Fitness Industry Future: Is Your Business Fit for What’s To Come?

Finding the right fitness niche for your gym is crucial for standing out in a competitive market. Specializing helps you attract a dedicated member base seeking specific workouts, such as strength training, yoga, or functional fitness. A well-defined niche helps tailor marketing strategies, boost member experience, and build a strong community.

In this thought leadership piece, we discuss the fitness industry’s future and provide guidance on how to foster loyalty, drive engagement, and ensure long-term success at your gym in 2024 and beyond.

The Future of the Fitness Industry

The future of the fitness industry is incredibly promising. The U.S. fitness market alone is predicted to be worth $125 billion by 2024, showcasing radical growth since 2018. The booming fitness industry can be attributed to increased access to gyms, home equipment, and fitness education. More people now understand the health benefits of exercise, a shift driven by greater awareness and resources.

As urbanization continues, physical fitness has become less integrated into daily life, making dedicated fitness activities more essential. Personal experiences, like starting weightlifting at a young age, highlight how fitness culture has evolved.

Historically, access to physical education was limited, particularly by gender, but today, more people have opportunities to engage in fitness activities. This widespread access and education are central drivers of the industry's expansion, promising a future where fitness is more accessible and valued by all.

Moreover, research has also highlighted the many health benefits of getting fit. A natural next step would be to bring fitness and healing together.

Combining Fitness and Medicine

Recently, the fitness industry has excelled at sharing the many advantages of good health and the concept of exercise as medicine with a diverse audience. Fitness is also becoming increasingly intertwined with medicine, particularly in more urban areas.

This trend sees gyms and gym chains integrating medical clinics where doctors provide personalized health plans, including blood work, exercise prescriptions, specific diets, and supplements. While this hyper-personalized approach comes at a premium — sometimes costing up to $1,000 a month — it reflects a significant shift towards merging fitness and healthcare.

The rise of medical fitness facilities highlights the growing recognition of exercise as a vital component of overall health. Hyper-personalization in fitness offers tailored solutions that maximize individual health benefits, making the future of fitness both innovative and promising.

The latest fitness trends reflect a shift from labor-intensive activities to a culture where fitness is a lifestyle choice across generations. Baby boomers, aiming for mobility and longevity, invest time and money in fitness. Meanwhile, Gen Z finds the gym a trendy hangout spot, thanks in part to social media making fitness attire fashionable. This broad appeal and cultural shift highlight a growing, diverse engagement in fitness activities.

And when we’re talking about Gen Z, technology becomes an inevitable part of the discussion.

Digital Fitness and Well-Being

Future development of the fitness industry hinges on understanding and adapting to generational preferences. Each generation has unique fitness needs and trends, contributing to the industry's booming growth.

As society battles obesity, increasing fitness participation is crucial. A notable shift is towards digital fitness and holistic well-being, especially since COVID-19. The pandemic underscored the importance of mental and physical health, prompting gyms to expand beyond physical workouts to embrace overall well-being. Some gyms transitioned from asking about "fitness goals" to "health and wellness goals," reflecting this comprehensive approach.

The social aspect of fitness, sorely missed during lockdowns, is also vital. Digital platforms offered a temporary solution, but the return to shared physical spaces highlights the importance of human connection. Fitness facilities should cater to the whole person, incorporating diverse elements of health — from mental wellness to physical achievements — to truly support their members' overall health and well-being.

Implementing Wellness Programs

An excellent way to promote wellness is to offer more than just physical workouts; gyms need to provide mental and holistic health services, too. Andy Peat, CEO of Fitness On Demand, sits down with Dr. Steve Boring, Fitness Director of Rochester Athletic Club, who describes how they’ve incorporated various recovery tools, wellness coaches, and even a member connection specialist to guide new members.

Yoga's timeless appeal now attracts diverse participants, making it an excellent addition to fitness class schedules for gyms seeking a more inclusive environment. For a holistic approach, gyms should also consider adding recovery products like Thera guns and massage therapists.

For smaller facilities, simple yet effective changes like incorporating more stretching sessions and fitness challenges can make a big difference. These initiatives foster a sense of community and help members focus on their overall well-being, not just physical fitness.

Fitness challenges linked to donations to mental health services or charities can also motivate members and enhance their mental and physical health. Ultimately, investing in staff and listening to members' needs is vital to promoting holistic wellness and maintaining a thriving fitness community.

Harnessing Technology in Fitness

Fitness On Demand is an industry leader in embracing digital transformation. From the moment members step into a gym equipped with virtual fitness solutions like Fitness On Demand, they experience cutting-edge tech.

