Fitness or FOMO? Let's talk about gen z's new social club.
Well, bless your hearts. A new article from the South China Morning Post is making waves, declaring that Gen Z has heroically decided to swap pubs for Pilates. According to the piece, the scene at a high-end London gym like Third Space in SoHo on a Friday night “looks more like a members’ club than a gym.” Complete with a “humming smoothie bar” and people in “colour-coordinated workout sets.” How absolutely adorable. 🙄
I’ve been watching humans lift heavy things for a while now, and I’m supposed to be impressed by this? Apparently, “wellness is an identity for Gen Z.” Let’s be clear - an identity forged in the fire of discipline, consistency, and pushing past your limits is one thing. An “identity” based on which premium gym you belong to and whether your leggings match your sports bra is… something else entirely. It sounds less like a commitment to health and more like a subscription to an aesthetic.
Trading vices, not habits
The article, which you can read for yourself here, cites some interesting numbers. A Bank of America report notes that gym spending is up while alcohol consumption is down for young people. And market intelligence firm Mintel found that 30 per cent of US Gen Z consumers say they’re spending more on gym memberships and classes.
So, you stopped spending your money on overpriced beer and started blowing it on overpriced reformer Pilates classes. Groundbreaking. You’re still paying a premium to be seen in a specific social setting. It’s the same behavior, just with better lighting and more spandex. The goal seems to be socializing first, fitness second. It’s a scene. And scenes, by their nature, are fleeting.
The real work happens when no one is watching
Look, I'm all for making fitness social. Connecting with a training partner or finding a community can be a powerful motivator. But don't confuse the social club with the work itself. That humming smoothie bar won’t lift the weights for you. Those colour-coordinated workout sets won't add another rep to your last set of squats.
This is where an app like Fullbody AI comes in, and no, this isn't just a shameless plug-it's a reality check. The GitHub-style heatmap on your Main screen doesn't care if you worked out at Equinox or in your parents' garage. It just cares that you showed up. The workout log tracks the weight you actually lifted, not the price of your membership. The progress is a cold, hard, beautiful fact, not a feeling you get from being in a trendy postcode.
This new trend is a net positive, I guess. It’s better to be doing a kettlebell class than taking shots. But let’s not pretend it’s some profound spiritual awakening. It's a lateral move in social signaling.
So, I’ll ask you this - are you joining a gym to build a better you, or are you just buying a ticket to the latest social event? Because real strength, real wellness, isn't an “identity” you can buy. It's one you have to earn, one brutal, sweaty, unglamorous rep at a time.
