Published on November 24, 2024, 6:40 pm
As we evolve into a society that values health and wellness more than ever, fitness centers across the United States are experiencing a surge in popularity. The year 2023 saw an unprecedented 72.9 million Americans joining gyms, representing nearly one quarter (23.7%) of the population aged six years and above, as stated in data collected by the Health & Fitness Association (HFA). This growth trend and its implications are extensively analyzed in HFA’s 2024 U.S. Health & Fitness Consumer Report.
This comprehensive report shines a light on American consumers who avail services at health and fitness facilities. It meticulously studies various factors such as membership growth based on facility type, demographic distribution, attendance frequency, tenure of members at these facilities, equipment usage, participation rates in activities and personal or small group training preferences.
The insights compiled in the report derive from a large-scale online study conducted by Sports Marketing Surveys USA (SMS), jointly with the Physical Activity Council (PAC) in 2023 which included feedback from 18,000 individuals nationwide aged six years and over.
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An overwhelming annual growth of members at fitness facilities marked an increase of 5.8%, demonstrating the most considerable growth since 2017. This upward trend reflected broadly across all types of institutions including fitness-only gyms, multipurpose centers and boutique studios. Furthermore, it wasn’t just paying members driving this growth; overall facility usage rose by an impressive rate of 9.7% year-on-year to reach an astonishing total of 90.7 million users encompassing both members and non-members alike.
With people beginning to comprehend the critical importance of physical fitness for overall wellbeing both mentally and physically, HFA President & CEO Liz Clark attributes last year’s exponential growth to this enhanced awareness among Americans.
Moreover, regular visitor counts at fitness centers increased for the third consecutive year, with an average member reportedly attending their preferred institution 81 times in the year 2023. This is a significant rise from 78 visits in 2022 and 72 visits in 2021. However, despite these increasing numbers, overall attendance still falls short of the record set in 2019 where members averaged an enviable count of 119 annual visits to fitness facilities.
This increasing inclination towards fitness benchmarks not only a positive shift towards healthier lifestyles among Americans but also illustrates a promising future for businesses within the health and wellness industry like Hair Salons, Barber Shops, Day Spas, Med Spas, Skin and Face Spa services, Nail Salons, Fitness Centers and Tanning Studios—as well as diverse alternative wellness therapies that include Pet Grooming, Float Therapy and Cryotherapy. In these dynamic times of change towards enlightened self-care routines underscored by adequate hydration lifestyle choices—are becoming increasingly central to American lives.