First–Ever Global Fitness Industry Economic Impact Report Released
A new IHRSA and Global Health & Fitness Alliance report sheds light on the economic & socioeconomic impact of the global health and fitness industry
An advocacy report commissioned by IHRSA and Global Health & Fitness Alliance (GHFA) and produced by Deloitte is now available and serves as a valuable resource on effective global wellness and healthcare solutions.
The report, titled “Economic Health & Societal Well-being: Quantifying the Impact of the Global Health & Fitness Sector Global Report,” examined the economic and socioeconomic impact of the global health and fitness industry.
“The research covered in the reports is a critical landmark for the health and fitness industry, governments, and workplaces globally, it clearly shows the economic impact of inactivity through evidential data,” said Andrea Bell, chair of the GHFA Advisory Council and co-founder, director, and chief people officer of Inspire Brands Asia.
“Every single country in the report has a quantifiable number that shows annual economic savings of those who are physically active, and access to health and fitness facilities undoubtedly has a profound impact on activity levels. Adding a dollar value to inactivity is a significant achievement in the GHFA’s quest for the industry to be recognized as a valuable contributor and solution provider to the global health continuum.”
The first-ever global report, designed to assist health and fitness policymakers in making better decisions, reveals the following key findings:
- The health and fitness industry generates billions of dollars of direct and indirect value added across the globe, the report finds. “In the US the industry had a direct value added of $20 billion and supported an indirect value added of $15.9 billion in 2021; in Japan the industry generated a direct value added of $2.7 billion and supported an indirect value added of $1.0 billion,” the report states.
- The fitness industry directly supports millions of jobs worldwide and indirectly supports hundreds of thousands of additional jobs, contributing to real estate services, professional services, and marketing.
- Aside from economical considerations, fitness is an important component of overall health and wellness. According to the report, moderate to vigorous physical activity can lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes and dementia, clinical depression and anxiety, as well as a variety of cancers such as breast, colon, bladder, kidney, lung, and stomach.
- Encouraging fitness can lead to “significant healthcare savings and improved worker productivity,” the report states.
- Access to fitness centers can lead to people exercising more than they would otherwise if they did not have access. According to the report, this demonstrates that the health and fitness industry has a significant health impact by increasing the population’s overall fitness levels.
- Each year, inactivity costs the global economy billions of dollars in healthcare costs and lost productivity.
- The cost of each inactive worker to the global economy varies according to healthcare costs and productivity, but in many developed economies, such as Australia, Denmark, Germany and the US, it exceeds $2,000 per worker, the report finds.
- Investing $2,000 in successfully assisting an inactive person to become active results in a payback period of less than one year in terms of overall economic and societal benefit.
According to the report, local governments, industry leaders, fitness operators, and businesses should consider collaborating to find the best and most logical solutions for their communities.
The full report examines the impact of the health and fitness industry in 46 countries, but individual country and region reports are also available.
The work of IHRSA and Global Health & Fitness Alliance delves into direct and indirect GDP value, employment contributions, population benefits of physical activity, healthcare costs of inactivity, potential healthcare savings, industry and policy examples to promote physically active lifestyles, and other topics.
“Economic Health & Societal Well-being: Quantifying the Impact of the Global Health & Fitness Sector Global Report,” is available by request only. The request may be sent to [email protected].
