Strava CEO names fitness trends ‘exploding’ since pandemic
According to Michael Horvath, Strava CEO, walking, yoga, and hiking have gained new fans
Strava CEO Michael Horvath recently spoke with Yahoo Finance about the fitness trends that have exploded since the pandemic. Walking, yoga, and hiking have taken off, according to Horvath, co-founder and CEO of the social fitness platform.
Strava recorded 95 million registered athletes and finished out 2021 with its Year in Sport data report, revealing that the pandemic-era fitness enthusiasm isn’t slowing down. The social fitness platform, launched in 2009, showed that upload rates significantly increased and reported strong revenue growth.
According to Horvath, the pandemic has caused people to re-shape their workouts, and those who want to be active will undoubtedly find a way.
“What we’ve seen in the last two years is a rapid rise in things like walking, yoga, hiking. Those are exploding on Strava, doubling in terms of activity on Strava and the total number of activities coming in from our community worldwide,” the CEO of Strava shared with Yahoo Finance.
The Strava fitness app takes a community-oriented approach, allowing fitness enthusiasts to connect while also staying active. The app is subscription-based, but it is free to use. Strava is $59.99 per year if a user wants to upgrade to gain full access to all of its features. While Horvath told Yahoo Finance that the company doesn’t disclose the number of subscribers, he claims Strava’s subscription count grows in direct proportion to the number of new members it acquires.
The Strava CEO’s assessment is consistent with outdoor-related statistics. The Bay Area state parks reported a 50% increase in visitors, with new hobbyist hikers taking advantage of the fresh air and scenery. Hiking was the most popular reason for people to visit regional parks, according to surveys. Despite the fact that the novelty has worn off, one district superintendent for California State Parks stated that visitor numbers are still higher than pre-pandemic levels, and some parks, such as Mount Diablo, are still very busy.
Recognizing that its users are still interested in spending time outdoors, Strava recently added a Points of Interest feature for those who are on a long run, walk, or hike. The new addition allows users to easily find bathrooms, water fountains, and cafes.
Strava, which is Swedish for “strive,” was formed by Mark Gainey and Michael Horvath, who met on a crew team at college. In an interview with Fitt Insider in 2020, co-founder Gainey addressed the long-term vision of Strava.
“I live in Silicon Valley and continue to hear entrepreneurs talk about how their goal is an IPO, like somehow that’s the end game. I always remind them that the day you take your company public is the day in which it’s now okay for your grandmother to invest in the future of the business. It’s not an end game. You’re just getting started. It’s another funding event that can be very important in the life of a company, but it’s by no means the end,” Gainey shared.
