Gyms - Who Is Your Real Competition?

 

Who Is Your Real Competition?

Here’s something every gym owner needs to stop and think about.

Who is your competition?

Because it’s probably not who you think it is.

It’s not the local leisure centre.
It’s not the budget gym down the road.
It’s not the boutique studio or the bootcamp in the park.

Yes, they compete for the same audience…

…but only a very small part of it.

Roughly 15–20% of the population actively engages with gyms and structured fitness.

That means the vast majority of people are choosing something else.

And that’s your real competition.

The sofa.
The TV.
The dog walk.
The pub.

Comfort. Habit. Routine.

That’s what you’re up against.

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The Problem We’ve Created

As an industry, we’ve spent years fighting over the same people.

Running offers.
Dropping prices.
Trying to outdo each other.

All focused on the minority who already train.

But if we’re honest…

we haven’t done enough to attract the people who don’t.

Because for many of them, the gym simply isn’t appealing.

It feels intimidating.
It feels unfamiliar.
It feels like something “other people” do.

So they choose what’s easy. What’s comfortable. What they know.

And we lose them before they even consider walking through the door.

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If You Want Growth, You Have to Create Change

If your real competition is comfort and habit…

Then your job isn’t just to sell memberships.

It’s to give people a reason to change their behaviour.

And that’s not easy.

You are asking someone to:

Step into an unfamiliar environment
Do something they may not enjoy (yet)
Feel uncomfortable before they feel confident

That requires more than a good offer.

It requires understanding.

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So What Do We Actually Need to Do?

We need to start thinking differently.

Not just about how we sell…

…but about how we remove barriers.

We need to ask better questions.

Why don’t people enjoy fitness?
What actually makes a gym feel intimidating?
Are we designing environments for beginners… or for experienced users?

Is our marketing speaking to people who don’t train… or just those who already do?

Are we educating people… or assuming they already understand?

Are we building relationships with local health professionals, GPs and community groups?

Are we visible in the community… or just waiting for people to find us?

Are we creating ways for people to try fitness without fear or pressure?

Because if we don’t address these questions…

we will keep getting the same results.

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The Shift That Needs to Happen

We need to stop thinking like gyms.

And start thinking like behaviour change businesses.

Because that’s what we are.

We’re not just selling access to equipment.

We’re helping people change how they live.

And that means:

Making environments more welcoming
Simplifying the first steps
Providing real support from day one
Creating genuine community, not just talking about it
Meeting people where they are, not where we want them to be

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The Opportunity Right in Front of You

The biggest growth opportunity in this industry isn’t stealing members from another gym.

It’s bringing in people who have never stepped foot in one.

People who don’t see themselves as “gym people”.

Yet.

If you can connect with them…
Support them…
And give them a reason to start…

You’re not just gaining a member.

You’re changing a life.

And building a far more sustainable business in the process.

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A Final Thought

Your competition isn’t just down the road.

It’s on the sofa.
It’s in the pub.
It’s in the habits people choose every single day.

If you want to win…

You need to give people a reason to choose something different.

We’re Fighting Over the Same Members – And Missing the Bigger Opportunity

I attended the LFX event this week, and one message stood out above everything else.

The 83%.

Only around 17% of the population currently engages with gyms and fitness facilities. That means the vast majority of people… don’t.

And the real question is not how do we compete better for the 17%.

It’s this:

How do we reach the other 83%?

Because for years, we’ve been stuck fighting over the same people.

The same members.
The same demographics.
The same marginal gains.

And in doing so, we’ve unintentionally created a battleground within our own industry.

Competing on price.
Competing on offers.
Competing on who can shout the loudest.

All while ignoring the biggest growth opportunity sitting right in front of us.

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Have We Built Barriers Without Realising?

If we’re honest with ourselves, we have to ask a difficult question.

Have we actually made it harder for the majority of people to engage with fitness?

Because when you step back and look at it objectively, there are clear barriers that exist across the sector.

Many facilities and programmes are intimidating.
Walk into a lot of gyms for the first time and it’s not hard to feel out of place.

Our marketing is often aimed at people who already train.
We speak to those who already understand the benefits, the language and the environment.

