The fastest-growing workout of 2024 pulled a bit of a Tonya Harding on the competition.
While it wasn’t the most-booked exercise on ClassPass — that honor goes to Pilates, which users did 84% more than in 2023 — ice skating some a massive booking boost this year, with reservations rising by 698%
According to the app’s year-end report, “community-centric activities” and team sports saw a rise in popularity this year.
Ice skating was the most dramatic of all, growing by 698%. As a workout, it targets muscles all over the body, and despite freezing temps, it can certainly work up a sweat.
“Skaters exercise almost all body muscles,” fitness expert Nataly Komova told Woman & Home. “This is partly because of the synchronized leg movement that happens while you skate, which in the long run, boosts joint flexibility. It’s also good for the heart as the movement and exertion improve your circulation and your heart rate.”
Peter Zapalo, the director of sports science and medicine for US Figure Skating, agrees.
“It has cardiovascular benefits as it trains both your aerobic and anaerobic systems, and it’s a fantastic overall body challenge to your core, your balance, your coordination, and your posterior chain,” he told Vogue.
“Also: Skaters have great butts,” he added.
“But the really cool thing is that [the sport] trains total body proprioception—the ability to sense your own body’s position, motion, and equilibrium.”
As for other rising trends, volleyball also spiked by 256%, while soccer went up 158% since last year, all of which ClassPass attributes to Olympic excitement over the summer as well as anticipation of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
But though all three sports were booked much more than usual, they still couldn’t compete with the top exercises done by app users.
Following Pilates in the number one spot — for the second year in a row — were yoga, strength training, cycling, barre, boxing, general “gym time,” running, dance and low-impact training.
ClassPass also measured when people are working out. Tuesday was the most popular day of the week, followed by Wednesday, Monday and Thursday, as most people got their sweat time in during the workweek.
It may be so surprise that users were more likely to take a break over the weekend, with Sunday being the least popular day for a workout. There was a peak in reservations right after work at 5:30 pm.
The report notes that these trends are for the period of October 2023 to October 2024.
