Survey Reveals 82% of Americans Say It's More Important to Feel Good than to Look Good

Frustrated by the aspirational "achieve your perfect body" message that currently blankets the fitness industry, Blink Fitness - "the premium-quality, value-based gym", is changing the rhetoric around fitness by focusing on the emotional benefits of exercise. In fact, a recent survey commissioned by Blink Fitness and conducted online by Harris Poll in February among over 2,000 U.S. adults supports that sentiment. The survey found that 82% of Americans say it's more important to feel good than look good. Since April is National Stress Awareness Month, Blink is continuing to emphasize the importance of how exercise makes you feel.

"For many Americans, stepping foot into a gym can feel like walking straight into the lion's den. At Blink, we've fostered a positive environment to make our members feel good and make working out more fun and less stressful," said Todd Magazine, President, Blink Fitness. "The survey results confirmed that we were onto something. We're focusing on the emotional and experiential benefits of exercise instead of industry norms like rapid weight loss and big muscles."

Do it for the mood, not the mirror

When people associate exercise with positive emotions instead of honing in on physical changes, they'll keep going to the gym and eventually see those outer results. Blink's "Feel Good Experience" aims to bring this positive association to life in clubs through five pillars: friendly and respectful staff, clean facilities, open and bright design, motivating music, and affordable personal training - all to ensure members leave the gym feeling better than when they walked in.

Among the 92% of Americans who say they exercise, 90% of Americans say the top three benefits they get when they exercise are non-physical benefits:

Nearly half (49%) of Americans believe working out makes them healthier

About a third (35%) of Americans say that exercise makes them feel good

Almost a quarter (24%) say it helps them deal with stress/anxiety

Every body (not so) happy

The study also found that 78% of Americans say their relationship with their body could be improved. Advertisements and images portrayed in the media feature chiseled bodies that present unrealistic fitness goals and create negative associations with exercise.

71% of Americans say they don't relate to fitness ads or magazine covers because the people in those images don't have their body type

64% of Americans say that it's discouraging to try and work towards the unrealistic body images they see in the media

66% of Americans say their relationship with their body affects other parts of their life

About Blink Fitness
Founded in 2011, Blink Fitness is a premium quality, value-based fitness brand with more than 50 locations open or in development throughout New York and New Jersey. Blink Fitness puts Mood Above Muscle™ by ensuring that each club employs the company's signature "Feel Good Experience" that highlights enthusiastic staff members, a clean environment, an open, spacious, and colorful design, energizing music and fitness training that is motivating and affordable.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Blink Fitness from February 18-22, 2016 among 2,115 adults ages 18 and older, among which 1,844 ever exercise. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact [email protected].



SOURCE Blink Fitness

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