We focus heavily on price and offers.
But very little on outcomes, support and long-term change.

We invest in great technology.
But how much of it genuinely benefits the majority of members?

And perhaps most importantly…

Our onboarding and ongoing support is simply not good enough.

Most clubs would struggle to clearly identify a member’s goals, track their progress and proactively support them through their journey.

We assume people will figure it out.

But most don’t.

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Community… or Just a Word We Like to Use?

“Community” has become one of the most overused words in the industry.

And in some clubs, it absolutely exists.

But if we’re honest, in many cases it’s limited to small pockets of highly engaged members.

The confident ones.
The regulars.
The people who already feel comfortable.

What about everyone else?

The quieter members.
The unsure ones.
The people who come in, do their session and leave without speaking to anyone.

That’s not a community.

That’s a missed opportunity.

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Are We Doing Enough to Bring People In?

Here’s another uncomfortable truth.

In many cases, we expect people to come to us.

We wait for enquiries.
We wait for sign-ups.
We wait for interest.

But what about the people who need us to reach them first?

The public sector has long been involved in outreach work, engaging communities directly and breaking down barriers to participation.

Why isn’t the private sector doing more of this?

“It’s not our job” isn’t good enough anymore.

If we want to grow the market, we have to go and find it.

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The Industry Problem No One Wants to Address

We don’t operate as a single sector.

We operate as competitors.

Constant offers.
Constant discounting.
Very little collaboration.

And in doing so, we limit our own growth.

Imagine a different approach.

Clubs still competing, but also working together to grow participation.

To educate.
To promote the value of fitness.
To make it more accessible.

If we moved engagement from 17% to 25%… or even 30%…

The opportunity for every operator would be enormous.

More members.
More revenue.
More impact.

Without needing to take from each other.

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Where Change Actually Needs to Start

There is also a wider structural issue.

We often look to central government, the NHS or national strategies to drive change.

But the reality is, that’s too big. Too slow. Too complex.

Real change happens locally.

Through local government.
Through community partnerships.
Through operators working together within regions.

We need a more coordinated approach to health and fitness that includes both the public and private sector.

Right now, that simply doesn’t exist in a meaningful way.

And it should.

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The Opportunity in Front of Us

The fitness industry does incredible work.

We change lives.
We improve health.
We build confidence.
We create environments people genuinely enjoy being part of.

But we’re still only reaching a fraction of the population.

The future of this industry isn’t about getting better at selling to the 17%.

It’s about becoming more accessible, more supportive and more relevant to the 83%.

That means:

Better onboarding
Better support
More inclusive environments
Clearer messaging
More collaboration
More outreach

And ultimately, a shift in mindset.

Because growth won’t come from fighting harder over the same people.

It will come from bringing new people in.

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A Final Thought

If we get this right, the impact goes far beyond business.

We improve public health.
We reduce pressure on healthcare systems.
We create stronger communities.

And yes, we build more successful, more sustainable businesses.

17% is not good enough.

We can do better.

The question is… are we ready to change how we think in order to get there?

 

Community Fitness: Are We Missing the Biggest Opportunity?

People sometimes see me criticising the building of expensive new leisure centres and assume that I am against them.

That simply isn’t true.

In fact, many leisure trust facilities are fantastic. They deliver vital services, they support communities that might otherwise have no access to sport or fitness, and they produce some incredible outcomes for public health.

My issue isn’t with the facilities themselves.

My concern is that local government may be missing an enormous opportunity to build something much more powerful around them.

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The Facilities Are Great. The Strategy Often Isn’t.

Across the UK, local authorities are investing significant sums of money into new leisure infrastructure.

It’s not uncommon to see £25 million, £30 million or even £50 million invested into new leisure centres.

And when they open, they can be impressive.

But bricks and mortar alone don’t solve the real problem.

The real challenge is participation.

According to Sport England data, only around 17 percent of the UK population are members of a fitness facility.

That means more than four out of five people are not engaging with gyms or leisure centres at all.

For an industry that plays such an important role in physical and mental wellbeing, that number should concern all of us.

Because it means the vast majority of the population still isn’t being reached.

