Cheap gym offer giving fitness edge over sport

New research by credit and debit card analysts Cardlytics suggests that consumer spending on gym membership has increased by 44% in the last year. The figures indicate that increases in attending the gym are outstripping rises in participation in most sports.

Budget gyms are largely being credited with the increase in demand for fitness facility membership but mid to high-tier gyms have also experienced significant increases of up to 22%.

There has been a steady growth in recent years in club chains which have stripped out some costly elements of membership to offer pared back access to fitness equipment. It is thought the reduction in costs, combined with more flexible approaches to membership terms have helped to drive an increase in demand.

A study by Mintel confirmed the findings. It said that the rise in wearable tech is also driving gym membership, with more than half of consumers seeking to measure their activity with apps like Fitbit or Strava.

James Stibbs, Head of Communications at the Sport and Recreation Alliance, believes that the studies give some pointers to national governing bodies of sport.

"There's clearly latent demand for programmes and activites to help people get fit - with the Mintel study claiming that nearly four-fifths of us have a fitness goal of some kind or another.

"One of the trends we highlighted earlier in our recent work with the Future Foundation was for 'the quantified self' - that is the ability for people to measure their own performance and to improve it. Some of the most successful sports and initiatives have been innovating to incorporate this element into programmes and have shared in some of successes which gym chains have enjoyed this year."

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