The Next Social Network: Fitness Communities
Recently, social fitness such as run clubs and rec leagues have exploded in popularity. Sharing moments through exercise has become common as awareness grows of the importance of physical activity.
While some of you may be thinking, going to the gym, putting in my noise cancelling headphones, and not speaking a word to those around you is your ideal fitness outing, many have now found that sharing their workouts, goals, and achievements with others. Whether it be through a formal club or a fitness platform like Strava helps them stay on track and be held accountable while adding in a few hours of social interaction and new friendships to their weeks. As discussed in my newsletter about loneliness, communities built around fitness have some of the biggest impacts on improve mental and physical health. Today there are over 700,000 active fitness communities in the US alone and growing. From run clubs to CrossFit to bouldering, the opportunities are endless to find an active hobby and group of individuals who congregate to practice it in the name of fitness, health, and community.
Strava, a fitness social network founded in 2009, has been a staple in the cycling and running communities for 15 years now. By 2020, Strava has more than 50 million users and 3 billion activities uploaded. Similar to Nike Run Club, Strava tracks your workouts and allows you to share with friends, offer encouragement in the form of likes and comments similar to many social media apps, but centers around fitness as a means of connection. As people seek the physical and mental benefits of exercise, apps like these also offer social interaction and the ability to connect with people with similar interests in your area.
Sweatpals, an Austin-based startup capitalizing on the rise of social fitness, has created a marketplace where influencers and brands can market and sell their fitness experiences and fitness enthusiasts from the occasional participant to the pro runner can find groups and events that meet their needs. Based on the idea that fitness has an incredible power to bring people together and transcend boundaries that typically inhibit social interaction in other settings such as religion, language, etc. Sweatpals has harnessed the massive rise in social fitness to drive growth across the platform.
Strava and Sweatpals are both free for users to sign up and have seen massive increase in interest from brands for partnership, challenge creation, and community sponsoring. Health and wellness CPG brands, gym chains, boutique fitness, apparel companies, and more are all flocking to these community platforms to drive brand awareness and establish more touch points with their consumers.
Fitness communities can offer a sense of belonging and camaraderie as well as the motivation and accountability many need to stick to a fitness routine. These benefits, coupled with the rise in focus on physical activity and its importance for overall health and the emphasis on holistic health, including mental and emotional well-being, has helped the market grow rapidly in recent years. Digital platforms have increased the visibility of these groups and made it easier to join communities or drop in for a session, expanding the reach of local clubs and boutique fitness. Stories of couples getting engaged after meeting through run clubs or gym clubs helping individuals beat addiction highlight the power of fitness communities.
COVID only accelerated this given the closure of many traditional gym environments and a shift to outdoor and home fitness, leading to the emergence of new community formats online. The rise of remote work has given people the flexibility to engage in fitness activities and join communities at different times of the day and in different cities. The pandemic also heightened overall interest in health and fitness and emphasized the importance of work-life balance and finding outlets for stress relief and leisure.
The rise of social fitness reflects many of the broader trends we are seeing in society today and the desire to maintain social connection in an increasingly lonely world. Communities help push a narrative of health consciousness, social connectivity, and technological innovation, all increasingly important in today’s world. As they continue to adapt to societal interests and lifestyles, I am encouraged to see many platforms, creators, and brands lean heavily in to this space as the next big social network.