Industry partners have had a lot to contend with this year, including tariffs, weakening economic conditions in some regions, and evolving consumer preferences that continue to shift.

This year’s Buyer’s Guide will try to bring some clarity to the situation by utilizing HFA research. First, the good news: According to the 2025 US Health & Fitness Consumer Report: Expanded Insights, aggregate fitness facility memberships reached a historic high of 104.7 million in 2024, growing 3.9% year-over-year.

However, beneath this headline lies significant demographic segmentation, much of it separated by facility model.

• Studios and corporate gyms continue to attract younger members with average ages of 30-32, while fitness-only clubs skew considerably older at 42, with 44% of members aged 45 or above.

• Gender patterns also diverged by facility type. While overall gender balance remains even at 51.5% male, studios became increasingly female-driven (53.6%), while multipurpose facilities trended male (62.1%).

• Studios and corporate gyms also demonstrated greater racial and ethnic diversity, with Hispanic membership reaching 22% at corporate facilities and African American/Black membership at 16.6% in studios.

One trend that’s stabilized is the propensity for joining more than one facility, with 27.3% of members holding memberships at multiple facility types. Studios lead this trend dramatically, with 75.2% of studio members also belonging to a second facility.

Strength and Group Training Surges

Personal and small group training participation reached all-time highs, with 22.6% of members using personal training and 32.3% engaging in small group sessions. However, session frequency declined, suggesting members use coaching services more selectively.

Women drove personal training growth, with participation rising 15.9% year-over-year.

Equipment preferences shifted away from traditional cardio machines, with elliptical usage dropping from 23.8% to 18.8% between 2021-2024. Free weights remained core staples, while mind-body activities like yoga (21.8% participation) and Pilates (8.2%) posted gains. Pickleball emerged as the breakout activity, with member participation surging from 3.3% in 2021 to 8.1% in 2024.

The bottom line: Success increasingly depends on demographic targeting, partnership strategies, and programming that reflects evolving definitions of value across generational lines.

In the category breakdowns that follow, we’ll provide more research to help you make buying decisions.