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Those who want to find a culprit
for the obesity epidemic can
cross social networking off the
list of suspects. According to a
recent study released by the
Sporting Goods Manufacturers of
America, social networking and
Generation Y’s focus on
technology might be having a
dramatically different impact on
America’s fitness patterns than
many assume. Rather than locking
young people into an inactive
lifestyle, social media may be
driving the younger generation
into new forms of fitness
activities.
In its report, 2011 Tracking the
Fitness Movement, the Sporting
Goods Manufacturers Association
(SGMA) and its affiliate,
Association of Fitness Industry
Retailers and Manufacturers (AFIRM),
note some interesting facts:
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Highlighting Gen Y’s (those born
between 1980 and 1999) physical
fitness trend is the growing
interest in group exercise. High
impact aerobics, step aerobics
and group stationary cycling
activities have all increased
more than 20% in participation
within the past three years.
“Generation Y is probably in
closer communication with its
peers than any other group in
history,” said SGMA’s President
& CEO Tom Cove. “People in their
early 20s to early 30s are using
social media on all levels and
at all times. One of the
by-products of this steady
communication is the surge in
popularity of group exercise
classes among Generation Y.
Group cycling, step aerobics and
dance to music classes are all
very popular with Gen Y.”
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Another trend uncovered by the
data suggests increased use of
fitness electronics in
Americans’ everyday routines,
making it easier to work out if
one is electronically up to
date. “Small fitness accessories
and hand-held devices are highly
motivational because they allow
people to challenge their peers
to see who burns the most
calories in class.” said Jeff
Padovan, former President of
Polar, a fitness technology
company.
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The shift toward group exercise
is a key trend this year, and
although somewhat contradicting
that this group is expected to
be the most isolated due to
excessive iPod and smartphone
use, it seems to have had the
opposite effect. They commented
on how this group thinks about
fitness and the ways in which
they become motivated. Todd
Miller, an Associate Professor
of Exercise Science at George
Washington University, noted,
“It’s very important and clubs
have to be good at getting their
brands on social networking
sites… Companies can use
Facebook to target a demographic
or a specific type of person.”
SGMA’s Tracking the Fitness
Movement Report (2011 edition),
may be obtained at
www.sgma.com.
Other reports available are
Sports and Fitness Participation Topline Report (April 2011),
State of the Industry Report
(May 2011), Manufacturer's Sales
by Category Report (May 2011)
and U.S. Trends in Team Sports
Report (July 2011). Many reports
are available free to SGMA &
AFIRM members. Other reports are
available at a cost. |
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