The fitness industry took a big hit during the global pandemic of 2020, leaving many to wonder what’s on the horizon. Fortunately, the industry as a whole has seemed to rebound, and sectors like holistic health and personalized wellness are areas of particular interest. An impressive growth pattern is predicted in coming years, opening up opportunities for kratom companies and sellers to cater to increased demand among fitness aficionados.
Curious about applying industry trends? Explore this article for the most recent predictions, along with expert tips to help you make the most of the fitness craze for your business.
The Forecast For Fitness
If you’re feeling overwhelmed trying to keep up with fitness industry forecasts, you aren’t alone! Keeping up with trends and industry statistics is a job all on its own. Lucky for you, we sifted through what’s been popping up repeatedly in the research so you don’t have to.
Even though they’re not always accurate, understanding industry predictions is important, especially for distributors and sellers. It’s a way to “work smarter, not harder,” in the sense that it can help provide a clear strategy instead of only relying on trial and error to see what works.
Connecting Fitness Industry Forecasts with Kratom Sales
Some of the trends in the fitness industry dovetail with kratom’s natural benefits and its own explosion in popularity. Many fitness enthusiasts are looking for more versatile programs that include personalization and better at-home options. Still, the question remains: How do you get yourself psyched up for an at-home workout at the same level as going to the gym? The extra energy and motivation that kratom provides is one answer. It’s also a great workout aid for those intense, time-focused HIIT fitness routines.
Whether you’re already a kratom distributor or reseller, or you’re exploring ways to expand your offering of fitness-related products and services, you don’t want to overlook this connection. Tapping into these trends can connect you with eager customers, establish your credibility as an expert, and ensure you have effective strategies as the industry continues to grow.
Gamified Wellness & Workouts
Along with gamified fitness, you’ll likely see more eSports (a type of competitive online gaming) popping onto the scene.
Whether you truly love working out or tend to view it more as a chore, making it into a game can turn it into a more enticing experience. Both the wellness and workout industry have increasingly been employing gamification, a strategy that involves adding elements of game playing to a task. For example, many fitness apps, trackers, and watches offer a way to earn badges or awards. It’s a win-win for company and consumer— the company experiences higher engagement and the customer has more fun!
Along with gamified fitness, you’ll likely see more eSports (a type of competitive online gaming) popping onto the scene. Kratom has been growing in popularity with the gaming community in recent years, so this seems like an area of untapped potential. We’ve got plenty of resources on kratom and gaming if this prediction in particular has peaked your interest.
Pro Tip: Consider adding some gamification to your marketing strategy by offering your customers a way to earn points with every purchase. You could also host or sponsor a competition, or reach out to an eSports organization about partnership opportunities.
More Personalized Fitness Experiences
Along with making workouts more fun, consumers are wanting more personal workouts that are tailored to their specific needs. Companies are using a combination of data-driven strategies to connect with consumers, including employing more human resources (like online personal trainers), more advanced testing (like DNA analysis), or more technology (such as wearable watches or artificial intelligence). In other words, companies are getting creative in the way they are meeting both their bottom line and the customer’s individual needs.
Pro Tip: Extend your professional network to include health professionals (like personal trainers). These professionals may be able to send new customers your way, and can clue you in on their unique wants and needs.
Wearable & Shareable Metrics
As with past years, wearable fitness trackers continue to be a popular pick for the fitness-minded. Interestingly, sharable technologies have also garnered attention, with consumers seeking easy options to share fitness and health data with a loved one (such as a spouse or partner) or with a community of like-minded individuals. Many apps are now providing the option to connect your account or profile with someone you care about.
Essentially, both wearables and shareables are keeping people more connected and accountable— either to themselves and their personal level of health, or to others who can help them reach their goals.
Pro Tip: Connect with your customers by highlighting one positive review per week or per month. Bonus points if it’s focused on fitness, or shared online!
Low Time Commitment, High Reward
Another interesting revelation from the research is that people are looking for fitness “life hacks.” Basically, people are looking for forms of fitness that best optimize their time while still providing desired results. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts are a great example, since the intensity of the activity allows it to be completed in a relatively short amount of time.
Pro Tip: Empower your customers by helping them understand the differences in the onset and duration of different types of kratom products. This can help them select the right form of kratom for their workout, depending on the time frame they are working with.
At-Home & In-Person Options
Like many other businesses, boutique fitness took a big hit during the pandemic, but has increased in popularity again in recent years as people have been seeking connection. Younger generations, in particular, are focused on the experience of fitness and how a class or community can take them on a journey.
If in-person classes aren’t your thing, at-home fitness is still going strong. It was especially popular during “the pandemic years” (around 2020-2022) when people in certain areas were limited to working out indoors. Even though it’s more of a voluntary option today, on-demand, live-stream, and other digital fitness venues are finding continued success. Online fitness guidance is also seeing growth. This space includes helpful resources like blogs, videos, programs, classes, and similar content.
Pro Tip: Look into partnership opportunities with local boutique gyms and fitness studios. To connect and engage with customers online, you may also want to update your blog or resources library regularly.
