Gyms as the new religion.
This week I was listening to The Prof G Pod - cast, with Scott Galloway. It is my weekly dive to feel like my commuting time is contributing to something greater than my embarrassing Owl City infliction or worse still the News. Aside from drowning in market insights and business commentary higher level than the trees I walk past, the first listener question in this edition stuck with me and was based from a 2018 Harvard Study on how we gather.
“Are gyms and fitness brands playing a quasi religious role and tactile form of community and transformation through suffering than traditional churches now can? Are fitness brands here to stay and are they the new church for the masses?”
How did Scott answer the question? In short, yes, but with a clear problem that all fitness brands have a responsibility to consider…
Scott: “I really buy into (the) thesis. The need for community and answers has slipped the big brands of Peloton, Soul Cycle, Orange Theory into our lives. The idea of fitness as the new idea church with agency around other people and something bigger is really wonderful. The successful brands (where was Pinnacle’s shout out…?!) accommodate for the top 10% who continued to kill it. But where do those who can’t afford $100’s per month go?”
Enter the bigger community question.
I categorise fitness brands into four boxes.
1) Mass market; cheap; access only; faceless; soulless. You’re better off running around your garden but few do, so a treadmill on a rainy day is worth the $40 you pay to not go.
2) Group cooked; semi coached; freelanced relationships. No need to think about what to do because we have a weekend course in how to treat everyone’s body the same so just do 10 more reps.
3) Transactional; tailored; camaraderie while you pay; accountable. Look more like me, eat less, post about your sweat, expect nothing when the clock ticks past the top.
4) Exclusive; business class; limited edition; aspirational. Fantastic if you’re in but inaccessible for 95%.
Each has its place and everyone wins when expectations and services match. However if you expect tailored science in a group class, or cheap and cheerful for 1-2-1 packages, you will have issues.
But are we still missing the masses? Where are the Youth Clubs, the Running Clubs, the Basketball with mates, the couch to 5k bootcamps? They exist but they are not glamorous and they do not attract the top coaches, in fact they often attract the cheapest (read - free Youtube on a shared phone screen).
As a Company we are as guilty as the rest of the industry and times have been tough enough as it is. Gyms are not a charity and are rarely structured in a committee ownership model. Even more rarely do they pass around an Offering’s plate during the Squats instead of charging a membership. And for this reason I disagree that gyms are the new church.
Instead I do agree that gyms and fitness houses bind the best of human endeavours, drive us to aspire to be the best versions of ourselves (or throw status in the face of those who can’t do a muscle up), and direct our lifestyle into community accountable health. And more power to us all.
So yes, gyms can serve a purpose to unite, bridge, structure, and define our lives, but let’s all remember that the only reason any of us should go to the gym is to challenge ourselves and grow as individuals. If we are expecting redemption because ‘yes bro we do Squat’, then the pearly gates might be an obstacle too high for even the best Spartan athletes. More importantly until we as business owners and industry representatives offer much easier on ramps for the less affluent then I agree with Scott, and suggest that we are no more a church than a Gucci store with a queue outside. We certainly cannot wear the good for the community ‘Pius’ medal and this is not a bad thing either because the gyms that don’t make money die and with it so do the incomes of some and the outlet for many.
Gym’s don’t have to replace churches but we can all do more to give back to the community (like donating to 👉🏼 MOVEMBER) and politely nudge us into building a new relationship and remembering what Zoom for 2 years was like. In person is awesome. Let’s never forget the fear of isolation and ensure that our businesses are inclusive as far as a renters responsibility allows.
I invite you to listen to the Podcast for yourself and see what you think. Consider where you live, your family and community around you, and if in fact your gym has become the centre of your ‘village.’
Tom is the CEO and Head of Strength & Conditioning at Pinnacle Performance. He now leads a team of full time coaches having spent his coaching career with professional athletes from World Cup Cricketer’s and Footballers, to Sprinters and Triathletes.