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The Private Sector Is Being Overlooked

Where I believe we are missing a trick is in how local authorities approach community health and fitness.

If we can find tens of millions of pounds to build these incredible facilities, why can we not allocate even five percent of that investment toward creating a truly integrated community health strategy?

One that includes the private sector as part of the solution.

Across the country there are thousands of independent gyms, studios and health businesses delivering fantastic services.

They already have:

• Facilities

• Staff

• Expertise

• Established communities

Yet very rarely are they included in broader community health initiatives.

Instead, the sectors often operate in isolation from one another.

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Commercial Pressure Is a Real Barrier

Of course, it’s important to recognise that private clubs operate under very different conditions.

Commercial gyms face pressures that public facilities do not.

They must cover rent, staff, equipment finance, utilities and marketing costs every single month.

This creates risk.

Taking part in community health initiatives can feel like a financial gamble if the outcomes are uncertain.

Which is why any integrated strategy must recognise the commercial reality of private operators and create models that allow them to participate without putting their businesses at risk.

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The Industry’s Own Mindset Needs to Change

But we also have to be honest with ourselves.

Sometimes the barriers are not just structural. They are cultural.

The private fitness industry can be relentlessly competitive.

Constant offers.
Discount wars.
Little collaboration between neighbouring clubs.

Every gym trying to win the same customers from each other.

Imagine instead if more clubs focused on growing the market rather than fighting over it.

If we could move overall engagement from 17 percent to 25 percent, or even 30 percent, the growth across the entire industry would be extraordinary.

There would be more members for everyone.

More opportunities.

More impact.

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Why Central Government Isn’t the Starting Point

Whenever the fitness industry talks about change, the conversation usually turns toward central government and the NHS.

We campaign for tax relief.
We campaign for business rate reform.
We talk about partnerships with the NHS.

Those conversations are important.

But in my view they are not where real change will start.

Central government is like a massive oil tanker.

Turning it takes years.

The NHS is under extraordinary pressure financially and operationally. Fitness, however important it is, simply doesn’t sit high enough on their priority list.

And even when central government does make decisions, implementation almost always happens at a local level through commissioning groups and regional authorities.

Even DCMS themselves acknowledge that many of these decisions are ultimately local.

Which is why we need to start there.

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Where Real Change Can Begin

The real opportunity lies with:

Local authorities
Sport England
Local health departments
Community partnerships
National Lottery funding streams

These organisations already control funding, programmes and community initiatives.

But private fitness businesses should not be standing outside those conversations.

They should be inside them.

Because if the goal is better health outcomes, then surely the focus should be on all of the resources available in a community, not just those owned by the council.

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Prove the Impact First

Before we ask for national support or government intervention, we need to do something else first.

We need to prove our value.

That means showing measurable outcomes.

Participation improvements.
Retention improvements.
Health improvements.
Community engagement.

If the industry can demonstrate genuine, measurable impact, the conversation with government becomes much easier.

Evidence changes everything.

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A Call for Cooperation

Right now we have pockets of incredible work happening across the UK.

Brilliant leisure centres.
Innovative private clubs.
Community initiatives that genuinely change lives.

But they often operate independently.

Imagine what could happen if they worked together.

Public and private sector clubs aligned around a shared goal.

Raising participation.
Improving health outcomes.
Building stronger communities.

Because 17 percent participation simply isn’t good enough.

If we truly want to change the nation’s health, that number needs to move closer to 25 or even 30 percent.

And the only way we get there is through cooperation.

The facilities already exist.

The expertise already exists.

The passion certainly exists.

Now we just need the strategy to bring it all together.

 

What Is the Biggest Threat to a Gym’s Success?

Most gym owners believe the biggest threats to their business are external.

Competition.
Equipment quality.
Technology.
The size of the facility.

But after working with gyms across the UK for many years, it becomes clear that the biggest threats are rarely what owners think they are.

Before we explore what actually damages a gym’s performance, it’s worth starting with what doesn’t.

Because many operators spend a huge amount of time, energy and money worrying about the wrong things.

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What It Isn’t

The Brand or Cost of Your Equipment

Gym owners often become obsessed with equipment brands.

