top barrier preventing them from starting their Instructor journey. 17% of would-be Instructors said they didn’t have anyone to mentor them through the process, with a further 17% stating they didn’t have enough confidence to train. Calling on your current rockstar Instructors to help new recruits sharpen their skills and gain confidence is a fast fix. The Next Gen receive expert feedback and the mentorship they crave, while your current Instructors will feel valued and gain the opportunity to enhance their mentoring skills.

And once the Next Gen are in your club, they could be there for the long haul. 69% of strong prospects are thinking of their future career opportunities – and looking for strong pathways for progression - so positioning your club as a place where they can grow will increase your appeal.

TARGET GROWTH AGAINST CAPACITY

The irrepressible member appetite for strength training means gym floor bottlenecks presented challenges for operators this year. To ease these pressures going forward, retention expert Dr Paul Bedford says heading into 2025 with a marketing and growth strategy mapped against your areas of greatest capacity is key to keeping members happy, and growing other areas of your club.

“The biggest thing for operators of all sizes in managing footfall is to ensure they’re signposting members to other areas of the club where they’re able to service more people simultaneously – such as the group exercise studios and functional areas. If you know you’ll struggle to service more members using your strength equipment (and you’ve done everything you can to maximize capacity) then you’re better off targeting prospects who will predominantly use the areas of the club where you still have capacity to fill. You’re in a better position to meet the needs of these prospects, so they’ll likely stay longer and yield a longer lifetime value, representing a better RoI for your marketing dollars.”

This is particularly true when considering the new member mindset. A gym floor full of people lifting weights can heighten feelings of gymtimidation for those who are new, or returning to exercise, after an extended period away. Getting to grips with squat racks, Olympic barbells and more won’t supply the ‘sticky’ retention driving elements like community, friendship, and motivation more easily serviced in your studio. So supporting your marketing strategy with an onboarding process that mitigates these considerations is key.

RE-ENERGIZING DISENGAGED ADULTS

While gyms are comfortably attracting the attention of younger exercisers, engaging those who have fallen out of love, and routine, with exercise is essential for growth and healthy communities. 80% of adults living in the United States don’t meet the recommended amount of physical activity, while one in three (34%) UK men and two in five (42%) UK women are not active enough for good health. Sarah Roberts, Head of Fitness at Places Leisure, a leading UK social enterprise, reiterates the importance of providing a fitness offering that caters to the needs of as broad an audience as possible.

“Our model centers around the family market, and building healthy communities is a key strategic focus. We want to be a provider for everybody, which presents challenges because your timetable, programming, and facility mix have to suit all age demographics and goals. Your community is your shop window, because as much as it's fabulous having the portion of the population who are actively working out, we're looking to engage with the larger mid-section of the population. The ones who haven't stepped over the threshold of a fitness facility, perhaps because of perceptions or stereotypical views of what they think happens in there. So having a ready-made community to welcome them is essential so new joiners find it easy to make that step. Addressing the wider market is going to be vital to the industry’s next phase of growth and we see community as a key component.”

Flipping the switch on disengaged exercisers will require non-exclusionary marketing, a comprehensive and targeted onboarding process and regular check-ins to ensure their ongoing comfort. For more tips on how to speak to new members about habits and routine, check out our updated SMART START guide.