David Lloyd Clubs today launches its Future of Wellness Report, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the very first David Lloyd Club opening. It looks at predicted trends for the health and wellness space over the next 40 years, covering topics from what Gen Z want for their future, to how the fitness industry will need to adapt for an ageing population and the impact of new technologies we can’t even imagine yet.
To compile the insights and build a picture of the Health and Wellness industry in 2063 and beyond, Europe’s largest health and wellness group David Lloyd Clubs assembled a Wellness Council, a collective of experts in the health, fitness, and future space.
Members of the council include Futurist and Youth Expert, Chloe Combi; Futurist and Technology Expert, Bernard Marr and Sleep Expert, Kathryn Pinkham alongside David Lloyd Clubs’ industry experts including Head of Fitness Products, Michelle Dand; Head of Sustainability Lee Manley and Creative Director Steph Holland.
Split into seven chapters, the report summarises what the health club of 2063 will look like. The key predictions are as follows:
Leaving Age in the Past
The entire health and wellness experience will be based on personalisation, with sensors and trackers inbuilt into our lives, meaning that from the moment a member joins a health club their programme will be completely personalised and automated to their needs.
The ability to use this data to make constant corrections to everything from vitamin levels to the way our brain interprets signals means the health club could become a central hub to eliminate all of the physical and mental signs of ageing as we know them today.
Far More Than a Gym Floor
With space at a premium, and changing city infrastructures, there is potential to build downwards and create underground biodomes designed with perfect environmental conditions to mimic all the health benefits of fresh air and sunshine.
A whole ecosystem can be created using vitamin D lighting and AR technology that allows us to have a full adventure every time we visit.
A health club membership of the future could include a 40-minute hike in the mountains, with all the benefits of the great outdoors in a city centre.
Virtual Solutions, Rooted in Bricks and Mortar
AI, AR and the metaverse mean we will be able to work out in a group wherever and whenever we want. A class with friends from around the world, taking place at the top of a mountain all from your own living room without the need to wear clunky VR headgear will become the norm, and a part of your standard club subscription.
This will mean leaving your home and going to your club will no longer be primarily skewed towards physical activity but a place to connect, to seek rest and to nurture your mental wellbeing through community and connection with everyone from other members to licensed therapists, all designed to nurture body and soul.
Rest, Work and Play
The idea of health being hard work is set to die by the 2060s – no longer an obligation or a challenge the focus will be on escapism and fun and the benefits of rest.
Our bodies will always need exercise, but as the working week changes shape around our obligations, the health club offering will see more gamification, more focus on disconnecting and resting and on a holistic approach to mental and physical health.
Additionally, as technology develops, individual sleep pods within health clubs could allow people with the perfect personalised environment to rest and recharge their bodies.
Russell Barnes, CEO at David Lloyd Clubs, comments: “The Wellness Council’s findings give us some truly illuminating insights into the future of health and wellness and where the industry is likely to head over the next 40 years.
“The predictions and insights within the Future of Wellness report will help us when developing our long-term strategy for David Lloyd Clubs, in particular looking at how the use of new and emerging technology will allow us to continue to grow and adapt to meet our members’ needs.
“As a first step on our digital transformation journey, we have launched a new App which brings to life our in-club proposition digitally to a whole new audience, both in-club and with on-demand content at home.
This digital flexibility is the first step in supercharging our ability to respond to those changing consumer needs both now and into the future.”
Beyond the wellness of the population, the future will also bring increased ways to contribute to the health of the planet. The health and wellness industry will need to continue making strides to a more sustainable future, and by 2063 even become entirely self-powered.
The key to achieving this will be knowledge-sharing among different businesses, as new technologies develop it will be crucial for different organisations to come together and ensure everyone is able to level up for a better future.
The full Future of Wellness report has been released today and can be read by visiting: https://www.davidlloyd.co.uk/future-of-wellness.
For more information on classes and experiences on offer at David Lloyd Clubs in 2023, please visit www.davidlloyd.co.uk.