The Guardian, a British daily, reported on the 7th that the MZ generation is paying more than monthly rent to find a high-end gym.
Owen Willis is a good example. He wakes up in the morning and heads to the gym in Mayfair, central London. His gym has a swimming pool, sauna, various Pilates equipment and meditation rooms. The Martha’s Governor also resides. Willis has spent about 22 hours a week since he was 18 years old, spending £3,348 on annual gym fees over the past year. Willis says he is saving money because of the gym. The gym provides dry cleaning services and also has high-end body wash, shampoo, and rinse. “If the gym staff knew I lived in a rat-infested place, I might have canceled my membership,” he said.
In addition to Willis, the popularity of luxury gyms is soaring among young people in London, and annual fees for these gyms are steadily rising.
For example, the annual fee for the high-end medical resort “Langerhof” in the Arts Club is at least £6,500. Belgravia’s “Surren” costs £10,000 a year plus an additional £5,000 to sign up. The gym’s popularity is also changing the lifestyle of Generation MZ. Even before going out for a drink, Nishka Parek and her friends in London go to the gym together for personal training. “Working out at a nice gym makes you physically and mentally much better,” she said.
Niyi Akinseye said luxury gyms ease uncertainty about the future. “Checking the visible results like making a body, and the stability you get from the gym membership gives you satisfaction,” he said.
As competition between the chains intensifies, gyms are spending a lot of money on facility investment. David Lloyd Club, CEO of a major fitness center chain in the U.K., said earlier this year that it has invested £500 million to add shared offices and spas to each branch. “We will make the gym a space where people can work, relax and relax,” he said.
SAM KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
