consumers

By Rieva Lesonsky

January is traditionally the month many Americans promise to get healthy in the coming year. And February is the month they usually break those vows. But that may be a thing of the past. According to new research from Mintel, 55% of Americans say they actually lived a healthier life in 2017 than in 2016. And 45% claim they’ve made dramatic changes to get healthy.

But, this could be a case of health being in the eye of the beholder. Nearly all consumers (90%) say their overall lifestyles are already “somewhat” or “very” healthy. While 76% consider eating a healthy diet and getting enough sleep to be a part of a healthy lifestyle, only 52% regularly do either.

The same pattern holds true when it comes to exercise. Only 53% of consumers exercise regularly, even though 74% say regular exercise is part of living a healthy life. About 13% of consumers strictly adhere to following a healthy lifestyle.

So, what’s the reason for the disconnect? Why can’t consumers stick to their vows to be healthy? Many say they’re just not motivated to keep up with exercise (50%) or eat healthy (48%). Another reason—lack of time—is why 32% of consumers don’t exercise and why 25% don’t eat healthy.

Cost is the final factor with 40% of consumers saying healthy food is too expensive and 16% saying exercising costs too much.

For those who do lead healthy lives, 78% say “balance” is the key. They make healthy choices and partake in “small indulgences.”

So how can small business owners take advantage of these trends? Gina Cavato, Lifestyles and Leisure Analyst at Mintel, says, “Adults are more likely to associate healthy living with…quantifiable health habits, which may in part be due to advances in technology as it continues to play an important role in the way consumers are able to monitor and track their health.”

Business ideas targeting healthy consumers

There are a number of products you can sell to help consumers do just that.

Fitness trackers in different styles and colors are available from numerous suppliers on Alibaba.com. come in many forms.

You can appeal to those who say they don’t have time to go to a gym, by selling them fitness equipment that’s gym-worthy, but designed for the home. If you’re thinking bigger—maybe by opening your own gym—there’s a lot of equipment available at Alibaba.com to stock your facility.

If you’re thinking about something more mellow, such as a yoga studio, you can find yoga gear here.

And of course, so many consumers, whether they work out or not, love to buy workout clothing.

And whether you’re looking to find fitness equipment, clothing or accessories, this is a perfect time to try the new Source Now widget (available for use with Google’s Chrome browser). It takes the pain out of finding suppliers.