Research Round Up

Stay up to date with our regular round up of the latest research and industry studies from the most credible sources. Read our summary or access the full report.

90 per cent of employers admit workplace wellbeing can and should be improved

New research by Gympass in collaboration with People Management Insights indicates that employers are trapped in a ‘workplace first’ mentality.

The survey, which was completed in June 2022 and surveyed UK HR leaders, found that:

  • 90% of employers feel their wellbeing culture can be improved
  • 7% admitted their wellbeing culture was ‘average’ or ‘below average’
  • Fewer than 20% of employees are enrolled on physical wellbeing offerings
  • Nearly 50% of employers cited an increase in Mental Health Champions as a key change in their wellbeing strategy since the pandemic

Gympass Covid-19 Impact Report reveals clear shift to omnichannel fitness

Gympass, the world’s biggest corporate wellbeing platform, has released its Impact of Covid-19 in the Fitness & Wellness Universe report. Showing how COVID-19 will continue to impact the ‘fitness industry’, it also looks at the effect of the pandemic on the wider ecosystem of brands, fitness enthusiasts, franchisees, gyms and studios.

The study surveyed 9,000 employees from across the UK, USA, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Spain Italy, Argentina and Chile and reveals:

  • what people are doing to stay healthy and active during the pandemic
  • what the expectations on the reopening of gyms and studios are
  • what the future of fitness, wellness and activities offers in the short and long terms
  • what people are expecting from their employers regarding a healthy lifestyle, wellness and productivity amongst much more

ACSM Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2021

The results of the annual ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal worldwide survey to determine industry trends by health and fitness professionals are now available. Now in its 15th consecutive year, more than 4,300 health and fitness professionals ranked 41 possible trends on scale of 1 (least likely to be a trend) to 10 (most likely to be a trend).

Not surprisingly, the new #1 trend for 2021 was online training. Clearly, the COVID19 pandemic made a significant impact on the results, sending this trend from #26 in 2020 all the way to #1.

Millions of people were affected by the pandemic-related fitness facility closures and forced to find innovative ways to be active at home. So for that reason, it’s no real surprise that online training was closely followed by wearable technology at #2, body weight training at #3, outdoor activities at #4 and HIIT at #5.

Leisure-net Lockdown 2.0 Recovery Survey

The Leisure-net Lockdown 2.0 Recovery Survey, in partnership with Active IQ, gauges consumer confidence following the second spell of closure for UK health clubs and leisure centres. The survey questioned 33,544 customers across 771 facilities in the UK and the results can be cross referenced by age, gender, operator type and region.

The findings reveal high levels of consumer confidence about returning to facilities, with 76.34% of members saying they will return immediately.  The survey also provides insight into pre- and post-lockdown activity preferences and levels and shares consumers’ views on what they value most about their leisure facility.

This summary report will be of interest to leisure operators, physical activity policy holders and decision makers who may use the findings to help inform their decisions around re-opening and managing post-Covid expectations among staff, members and visitors.