Active aging is a growing trend, and it’s a way of living and working out that promotes a generation of healthy, active older adults.
Health Across the Lifespan
Although reasons for working out can vary from weight loss to mental health and beyond, people are becoming increasingly interested in exercising for longevity. Seeing their elders suffer with poor health, many members of the younger generation are motivated to make meaningful changes now in order to be less limited by health conditions later on. This trend is often called “active aging,” a way of living and working out that promotes a cohort of healthy, active older adults. One such example of this is the GOATA method, which is a movement pattern designed with longevity in mind.
This mode of thinking seems to be catching on, since strength training is growing in popularity among Gen Z-ers. Companies are catching on, too, and are looking for ways to create products that appeal to both elite athletes in their prime years of sports performance and everyday athletes hoping to stay healthy over the course of their life.
Pro Tip: Emphasize products in your inventory that serve both serious athletes and the average gym goer well.
The Use of Workout Supplements
Workout aids are a huge part of the fitness industry forecast and a standalone market that’s predicted to grow in the next 5-10 years. From pre-workout to recovery, companies are focusing on products that optimize performance and carry exercisers throughout the workout process (not the workout itself). Pre-workout, in particular, is rising in popularity, as are powdered products that can help people customize their supplement use to their unique, daily needs. Fitness meal prep is essential for maximizing the results.
Pro Tip: Kratom can be energizing, and many people prefer it as an alternative to popular pre-workout energy drinks. Suggest kratom capsules or liquid shots for customers who want an easy and convenient option for taking their pre-workout.
Other Areas of Interest
Wondering what else has been cropping up in the research? Biohacking has been a big area of interest, with consumers looking into botanical ways to biohack their body’s natural systems.
In tandem, holistic health has continued to gain respect, with many consumers blending conventional medicine with holistic health advice. Even the idea of fitness has even gotten more holistic—exercising is being viewed as a daily wellness activity that happens both in the gym and outside the gym. Supplements, sleep, and sustaining oneself with the right foods are seen as part of the fitness “big picture,” instead of limiting preparations to simply selecting a workout plan.
Kratom Becomes More Mainstream
Many of the key connections to kratom have been pointed out above, but even more opportunities exist. As a kratom vendor, being prepared to open new markets and venture into the fitness sector can set you up well for success. In short, the market is predicted to expand and lucrative opportunities are expected, so it’s the perfect time to get on board!
While kratom is still mainly sold online, in headshops, and in convenience stores, it could soon be commonplace to see kratom in gyms and fitness centers. Key players in the industry are partnering and collaborating with these types of establishments, and you can take a leaf out of their book and do the same!
Since more consumers are heading online for their fitness experience, it’s important to strengthen your e-commerce sales where you can. Set strategies in place to make your online marketplace operational and easy-to-navigate. Offering regular discounts and ensuring a safe checkout experience can show the customer you are willing to go the extra mile. Both for in-person and online markets, better access to packaging and labeling information can give your customer the quality assurance they are looking for.
A Final Word on the Forecast for Fitness & Kratom
Although the fitness and workout supplement market is influenced by many factors, experts predict both short- and long-term growth in the industry. Lucrative opportunities abound, and expansion seems to be moving fast, meaning now is the time for kratom sellers to tap into the fitness-focused crowd. In plain terms, the outlook for the future is positive!
Consumers are continuing to choose supplements according to fitness goals, so an understanding of their fitness goals is paramount. A mix of marketing strategies will likely be needed to keep up with the trends, such as offering products in different flavors or forms, catering to different age groups, and emphasizing exciting new launches. Ultimately, this hard work and effort will pay off as it drives growth of your business and the market as a whole.
Motivated to grow your customer base? Serve the fitness sector of your community by signing up to be a MIT45 wholesaler today.
References
Future Market Insights. Pre-Workout Supplements Market. Futuremarketinsights.com. Accessed January 2024.
Maximize Market Research. Kratom Market: By Form, Product Type, Application and Distribution Channel. Maximizemarketresearh.com. Published September 2023.
Mordor Intelligence. Pre-Workout Supplements Market Size & Share Analysis – Growth Trends & Forecasts (2024 – 2029). Mordorintelligence.com. Accessed January 2024.
Murr B. Fit For The Future: 10 Trends That Will Transform The Fitness Industry. Forbes.com. Published April 2023.
Skladany J. 6 food and drink trends you’ll be seeing in 2024, according to chefs. Yahoo.com. Published January 2024.
Ostertag E. The Fitness & Wellness Trends To Watch in 2024. Athletechnews.com. Published December 2023.
Research and Markets. Global Trends Impacting Pre-Workout Supplements Industry – Forecast to 2030. Globenewswire.com. Published September 2023.
Rizzo N. Fitness Industry Statistics 2021-2028 [Market Research]. Runrepeat.com. Published November 2023.
Wellness Creative Co. Fitness Industry Statistics 2024: Growth, Trends & Analysis. Wellnesscreatives.com. Published January 2024.