Technogym.
Life Fitness.
Matrix.
Hammer Strength.

But the reality is that for the vast majority of members, the brand on the side of a machine is almost meaningless.

Most members simply want equipment that:

• Works properly

• Is clean

• Is maintained

• Does the job it is supposed to do

Outside of a very small group of enthusiasts, most members could not tell you the difference between major equipment manufacturers.

That knowledge largely exists in the minds of gym owners and industry professionals.

What does matter, however, is whether the equipment aligns with the brand and experience you are trying to create.

If you are positioning your gym as a boutique or premium training environment, then equipment needs to reflect that. The visual experience matters.

But if you are operating a mid-market or accessible community gym, investing heavily in ultra-premium equipment rarely produces a return.

Too often equipment decisions are driven by ego rather than strategy.

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The Size of Your Gym

Another common belief is that bigger facilities automatically create more successful businesses.

In reality, larger spaces simply increase both opportunity and risk.

Yes, a larger gym may allow you to accommodate more members. But it also brings:

• Higher rent

• Larger equipment investment

• Increased staffing costs

• Greater utility bills

• More debt and financial exposure

A bigger gym does not guarantee better performance.

Some of the most profitable gyms in the UK operate from relatively modest footprints because their systems, service and member engagement are exceptional.

Meanwhile, many large facilities struggle because the operational foundations are weak.

Bigger is not always better.
Sometimes it is simply bigger.

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The Latest Technology

Technology has become one of the most common selling points in modern fitness clubs.

Apps.
Wearables.
Body composition scanners.
Member platforms.

And whilst these tools can certainly add value, their impact is often overestimated.

Across the industry, average gym app adoption rates sit below 30%. Even among those who download the app, regular engagement is often far lower.

The truth is that many members are impressed by technology during a tour, but once they start training they revert to simple behaviours.

They work out.
They leave.
They repeat.

This does not mean technology has no place in fitness clubs. But investing heavily in technology while neglecting the fundamentals of service and engagement is rarely a winning strategy.

Most members are not looking for more software.

They are looking for support, consistency and results.

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So What Are the Real Threats?

In most gyms, the biggest risks to long-term success are internal rather than external.

And they are often surprisingly simple.

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Poor Systems

Strong businesses run on strong systems.

Weak businesses rely on hope and good intentions.

Operational systems govern everything from how leads are followed up, to how members are welcomed, to how teams communicate and perform.

When systems are unclear or inconsistent:

• Leads go cold

• Members drift away

• Staff improvise rather than deliver a consistent experience

• Time and money are wasted

Well-designed systems do not make a gym robotic. They create clarity, efficiency and reliability.

They also free staff to focus on what matters most: delivering great service.

Without strong systems, even good teams struggle.

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Untrained and Undermanaged Staff

Many gym owners believe that hiring good people is enough.

It isn’t.

Even the most capable employees cannot consistently deliver great service without training, guidance and clear expectations.

As a club owner or manager, you must decide:

• What experience you want members to have

• What behaviours you expect from staff

• What standards define your brand

Then you must train your team to deliver those standards and manage them to maintain them.

Without that structure, staff naturally fall back on their own instincts and habits.

Sometimes those habits are excellent.

Often they are inconsistent.

One of the most uncomfortable conversations you can have with a struggling operator is this:

“What training has your team received?”

All too often, the answer is none.

Blaming staff without investing in their development is not leadership. It is abdication of responsibility.

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No Real Focus on Member Engagement

One of the most overlooked areas of gym management is structured member engagement.

Many clubs assume that community happens naturally.

It rarely does.

The reality is that in every gym there are members who are confident, social and outgoing. These members naturally interact with staff and quickly become part of the culture.

But there is another group who behave very differently.

They arrive quietly.
They train quietly.
They leave quietly.

These members rarely ask questions. They rarely seek help. They rarely initiate conversations.

And because of that, they are often the ones who drift away unnoticed.

Engagement should not rely on personality.

It should be planned.

Successful gyms establish clear protocols for interaction and communication, ensuring members receive regular touchpoints that encourage participation, connection and support.

