Fitness Industry resilience acknowledged in 2022 IHRSA Global Report

August 10, 2022

The 2022 IHRSA Global Report reveals the global health and fitness industry's successes and ongoing challenges throughout each region.

More than two years after the landscape of the health and fitness industry was impacted and altered by COVID, IHRSA note they are seeing reassuring signs of recovery. The 2022 IHRSA Global Report focuses on how various regions are renormalising through ongoing disruptions, highlights several landmark achievements, including increasing influence of the Global Health and Fitness Alliance (GHFA), and notes numerous mergers and acquisitions that shook up the industry.

IHRSA’s data also indicates the importance of the bricks-and-mortar component of the fitness industry—growth returned despite the pandemic-related lockdown of clubs and the surge in digital offerings.

The value of clubs and studios, the importance of community, the quality of in-person instruction, and the expansive offerings of the on-site experience are critical to consumers. As we have all learned during these past two years, nothing can completely replace the in-person experience.

The health and fitness industry is a major driver of global economic activity—it directly adds upwards of $100 billion to the economy, supports millions of jobs, and significantly improves overall health and wellness.

IHRSA’s Global Report details how some players in the industry are restructuring and innovating to drive expansion.

Asia-Pacific
With the launch of ihrsa.cn in 2021, made possible through the IHRSA and ChinaFit partnership, IHRSA membership and digital and print reports are more accessible to Chinese fitness professionals via translation. With 27,600 clubs and nine million members, the Chinese market is a key player in strengthening ties across the global fitness industry.

Uniting the global industry and comprehensive wellness are target areas for the Asian fitness industry, especially Catic Wellness Group in China and True Group in Singapore.

Sean Tan, director of True Group and president of the Singapore Fitness Alliance notes “Singapore’s fitness industry has delivered huge health benefits to Singapore, well before and throughout the current COVID pandemic. We are excited about how our industry can work together, to collaborate further, and to ensure more people become healthier and happier, whilst improving their overall health, immunity and wellbeing.”

Creative problem solving is in the cards for the Australian industry, which sites staffing issues and inflation as concerns for recovery. Justin Tamsett, managing director of Active Management advises “there’s also a hesitation among owners to do anything with prices to cover the increased costs. If I haven’t got leads at my current price, then if I raise my price, I’m going to get even less leads, less sales.”

Fitness & Lifestyle Group, with more than 530 health clubs across Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore, has unveiled ambitious technology innovations to enhance the user experience and drive value to the business. For one, the company created a fully paperless digital experience for new members that incorporates user insights around how people select memberships and join online.

IHRSA notes “there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to recovering from the devastating effects of the COVID pandemic. Although each region has its successes and ongoing challenges, we’re keeping our hopes up and ramping up efforts to bring the global fitness industry closer than ever.”

Access the 2022 Gobal Report

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