With traditional forms of communal worship on hold, spiritual connection is somewhat more difficult. To seamlessly integrate religion into their daily lives, some people are turning to online fitness platforms, whose workouts give them the devotion they crave. We explore the insights behind the integration of religious ritual and community in the virtual fitness space.
From church consultants advising on movement programs to organizations like FaithFully fit training religious fitness instructors, the fitness-meets-faith industry is growing during the pandemic. One such company, SoulCore, has 150 instructors in over 30 US states and has witnessed a 50% increase in membership over six weeks of lockdown. Similarly, Ramadan bootcamps, Christian detox diets, and religious CrossFit communities are also riding a wave of success and developing their own virtual streaming services and subscriptions for religious followers during the pandemic.
The move towards virtual ritual comes at a time of wider religious makeover as younger generations look to modernize religious practice. Indeed, roughly half of Americans aged 13-36 believe that organized religion is a thing of the past. “Our society is changing. We need to be able to respond to the expectations and needs of this generation,” says Cambria Tortorelli, a parish director from California.
And the lockdown is accelerating this shift: Labbaik is providing worshippers with virtual tours of Mecca, while Instagram is helping Muslims celebrate Ramadan online. And even though many places of worship have had to temporarily shut their doors, 24% of American adults say their faith has become 'stronger' because of the pandemic.
Increasingly, people are becoming open to different ways of engaging with their spirituality, whether that's through engaging with online influencers like Summer Mckeen or visiting 'prayer pitstops' to worship on-the-go. And with people placing more importance on the mental health benefits of fitness, workouts with a spiritual slant could be a smart touchpoint for spiritual communities.
Matilda Ruck is a Junior Behavioural Analyst at Canvas8. She has a degree in Politics and Philosophy as well as a foundation in psychotherapy and is passionate about exploring the interplay between creativity, psychology and culture. Outside of work, you can find her writing short stories, tending to her ginger cat Thomas O’Malley or oscillating between yoga and karaoke practice.
