Fitness Centers

The 33,200 fitness centers in the US provide exercise equipment, classes, and services that allow members to improve their physical fitness. The main source of fitness center revenue is membership fees. Fitness centers also generate revenue by providing athletic instruction, admission fees for non-member usage, and food and beverage. The industry includes independently-owned centers, chains, and franchises.

Seasonality of Demand

Most fitness centers experience higher membership growth right after the winter holidays, when many people resolve to lose weight or exercise more.

Membership Attrition

Maintaining a strong membership base can be a challenge for fitness centers.

Sep 10, 2026 - New Connecticut Rules Tighten Gym Renewal Practices

• Connecticut’s updated automatic-renewal law makes gym memberships easier to cancel by requiring online cancellation for online sign-ups and one-business-day processing of qualifying voicemail requests, according to a Health & Fitness Association report. Those changes could raise churn while forcing operators to tighten cancellation workflows and member-retention efforts. Fitness centers must also send annual renewal reminders, avoid obstructing or delaying cancellations, and maintain accessible cancellation channels. Since July 1, gyms have needed to update membership agreements, websites, billing systems, staff procedures, and voicemail monitoring. For the industry, the rules place more pressure on retention, service quality, and member engagement rather than relying on automatic renewals or difficult cancellation processes. Similar state laws could also increase compliance complexity for multi-state fitness chains.
• Weakening consumer confidence in August points to a cautious outlook for US fitness centers, where memberships and add-on services can be trimmed when household budgets tighten. The University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment fell 6.3% from July to 51.7 and was 11.2% below a year earlier, suggesting greater sensitivity to membership fees, personal training and boutique-style services. Separately, The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index slipped to 89.4 from 90.2 in July. Its Present Situation Index improved to 121.2, but the Expectations Index fell to 68.2 as consumers grew more pessimistic about jobs, incomes and business conditions. For operators, weaker confidence could favor lower-cost memberships and flexible plans while increasing pressure on retention, ancillary spending, and pricing.
• Life Time’s Q2 2026 results point to a healthy outlook for the US fitness center industry, particularly the premium segment. Revenue rose 13.7%, comparable-center revenue increased 9.1%, and adjusted EBITDA grew 16.8%, reflecting strong pricing, favorable membership mix, and higher spending on services such as personal training and spa offerings. Average monthly dues increased 12.3%, suggesting consumers remain willing to pay for differentiated, high-quality fitness experiences. Life Time also raised its 2026 outlook and plans significant club expansion, with seven openings in Q4 2026 and 12 to 14 more in 2027. For the broader industry, this supports continued investment in premium clubs, specialized programming, and ancillary wellness services. The shift away from paid digital subscriptions also suggests that in-person fitness, supported by technology rather than replaced by it, remains the industry's primary growth engine.
• US fitness-facility traffic stabilized in July 2026, suggesting the industry is maintaining participation despite softer spring trends, according to a monthly FIT Tracker report by The Health & Fitness Association. Overall visits per location rose 0.1% year over year, while June to July combined traffic was up 1.1%. Boutique studios remain the strongest segment, with July visits up 3.3% and year-to-date gains across eight of nine Census divisions, indicating broad demand for specialized, experience-driven fitness formats. HVLP and mid-priced gyms also remain resilient, with July visitation 24% and 7% above 2019 levels, respectively, and both at record July readings. For the industry, the data point to a stable demand backdrop with growth concentrated in studios, while low-cost and mid-priced operators continue to benefit from durable traffic. This supports continued investment in differentiated programming, convenience, and value-oriented memberships.

Industry size & Structure

A typical fitness center operates out of a single location, employs about 20 workers, and generates about $1.2 million annually.

• The fitness center industry consists of 33,200 companies that employ about 652,000 workers and generate $38.7 billion annually.
• The industry includes independently-owned centers, chains, and franchises.
• Large companies include 24 Hour Fitness, Gold's Gym, Life Time Fitness, and New York Sports Clubs.
• There were around 81 million members of health clubs in the US in 2025, according to the Health & Fitness Association.