What Happens Next?

Like many industries we sometimes have a tendency to try and predict our future by looking inwards. We ask ourselves how we might look in one or two years time and we tend to try and shape the way consumers should behave around fitness products or programmes.

In my opinion it is time look at the bigger picture.

During the numerous webinars we have all tuned into this year a lot of predictions have been made but rarely have I heard anyone talk about the most significant change - the lifestyle of the consumer post-COVID. 

Life has changed significantly this year and as we head into 2021 I thought I would share my thoughts on how our industry should think differently and prepare for the future.

More People Working from Home

I have close friends who are now working from home. They have adapted and the majority of them seem to like it. They feel able to crack on with their work without the usual office distractions. Suddenly it's about productivity rather than who gets on with the boss, who puts the most hours in and who has the best banter.

The result of this will surely be positive, particularly if businesses allow the more productive home workers to manage their own time. This will enable more and more people to organise their work around life. The school run will be less stressful, meal planning and preparation should be easier to manage and exercise time could become a key part of the day.

How will the fitness industry benefit?

Busier daytime classes and continued demand for virtual programmes, some of which will have to be a lot more holistic than a thirty-minute HIIT workout.

Mental Wellbeing Will Become the Number One Priority

I have a friend who on the face(book) of it looks to be in good health. He appears fit, strong and happy but he isn't. His job is at risk and he is under tremendous pressure at the moment. When he comes through this he will have learned a lot about himself and in particular the importance of his mental wellbeing.

He will no doubt do more to look after himself and he will use exercise, meditation and more to rebuild his mental and physical strength. He won't be focusing on losing weight, instead he will want get back to being the person he was before. Confident, strong and healthy.

There are millions of people like him.

How will the fitness industry benefit?

Mental health will be high priority for a large number of people. Our language will be important and if we get it right there will be more classes and programmes aimed at de-stressing, relaxation and rebuilding strength and confidence.

Our anti-obesity messaging hasn't had the impact we had hoped for but if we focus on how people feel I believe we will see a huge growth in the demand for our services.

Routine Is Important

Working from home can be difficult at first as routine is important to the majority of people and we all know how easy it is to slip into bad habits.

Working from home or working more remotely is initially hard for the employee as there's no office chat, breaks or meetings. This is where the balance between employer leadership and self-management comes into play and consumers will prefer to schedule and commit to things as they become more self-reliant.

How will the fitness industry benefit?

We can help shape a person's routine through effective programming and messaging. Let's not be afraid to use messages that are strong and clear to the consumer.

'Make us an essential part of your daily routine'.

Less Commuting

As working from home becomes the norm consumers will travel less and will therefore have even more time to include exercise into their daily routine. People may also move out of city centres to more affordable areas and will have more 'me' time and a little more disposable income.

The average commute to work in the UK currently stands at 59 minutes so that's two additional hours per day for consumers to engage in looking after themselves and their loved ones.

How will the fitness industry benefit?

This one is pretty obvious. People will have more time to engage in health related activities. Again our messaging is crucial and needs to be concise and to the point.

'Less time commuting = more time to feel good'.

The Need to Adapt Quickly

In the short-term lockdowns and a revised tier system have put tremendous pressure on people to adapt to a new way of working and living. Sure there are some things that haven't changed much but on the whole the world is a different place than it was just twelve months ago. Consumer behaviour has changed rapidly and all industries need to be able to keep pace.

How will the fitness industry benefit?

For much of 2020 the health and fitness industry has adjusted to fit in with regulations and guidelines. Many individuals and organisations have completely transformed their fitness businesses and have subsequently increased their following. We can benefit by maintaining our new services as they will suit the changing world.

So...

I believe that new elements (such a as virtual classes) are here to stay and we must now look to the future. We don't need to spend time using terminology like 'Hybrid' we just need to develop and grow our products in line with consumer demand.

Rather than try and nudge people down the anti-obesity (and associated illness) route we should look at what consumers will want in the future. For me it's really simple, they will want to feel good, be amongst others (even if that is online) and enjoy daily structure and routine.

All we have to do is communicate that we are key to making those things happen.

When we do that the future of our industry will be bright.