What members expect from a gym or studio keeps moving. The owners who do well are the ones who notice the shift early and adjust their timetable, pricing and service to match. Here are six trends we see across the studios, gyms and wellness centres we work with, and what each one means for you.
1. Strength training goes mainstream
Lifting is no longer just for bodybuilders. More members, including many women and older adults, want to get stronger rather than just burn calories.
What it means for you: add strength-focused group classes and small-group training, and make sure your coaches can teach good technique to beginners.
2. Small, premium formats keep growing
Reformer Pilates, small-group strength and other boutique formats are popular because they feel personal. Members are happy to pay more for a smaller class with real coaching.
What it means for you: cap class sizes, price them as premium, and use waitlists so every spot is filled when someone cancels.
3. Recovery joins the workout
Stretching, mobility, massage and other recovery services are becoming part of a normal fitness routine. The line between a gym and a wellness centre is getting thinner.
What it means for you: consider adding recovery sessions or appointments alongside your classes, and sell them as packages so members come back.
4. Community is the product
People stay where they feel they belong. Challenges, social events and familiar faces at the same class each week keep members around far longer than equipment does.
What it means for you: celebrate milestones, run monthly challenges, reward loyalty and give members easy ways to bring a friend.
5. Members expect to do everything on their phone
Booking, paying, cancelling and checking in are expected to take a few taps. Many members now prefer cards and e-wallets to cash or bank transfers.
What it means for you: offer app booking, online payments and self check-in. Every task a member can do themselves is one less message for your front desk.
6. Owners run on data, not gut feel
The best-run studios know which classes fill, which time slots are quiet and which members are drifting away. They change the timetable and pricing based on real numbers.
What it means for you: review attendance and revenue reports every month, and act on them: move quiet classes, add sessions where waitlists build up and reach out to members who have gone quiet.
Keep up with your members on Fitnow
- Waitlists, class caps and premium class packs
- Appointments and packages for recovery and wellness services
- Loyalty points, referrals and member messaging
- App booking, online payments and attendance reports
