Social Fitness for Women: Why Community Beats the Gym

There is a noticeable change happening at pickleball courts, on hiking trails with weighted vests, and at HYROX finish lines. Women are rethinking what exercise means, and the old model of working out alone at the gym is falling behind. This shift is not about logistics. It is cultural, and new research is starting to show why social fitness is on the rise.

The Shift from Performance to Connection

For years, the fitness industry told women that exercise was mainly about fixing themselves. Now, movement based on connection is taking its place, and showing up for others is becoming just as important as reaching personal fitness goals.

The American College of Sports Medicine officially recognized this trend in its 2026 Worldwide Fitness Trends report. For the first time, Adult Recreation and Sport Clubs made the top 20, thanks to “a desire for social connection while exercising” (ACSM, 2025). The report also noted that group workouts work best when people are motivated by relationships rather than just performance.

Why Science Favors Group Exercise

Strava’s Year in Sport Trend Report, which looked at data from 135 million athletes in 190 countries, found that social connection is now the main reason people exercise, ahead of performance (Strava, 2024). In 2024, women made up 89% of new running club memberships worldwide.

The psychological research goes even deeper than the trend reports. A study in the International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology found that women who join group exercise classes are more active and develop a stronger sense of exercise identity, leading toward more consistent workouts (Golaszewski et al., 2022). Women in these groups also reported receiving all five types of social support measured, such as emotional, informational, and companionship support, while men reported four.

The idea of exercise identity is important. When women start to see themselves as active people, they are more likely to stick with it. Research in PLOS ONE found that being socially engaged in group exercise changes how people balance enjoyment and effort, which is tied to the brain’s reward systems that help keep us active (Losasso et al., 2021). Community fitness meets three key needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness, or the need to feel truly connected to others (Ryan and Deci, 2020). Traditional gyms often overlook the importance of sustained participation. According to a 2023 review in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, adherence to actual, unsupervised high-intensity interval training sessions averaged about 63 percent.

Top Social Fitness Trends for 2026

1. Pickleball: Pickleball is the best example of the social fitness trend. The Sports and Fitness Industry Association reports that the sport grew by 311% in three years, with 22.7 million Americans playing regularly by mid-2025. According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, women now make up 41 percent of all pickleball players. The sport’s popularity is driven by its smaller courts, fast-paced rallies, and simple rules that let newcomers start playing within an hour. But the real attraction is how the sport is set up. Organized leagues and drop-in games make it one of the easiest ways to join a fitness community. Most clubs welcome all skill levels and often offer dedicated beginner sessions, so even if you are new, there is a place for you on the court.
2. Rucking: GORUCK saw a 65% increase in pack sales from 2023 to 2024 (National Geographic, 2025). What sets rucking apart is the club culture, weekend groups, neighborhood walks, and charity events that turn it into a social activity rather than a solo workout. The pace is meant for conversation: you carry weight, walk together, and finish as a group. Studies show that this kind of group activity builds social bonds that help people stick with it over time (Losasso et al., 2021).
3. HYROX: HYROX, a hybrid race that mixes running with workout stations, is growing quickly across North America. Its real effect comes from the community that forms around a shared goal, not just the event’s intensity. Research shows that when group workouts meet people’s need to feel connected, motivation and well-being improve (Ryan and Deci, 2020). According to Urban Sports Club, 31% of members said they enjoy training with friends, and 36% reported that their membership helped them meet new people.

This shift from viewing fitness as a chore to adopting it as part of a social identity marks an important change. It is changing how women relate to exercise, shifting it away from punishment and toward joy and self-expression. Being part of a group helps women see themselves as active people, leading to lasting habits that willpower alone cannot (Golaszewski et al., 2022). Community is not just what brings women in, but it is what changes their behavior.

For women interested in joining this movement, taking the first step can be as simple as searching for local groups or clubs online, joining community fitness events, or asking friends or colleagues about nearby activities. Many organizations and social media platforms now make it easy to find group workouts and welcoming communities, no matter your experience level.

Protecting Your Body While Staying Active

Stay hydrated during physical activity, especially where it matters most. Your delicate intimate skin is highly susceptible to irritation caused by sweat and repetitive movement. This friction often results in lingering discomfort long after your workout ends. Protect your performance and your body with Mia Vita® Intimate Skin Moisturizer. Our Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin E formula creates a soothing barrier that eliminates chafing before it starts.

References

1. American College of Sports Medicine. (2025). ACSM’s worldwide survey of fitness trends for 2026. ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal. https://acsm.org/top-fitness-trends-2026/
2. Golaszewski, N. M., LaCroix, A. Z., Hooker, S. P., and Bartholomew, J. B. (2022). Group exercise membership is associated with forms of social support, exercise identity, and amount of physical activity. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 20(2), 630-643. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2021.1891121
3. Losasso, G. L., Shave, R., and Dyer, A. (2021). Social reward and support effects on exercise experiences and performance: Evidence from parkrun. PLOS ONE, 16(9), e0256546. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256546
4. National Geographic. (2025). What is rucking, and why is everyone doing it? https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/what-is-rucking
5. Ryan, R. M., and Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, Article 101860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860
6. Schmidt, J. A., Gruman, C., King, M. B., and Wolfson, L. I. (2022). Incorporating a sense of community in a group exercise intervention facilitates adherence. Health Behavior Research, 5(3), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.4148/2572-1836.1139
7. Sports and Fitness Industry Association. (2025). As pickleball continues unprecedented growth in every age group and region for third straight year. SFIA. https://sfia.org/resources/as-pickleball-continues-unprecedented-growth/
8. Strava. (2024). Year in sport: Trend report 2024. https://press.strava.com/articles/strava-releases-annual-year-in-sport-trend
9. Strokess. (2025). Playing pickleball in 2025: Surprising statistics. https://strokess.com/blogs/news/playing-pickleball-2025-surprising-statistics
10. Urban Sports Club. (2025). Group fitness wellness data report 2025. Urban Sports Club Research.