Ahead of the New Year, business owners should look at implementing new offerings within their studios that are both on-trend and appeal to ever-changing consumer demands. Charlotte Newton, senior manager of EMEA Marketing at MINDBODY, shares what she thinks will be the top five wellness trends for business owners to tap into in 2019.
1. Exercises for menstrual health
Gone are the days where a woman’s menstrual cycle is an unspoken topic. Today, the industry is seeing a continuous rise in exercises and classes specifically designed to help ease menstrual pain. In fact, a study in the Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine revealed that yoga had helped endometriosis patients with chronic pelvic pain1.
With 1.5 million women currently suffering from endometriosis in the UK2, and an increase in new brands and products emerging to help support them, menstrual health is firmly on the agenda. There’s no time like the present to look at introducing classes, workouts, or guest workshops that can help women during their menstrual cycle.
2. Rowing is the new spin
Rowing is currently having a big moment in the fitness world, with some claiming it’s ‘the new spin’. MINDBODY is beginning to see a huge rise in indoor rowing classes, including the launch of The Engine Room – a boutique indoor rowing and personal training studio in London founded by Chris Heron. Commenting on rowing workouts, Dr Cameron Nichol, former Olympic rower, said, “Rowing is the most time-efficient, total-body workout out there.”3
MINDBODY recently carried out research into people’s attitudes towards group fitness and found that 50% of regular gym-goers or fitness fans believe that working out with someone else increases their fitness motivation4. To go beyond adding a rower to the gym floor, owners and managers could introduce group rowing classes to their schedule to really capitalise on this trend.
3. Spa services
According to the Global Wellness Institute, facilities offering spa services account for a much greater share of industry revenues (66%). From 2015-2017, global revenue growth has been higher for facilities offering spa services (7.4%) versus those that don’t (0.5%)5.
Consumer interest in services and activities that align with their wellness lifestyle is on the rise, and MINDBODY has seen an increase in businesses offering services such as holistic health, nutritional advice, sleep therapy, and energy healing. Reflexology, reiki and cryotherapy are also popular.
In 2019, look to broaden your offerings by introducing more wellness experiences to enhance any existing workouts or treatments currently on offer. Consumer adoption and understanding of wellness is evolving and it’s time businesses did, too.
4. AR and VR
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies are reshaping the ways in which consumers pursue well-being – both physically and mentally6, and both at home and in the studio. MINDBODY research into fitness regimes found that 63% of people valued flexibility highly when it came to their workouts7.
A flexible approach to workouts is something that online fitness communities and hubs can offer in abundance, with many studios and brands (such as Fiit) beginning to offer virtual workouts for their customers to take part in when they can’t get to the studio. With reports from IBIS World predicting an increase in weekly working hours in the coming years, the trend for virtual workouts is something the industry can expect to see increase.
5. Workplace wellness
A recent MINDBODY study found that almost 25% of people always feel stressed or anxious, and more than 78% of UK workers say they have no corporate fitness or wellness scheme in place to help8. Today, employers are looking to improve morale, retention, recruitment, and increase productivity by offering a workplace wellness scheme. In Scotland, a network of ‘healthy working lives’ specialists make free and confidential workplace visits to give advice on issues related to occupational health, safety and well-being9.
So, for 2019, focus on building relationships with nearby businesses and work out how you can either use your services to fit into their existing schemes, or support them in creating one if there isn’t one already in existence.
References
- com/doi/10.1089/acm.2015.0343
- https://whateveryourdose.com/10-wellbeing-trends-to-watch-out-for-in-2019/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=11.10.18
- http://uk.businessinsider.com/doctor-says-rowing-on-a-machine-more-effective-than-running-on-treadmill-2018-3
- Research on group fitness undertaken by MINDBODY in July 2017
- Research taken from the Global Wellness Institute Economy Monitor (October 2018 edition)
- Research taken from Stylus Media Groups ‘10 Wellbeing Trends to Watch’ September 2018, report written by Terpsichori Savvala
- Survey of 2,000 UK adults and analysis of 70,000 businesses for MINDBODY 2018 Insights Report (full report available on request)
- A survey of 2,000 UK adults, conducted in 2018, using a five-point Likert scale
- Research taken from the Global Wellness Institute Economy Monitor (October 2018 edition)
In other news
App of the week
A FREE and easy-to-use app is dramatically easing the process of identifying and ordering upholstery padding for fitness equipment.
RecoPad (it stands for recognition) by Gym Upholstery UK offers a ‘tap the app’ functionality whereby customers simply indicate the products and areas that need replacing or repairing on their own equipment pad photographs.
The new app is said to speed up the enquiry process by enabling visible parts and colours to be identified – for quicker and more comprehensive quotes – plus it’s uniquely coded using the latest real-time app technology and operates on any touch screen mobile device.
RecoPad director, Dean Boyle, explains, “The app is used pretty much every day in the UK now, with regular and repeat business customers saying auctioning essential pad repair (for comfort, hygiene, health and aesthetic purposes) is no longer the horrible and laborious job they put off. Simply touch the image on screen to identify the problem area, and send to receive an accurate quote pretty instantly, including new parts, labour and call-out charges.
“What’s more, the downloadable app version now boasts geographical and locational functionality that knows exactly where you are in the world, and can provide details of sponsored suppliers that operate specifically in or near your area.
“There’s also a new ‘add your own supplier’ facility, so whether you use original equipment manufacturers or independent service suppliers, it’s a great tool for managers and owners looking to use multiple companies and compare quotes. You can add or remove any supplier from the listing and even store your preferred upholstery repairer for future use.”
Download the free RecoPad app in any country from any mobile device app store: Android – Google Play: https://t.co/agfTWMrVzo and iPhone: https://t.co/Zvk4kejUap
Where next? Catch up on last week’s news HERE
