The Gen Z Effect
Remember the phrase “beach body ready”?
A few years back, everything seemed to revolve around these three particular words. Fitness, it seemed, was more about aesthetics and how you looked, rather than how you moved and felt.
Fast forward to today - in a world where physical health is no longer solely determined by how big your biceps are or whether or not you have a six pack; with fitness now being thought of as a component of your holistic well-being.
The bottom line is, fitness evolves. And while it’s tough to say with absolute certainty which direction we’re heading in, there might be some insight to gain from what we know about Generation Z, or those born roughly between 1997 and 2012.
Gen Z is tech-savvy
Having grown up with not only new and innovative types of technology, Gen Z was also one of the first groups to become almost completely dependent on technology in their everyday lives and daily activities.
So, what can you do? To appeal to Gen Z as a fitness professional, first and foremost, you need to have a social media presence. In addition, you’ll want to establish yourself online as much as possible - from building online programs to having a collection of on-demand workout videos or even creating your own fitness app where you can combine it all! No matter what you choose, make sure you show up consistently and authentically in the content that you share.
Gen Z believes in social impact
Gen Z seems to hold businesses to a higher standard than members of other generations, especially when it comes to embracing concerns like diversity and inclusion.
So, what can you do? Ask yourself this - how as a fitness professional, can you do more to help people than just attend to their health? Reflect on a cause you feel connected to or take into account a struggle that people consistently seem to be facing, and consider how this can be incorporated in your training efforts. If access to a gym is a problem for example, you could start hosting classes in public spaces like parks to make it easier & more affordable for the community to engage in physical activity.
Gen Z really values and prioritises mental health
According to a 2018 study, members of Gen Z are the most likely of all generations to report having poor mental health. With them therefore placing significantly more importance on prioritising and taking care of theirs.
So, what can you do? It’s time to think of fitness as more than just your physical health, using your own training efforts as a way to teach others how exercise can and should be used to improve your mental health too.
Team Sudor