Fitness Centers
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 31,100 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.
Industry size & Structure
A typical fitness center operates out of a single location, employs about 12 workers, and generates about $954,000 annually.
- The fitness center industry consists of 31,100 companies that employ about 466,900 workers and generate $36 billion annually.
- The industry includes independently-owned centers, chains, and franchises.
- Large companies include 24 Hour Fitness, Gold's Gym (TRT Holdings), Life Time Fitness, and Town Sports International.
- There were around 64.2 million members of health clubs in the US in 2019, according to the IHSRA.
Industry Forecast
Fitness Centers Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Mar 13, 2023 - Foot Traffic Strong at Fitness Centers
- Fitness centers are continuing a strong growth pace as consumers return to the gym for their fitness fixes, according to Placer.ai’s “Five Retail & Service Categories Holding onto Pandemic Gains in 2023” report. According to Placer.ai data, fitness foot traffic in 2022 exceeded pre-pandemic 2019’s numbers. In December 2022, the fitness category had 19.3% more visits than in December 2019 and 17.5% more than in December 2021. January 2023’s visits were also higher than year-over-year and year-over-three-years figures. The report states, “With the increase in consumer awareness around health and wellness since the pandemic, there is every reason to believe that the fitness category will continue to thrive in the year ahead.”
- According to Club Solutions Magazine, more gyms are investing in pickleball offerings to capitalize on the sport's popularity in the US. The sport has been named the fastest growing in the US for three years in a row, with participation in pickleball nearly doubling in 2022, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Luxury fitness chain Life Time has committed to the sport, constructing indoor and outdoor pickleball courts at a rate of five new permanent courts a week. The company now has 500 courts in place and projects the figure will climb to 1,000 by the end of 2024. The Little Rock Athletic Club in Arkansas said it plans to invest in and build a large pickleball facility, and The Houstonian in Texas said it is building an outdoor pickleball facility that will feature eight standalone courts and food and beverage offerings.
- Nike has started offering 30 hours of trainer-led fitness content on Netflix, according to a report in Club Industry. Nike will make more than 90 Nike Training Club workout videos available to Netflix’s more than 220 million subscribers. Launched on December 30, 2022, the training programs cater to all fitness levels and include “Kickstart Fitness with the Basics,” “Two Weeks to a Stronger Core,” “Fall in Love with Vinyasa Yoga,” “HIT & Strength with Tara,” and “Feel-Good Fitness.” Netflix subscribers can select their workouts by type or duration, and Netflix will offer Nike programming in 10 languages. Additional Nike fitness classes will launch on Netflix throughout 2023. Previously, Netflix had minimal fitness content available to subscribers.
- Tennis participation in the US grew by a million players in 2022, climbing to more than 23.6 million participants in 2022, according to data from the US Tennis Association (USTA) reported in Club Industry. Since 2020, tennis participation has grown by 33%, or 5.9 million people. The USTA awarded more than $750,000 to some 45 projects in 2022 and worked with 100 facilities to provide technical assistance to build or refurbish courts at tennis facilities and public parks. The USTA League, the nation’s largest adult tennis league, grew by 11% in 2022, with 284,000 unique participants competing throughout the year. According to USTA Chairman of the Board and President Brian Hainline, “The increase in tennis participation for the third year in a row is not only important for the health of our sport, but also for the health and well-being of those who have made the game a part of their lives.”
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