Exploring Health and Wellness During the Coronavirus Crisis

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As part of our ongoing commitment to put the voice of your customers right at your fingertips, Suzy will be providing updates on consumer sentiment regarding the ongoing COVID-19 crisis as the situation develops. Check out our Consumer Insights hub for more stats, trackers, webinars, and more.

March 18, 2020 — If you’d spoken to a trend expert at the start of this year, they probably would have told you to keep a close eye on the Health and Wellness industry moving forward. That’s because during the back half of the last decade, this category was in a state of undeniable growth; according to the Global Wellness Institute, it expanded 6.4% annually from 2015 to 2017, and in 2018 was worth $4.2 trillion across the world. 

Of course, all of that expansion was before the global Coronavirus pandemic brought most of the economy to a screeching halt – and now, with the virus still not yet at its peak, it’s hard to tell what the future holds for the Wellness industry. Mandated quarantines and “shelter-in-place” isolation periods have already led to the temporary shutdown of gyms, yoga studios, spas, health food stores, and other wellness facilities across the country, meaning that many consumers will have to fend for themselves when it comes to keeping active and healthy. 

To learn more, we asked 500 consumers from the Suzy audience network to weigh in on the following question:

How are you primarily staying active during the coronavirus epidemic?

Most said that they’re primarily sticking to at-home workouts and exercise equipment (and many were already using them in the first place):

“In regards to physical activity not much has changed since I am a stay at home mom and my workouts are primarily done in the comfort of my own home anyway. I do exercise videos and have my stationary bike.”

“I have been doing workout classes from home, thankfully my gym offers online classes during this time.”

“I'm already active so it doesn't play a factor. I run on the treadmill 6 miles a day & do weight training.”

Others are still going outside, but maintaining a certain level of social distance. 

“I’m still running outdoors during the virus to keep active. I try and put in an hour of jogging outdoors to keep me healthy. I avoid public water fountains and large crowds when running as preventive measures.”

“I went for a walk yesterday with my spouse. Will probably do that more if we're stuck home for a bit.”

And more than a few admitted they weren’t staying active at all.

“I'm not really staying active, just sitting on the couch watching TV and getting prepared and ready for it. Have toilet paper and am going to get food. I'm washing my hands a lot, and have hand sanitizer on hand at all times.”

“Basically, I’m not. Just staying laid up in bed and trying to focus on video games and tv shows. Just trying to distract myself as much as possible.”

Wellness isn’t just about physical activity, though – it’s also about mental and emotional stability, too, which can be hard to maintain in the midst of a crisis. When we asked consumers to name the one thing they plan on doing more of to stay mentally active, many consumers brought up reading, meditation, cleaning around the house, crafting, sleeping, and spending time with family (and exercise too, naturally).