The fitness industry continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with online training and outdoor activities two of the top exercise trends to watch in 2021. It is not all bad news for gyms, health clubs and other fitness facilities as Bloomberg reported that, “despite the coronavirus restricting gym capacity while shuttering some entirely, the traditional January spike in memberships has matched—and in some ways exceeded—those of years past.”
Gym and health clubs are embracing online classes for their membership, boosting enrollment numbers, and the pandemic has put the spotlight on overall physical health and mental well-being which is pushing Americans to get out and exercise.
“It’s not about the bikini body goals, because who knows when we’re going to go on vacation again,” Josh McCarter, chief executive officer of the fitness booking platform MindBody told Bloomberg. “COVID-19 has pushed people to think about health more holistically.”
Here are some exercise trends to keep your eye on in 2021.
2021 Exercise Trend: Online Training
If 2020 taught us anything, it is that we have the technology to work from home, and we have the technology to work out from home. Online training, which became popular as many gyms and health clubs had to close due to COVID-19 restrictions, is here to stay even in a post-pandemic world with Bloomberg calling virtual workouts a $32 billion
industry.
Global Market Insights released a detailed report in January 2021 that calls for 30 percent growth in the online training industry.
The report said that “rising health concerns coupled with the growing penetration of internet connectivity will boost the market growth.”
Among the other findings of the report were:
- Growing health concerns due to sedentary lifestyles will surge demand for sophisticated online fitness classes. A rise in the number of obesity-related diseases, such as diabetes and cardiac problems, has encouraged people to incorporate fitness into their daily routines.
- The availability of robust internet connectivity globally will surge the adoption of online fitness sessions. Strong internet connectivity ensures seamless streaming of on-demand fitness videos. The roll-out of 5G in North America and Europe will also boost the online fitness market value.
- The rising adoption of digitally connected equipment, such as treadmills and exercise bikes, enables exercisers to monitor precise workout statistics with trainers. They can watch high-quality videos on the consoles of these machines. This enables trainers to visualize daily exercise routines and suggest a scope of improvement to sports players and athletes.
2021 Exercise Trend: The Great Outdoors
Outdoor activities and exercise outside are a great fit for these social distancing times. Hiking, biking, walking and other outdoor activities have seen an uptick since the pandemic started.
Medical Daily reported after the pandemic started that, “experts say there is one exercise that everyone can do to remain healthy amid the coronavirus lockdowns, and it is walking.”
As for biking, UPI reported that, “overall bike sales surged by 31 percent to $1.3 billion in the first three months of 2020 compared to the first quarter last year, according to the NDP market research group, as people looking for safe recreation embraced bicycling amid strict stay-at-home orders nationwide.”
In September 2020, the World Travel and Tourism Council partnered with Oliver Wyman to release a report entitled “To Recovery & Beyond: The Future of Travel & Tourism in the Wake of COVID-19” which found that many travels plans are centered around “hiking, biking, diving, climbing, rafting and more.”
2021 Exercise Trend: Wearable Technology
Technology continues to be a big driver in the health and fitness market, especially with the next gen wearable tech. Global Industry Analysts released a report that projected the wearable fitness technology market to grow to $22.4 billion by 2027, an annual growth of 13.1 percent per year.
Smartwatches and other high-tech wristbands are leading the growth in wearable tech. One trend to watch in wearable tech is the “smartshoe” with the segment expected to double over the report period to $2.5 billion.
2021 Exercise Trends: Others to Watch
The following exercise are not new, but are looking popular in 2021:
- Body Weight Training: Pandemic-related in that body weight training can be done at home, and in limited exercise areas, with props or equipment that you find around your home.
- High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): Need to get a workout in quickly? HIIT can be done in 30 minutes or less. The exercise can use a combo of cardio and strength training and is popular with outdoor bootcamp-style classes.
- Strength Training with Free Weights: What is old, is new with a return to popularity of classic strength training. During the pandemic, many home gyms have ordered barbells, dumbbells, medicine balls, kettlebells, and free weight to do workouts away from the health and fitness club.
Contact Exer-tech today to set up your home gym with commercial-grade fitness equipment in southeast Texas, including Austin, Houston, San Antonio, College Station, Beaumont.
