But it’s more than lower prices and extended hours that draw Gen Zedders to the gym. The catalyst is social media, particularly TikTok, according to the 21-year-old flight attendant from Beaconsfield Georgia.
People who go to the gym now get more exposure. They post videos of themselves on TikTok to show how beautiful they look and what they did to achieve it. She’s definitely having a huge influence, he says.
While 21-year-old Fremantle nurse Harriet loves the physical gains she’s made since starting to lift weights, the mental health benefits are just as important to her. Gyms are now places to meet and bond, she says.
It’s a real culture. If everyone follows the same schedule, you can get together with friends. Let’s chat while we train, she says.
This new generation of gym junkies are more self-directed than previous generations because they are so used to learning online. But it has to be short, hence the popularity of TikTok over other platforms like YouTube.
My generation has a short attention span, says Harriet. We want it all in a 30-second burst of information.
Women are now moving into spaces in gyms that were normally dominated by men.
Jarvis believes the body positivity movement is also another reason why gyms in the Perth metropolitan area are experiencing a surge in younger members.
We’re more embracing and accepting of a range of body types than previous generations, says Jarvis.
It used to be that people were reluctant to join gyms because they felt they didn’t look good. Young people don’t judge like that. We believe that how you feel about yourself is more important than how you look.
This shift in perceptions of what the ideal body looks like is why women have gotten off the treadmills and are now battling men for space in the free weight zones of gyms.
When I was younger very thin women were idealized. Now the standard of beauty has changed. We love curvy women like Kim Kardashian. And muscular women. And the only way to achieve that goal is to eat more and exercise more, Georgia says.
The most compelling measure of the young gym culture that’s burgeoning in a city more famous for its outdoor sports is the spectacular success of Revo Fitness.
The low-cost, flexible membership 24-hour gym began in 2012 with a single gym in Shenton Park. There are now 31 Revo gyms across the country and 15 more are set to open.
Revo Fitness founder and CEO Andrew Holder believes the reason for his company’s tremendous growth over the past two years is a desire for post-COVID communities, particularly within the younger demographic.
A booming business: Andrew Holder, founder and director of Revo Fitness.
It was during this time that we all became more aware of health issues, both physical and mental, and the importance of community, Holder says.
So as we came out of COVID, people returned to gyms seeking community engagement while working on their physical and mental well-being.
We are a young start-up and our primary demographic is 18-40 years old. And leading the way are Gen Zedders who want community involvement.
So being able to go to an affordable gym and be with their friends while doing things that are good for their health is what’s driving them to places like Revo.
They are also the generation of technology.
They access all the information they need online and love sharing that information through platforms like TikTok.
While there’s been an increase in older people going to the gym, Holder says, Gen Zedders and younger Millennials are engaging with gyms and fitness differently.
The older generation had a much more sporadic approach to fitness, she says. Young people are incorporating it more deeply into their lives. It is an important part of their lifestyle. It’s how they perceive themselves and how they want to go about their daily lives.
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