Research

EuropeActive, the leading voice and non-profit association for the European fitness and physical activity sector, is pleased to announce that preliminary data collected by King Juan Carlos University and AWRC-Sheffield Hallam University reveals extremely low levels of Covid-19 risk in fitness clubs and leisure facilities. With more than 62 million visits analysed, the average infection rate sits at 0.78 per 100.000 visits.

EuropeActive, the leading voice and non-profit association for the European fitness and physical activity sector, together with research and evaluation partners AWRC-Sheffield Hallam University and King Juan Carlos University, has already started the data collection process for the SafeACTiVE Study, the first initiative focused on actual confirmed COVID-19 cases in fitness facilities and leisure centres across Europe when compared to the actual number of visits in the same facilities.

In June, EuropeActive commissioned a study to find out more about the short and longer term impacts to European fitness club operators as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The report was researched and drafted by Deloitte with an objective to gather information from top operators in Europe based on a number of key business KPIs.

In times of a global pandemic the importance of leading a healthy, active lifestyle which boosts your resilience, your immune system and your mental health becomes very apparent. There’s a growing body of evidence and data showing that Covid-19 is exacerbating health inequalities and that people with non-communicable diseases such as obesity are disproportionally affected.

EuropeActive is delighted to announce the launch of a new research centre called ‘THINK Active’. A unique initiative to provide scientific, evidence-based research to support the fitness & physical activity sector to deliver meaningful and sustainable public health outcomes and promote best practice across Europe and beyond.

The European economy entered a sudden recession in the first half of this year with the deepest output contraction since World War II. To counter the spread of COVID-19, major containment measures were introduced around the world, voluntarily shutting down large parts of the economy. A string of indicators suggests that the euro area economy has operated at between 25% to 30% below its capacity during the period of the strictest confinement. Overall, the euro area economy is forecast to contract by about 8 ¾% in 2020 before recovering at an annual growth rate of 6% next year.

Will the COVID-19 crisis be looked upon in the future as just a “hick-up” in the growth curve of fitness in Europe or will it be a serious roadblock in achieving EuropeActive's ambitions of 80 million members of Health & Fitness centres by 2025 and 100 million by 2030?