Gen Z is a pretty active and aware generation, concurs Nagaraj Adiga, chairman and managing director of NEB Sports Entertainment that organises multiple road races across India including the Apollo Tyres New Delhi Marathon and Wipro Bengaluru Marathon. “There’s a visible shift toward fitness-led, community-based activities. Running clubs, social runs, and weekend challenges have become the new social circles. The data backs this up as health and purpose are driving their lifestyle choices,” says Adiga. While awareness about exercise and health among Gen Z is clearly much higher than previous generations, their reasons for turning to an active lifestyle vary greatly. Avi Desai, a 19-year-old engineering student from Mumbai, started working out while in high school purely for aesthetic reasons. On the other hand, the 1998-born Mamta Saraogi, an entrepreneur from Kolkata, turned to fitness to deal with the anxiety of the torturous college admissions process. From aesthetics to mental health to meeting like-minded people, Gen Z has plenty of reasons for adopting an active lifestyle. Desai and Saraogi took to exercise much earlier than their parents had started. Saraogi’s inspiration came from her ultra-runner mother Anjali, who started running when Mamta was in high school. Desai, on the other hand, started because of his friends and his mother followed by taking up yoga. “I joined a gym because my friends did. My main goal was aesthetics. I didn’t want big muscles like a bodybuilder, nor did I want to be skinny. I wanted an athletic build like a footballer. These days my focus is on being fit, agile and quick like our modern day athletes,” says Desai. While he plays other sports, Desai has chosen tennis as his primary activity that he intends to play for life to stay fit. Saraogi, who used to experience happiness when she swam and played golf while in school, found the same sense of calm and joy when she went to the gym for the first time six years ago. “I found the happiness of my childhood in movement. It felt like meditation. I was feeling a lot of anxiety and frustration with the entire college admissions process and the gym helped me get out of a dark place. I find exercise engages my body, mind and heart,” says Saraogi, who loves hybrid workouts that combine cardio and strength training and competitions such as Hyrox. Community and social engagement are two important reasons behind why Gen Z chooses one activity or sport over another. “Gen Z gravitates towards activities that feel immersive, social, and high on energy. They are also quick to pick up emerging trends like pickleball. Exercise is a form of self-expression and social connection with a sense of belonging. And Gen Z wants to move but on their terms with energy and people,” says Siva Kumar Pedhapati, head of brand marketing at Curefit, the company that runs Cult Fit. Desai, who plays football, pickleball and padel only because his friends do, admits, “It’s the social element of these sports that appeal to me and my friends.” Saraogi loves meeting people, “especially those who enjoy exercise and those who I aspire to be like.” And these are the kind of people she meets at events such as Hyrox. That’s one reason why group classes, which are community-centred and high on engagement, are such a big hit with Gen Z. “Moreover, there are plenty of options in group classes ranging from dancing to HIIT (high intensity interval training),” says Akshay Verma, co-founder of Fitpass. Based on the trends at Cult, Pedhapati says that among Gen Z they see a strong interest in formats that feel dynamic, push individuals and create a vibe they can’t get from exercising or playing alone. “What stands out about this audience is how fluidly they mix things up. Traditional gym workouts, trainer-led group classes, and sports including swimming, badminton, or pickleball all coexist in their routine,” says Pedhapati. Strength training is also becoming increasingly popular among Gen Z. “Everyone, across genders, aspires to be strong so strength training is popular again. Power-lifting is gaining popularity among Gen Z women. Strength is no longer associated with big muscles but with functional fitness and athleticism, and as a result, pilates is back in demand,” notes Verma. In Fitpass’ survey, 90% of Gen Z said they did strength training and 83% did trainer-led group classes that are community-driven and high on engagement. Gen Z prefers shorter distances because they are challenging enough to be rewarding, but manageable within their time constraints, reasons Adiga. Typical for a generation that has grown up with instant gratification, Gen Z gets bored fast. So, they like mixing things up. “Anything that’s experience-first, not just instruction-first, works. What doesn’t work are formats that feel monotonous, overly individualistic, or too technical. They can only be kept engaged with a fitness experience that’s social, exciting and never ordinary,” says Pedhapati. So, be it running, strength training or Hyrox, Gen Z everywhere, he says, is looking for the same thing: fitness that feels exciting, social, and worth showing up for.
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