RESEARCH ROUND-UP
If operators can tap into home-based exercise, they could develop a stream of potential future gym members
who are perhaps more body-conscious to exercise in the comfort of their own home. But is this trend actually the threat that
some operators perceive it to be? In fact, at-home exercise has the potential to re-engage those who have not exercised for a long time, encouraging further participation in sports and exercise; operators that can extend their reach to embrace non gym-based exercise have the opportunity to develop a stream of potential future members.
A weighty issue Nearly two-thirds of UK adults classify themselves as overweight to some degree, compared with just under a third who say their weight is “about right”. Women are more likely than men to classify themselves as “very overweight” (20 per cent compared to 12 per cent of men). Once again, age is a key determining
factor: half of those aged 16 to 24 agree that their weight is about right, dropping to a quarter of those aged 55+. On the flipside, a minimal 6 per cent of 16- to
34 Health Club Handbook 2013
24-year-old respondents classify themselves as being “very overweight”, compared to a fifth of those aged 55+. In general, problems with weight appear to arise as consumers hit the 35–44 age range; career and family responsibilities are likely to take precedence over time spent exercising and following a healthy diet. When it comes to weight issues, gender
differences highlight the need to encourage women to become more active and adopt healthier eating habits; likewise for the older consumer. This highlights two key potential growth markets for gyms and health clubs.
The future According to HEAT, consumers plan to spend less over the next 12 months on gym memberships compared to the previous 12 months. This decrease is also being seen across other categories that require a monthly – or regular – payment, such as broadband, newspaper subscriptions and so on, indicating that consumers are looking to minimise their monthly outgoings.
In contrast, consumers expect to spend
more on essential items such as food shopping – but more surprisingly, also on luxuries such as buying clothes and shoes. People are, it seems, looking to make small savings across a range of regular payments as opposed to large-scale savings. This suggests the market won’t tolerate steep rises in gym membership – or indeed rises at all.
For further information
For the Sports Supplements Report, YouGov SixthSense commissioned a survey among YouGov’s online panel, drawing on a nationally representative sample of 4,217 UK adults aged 16+. YouGov’s Household Economic
Activity Tracker (HEAT) is based on interviews conducted on a daily basis throughout the month. Over 77,000 interviews are conducted a year. Web:
www.sixthsense.yougov.com
www.healthclubhandbook.com
© LUCKY BUSINESS/
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212 |
Page 213 |
Page 214 |
Page 215 |
Page 216 |
Page 217 |
Page 218 |
Page 219 |
Page 220 |
Page 221 |
Page 222 |
Page 223 |
Page 224 |
Page 225 |
Page 226 |
Page 227 |
Page 228 |
Page 229 |
Page 230 |
Page 231 |
Page 232 |
Page 233 |
Page 234 |
Page 235 |
Page 236