Fitness Industry by the Numbers: Key Data Points Shaping Gyms & Studios

These five data points (and accompanying charts) will give you a sense of the state of the fitness industry – both in America and abroad

The fitness industry is growing as more people join gyms and studios, and those who do join tend to spend more time inside their facility of choice. While the industry is still a long way from getting a majority of Americans (and people across the globe) to exercise on a regular basis, there are clear growth trends that bode well for the future. 

To give you a better sense of where we are in 2025, Athletech News breaks down some of the key numbers shaping the fitness industry, including data on U.S. and European membership numbers, equipment trends and foot traffic data.

77 million

The number of Americans aged 6 and above who had memberships at U.S. fitness facilities in 2024, representing roughly 25% of the population, according to the most recent data from the Health & Fitness Association (HFA). That number represents an all-time high, up over 5% year-over-year from 2023. In total, 95.9 million people used fitness facilities in 2024, including members and non-members, per HFA.

366%

The increase in time consumers spent using free weights between 2010 and 2022, according to data from Track My Gym cited by investment bank Harrison Co. Consumers spent 57% more time on resistance equipment over the same period, per Track My Gym. Conversely, people spent 51% less time on cardio equipment over the same period. Given this data, it’s no surprise that gyms around the county are stocking up on strength training equipment and hallowing out their cardio offerings. 

100 million

6.6%

The percentage increase in quarterly visits to fitness facilities between Q3 2024 and Q3 2023, according to location intelligence firm Placer.ai. This might not seem like a lot, but it blew away other industries such as discount and dollar stores (+2.0%), superstores (+2.0%) and apparel (-0.08%). Placer.ai’s head of analytical research R.J. Hottovy called it a “real paradigm shift” for the fitness industry compared to other sectors, adding that it should give fitness executives “ confidence about where we’re headed as an industry.”

414%

The percentage increase in Google searches for the term “remote personal training,”  between 2023 and 2024, according to PureGym’s annual fitness report. The data suggests that remote and virtual personal training will continue to be a trend to watch in 2025. Rounding out the top five in search increases were “Hyrox” (+233%), the TikTok-famous “30-30-30 rule” (+175%), primal-style workout regime “quadrobics” (+174%) and “functional fitness” (+124%).