The Real ROI of AI in Fitness

How should operators think about AI before choosing a solution?

It all goes back to your operating model. What's important to you in your value proposition to members?

Start with the fundamentals. HVLP clubs operate very differently from premium, staff-intensive facilities. In HVLP environments with minimal floor staff, AI can function as a digital guide—supporting members through workouts, driving engagement, and encouraging consistency. In contrast, in high-touch clubs, AI should enhance staff effectiveness by removing administrative burdens so trainers and other staff can focus on relationships.

With AI, you have to think horizontally across your entire business. You can't just look at the training aspect or the fitness floor. You should really be thinking about accounting, finance, HR, marketing—every aspect can benefit from AI in some way.

So, the question isn’t, what can AI do? It’s, what problem am I trying to solve?

What’s a common mistake clubs make when adopting AI?

Pushing it too far down the organization. First, you have to identify a champion. When you start thinking about AI, it's got to be at the change management level in your organization. It has to be driven by people who are permanently invested in the business.

You can't just say, “Hey, we have AI now,” and hope it works. It requires leadership and what I call iterative innovation. You have to iterate and refine it. That's change management, and you need to understand who is at that level for your organization and then cascade it down from there.

Why does integration matter more than ever?

People want credit for their overall wellness, not just what happens inside your four walls. The members are the ones who say, “If you're really concerned about me and my wellness, then I want credit for when I went for a walk around my neighborhood.”

We're going to have to continue to integrate data from other devices and platforms in this industry because people use this data, and they want it all in one place. That's what we're trying to help clubs become—that one place for wellness, fitness, and health.

Open ecosystems allow clubs to become a central hub for health rather than just a place to work out. Consumers don't want to go to 10 different places.

How can clubs make data more actionable for members?

You need to simplify. Find a top layer that's easily communicated to people and that they can understand immediately. Then underneath it, make sure the data you use to build that layer is accessible because some people do like that deeper dive.

This layered approach keeps data motivating rather than overwhelming.