Because the members who need engagement the most are often the least likely to ask for it.

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Not Understanding the Numbers

Perhaps the most dangerous weakness in many gyms is a lack of understanding around performance metrics.

Ask many operators how many members they signed up last month and they can answer immediately.

Ask them how many members they lost and the answer becomes far less certain.

Growth in a gym is not simply about new joins. In fact, the biggest performance issue in many clubs is not sales at all.

It is attrition.

Yet surprisingly, many gyms do not track attrition accurately, do not analyse it and do not set clear targets for improvement.

Even more concerning is the number of operators who run businesses without clearly defined performance targets at all.

Without measurement there is no clarity.

Without clarity there is no control.

And without control there is no sustainable growth.

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The Real Difference Between Average and Exceptional Gyms

When you look closely at the most successful clubs in the industry, their advantage rarely comes from equipment, technology or size.

It comes from fundamentals.

Strong systems.
Well-trained teams.
Structured member engagement.
Clear performance tracking.

These are not glamorous topics. They do not make exciting marketing headlines.

But they are the foundations of a stable, profitable and resilient fitness business.

The uncomfortable reality is that when a gym struggles, the cause is often much closer to home than the owner would like to admit.

The question every operator should ask is simple:

Are the real threats to my business external…

Or are they internal?

Because once you understand that, improvement becomes far easier.

Are We Focusing on the Wrong People in Fitness?

 

Are We Focusing on the Wrong People in Fitness?

For years, the fitness industry has faced the same two problems.

We either struggle to attract the majority of the population into our clubs, or we attract them and fail to keep them.

With more than 11 million people in the UK having previously been members of fitness clubs but no longer active, a number that exceeds current active membership, it is difficult to avoid one conclusion. Somewhere along the line, we are getting something wrong.

This is not a criticism of effort or intent. As an industry, we work hard. We innovate. We invest. We care.

But the results tell us that effort alone is not enough.

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We’ve Become Very Good at Serving One Type of Person

The fitness industry has become exceptionally good at serving people who already love exercise.

Those who feel confident walking into a gym.
Those who understand the benefits.
Those who actively seek interaction, advice and progression.

For these people, our environments often work brilliantly.

The problem is that they represent only a fraction of the population.

If we want participation to grow meaningfully, we have to stop designing our clubs, messaging and systems primarily for people who are already bought in.

It may be time to focus on the other side of the coin.

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The People We Are Not Reaching or Retaining

There is a large group of people who are not naturally drawn to fitness environments.

People who feel nervous about joining.
People who lack confidence.
People who do not fully understand the benefits of exercise.
People living with long-term illness, injury or health anxiety.
People who feel they do not belong.

These individuals are not lazy or uninterested. More often than not, they are unsure, intimidated or unconvinced that fitness spaces are built for them.

If we are honest, many clubs are not.

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The First Challenge: Attraction

Our marketing needs to change.

Much of our messaging still assumes a level of confidence, motivation and understanding that many people simply do not have. We talk to those who already “get it”, rather than those who need reassurance, clarity and empathy.

If we want to attract this group, we need to:

• Demystify fitness rather than glamorise it

• Normalise nervousness instead of ignoring it

• Talk about support, safety and progression, not just results

• Show real people, not just confident regulars

Attraction should be about lowering barriers, not raising expectations.

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The Second Challenge: Retention

Getting someone through the door is only the beginning.

For people who lack confidence or familiarity, the early weeks matter more than anything else. This is where many clubs lose them.

Our onboarding needs to improve.
Our monitoring and touchpoints need to be organised and deliberate.
Our follow-up needs to be proactive, not reactive.

These members do not need to be left alone to “figure it out”. They need to be guided.

In many cases, they need to be actively supported, reassured and checked in on. Not indefinitely, but intentionally. We need to babysit them early so that, over time, they can become part of the community.

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Treating Different People the Same Is Not Equality

One of the biggest mistakes we make is treating all members the same.

Confident members seek interaction. They ask questions. They put themselves forward. As a result, they receive the most attention.

Less confident members do the opposite. They keep their heads down. They avoid conversation. They hope they are not noticed.

