Classpass just released their wellness and fitness trend report and in it they define changes happening across their ginormous user base of fitness lovers. Will people continue to workout from home? Or are they springing back to studios and gyms as quickly as we imagine? The answer is, of course, mixed as most of us continue to test new schedules and strategies in our work from home life or navigate our way back into office life.

Here are our top 5 interesting findings in the report after a historically disruptive year for studios, gyms – and waistlines! – everywhere…

trend One: Class Is In Session Obviously, IRL experiences are back — and here to stay. Classpass reports that 9 out of 10 services and classes booked are now in-person. Not only that, according to ClassPass, users who have returned to class, are attending an average 10% more often than before the pandemic. The increased frequency makes sense — so many of us broke with our routines or missed the classes we loved most. More than a few of us are trying to make up for lost time — and lost muscle mass. Another factor in the rise in frequency of bookings are Classpass’ spa and beauty offerings. No doubt, those who are returning to their yoga studio are also seeing a hairdresser for the first time in over a year.

Digital classes have dropped significantly in the rankings — only Livestream Yoga remains in Classpass top 10 most-booked classes.

trend two: the return of human Touch For the first time ever, massage is one of the top 10 reservation types on ClassPass. There was much chatter throughout 2020 about the mental and physical impact of the sudden reduction in human contact and simple touch. That, and one of the most weirdly stressful years on record for some, has us believing this stat with little doubt.

trend three: Strength training classes reign Strength training is now the most-booked class type on Classpass. During the pandemic, many spinning, yoga and running enthusiasts were able to find at-home solutions, whether that meant joining online apps or picking up a new Peleton. Strength training, however, is harder for most of us to pull off at home, requiring access to a variety of heavy duty gear that most of us don’t have at home. This trend in class bookings likely represents the need for access to professional equipment and larger scale spaces.

The report also notes that strength training participants are also the most likely users to book massage!

trend three: Workout Buddies Working out with a friend is a clear trend in 2021 — and perhaps our favorite learning from this year’s trend report.

There has been a 64% increase in people inviting their friends to class since the start of the year (January 2021), and May saw the highest volume of people inviting friends to class since pre-shutdown.

The endorphin rush of that first hug with a good friend, followed by a sweaty workout? That’s how we want to feel all year long.

trend four: Hitting the Gym After Work The ‘after-work’ class is apparently back on our calendars: 5:30 p.m. has just made a comeback as the time we are most likely to break a sweat which we find quite interesting. Are many of us simply craving the comfort of old routines? Are more of us headed back to physical office spaces than we’d imagined?

According to Bloomberg, only 28% of U.S. office workers have returned to their physical place of work. And as many as 39% of people surveyed responded that they would first quit their jobs before returning to the office.

trend five: wax on No surprise here, but searches for wax services are up 700%+ compared to June 2020. If there was ever a strong sign of a hot girl summer, this is it. (And, yes, Classpass offers spa and beauty appointments too!)

Trend six: back-to-back Bookings Naturally, Classpass users book multiple services — that’s what the business is all about: providing fitness-lovers with options. But we found these specific trends interesting: according to the report, people who book boxing classes are most likely to then book cryotherapy and yoga. (We know that girl well!) Those who book pilates classes are most likely to then book barre classes and manicure appointments. As for the baddies booking all those strength training classes? They’re most likely to book yoga, pilates or cycling right after their first class!