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By Paige Butz, Content Strategist

Lately, being active hasn’t been enticing. Even though I know I feel better after working out, the motivation has been nonexistent. So recently, I tricked myself with an old-school move from my teenage years. 

In high school, I loved being on the cross country team. Did I enjoy running? Absolutely not. Did I love being social? Yes. I was especially into our Friday runs, which consisted of running two miles to an ice cream shop and walking back, hands sticky with melted mint chocolate chip. 

So as any sane adult would do, I looked up ice cream shops within a two-mile radius, threw on my dusty running shoes, and hit the road. I had to pat myself on the back for getting off the couch (and I graduated to a spoon situation to avoid the ice cream cone mess). 

There’s no denying the last six months have been rough. The pandemic has impacted our social lives, professional lives, and our mental and physical health. Fitness routines have understandably gone down the drain. Let’s take a look into why our motivation is lacking, supply chain issues triggered by the pandemic, and what the future of fitness looks like. 

Why Aren’t We Motivated? 

The current lack of motivation is likely due to a combination of many reasons — maybe the “new normal” is busier than your old life, or you’re feeling generally overwhelmed. And that may be potentially exacerbated by social media comparison. 

We’re also stuck in our homes all day, every day. It’s where we work, sleep, eat and spend our spare time. Mustering the enthusiasm to work out at home on top of that is understandably deterring.

Gregory Scott Brown, M.D., director for the Center for Green Psychiatry, says “That kinetic energy we have from waking up in the morning, darting out of the house, and going to work motivates and inspires us, but now that routine is broken up, making it more difficult for people to find motivation.”

BetterHelp acknowledges the mental barrier to fitness motivation and suggests having realistic expectations and setting attainable goals. 

People are looking into how to take care of themselves emotionally and physically, as we noticed in a RedSky study earlier in the pandemic. This includes taking supplements, exercising more, and connecting with loved ones. 

In fact, in late March, our COVID-19 proprietary study showed 45% of people were exercising indoors. By June 4, this had decreased to 36% of people, suggesting motivation faltering as time spent indoors continued. 

The Decline of the Fitness Studio

Most gyms have shut down and have reopened at a significantly reduced capacity in the past six months, which is a responsible reaction to COVID-19’s spread. 

Gym membership has plummeted, and it’s likely due to two reasons: fear of getting sick, and adjustment to life without the gym. Going to a gym is an “enter at your own risk” situation. 

Reopening safety measures include: limiting capacity, assigning time slots, requiring masks, and extra sanitation. A California gym is putting their members in plastic “pods,” which reminds me far too much of Netflix’s You. 

Get Fit at Home

Finding a set of dumbbells right now is like finding a needle in a haystack. Trekking through the halls of Target last week, I came across the fitness section, and it was wiped out, as empty as the toilet paper aisle in March. 

Supplies of fitness equipment, from dumbbells to Peloton bikes, have rapidly depleted. A vast majority of this equipment comes from China, which experienced a huge hit to their supply chain due to Coronavirus. 

Thankfully, online fitness has burgeoned during this time. Zoom and Instagram Live fitness classes are widely accessible, and are adapted for small spaces. Almost any class you can imagine is available, from yoga to pilates, to Harry Potter-themed ballet (yes, I took that last week). Plenty of these are free, or are accepting small Venmo donations, as fitness instructors are looking to make a little money and still practice their craft. Many people actually find online fitness less intimidating since it can be done in the privacy of their own homes. 

While I don’t recommend a total lack of fitness, it’s okay if you’re not running marathons in your backyard. Any amount of regular physical activity can lower your risk of disease and improve mental health.

The Future of Fitness Marketing 

While a small amount of exercise can help you thrive, what are fitness studios and brands doing to survive? Cult favorites like SoulCycle, Crunch Fitness, CorePower Yoga, and Equinox are using extensive safety protocols to make their members feel comfortable. They have communicated via email marketing and information on their website, yet have been quiet on the larger advertising front. 

At-home workout brands like Peloton and MIRROR have ramped up their marketing strategies in the past few months. Peloton actually paused media spend and has focused on word-of-mouth strategies. They’ve also restructured their marketing department, adding global marketing and global product marketing roles. 

MIRROR has been using influencer marketing and TV ads on both cable and streaming services. Apple is even working on a virtual fitness subscription that can be bundled into their current services. 

Even after gyms reopen, the majority of Americans plan on conducting their exercise at home, according to a study. An estimated 70% of gym-goers have cancelled their memberships during or post-lockdown. 

It is evident consumer confidence in gyms has declined. There is a risk Americans won’t return to fitness centers, or that they may spend less time exercising altogether. The future of the industry is decidedly uncertain.