Do you spend a lot of time at the gym lately waiting for an empty squat rack? Or maybe you’re often in line for your favorite treadmill––the one in the best TV–watching area? A new report says you’re likely not alone. ABC Fitness ’s inaugural Q1 Wellness Watch Report shows traditional gym check-ins in the first quarter of 2024 were up 60% from 2023. Fitness studios and boutiques also saw a 22% increase in check-ins compared to the same period last year.
“People around the world are recognizing the importance of fitness for their physical and mental wellbeing, and now we are seeing more people recognize the social benefit as well,” Bill Davis, CEO of ABC Fitness, said in a press release about the report. Check-in data is strong in the first quarter each year, with fitness goals often topping new year’s resolution lists. But the report shows that the fitness industry has also more than rebounded since the pandemic, when gyms shuttered their doors and the at-home workout business boomed.
A total of 184 million gym check-ins occurred in the U.S. alone, which is nearly double pre-pandemic levels.
The report incorporates findings from third-party U.S. consumer research in combination with data from ABC Fitness’s platforms ABC Ignite, ABC Glofox, ABC Evo, and ABC Trainerize, which the company says “offers a comprehensive look at fitness trends from every angle of the industry.
” ABC Fitness says Insights revealed in the Q1 Wellness Watch depict global trends, .
