Fitness Centers NAICS 713940

Aug 28, 2025 - Affordability Concerns Driving Traffic to Budget Gyms: HFA

• According to data from a new Health & Fitness Association Fitness Industry Tracker (FIT), gym visits rose 3.5% in the first half of 2025 year over year, with budget-focused gyms leading growth. Monthly visits per user climbed 1.4% year over year. The growth in both total visits and monthly visits per user points to a trend of more Americans incorporating facility-based workouts regularly into their routines. The best performing categories were High Value, Low Price (HVLP) facilities, which saw a 3.8% increase in total visits as consumers choose affordability amid economic pressures, and mid-priced gyms, with a 3.7% increase in total visits. Meanwhile, luxury gyms saw a 0.9% decline in average visits during the period year over year, while boutique studios posted an increase of 0.8% in total visits. The FIT Tracker reports foot traffic at nearly 11,000 fitness facilities nationwide, representing about a fifth of all commercial fitness locations.
• Labor costs continued to grow for fitness centers in June 2025, according to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Average wages at fitness centers increased 2.7% in June 2025 year over year, reaching $21.02 an hour for nonsupervisory employees. In the past decade, average wages in fitness centers increased 64%, higher than the 49.2% growth in overall private nonsupervisory employee wages. Employment by fitness services grew 1.1% in June 2025 compared to a year ago. Fitness services are monitoring pricing pressures resulting from an uncertain economic environment. Producer inflation for fitness and recreational sports centers increased 7.5% in July 2025 compared to a year ago. The Consumer Price Index for club memberships increased 4.2% in July 2025 compared to a year ago, per the BLS.

• Indicators measuring the collective mood of US consumers show mixed signals, with consumer confidence levels slightly up and consumer sentiment falling. Consumer confidence levels, an indicator of discretionary expenditures, improved in July 2025, month over month, rising by 2 points, according to the Consumer Confidence Index. Consumer confidence levels have stabilized since May but remain lower than last year’s, according to The Conference Board, which publishes the monthly index. July’s gain can be attributed to consumers over 35 years old and shared across all income groups, except the lowest income group earning below $15K. In addition, the consumer sentiment index from the University of Michigan dropped in August 2025 for the first time in four months. The index fell to 58.6 in preliminary August data from 61.7 in July. Year-ahead inflation expectation results were higher monthly, as consumers convey lingering anxiety about prices amid tariff impacts. The index serves as a predictor of consumer spending as it indicates consumers’ perception of their financial prospects and the broader economy.
• According to Club Solutions, the US Court of Appeals has struck down an FTC rule that the fitness industry had fought against. The “Click -to-Cancel” rule was set to go into effect in July 2025. The rule would have required companies to let consumers cancel subscriptions, such as gym memberships, through the same method they used to sign up. The court made its decision after finding procedural mistakes during the FTC’s rule-making process. The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) had protested the rule, stating that the rule was vague and would have resulted in costly system overhauls, contract restructuring, and potential legal exposure for the fitness industry. The HFA said it supports fair and transparent cancellation policies but not broad federal mandates. The organization said it would remain involved if the FTC revisits the issue.