This article outlines the key women in fitness who have changed the industry in different ways.
The fitness world already represents a significant part of the global economy. Data from the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) shows that revenue from this market grows at an annual average of 8.7% worldwide – and is expected to reach US$99.9 billion by the end of 2019.
Considering that it rides very much on strength and determination, the fitness world can feel like a man’s game even in this modern landscape of so-called equality. This is true when we consider professional sports where female competitors are too often treated as second rate and, as you’ll know if you’re attempting to break into the fitness field with your business pursuit, it’s also true of any entrepreneurs looking to make a name for their health-based ideas.
This male-centric focus can quickly get tiresome, meaning that, whether you’re looking to buy gym equipment to stock up your fitness facility or are aiming to make a name for yourself on the PT circuit, you’re going to want to put plaid to those doubters fast. Luckily, there are plenty of women who have made major ripples in fitness both in the past and in the present. To give you a much-needed boost and prove that you can succeed, we’re going to consider just a few of them.
Women in fitness: trailblazers
Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda is a household name, and for good reason as the actor’s secondary fitness career saw her releasing her first fitness tapes way back in 1982. Despite this so-called male-dominated industry, Fonda’s efforts even then saw her achieving the highest-selling videos of all time. Now, when you consider follow-on, equally accessible fitness tapes from celebs like Elle Macpherson and Cher, you could even argue that Fonda started an entirely new way of working out.
Julie Rice and Elizabeth Cutler
As joint founders of SoulCycle, Rice and Cutler quickly found themselves at the helm of one of North America’s best-known fitness franchises with as many as 88 studios across the US and Canada. SoulCycle’s gentle, candlelit approach to bike-based fitness is particularly interesting for pitching itself against more male-centric outlets like weightlifting and still coming out on top. Despite selling SoulCycle back in 2011, both women are still pursuing fitness-based ideas in the form of WeWork and Life shop, which have already seen them continuing to take fitness by storm.
Kayla Itsines
Kayla Itsines is an Australian PT and fitness entrepreneur who’s mainly made a name for herself via Instagram, where her 12-million + followers avidly hang on her fitness tips. Kayla then utilized this audience to offer the Sweat with Kayla app which, in 2016, generated more revenue than any other fitness app. Itsine’s focus on supporting other women has especially seen results in place of a traditionally competition-centric fitness world thus. And, as more women realize the power of social media for getting their fitness messages out there, she could well go down like the likes of Jane Fonda for her contribution to the industry overall.
Silvia Closs
Chef Silvia Closs saw this market as an opportunity to expand her business and created a fit buffet to meet the public’s demand for healthier products. She understood that this would be a good alternative when she noticed that supporters of healthy eating had difficulty finding, at social events, the type of food consumed in their daily lives. Thus, by investing in this niche, she saw her revenue increase. “I noticed people coming to parties and not eating anything because products with fat, wheat and sugar are always served. This realization pointed to a huge market opportunity,” she recalled.
Arianna Vianna
Another segment that is expanding every day is fitness fashion, which has long since ceased to be restricted to gyms and now accounts for 20% of the market share in this area. The comfort and practicality of the pieces fell in the taste of street style, and the clothes have been increasingly used in everyday looks. According to Arianny Vianna, CEO of online company DLK, part of this adherence is also due to the evolution of the fitness market. “Companies in the sector have followed the fashion market and trends, which helps them start to be used in different ways”, she points out.
Summary
Fitness might feel like a man’s game, but the reality is very different. In fact, when you look at the latest fitness trends to take the world by storm, including everything from barre to at-home workouts, you’ll quickly find the women are behind them. All you need to ask is, does your idea have the power to change the industry in those same ways?