In many clubs, this means the people who need the most support receive the least.

Equality in fitness does not mean identical treatment.
It means appropriate treatment.

If we want better outcomes, we have to design systems that identify who needs more support and ensure they receive it without having to ask.

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Building a Different Kind of Community

If we truly want to grow participation, we must stop designing clubs purely around those who already believe in what we do.

We need:

• Better onboarding journeys

• Clear, deliberate touchpoints

• Structured check-ins

• Staff trained to notice who is not engaging

• A culture that values inclusion as much as performance

Community should not be something people have to earn. It should be something they are welcomed into.

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A Final Thought

The future growth of fitness will not come from converting people who already love exercise.

It will come from supporting those who are unsure, nervous or unconvinced, and helping them feel safe, capable and included.

We have proven that we can serve the confident and committed.
Now we need to prove that we can serve everyone else.

If we can do that, participation will rise, retention will improve, and fitness will finally begin to reach the people who need it most.

What If the Fitness Industry Stopped Competing on Price and Started Competing on Value?

 

What If the Fitness Industry Stopped Competing on Price and Started Competing on Value?

Let’s be honest about something first.

Offers and price-led promotions are always going to exist. Clubs have bills to pay, teams to support and targets to hit. In the short term, dropping price works. It brings enquiries through the door and fills quieter periods.

The problem is not that price is used.
The problem is that price has become the default.

Over time, the fitness industry has trained the public to believe that gyms are cheap, interchangeable and disposable. Free months. Zero joining fees. Flash sales. Permanent discounts. Price has become the headline, not the experience, not the service, not the outcome.

And once price becomes the anchor, everything else loses its perceived value.

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What If Clubs Worked Together Instead of Against Each Other?

Imagine a different approach.

Not price fixing. Not identical pricing. Not pretending every club is the same.

But a shared understanding across the sector that while price points may differ, the messaging does not need to be competitive or destructive.

Instead of “we’re cheaper than them”, the message becomes more collective and positive. This is what fitness gives you. This is why movement matters. This is how gyms improve lives. This is how to choose the right environment for you.

Clubs would still compete, but not on who can discount the hardest. They would compete on service standards, community, coaching quality and delivery.

That is a far healthier battleground.

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Different Clubs Will Always Perform Differently and That’s Fine

Some clubs will outperform others. That’s reality.

They may be better located, better suited to a particular demographic, more premium, more community-driven or more specialised. That isn’t a failure of the market. That is choice.

The aim should not be to eliminate competition.
The aim should be to grow the total market.

Right now, only around 16.9 percent of the population engages with fitness clubs. That means more than 80 percent do not.

Imagine if that figure was 25 percent. Or 30 percent.

The opportunity for every operator would be enormous, without anyone needing to steal members from each other.

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Competing on Value Changes the Conversation Completely

If the industry stopped shouting about price and started talking consistently about value, the conversation would shift almost immediately.

Customers would no longer choose purely on cost. They would compare clubs based on environment and culture, coaching and support, community and belonging, values and ethos, and how well a club fits their lifestyle.

Instead of asking “which is the cheapest?”, people would ask “which is right for me?”.

That single shift improves retention, results and long-term satisfaction.

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The Impact on Businesses, Staff and Standards

When price stops being the primary lever, businesses gain breathing room.

Healthier margins allow clubs to reinvest in staff, improve facilities, add services, increase education and development, and deliver stronger member experiences.

Staff benefit too. Competing on price often squeezes wages, increases pressure and lowers expectations. Competing on value allows coaching, service and leadership to be treated as professions rather than commodities.

Standards rise across the board.

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How This Changes External Perception of the Industry

A fragmented industry arguing over price is easy to ignore.

A united industry speaking positively about health, wellbeing, prevention and long-term outcomes is not.

If the sector presented a more consistent message, it would be far easier to defend gyms against rising costs and business rates, position fitness as part of the health solution rather than a luxury, gain credibility with local authorities, healthcare and government, and be taken seriously as a contributor to public wellbeing.

Messaging matters. And right now, ours is confused.

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The Real Challenge

Price competition feels safe. It is immediate, measurable and familiar.

