Active Aging: The Power of Fitness After 50

What is active aging and why is this an untapped market for gyms? Learn who active agers are and why they’re the secret to your gym’s growth.

Why Active Agers Are The Secret to a Highly Profitable Gym

What if I told you there’s a section of the United States population whose discretionary spending would make them the third largest economy in the world? It’s people over 50, and many are becoing “active agers,” a new term to describe Baby Boomers and those a little before and after them. The numbers are astounding:

  • In 2018, people over 50 contributed $8.3 trillion to the U.S. economy.
  • By 2050, it’ll be $28 trillion.

Right now, there are more than 100 million people over 50 in the United States alone. They control 70% of discretionary spending on things like fitness, travel, recreation, and more.

Do you want some of that money? Are you marketing for it? If you’re not targeting the active aging population, you’re missing your biggest, most sustainable growth segment. Don’t believe it yet? Just look around your gym or studio in the middle of a work day. You probably have plenty of room, right? Trainers sitting idle… machines ignored… It doesn’t have to be that way.

What Is the Definition of Active Aging?

Active agers are 50 and over with the motivation, time, and money to do something positive for their health. They are ideal, long-term clients for gyms, fitness clubs, and other health and wellbeing businesses.

Opportunity to Expand Your Fitness Business

Most fitness businesses focus on youth. They market to people in their 20s to 40s. It’s all about appearances and six-packs, losing baby weight or getting ready for a social event. But those people don’t have the money. They’re working hard and gaining debt, building homes, families and careers. They’re more fickle with their business. They rely less on relationships and more on short-term savings.

You can’t afford to ignore the tidal wave of active agers. Smart fitness businesses are planning for it, and learning to communicate with people over 50.

Marketing to Active Agers – A Different Approach Is Needed

There are a few things you need to understand about active agers. They are savvy people. They’re tech savvy, money savvy, and can smell BS a mile away. You can’t be condescending with them. Forget calling them silver surfers.

Generally, the kids have grown and flown (or are about to) — and producing grandchildren. Retirement is approaching, but they aren’t ready to throw in the towel just yet. They are starting to realize their own mortality and want to avoid pitfalls that hit their parents.

Some are active agers already – they’ve been exercising all their lives. Most, though, have been largely inactive – for a whole bunch of reasons. Now, these people want to get active, to help prolong their life and enjoy a healthier quality of life. But they’re finding they’re not in condition for it. To travel, to play golf, to get on the floor with the grandbaby.

We provide content that helps reach this market through storytelling. We compose highly engaging content that is relevant, informative, educational, and entertaining. We make sure that it connects emotionally, ensuring you become a trusted authority as an over-50 health expert and trainer in your market.

We also show you how to use Facebook, email marketing, and blogs – among other tactics – to gain more prospects, nurture them into clients, and keep them feeling valued so they remain clients for years to come.

This huge and diverse group – and its spending power – is largely ignored by the fitness industry. Many trainers are fearful of ‘hurting’ people in their 60s and 70s. Others only want to work with ‘elite athletes.’ Are you missing the opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives and make a lot of money as you do so?

Are you ready for a better gym marketing system? Get started today.