How sustainability focused UK gyms can make big gains

A new YouGov Surveys poll reveals that about half of current or potential gymgoers say that sustainability is an important factor when choosing membership of a gym or fitness centre (51%). It’s worth noting that this share is markedly lower than those observed among American consumers, detailed in this article. It is also worth noting that out of a list of 10 options presented to this audience on factors that influence gym choice, sustainability came up second from bottom.

The emphasis is stronger among younger people, however. Among those aged 18-24, 61% say that sustainability is an important factor when it comes to choosing a gym or leisure centre. Women (56%) are more likely than men (47%) to regard sustainability as an important factor.

Even though sustainability ranks lower on the list of priorities for gym-going and gym-seeking Britons, it still holds appeal to a large share of this audience. Orienting themselves as sustainability-forward establishments might help gyms and fitness centres gain traction among youngsters. That makes it important to pinpoint the exact sustainability-focused initiatives that clients are after. Among gymgoers and seekers who rate sustainability as an important factor, the biggest draw is gym equipment that can capture energy from user’s workouts (56%).

However, energy harvesting from user workouts is a fairly new and technologically novel concept with low adoption rates so far. Thankfully, for gym owners, sustainability-focussed gym seekers are equally likely to see value in other, more accessible eco-friendly adaptations, such as use of renewable energy (55%) and providing recycling bins and waste reduction programs (54%).

Over half of them would also like to see fitness centres encourage reusable water bottle usage as a way of preventing usage single-use plastics (52%).

Offering gym equipment made from sustainable materials is also something a plurality of sustainability-minded consumers would seek out (44%). Water saving fixtures would be equally appreciated (44%).

Things like green building practices in the construction and maintenance of gyms (37%), implementation of a bike-to-gym programme or providing incentives for public transport (26%) and offering virtual workout options (26%) are also important factors.

But sustainable practices could go beyond just drawing in a first wave of consumers, as it could trigger an uptick in referrals. Nearly two-fifths (37%) of current gym seekers and gymgoers who rate sustainability as an important factor say they would be very likely to recommend a sustainability-oriented fitness centre to others (48%). Another 46% of them say they are somewhat likely to recommend such gyms or fitness centres with sustainability initiatives, taking the total to 83%.

It is important for fitness brands to not only implement sustainable initiatives, but to also make sure that their clients find out about these aspects. As of now, only a fifth of sustainability seeking gymgoers or seekers say it is very easy to find information about the sustainability credentials of gyms or fitness centres (21%). Another 26% of them say it is somewhat easy to find this information.

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