Whenever I top the leaderboard at Orangetheory, I post the victory to Instagram Stories with the same caption: "My midlife crisis is going great!" It's the most mortifying collection of words I've ever written, but it's my truth.
Midlife crises aren't universal—they require a baseline of financial and personal stability to afford a life-altering obsession. But now, firmly in my mid-40s, I've watched my peers greet this decade in specific ways.
Social media categorizes millennial midlife crises into four varieties: spiritual (ayahuasca, near-death experiences, astrology), relational (divorce, polyamory), material (classic sports cars or boats), and physical (marathons, powerlifting, Orangetheory brags).
I can't speak to the first three, but I can explain why so many of us are spending time and money on punishing fitness competitions like Hyrox, where the average athlete is a 35-year-old woman.
The pandemic hit just as we crest into peak adulthood, forcing us to confront mortality. That drove many to adopt healthier habits. In 2024, about 50% of Americans aged 35 to 49 met CDC guidelines for aerobic activity—running, walking, or swimming—above the average for all generations.
While exact comparisons with Gen X and boomers are tricky due to age grouping, other data shows millennials are deeply into working out. Obstacle course races like Tough Mudder and Spartan Race are booming, marathon demand is rising, and millennials spend a higher share of their money on wellness than older generations.