It’s been well established that, beyond its benefit to our physical health, exercise is also good for stress management and cognitive function. However, many people have struggled to make time, especially when having to factor in a work commute and professional, family, or social obligations. The cost of gym or studio memberships has also been a common barrier to exercise.
However, when the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic hit and at-home workouts suddenly became the norm, many who still wanted that group class experience turned to virtual wellness in the form of streaming live and pre-recorded classes.
Because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, at-home workouts have become the norm.
I spoke with Amaya Weddle, who is the Vice President of Research and Product Marketing at Mindbody, a technology platform that connects the world to wellness. “The way we define wellness at Mindbody is—it’s a broad category that operates everything from fitness studios to salons and also integrative health practitioners.” Because business owners can operate their wellness business through the platform, Mindbody has been able to analyze that data and also survey customers who use the platform to book services.
She says, “Our research team has been doing surveys with our consumer base, and we’ve been gathering data to just keep a pulse on the industry, and we’ve leaned into studying the virtual experience.” It’s provided an opportunity to learn about how this technology is transforming the industry and making wellness a lot more accessible, she explains. Here’s what the data has shown.
Changes in the Use of Virtual Content
While virtual workouts were in existence prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, use has predictably increased. Mindbody data showed a huge jump in consumers accessing virtual content since March of 2020. 73% of consumers are using pre-recorded video versus 17% in 2019; 85% are using livestream classes weekly versus 7% in 2019.
Changes in Workout Frequency
The data also showed that since March 2020, consumers are actually working out even more than before, with 56% of respondents exercising least five times per week. Weddle explains, “Consumers are able to just show up and have that experience in the comfort of their home. Many are reporting how great it is because it doesn’t involve a commute, so they’re finding that they’re able to squeeze in those workouts between, maybe when work ends and when they have family responsibilities, in ways that they couldn’t before.”
She adds, “We’re also hearing from a lot of consumers who maybe feel judged or embarrassed or like they have to look a certain way in class and that livestreaming gives them access to new kinds of workouts that they wanted to try” but didn’t feel comfortable joining.
She adds that, for consumers who reported that body image issues or feeling embarrassed by lack of experience had previously kept them from joining studio classes, live streaming has made them feel more comfortable trying new classes.
Streaming workouts have made the group fitness class experience more accessible while social … [+] distancing.
The Most Popular Workouts
Yoga has been the most popular virtual class booked on Mindbody, making up 32% of virtual bookings with an average of nearly 22,000 yoga bookings per day. Mindbody predicts yoga will continue to be popular when studios reopen because it’s very low touch and students can bring their own mats.
Following yoga, the most popular virtual bookings are High Intensity Interval Training (15.6% of virtual bookings), Pilates (8.3%) and Barre (7.9%). There has also been an increase in the booking of virtual meditation classes.
The average cost of a class is $11—about half of the average in-studio class.
Digital Fitness Is Here To Stay
46% of survey participants stated that they intend to make virtual classes a regular part of their routine, even after studios reopen. A third of consumers also stated that they plan to visit more studios after trying new workouts virtually and that 40% of consumers are booking workouts with studios they have never physically visited before, allowing businesses to reach “digital-first” clients.
To support business owners who use Mindbody, Weddle says, “We just launched our own proprietary solutions so that our customers no longer have to use video conferencing services like Zoom. We’re making a lot of investment there because we think that the industry is headed to being a lot more hybrid in the future.”
She adds, “For me, as a researcher at heart, it’s been fascinating to watch the industry transform so rapidly. We started looking at the impact of virtual fitness in 2019, when companies like Peloton and MIRROR and smart home equipment makers were coming up and creating a lot of stir. What COVID has done, I think, is that it’s accelerated a trend that was already in the making. It’s really pushed the industry forward and forced a lot of change.”
For example, business owners have had to adapt by creating their own versions of digital classes to meet consumer needs.
Weddle also highlights that, according to Mindbody’s data, many consumers still also really want an authentic community experience in addition to digital services. “One thing that excites me,” she says, is exploring, “how we can continue fostering community and how these technologies can help to strengthen those bonds and supplement what’s done in a person-to-person capacity.”