Positive, collective messaging requires confidence. It requires patience. It requires clubs to genuinely deliver on the promises they make.

It also requires a shift in mindset from short-term wins to long-term impact.

That is uncomfortable. But it is necessary.

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A Better Future Is Possible

If the fitness industry stopped competing on price and started working together on positive messaging, the change would be far greater than most people expect.

We would grow participation.
We would improve standards.
We would retain members longer.
We would build stronger businesses.
We would elevate the profession.

The question is not whether it would work.

The question is whether we are willing to move beyond short-term tactics and build something better together.

Is The Fitness Industry Really Delivering the Health Outcomes We Claim?

Are We Really Delivering the Health Outcomes We Claim?

I had an interesting conversation recently with someone who works closely with our industry but sits just outside it. They’re not a gym owner. Not a trainer. Not a consultant. But they work alongside many fitness businesses and see how they operate day to day.

What struck me was how quickly the conversation landed on the same conclusions I’ve been talking about for years.

As an industry, we talk a great game about health.
But we don’t consistently deliver the outcomes we claim.

And when someone from outside the bubble says it out loud, it lands differently.

Let’s start with the uncomfortable facts.

Less than 17 percent of the population are members of a gym.
That means over 83 percent are choosing not to engage with what we offer.

Even more concerning, there are now more ex-members than current members in the fitness industry. Millions of people have tried our services and decided they weren’t for them.

That alone should force us to pause.

Yet we still measure success largely by member numbers. We celebrate openings, growth and headline figures, while ignoring what those numbers actually represent. Short stays. Early drop-outs. Cycles of joining and leaving.

If we were genuinely delivering on the health promises we make, those numbers would look very different.

Dig a little deeper and the cracks become clearer.

Many clubs do not track client journeys in any meaningful way. They don’t measure improvement, confidence, adherence or long-term behaviour change. They don’t even consistently monitor attendance beyond basic usage.

Most clubs still don’t have a structured onboarding process. No clear first 90 days. No defined checkpoints. No planned education or reassurance. Yet we confidently claim we “support” members.

How can we support people if we don’t guide them?

On top of that, many clubs don’t properly monitor their own business performance. Attrition, engagement, conversion, secondary spend, length of stay. Either not tracked at all, or looked at too infrequently to drive real decisions.

And yet, as an industry, we’re quick to position ourselves as the “first line of defence for the NHS”.

In reality, most of what we offer is access to facilities.

That doesn’t mean facilities aren’t valuable. They absolutely are. But facilities alone don’t change behaviour. They don’t build confidence. They don’t remove fear. And they don’t keep people engaged long enough to see real health outcomes.

To be clear, this isn’t an attack on every gym.

There are some outstanding operators out there. Clubs that genuinely care about service delivery. Businesses that prioritise onboarding, education, retention and long-term relationships. Operators who understand that fitness is about people, not programming.

They deserve huge credit.

But they are not yet the norm.

Too often we congratulate ourselves as an industry. We attend conferences, share success stories and talk about innovation, while avoiding the harder conversation about why the majority of the population still doesn’t feel that gyms are for them.

We’ve leaned heavily into hype and trends. HIIT. Six-week transformations. Challenges. Before-and-after photos. All of these have their place, but they are not the foundation of long-term engagement.

Exercise should not feel intimidating.
It should not feel competitive.
And it certainly shouldn’t feel like failure if someone doesn’t “stick to the plan”.

If we want to move the needle on engagement, we have to rethink how we deliver our services.

That means taking service delivery seriously. Designing real client journeys. Building onboarding that educates and reassures. Measuring success by retention, confidence and consistency, not just sign-ups.

It means recognising that health outcomes are built slowly, through trust, guidance and support, not through hype or intensity.

And it means being honest with ourselves.

If we want to be taken seriously as part of the health solution, we have to act like it. Not just talk about it.

This isn’t about blaming. It’s about responsibility.

If we genuinely believe fitness can change lives, then we need to do the work to make that true for more than just the already confident, already active minority.

Because if we keep doing what we’ve always done, we’ll keep getting the same results.

And the numbers already tell us that isn’t good enough.