In Danish gyms, larger groups of young people are gathering around the machines, talking loudly and spending more time on their phones and each other than on the workout — to the irritation of other members. But underneath the irritation sits a sign of something bigger. Youth researcher Søren Østergaard calls the gym ‘Denmark’s largest youth club.’ New figures from Statistics Denmark show fitness is now the preferred form of exercise among 16-34-year-olds — ahead of the club and association life that used to come first.
What is interesting is that the training room has changed function. It is no longer only a place you go to train, but a place you meet — for the boys in particular, a natural extension of the street-corner communities of earlier generations. Both the chain SATS and one of the quoted members argue the answer is not a higher age limit but clearer expectations and better supervision.
So…:
A space can change function before anyone decides it. What do people actually use your offering for — beyond what you think you’re selling?
Source: nyheder.tv2.dk
Picture: San Francisco Foghorn / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)