Why the boutique sector is the fastest growing fitness sector

fit20 studio

Anybody who has been to a mainstream big box gym knows how crowded they get. Especially if you go after 5pm on a work day. You struggle to find a free machine, have no idea what you should be training, or you attend classes that are over full and you have little space for yourself. If that wasn’t enough to put you off, we now also have the worry of COVID-19 and we prefer to work out in a safe and socially distanced environment. The massive health clubs aren’t for everybody.

That’s exactly why boutique studios and gyms are becoming a more popular alternative. Boutique fitness offers a community feeling, paired with personal attention, tailored fitness programmes and accountability.They also come with the health advantages of social distancing.

Boutique studio memberships tend to be more expensive and offer limited availability, however the one to one attention and pre-booked appointments often result in individuals being more likely to commit to show up for class, and get the results that they are wanting.

Exercising can be really hard and sometimes even lonely. By joining a boutique studio people get the opportunity to be part of a group of people that are working towards improving their fitness. This can motivate individuals to push themselves even more. Boutique studios provide people with the opportunity to get to know their personal trainers and even form friendships.

Knowing that you will be trained by an instructor that has received specialised certification adds reassurance and huge value. Guidance on how to achieve results and progress monitoring are a real attraction.

Why boutique fitness is the future

With 85% of the population not having gym membership, and up to 22% of people actually avoiding the gym due to feeling intimidated, there are a huge number of people whose health and fitness would benefit from working out, but who are not getting the benefits.

Remaining fit and healthy, particularly from mid-life onwards when our bodies are starting to decline, can mitigate diseases of old age and prolong life by as much as a decade; that is unquestionable. However, we are often ‘too busy’ with work and family commitments to give the commitment that we have been led to believe is required. Yet how much we really need to move in our forties and fifties — and in what ways?

Recently, results of a study by Peter Schnohr, a cardiologist on the Copenhagen City Heart Study were published, concluding that exercise in mid-life is beneficial in preventing mortality, but crucially that more is not better.

Schnohr says: “The main reason seems to be related to the fact that too much sport or physical training every day allows for insufficient rest and recuperation, which is not good for our health,” he says. “Somewhere in the middle is best when it comes to exercising to live longer and too much is not good.”

fit20 - the perfect tonic

fit20, founded in the Netherlands in 2009, provides an exceptionally effective and efficient training experience to studio members. fit20 trainers are provided with specialist training in the fit20 academy and once certified go on to provide one to one, or one to two people training as a maximum, for one intensive 20 minute training session per week in our relaxing and hygienic boutique fitness studios.

Our studio members have no reason to feel intimidated, embarrassed or self conscious as we support them in their health and fitness journey, and there is little disruption to their busy schedules as they attend their 20 minute time slot by appointment each week. As our studios are cooled there is no need to shower or change after training, so disruptions really are kept to a minimum.

Although members report improvements in strength, health, and wellbeing after only a few weeks, progress is also measured and recorded digitally, with the tracking data being available for members to see for themselves on their own personal improvement graphs.

Not only has fit20 training been scientifically proven to mitigate and reverse the effects of ageing such as sarcopenia, we also have received several industry awards for innovation and entrepreneurship, including the prestigious Gazelle awards.