As we enter the new year, many people create resolutions and expect to follow them. Some traditional goals that individuals set are starting a new diet, staying sober, practicing mindfulness, taking steps to improve their mental health and prioritizing fitness.
The pandemic completely transformed the fitness industry, as many people re-evaluated their perceptions of fitness and learned to work out at home. With this in mind, it makes us question if purchasing a gym membership in the new year is still worth it.
While home workout options have increased in popularity over the years, there are many different ways someone can work out. During 2020 and the years that followed, new digital fitness platforms emerged. Peloton, for example, has grown increasingly popular. Subscriptions to companies such as Apple Fitness plus, Amazon Halo and the Nike Training Club have also increased since the start of the pandemic.
Along with an increase in new fitness platforms, we’ve also seen emerging trends for specific types of workouts. Pilates has gained traction in the fitness world thanks to TikTok. Hot Girl Walks and 12-3-30 (walking at an incline of 12 at a speed of three for 30 minutes) have also become popular trends on the app.
During the pandemic, we also saw an increase in home workouts and fitness challenges on YouTube. Chloe Ting, a famous fitness blogger, created free and accessible workout challenges for her followers to practice in the safety of their own homes. She gained a lot of popularity on TikTok and has her own hashtag where users post the results of her workout plans and share their experiences following her workouts.
Overall, these different methods of working out have shown us that there’s been a steady change in how we view health and fitness. The pandemic completely changed the industry due to gyms closing in light of mounting health concerns. Most people were isolated and confined to their homes. It made sense that virtual workouts became popular.
As we continue to make comebacks from Covid-19 and integrate ourselves back into society, it seems that going to the gym will still be a popular fitness route that many will take. This is because of the socialization aspect of fitness that we lost at the height of the pandemic.
Gyms are still experiencing an increase in membership though it may not be to the full extent prior to years before the pandemic. According to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association, 12% of new gym memberships begin in January. For the rest of the year, it’s only at about 8% for each month. This four percent difference in membership applications can be due to the new year when people want to change their lifestyles and make healthier choices.
In the new year, most will make resolutions but fail to execute them fully. This statement includes those going to the gym. Researchers state that 80 percent of people who start going to the gym in January will quit within five months. This drop in clients before the new year could be due to a number of reasons, including a lack of time, money, resources and a loss of motivation.
To combat this, Equinox is one gym that won’t accept new members at the start of January. They don’t want to include new gym-goers who only join because it’s a new year. It seems that the company wants to embody the message that fitness is a lifetime commitment and encourage their new members to join when they’re ready to make that change instead of following a resolution they may give up.
Individuals who tend to quit within the first few months may find it beneficial not to purchase a membership this year. They may tap into other fitness avenues or try a combination of gym and home workouts.
Many individuals, including those who stopped going to the gym, will try and continue the fitness routines they practiced during the pandemic with the intent to make their fitness schedules more flexible and accessible to their current situation. Fitness will be more centered around the individual and doing what they enjoy in 2023.
It is predicted that mind-body connection exercises will continue to be used in the new year, and the practices of meditation and yoga will still be widespread. There will be an increase in the use of health and fitness trackers to monitor factors of health such as heart rate and oxygen levels, which can benefit one’s fitness journey. More people will consider nontypical fitness activities such as counting daily steps, dancing and other activities intended to get your body moving.
In the new year, people should focus on the types of fitness activities that make them happy. There are various workouts to try, and the options are limitless in this day and age. Fitness and health activities can be as minor as walking around the house and doing chores. Finding out what’s best for you is the most beneficial way to create and maintain a long-term commitment to fitness in 2023.
