From Revolution to Evolution

Once a tangential part of the fitness industry, wellness is now central to its value proposition.

The numbers are staggering: The global wellness economy was worth a new record of $6.8 trillion in 2024, according to the Global Wellness Institute (GWI). GWI expects that number to grow to $9.8 trillion by 2029—nearly four times larger than the pharmaceutical industry ($1.8 trillion).

The GWI includes 11 sectors under the wellness banner, some of which don’t overlap with the global health and fitness industry (e.g., thermal and mineral springs, wellness real estate), but most do (e.g., physical activity, mental wellness, healthy eating, nutrition and weight loss).

Even just 10 years ago, terms like recovery, longevity, mindfulness, and mental wellness weren’t part of the marketing jargon for health clubs and gyms. Studio brands were more likely to make appeals to consumers seeking wellness services, but these were tied in with more established programming, like yoga and spa services.

Then came you-know-what: the pandemic. The cumulative effects of isolation and social distancing—not to mention the closure of health-centering fitness facilities—shifted the mindset of consumers.

GWI senior research fellow Ophelia Yeung called 2020 “the watershed year that will forever divide history—and the trajectory of the wellness economy—into ‘before’ and ‘after’ Covid.”

McKinsey has the numbers to back this up. Around 50% of US consumers reported wellness as a top priority in their day-to-day lives in 2022, a significant increase from 42% in 2020.

This was the wellness revolution.

The irony is that the pandemic, which did enormous harm to fitness facilities, may have sparked the wellness revolution/evolution that’s positioning the global health and fitness industry as an indispensable part of the healthcare continuum.

Thank You, Pandemic?

It didn’t take long for fitness facilities to get on board. In a way, they were always providing wellness services simply by offering exercise in its various forms. But it took the pandemic to finally finish off the “no pain, no gain” and “body beautiful” mindsets that persisted in some quarters.

At the same time, more research emerged that determined regular physical activity was associated with improving many of the goals of consumers focused on wellness. In this issue, we feature an interview with Neil Munro, a Ph.D. candidate at James Cook University in Brisbane, Australia. In a sizable umbrella study co-authored by Munro, the research determined that “exercise-based interventions, in all formats and parameters, can help mitigate depression and anxiety symptoms across all population categories.”

Many industry leaders were ahead of their time on this issue. Brick Bodies co-founders Victor and Lynne Brick were passionate proponents of mental wellness, founding the John W. Brick (JWB) Mental Health Foundation and Mental Wellbeing Association, which developed the Mental Wellbeing Certification. HFB writer Julie King took the course and found that the subject struck a chord with both colleagues and consumers.

The fitness industry has also broadened its reach to accommodate the needs of women who often find traditional medicine lacking. In our article on the subject, fitness industry pioneers in serving women’s health are meeting the moment with a new generation of fitness professionals, who are bringing data-centered services to women of all ages.

Gyms of all types are adding recovery rooms to their clubs, finding that sweating and chilling are a good combination. But maybe the biggest evolutionary wave in the wellness category is the increase in people using GLP-1 treatments. Research continues to demonstrate that exercise is the perfect complement to these popular medications both for health outcomes and cost-effectiveness, and more studies are on the way, including one from HFA.

The irony is that the pandemic, which did enormous harm to fitness facilities, may have sparked the wellness revolution/evolution that’s positioning the global health and fitness industry as an indispensable part of the healthcare continuum.

Contributors

John Agoglia

John Agoglia has spent more than 30 years covering the fitness industry while staying closely connected to it on the club floor. He served as fitness editor at Sporting Goods Business and as an editor for Club Industry, reporting on the people, trends, and business forces shaping commercial fitness. Before, during, and after his editorial career, Agoglia worked in health clubs as a personal trainer and later in training management and general and regional leadership roles with brands including Equinox, Gold's Gym, Boston Sports Club, 92nd Street Y, and GymIt. He continues to cover the industry as a freelance writer and editor. Agoglia can be reached at StoryScaleConsulting @gmail.com.

Patricia Amend

Patricia Amend, who holds an M.A. in journalism from New York University, has been a writer, editor and author for 30+ years. She took up long-distance running, which piqued her interest in healthy lifestyles and the fitness industry. She also specializes in financial health—small business and personal finance.

In addition to writing some 600 articles about the industry—mostly for HFA—Ms. Amend served as Executive Editor of Health & Fitness Business (formerly Club Business International) and Managing Editor of Club Business Europe, and she produced research reports, newsletters, program guides, and marketing materials for HFA.

Other stories have appeared in Club Industry, ACE Fitness Matters, USA Today, Inc. Magazine, Money.com, AARP.org, and AARP The Magazine. One of her books, The 30-Minute Fitness Solution, published by Harvard University Press, received an Award of Excellence from the American Medical Writers Association. She can be reached at patriciaamend2@gmail.com.

Julie King

Julie King is a freelance writer with more than 30 years of experience in the fitness industry. She’s worked as a content creator, personal trainer, group fitness instructor, fitness director, fitness/wellness coordinator, and health club manager. Since 2002, King has been a contributing writer to Health & Fitness Business. Her work has also appeared in the Journal on Active Aging, Club Solutions, Recreation Management, Campus Recreation, National Fitness Trade Journal, and Fitness Management. Holding a B.S. in journalism and an M.S. in kinesiology, King was a contributing author to The Fitness Handbook, published by Stairmaster Sports/Medical Products. She can be contacted at julie.king1@comcast.net.

Health & Fitness Business is a publication of

Health & Fitness Business (HFB) is the leading health and fitness industry publication. Published monthly by the Health & Fitness Association (HFA) and distributed free to the industry, HFB offers analysis of the opportunities, challenges, issues, and news that impact the industry.

Subscribe | Advertise | Past Issues | FAQs

70 Fargo Street, Boston, MA 02210

1627 Street NW, Suite 1210, Washington DC, 20006