Fitness Industry Roundup: For Gyms, the Radio Isn’t Dead

Does your health club’s marketing strategy include radio ads? A reputable audience measurement company suggests you jump on the train. Just promise me that you’ll read the data before you disregard it!

Before we get to radio advertising—and a couple of bonus stories—let’s review a market study that projects physical fitness equipment to experience exponential growth over the next four years and a list of the world’s best fitness franchises to join.

Market Study Projects ‘Robust Growth’ for Physical Fitness Equipment

Global Industry Analysts Inc., (GIA), a premier market research company, produced a market study that projects the global physical fitness equipment market value to hit $18.5 billion by 2026. As reported in Benzinga, this is an ongoing global program, where growth is driven by a new population focus to maintain healthy lifestyles and decrease chronic disease risk. GIA predicts that connecting consumers to technology and enhancing the customer experience will drive market growth. The study forecasts that dominant training segments will include:

• cardiovascular equipment—due to its broader adoption in consumer and commercial markets and popularity across all ages—and

• strength training equipment—considering the demand among young consumers and as an integral component of training programs across various sectors.

The report includes data from 97 companies, including IHRSA members Precor Incorporated, Body-Solid, Inc., Life Fitness, Inc., Dyaco International Inc., Johnson Health Tech Co., Ltd., SportsArt Fitness, Inc., Total Gym Global Corp., TRUE Fitness Technology, Inc., and more.

Find out more and preview the research.

Club Solutions Unveils 2022 Fitness Franchise Forecast

Interested in becoming a fitness franchisee? Investing in a fitness franchise is a big step. Check out Club Solutions’ 2022 Fitness Franchise Forecast that includes established and up-and-coming franchise opportunities to consider in your search and helpful tips from John LaRosa, co-founder and COO of PNW Club Venture Holdings and Crunch franchisee. LaRosa recommends “giving careful thought to the infrastructure of the franchise, the support you will receive, the field training protocol, the uniqueness of the brand, the brand’s image and the franchisor’s growth plans.” IHRSA members highlighted in the list include 9Round, Anytime Fitness, British Swim School, Crunch Fitness, F45 Training, Gold’s Gym, Orangetheory Fitness, Planet Fitness, and World Gym.

See what the franchises have to offer.

Is Radio the Next Big Marketing Platform for the Fitness Industry?

Nick Miller, Midwest market manager of The Media Audit, told Inside Radio, “The health & fitness audience is very active and, therefore, very mobile, so radio fits their lifestyle almost better than any other ad media.” Before you roll your eyes and skip to the next blurb, hear this out. Miller’s claim is legitimate—it’s backed by data. The Media Audit, the most comprehensive, local, and syndicated audience measurement company nationwide, compiled five 2021 consumer/market surveys which indicate that adults who are 18+ and exercised at least 12 times at a health club over the past year are a prime consumer audience of radio.

Learn more.

Exercise May Break Dangerous Long COVID Inflammation

Current data estimates that between 15-80% of people infected with coronavirus suffer from long COVID symptoms. COVID is known to increase inflammation levels, which can lead to developing diabetes and depression months later. ScienceDaily featured a new report that points to exercise as a solution: Exercise as a Moderator of Persistent Neuroendocrine Symptoms of COVID-19, published in the journal Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews. “This research shows that exercise can be used to break the chain reaction of inflammation that leads to high blood sugar levels, and then to the development or progression of type 2 diabetes [or clinical depression]," said John Kirwan, Ph.D., co-author and Pennington Biomedical executive director.

Find out more.

USF Installs SportsArt Equipment to Conserve & Produce Energy

The University of South Florida, Tampa (USF), became the first Florida University to install green, energy-producing gym equipment in its Recreation Center, according to The Oracle. In 2020, twelve machines were purchased from IHRSA member SportsArt’s ECO-POWR line and funded by the Student Green Energy Fund, a USF project that aims to make the campus more environmentally friendly. “I want people to get excited to get on a machine that makes power instead of using power, and they can see the direct result,” said James Souza, USF director of recreation and wellness. Since the facility does not have a power bank to store energy, the results are truly seen and felt instantaneously as the equipment powers the lights, air conditioning, and more while patrons are exercising.

Read more.

Has your health or fitness-related business been featured in the news recently? We want to know! Send a link to any news article or video that highlighted your business to pr@ihrsa.org, and we may include it in a future issue of the Fitness Industry Roundup.