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In the face of this pandemic, some places are beginning their initial stages of reopening. During so, people have had to go elsewhere to stay active and enjoy the benefits of exercise. With the disruption this crisis is having on the fitness industry, we wanted to understand how gym members feel about gyms reopening.
We surveyed 10,824 gym members to learn if they plan to return to gyms upon reopening and whether they will be keeping their memberships or not. The survey was run on RunRepeat.com, between April 24th and May 1st, including respondents from 116 countries, 6636 of which were US-based.
If interested in interviews or additional data, please reach out to Nick Rizzo at nick@runrepeat.com, otherwise, feel free to use this data freely, we just ask that you reference this study.
Key Findings
- American’s are the least likely to return to their gyms upon reopening (50.16%).
- Nearly half of all gym members globally will not return to their gyms upon reopening (46.67%).
- More than a third of all gym members globally have already canceled or are considering canceling their memberships (36.57%).
- Women are less likely to return to the gym when reopened (52.25%) in comparison to men (45.75%).
- The UK has the highest amount of gym memberships already canceled (18.92%).
- Australia had the highest amount of members who either already canceled or were considering canceling their memberships (41.15%).
RunRepeat pandemic related studies
At RunRepeat, we've been interested in understanding how COVID and this pandemic has effected sport, exercise, and health. Our newest Fitness Trends report is now live. Additionally: here are other studies we've published:
- Only 30.98% of Gym Members Have Returned [5,055 Member Survey]
- Quarantine weight gain: 35.82% gained weight during the pandemic [19,903 Surveyed]
- Exercise is Up 88% During COVID-19 [12,913 Person Study]
For comprehensive breakdowns of statistics regarding gyms, also see our research on Gym Membership Statistics, gym membership cost and gym industry statistics.
Impact of COVID-19 on gyms reopening and gym memberships
5,052 of the 10,824 respondents with gym memberships globally said they would not return to their gym when it reopens (46.67%) and 5,772 said they would return (53.33%).
American’s were the least likely to return to their gym of any country with 50.16% stating they would not return to their gyms when reopened.
When asked about their plans regarding their gym memberships, over one third (36.57%) of respondents globally said they have already canceled (12.39%) or are considering canceling their memberships (24.18%).
The United Kingdom had the highest percentage of gym members who have already canceled their memberships (18.92%). Australians had the highest percentage of gym members who had either already canceled or were considering canceling their gym membership (41.15%).
State differences in responses of gym members
In America, Georgia was the state least likely to return their gyms when reopened (70.56%), followed by Maryland (63.16%) and New Jersey (57.80%).
New Jersey had the highest percentage of respondents that have already canceled or are considering canceling their memberships combined at 42.77%, followed by Minnesota at 41.75% and California at 39.80%.
The states with the highest percentage of members who have already canceled their memberships are Massachusetts at 16.57%, Virginia at 15.98%, and Colorado at 12.90%.
Gender differences in responses of gym members
Women were less likely to return to their gyms (52.25%) when reopened than men (45.75%).
Although women were less likely to return to the gym, men are more likely to cancel or consider canceling their memberships (37.27%) in comparison to women (32.26%).
Exercising during the pandemic
Even though gyms were locked down, another study conducted by RunRepeat found that people were actually exercising more now than they were during the pandemic. If you are taking up working out from home for the first time, let RunRepeat help you find the best training shoes for you. We can help you find the best pair of crossfit shoes, weightlifting shoes, and workout shoes. Our reviews are as unbiased as it gets because we purchase the shoes with our own money, properly test all the shoes in the gym, and we test them in the in-house lab. Thanks to our lab tests, we're able to give ratings for durability, breathability, flexibility, and softness to each shoe.