The latest software can power electronic IDs, allowing members to access the facility, secure their lockers, and even connect to cardio equipment. This single sign-on approach makes life significantly easier for even technologically challenged members.

Fitness On Demand's digital platform also provides flexibility for busy members to fit workouts into their tight schedules. This lets people pick their favorite workouts anytime and serves as an insurance policy for live classes to maintain continuity if an instructor is unavailable.

Innovations like at-home body scanning through the app continue delivering cutting-edge fitness solutions for convenience and personalized guidance. The return on investment for tech like body scanners can vary, but understanding their unique value is essential. Embracing technology and integrating it thoughtfully is key to transforming your facility while enhancing both member experience and business success.

Engaging Diverse Demographics

Product offerings vary by demographic and geography. In smaller towns, gyms may have an older membership base as younger people move out, while urban areas typically attract a younger crowd. Understanding your demographics is vital. The Fitness On Demand management platform even shows demographic breakdowns, aiding future decision-making.

Healthy aging should become everyone’s focus as the 55+ demographic grows. Social interaction is vital for this group. For example, the Rochester Athletic Club (RAC) offers aqua classes and specialized classes like "Strong Bones" to promote strength and combat osteoporosis. Providing small, digestible health tips from professionals is popular, and word-of-mouth has helped these classes grow.

Strength training, especially among women, is another transformative fitness trend. To cater to this demand, ensure adequate strength training equipment and spaces. Prepare for future fitness industry trends by considering what younger demographics are interested in, as they are your future members. Ensure your gym is accessible to a broad audience by offering offsite classes to engage the community and attract new members.

Understanding member needs and delivering personalized experiences based on fitness levels are crucial for blending technology with human expertise. This will promote member satisfaction and place your facility at the forefront of industry innovation.

Maximizing Member Retention

Retention should be the most important metric of any thriving fitness center. A good place to start is by integrating tech products that augment user interaction and satisfaction. This helps build long-term loyalty and strengthen your market position, making it difficult for competitors to match your offerings.

The goal is to create a frictionless experience, from programming workouts to making purchases without a wallet. For example, the Rochester Athletic Club offers digital services like e-gyms and body scans as part of their membership to prioritize member convenience and engagement.

Another great practice is personalizing each new member's experience, starting with automated welcome emails and complimentary personal training sessions. Your team can then customize the member experience based on individual fitness goals, injuries, and hobbies by matching members with the right personal trainers.

Personalization in technology and social interactions fosters community and retention. For example, boutique fitness studios offer specialized, high-quality workout experiences like yoga, Pilates, cycling, or HIIT in intimate or customized settings.

Balancing traditional fitness elements with modern technologies can keep your fitness facility relevant while catering to diverse member needs.

Fitness Gamification and Data

When building custom apps for gyms, don't start from scratch — use and customize existing solutions like Fitness On Demand. And focus on meaningful integrations, such as pulling data from Apple Health, to offer tangible benefits.

At some facilities, members earn credits for closing Apple rings or visiting the gym, thus adding real value. Fitness tracking systems can be made more engaging through a points system, appealing to people with active lifestyles. Facilities should think creatively about these integrations, like running challenges based on calories burned or workouts completed, with prizes for motivation.

Inclusive, gamified approaches attract and engage more users, from competitions to holiday-themed challenges. While wearable technologies like fitness trackers dominate, members expect seamless tech integration but still need human guidance to interpret fitness data effectively, enhancing their overall gym experience.

Future Innovations and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Fitness

In the coming decade, AI will significantly impact both member experience and business operations in the fitness industry. For members, AI will offer hyper-personalized programming, adjusting workouts based on individual recovery needs. On the business side, AI will interpret member data to identify preferences and predict cancellations.

Despite AI's personalization and programming capabilities, members still need to engage physically. The fitness industry will always require human instructors to deliver the best experiences, with AI enhancing, not replacing, human interaction. AI is a tool to attract new members and strengthen existing services, with face-to-face engagement remaining central.

The Fitness On Demand app includes a new AI nutrition feature that allows users to track nutrition and biometrics on their smartphones.

Get in Shape With Fitness On Demand

Fitness On Demand is a versatile solution for fitness and studio spaces that provides high-quality digital fitness content that users can access anytime, anywhere, whether in dedicated fitness areas or on their personal devices.

If you’d like to learn more about how we operate or what your experience would be like, schedule a demo today to discover how Fitness On Demand can enhance your members' fitness and well-being and your business's bottom line.