The Growth of Gym Rats

In the past couple of years, there has been an increase in interest in going to the gym. It is estimated that gym membership and attendance are growing by about 9% per year, and will continue to grow as time goes on. This growing interest is hitting people mostly in middle school to their mid and late twenties, but there has been an effect on people of all ages. Social media is filled with gym videos of people giving advice on how to stay fit and healthy, how to use proper form, and even how to have proper gym etiquette. People have found a sense of peace and fulfillment at the gym, bettering themselves and growing their strength, along with being a part of a quickly growing community. People also use the gym as a sense of escape or a way to destress. This used to be the reason that people turned to casual sports or pickup games with friends. With this growing interest, will the sporting world, specifically the casual athlete, be affected in negative ways?

Effect on the Casual Athlete

With people seeking fulfillment in the gym rather than in pickup games of sports, there may be a negative impact on the recreational athlete. People are no longer making as much time to meet with friends and throw around a football or play a game of basketball. This diminishing interest will result in less home sporting equipment bought, replaced with the increased purchase of gym equipment. The casual sporting world will continue to see a change as gym membership and interest continues to see growth. Luckily, for recreational sports, there is no replacement for a pickup game with friends. While the gym may be sweeping the world right now, sports will continue to be a part of everyday life, keeping its place among the people. 

While there may not be as many casual athletes around as there once were, the sporting industry will not lose very much revenue. The gym and gym equipment is another aspect of the sports industry. This means that all the money being used on gym equipment, rather than on sporting goods, is still a part of the sports industry. Gym equipment is generally more expensive than any home sporting equipment. This leaves the sporting industry making more money than it would with people buying home sporting equipment. The sports industry will continue to dominate the trends that people follow as the years go on, keeping the revenue flowing, whether the hype around the gym is here to stay or not.

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