PPB December 2020

in downloads was a boost in usage time, which rose 24 percent between the first and second quarters. And growth in the fitness app market isn’t expected to wane anytime soon. According to research by India-based Data Bridge Market Research, this sector of the industry is expected to grow at a rate of 21.3 percent through 2027, providing an opportunity for companies in this space to expand their product offerings to drawmore at-home users. In addition to fitness apps, some gyms are entering the virtual space by streaming their own content. Barry’s Bootcamp launched Barry’s At Home, offering four kinds of virtual classes, and other chains like Equinox, Life Time and Crunch Fitness started sharing workout classes via social media or on company websites. Even Lululemon, an athletic apparel brand with a cult-like following, got involved in the virtual fitness surge by purchasing Mirror, a home fitness brand, in July for $500 million, writes Intelligencer . Similar to Mirror, Peloton—a company that manufacturers a stationary bike that connects to its own fitness app, which users can tap into to streamworkout videos while using the product—also saw major growth, generating $607 million in revenue in the quarter ending June 30, up from 172 percent year over year, according to Intelligencer. Peloton also reported that the average usage time per subscriber had doubled, with users completing an average of 24.7 workouts per month, up from 12 this time last year. In the U.S., many Americans are finding the convenience factor of fitness apps particularly appealing. Freeletics, a software developer providing fitness and lifestyle coaching, surveyed 2,000 Americans to see how they were spending their time during quarantine, and to better understand where the U.S. fitness industry was headed. The survey found that 64 percent of Americans are more interested now in at-home fitness options, and the average American used two fitness apps and took four virtual classes per week during national lockdowns. The survey also found that during this time, 41 percent of Americans who used fitness apps did so for the very first time, and 58 percent felt so confident in their at-home workout routines that they planned to cancel their gym memberships. Seventy-percent of Americans cited turning to at-home workouts as a way to cope with the stress of the pandemic, with 60 percent of men surveyed saying their top reason for exercising during this time was mental health-related; a sentiment shared by just 46 percent of women, third after reducing boredom (52 percent) and getting in shape (50 percent). For active users who are lifting weights and doing yoga in their living rooms, and quickly transitioning between exercising, working from home, helping with homeschooling and other caregiving roles, and doing whatever else needs to be done, athletic apparel or “athleisure” in a post- pandemic world allows wearers to shift between their many roles throughout the day without having to change their outfits, writes Linchpin, a Pawtucket, Rhode Island- based marketing agency. Athleisure has also become a sector of the fashion industry that’s particularly sought after. According to Allied Market Research, the U.S. athleisure market was valued at $155.2 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach $257.1 billion in 2026, demonstrating a compound annual growth rate of 6.7 percent. For their many athletic endeavors, end users need proper gear, giving brands an opportunity to market their message further. End users are steering away frommonochromatic black-and-white leisurewear and are experimenting more with color, primarily pastels, writes Linchpin, with a turn toward ’90s influences, like classic color-blocked windbreakers, crop tops, showy track jackets and hoodies bearing oversized logos. According to WhoWhatWear , biker shorts are beginning to surpass leggings in popularity, something that’s largely influenced by KimKardashian West and Yeezy-styled attire—and according to Edited, a retail analytics company, the biker shorts trend has increased 2,000 percent in the non-active apparel category and 363 percent in the activewear category. Pumping Iron During quarantine, Americans have experimented with a variety of different exercises and expressed a range of reasons for working out during this time. Here’s what they said, according to a survey of 2,000 Americans by Freeletics. Top Exercise Methods Tried During Quarantine • Meditation: 34% • Running: 32% • Walking: 31% • Yoga: 29% • Pilates: 24% • Hiking: 21% • Outdoor biking: 20% • Spinning: 19% Top Reasons For Working Out At Home During Quarantine • Get in shape: 53% • Reduce boredom: 52% • Improve mental health: 52% • Reduce stress/anxiety: 44% • Strengthen immune system: 43% • Improve overall health 40% djmilic / Shutterstock.com. | DECEMBER 2020 | 27 INNOVATE