2020 has been a challenging year for the fitness industry. The global COVID-19 pandemic ushered in facility closures, significant changes to business and safety operations, and a tectonic shift in how people access fitness. One key challenge during this time has been the pervasive assumption by policymakers and the public that health clubs are not safe, not essential, and not part of the solution.
This September, we have an opportunity to reach out to our communities to show them just how important clubs are for health and well-being alongside a global initiative called World Wellness Weekend.
What is World Wellness Weekend?
Health clubs around the globe have the same mission: getting more people through their doors and leading healthy, active lives. But in most parts of the world, health clubs reach fewer than 20% of people, and in many cases the people we’re not reaching are not sufficiently physically active—or active at all. At the same time, the pandemic—and its uneven effect on people with pre-existing health conditions—has underlined the importance of a healthy, physically active lifestyle.
World Wellness Weekend is an opportunity to get more people active and showcase how your club is part of the solution.
On Saturday and Sunday, September 19-20, spas, fitness centers, salons, yoga studios, and sports organizations will celebrate World Wellness Weekend by offering their wellness services to the community—welcoming them inside the club or going outside the four walls of the gym in person or virtually to bring new experiences to new people. This weekend provides an opportunity for fitness, beauty, tourism, and sport professionals to showcase their diverse offerings, and for community members to experience new wellness services in places or ways they may never have tried before.
This initiative also supports IHRSA in our collaboration with the World Health Organization and its Global Action Plan on Physical Activity goal of reducing physical inactivity by 15% by 2030. World Wellness Weekend is supported by over 50 organizations, including the United Nations Global Sustainability Index Institute and the European Commission.
