• Love Island’s first week alone saw 52% more online searches for gym sign-ups than during any other average week in the UK
• A whopping 114% more 18-24 year-olds searched for ‘workout plans’ in the show’s first week, compared to the week before it aired
•However, the show has also encouraged many to champion more representative body types that are not seen in the show

Searches for gym memberships, healthy foods and workout plans have surged since the start of ITV2’s flagship reality dating show Love Island, online retailer SportsShoes.com has revealed.

With a large portion of their social following talking about Love Island, Sportsshoes.com have investigated the effect the hit show is having on our motivations behind keeping fit. The effect is bigger than many might have predicted, as it inspired 52% more Brits to search for gym memberships during its very first week of airing in 2018, than during an average week.

Additionally, 66% more millennials performed searches around healthy eating plans in the first month of Love Island, than in the month before the show started it’s nightly run.
It was even revealed that many are bringing the show with them to the gym, to fuel their motivation. Admitting that they now watch the show whilst working out.

The show has undeniably been a source of inspiration for many to get in the gym and kickstart a fitness regime, with many viewers claiming that watching from the sofa instead leaves them feeling guilty about their fitness levels.

The report also revealed an opposing reaction to the majority of the contestants and their toned bodies. Whilst some viewers have taken the Islander’s fit physiques as inspiration to workout, other viewers have used Jack (arguably the most anti-gym contestant) and his enduring popularity, to celebrate a wider, more recognisable set of body types.

Fitness ambassador for SportsShoes.com George Pearce feels that whether you’re a fan of Love Island or not, when you kickstart a fitness plan, it should be one that is sustainable, has the right balance, right goals and isn’t centred on vanity alone:

“On the one hand, it's great that people are watching a show and taking inspiration from it to lead a fitter life, by getting themselves down to the gym and becoming healthier in the process. As a fitness professional though, my interest in the nation's health extends beyond wash board abs. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that this is the case for the show.

With the findings in mind, I'm inclined to ask whether people are trying to incorporate fitness into their lives as a way of moving and feeling better? Is their interest about pushing themselves to develop new skills and build new friendships through exercise? Or are they more self-shaming in their approach? Are people punishing themselves to workout, because they don't resemble the ‘body beautiful’ image they're presented with on their screens?

I fear that these shows may lead to an increasingly persecutory approach to exercise, one that has the potential to do far more damage than good, especially in regard to mental health. When a reality show is at its best, it's able to reflect back to us lessons about the real world. I question the impact of the Love Island fantasy on our physical and mental wellbeing. We should always be placing good health much higher than vanity when it comes to our fitness. It’s great to join a gym or start a fitness plan, but it shouldn’t be done simply because the TV has made you feel like you should”.

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Richard Paul – richard@propellernet.co.uk
Stephanie Finch – stephanie@propellernet.co.uk
Alex Jones – alex@propellernet.co.uk

Notes to editors:

Research conducted in July 2018, using consumer insights tool Hitwise.

Full findings available upon request, including:

• The first week of Love Island saw 52% more searches for gyms and gym sign ups than an average week in the UK
• The first week of Love Island saw 70% more searches for workout plans than an average week in the UK
• 114% more 18-24 year-olds performed a search around ‘workout plans’ in the first week of Love Island, compared to the week before the show started.
• 66% more 25-34 year-olds performed a search around ‘healthy eating’ in the four weeks of Love Island, compared to the four week before the show started.