As a 20-something gym-goer (who might not look like it lol!) I just wanted to add a comment…and maybe something for you to look into…on your 4th point, “This is partly about young people health-maxing in an age of declining social connection.” From what I have seen in my own life, my friend’s, and community, the fitness boom is indeed a direct response to declining social connection. But that’s because gyms and workout classes are where many people go specifically to seek out a social life, to talk to people, to attend events, to be a member of a community. Gyms are becoming social hubs. Your Tuesday 7:30am pilates class regulars have a group chat and you check in on each other week to week. In a time when you can’t meet people at a bar, or at church, or seemingly anywhere else, it seems to me that gyms have been filling that void for social connection, to get out of the house and around people…
There are many psychological benefits to exercise. One of them is a sense of control. There are many things in life that people are unable to control, or at least unable to substantially control. Provided that a person is generally healthy and unaffected by significant physical limitations, fitness can be maintained simply by the consistent application of effort. The payback from the investment of time is almost guaranteed and it provides an ongoing sense of achievement and self-worth over and above the physical well being. Although I have not seen data, I would be surprised if people did not feel a general reduction in control of their lives over the last 15 years, for obvious reasons. This sense of lost control may also explain an increase in exercise activity. My personal experience is that nothing calms anxiety like a good workout, and we all know how much anxiety is on the rise.
It's interesting, Derek, but I see the trend with my in-laws, 78 and 79. My mother-in-law walks in the neighborhood every day, something she wasn't necessarily doing 10 years ago. My father-in-law is an avid yoga participant.
I do want to caution about the reliability of the American Time Use Survey. Basically, it's finding a group of Americans who will faithfully record their use of time on one day and then respond to detailed questioning. The categories of Time Use can be very tricky, especially as technologies change and as people multi-task. I used an example of a FaceTime with my daughter and grandson while eating I was breakfast. That felt like socializing but it would not have been categorized as such by the ATUS.
Also, it's gotten increasingly difficult to get participants to respond to this survey in an adequate way. That could signal a deterioration in the accuracy of the ATUS.
I wrote a post (below) inspired by Derek and Emily's conversation about partying less. While I don't dispute that they are right, I think it's important to understand that the ATUS may ned to be revamped so that we get better data to understand and address social issues.
As a 20-something gym-goer (who might not look like it lol!) I just wanted to add a comment…and maybe something for you to look into…on your 4th point, “This is partly about young people health-maxing in an age of declining social connection.” From what I have seen in my own life, my friend’s, and community, the fitness boom is indeed a direct response to declining social connection. But that’s because gyms and workout classes are where many people go specifically to seek out a social life, to talk to people, to attend events, to be a member of a community. Gyms are becoming social hubs. Your Tuesday 7:30am pilates class regulars have a group chat and you check in on each other week to week. In a time when you can’t meet people at a bar, or at church, or seemingly anywhere else, it seems to me that gyms have been filling that void for social connection, to get out of the house and around people…
There are many psychological benefits to exercise. One of them is a sense of control. There are many things in life that people are unable to control, or at least unable to substantially control. Provided that a person is generally healthy and unaffected by significant physical limitations, fitness can be maintained simply by the consistent application of effort. The payback from the investment of time is almost guaranteed and it provides an ongoing sense of achievement and self-worth over and above the physical well being. Although I have not seen data, I would be surprised if people did not feel a general reduction in control of their lives over the last 15 years, for obvious reasons. This sense of lost control may also explain an increase in exercise activity. My personal experience is that nothing calms anxiety like a good workout, and we all know how much anxiety is on the rise.
It's interesting, Derek, but I see the trend with my in-laws, 78 and 79. My mother-in-law walks in the neighborhood every day, something she wasn't necessarily doing 10 years ago. My father-in-law is an avid yoga participant.
This is a good article and a good trend.
I do want to caution about the reliability of the American Time Use Survey. Basically, it's finding a group of Americans who will faithfully record their use of time on one day and then respond to detailed questioning. The categories of Time Use can be very tricky, especially as technologies change and as people multi-task. I used an example of a FaceTime with my daughter and grandson while eating I was breakfast. That felt like socializing but it would not have been categorized as such by the ATUS.
Also, it's gotten increasingly difficult to get participants to respond to this survey in an adequate way. That could signal a deterioration in the accuracy of the ATUS.
I wrote a post (below) inspired by Derek and Emily's conversation about partying less. While I don't dispute that they are right, I think it's important to understand that the ATUS may ned to be revamped so that we get better data to understand and address social issues.
https://robertsdavidn.substack.com/p/are-we-socializing-less-or-socializing