Pickleball, Virtual Personal Training Are on the Rise, Gympass Finds
The corporate wellness giant analyzed over 250 million in-person gym or digital wellness check-ins as part of its “Year in Motion”
As 2023 comes to a close, Gympass, a leading corporate wellness platform with a $2.4 billion valuation, has compiled data that shows some interesting trends in how employees are prioritizing their health and well-being.
Gympass analyzed over 250 million in-person gym or digital wellness check-ins from more than two million employee subscribers over the past 24 months to spot year-over-year trends.
Here are some highlights from the Gympass “Year in Motion” report, as the corporate wellness platform dives into everything from granular fitness details to broader wellness trends:
- Regardless of industry, employees prioritized their wellness this year, with those in financial services leading in active engagement.
- The favorite workout times for workers are 6 and 7 p.m., with 5 p.m. the next most popular time to break a sweat.
- Those in finance tend to be early birds, with 6 a.m. ranking among the top three workout times.
- January is no longer the reigning month of health and wellness initiatives, finds Gympass. Instead, September came out on top with 50% more check-ins when compared to the first month of the year. Even more surprising? January 1 was the least likely day for Gympass members to log a check-in.
- While Mondays usually usher in a return to wellness and fitness routines, Gympass reports that users consistently favored Tuesdays for check-ins, followed by Wednesdays and Thursdays.
- One area that Gympass members are particularly interested in is habit-tracking. As the corporate wellness platform reports, apps in the Healthy Habits category soared by 111% year-over-year, with wellness enthusiasts engaged in tracking routines such as sleep and water intake.
- The emotional health app category also proves beneficial to Gympass members, with an impressive 74% year-over-year increase in usage. The boost shows employees find emotional well-being meaningful and demonstrates an advancement in mental health and self-care.
- The demand for virtual trainers and well-being coaches also showed increased activity — 44% year-over-year, reports Gympass. The surge shows consumers are interested in customized fitness solutions, which Gympass says reflects a broader trend toward an individualized approach to health and wellness. Gympass itself is leaning into this trend, recently expanding its personal training product, Trainiac by Gympass, to support members by connecting them with wellness coaches.
- Pickleball, one of the hottest racquet sports in recent times, had a 214% increase in check-ins year-over-year, demonstrating its ongoing appeal to consumers of all ages.
- As Gympass has spent much of the year highlighting, most employees (96%) seek employers who prioritize wellness, and 93% of global employees say well-being is just as important as salary. A sizable portion of workers (87%) report they would consider leading a company that doesn’t emphasize employee well-being.
Read the full Gympass Year in Motion 2023 report here.
Courtney Rehfeldt has worked in the broadcasting media industry since 2007 and has freelanced since 2012. Her work has been featured in Age of Awareness, Times Beacon Record, The New York Times, and she has an upcoming piece in Slate. She studied yoga & meditation under Beryl Bender Birch at The Hard & The Soft Yoga Institute. She enjoys hiking, being outdoors, and is an avid reader. Courtney has a BA in Media & Communications studies.