U.S. gym visits fell 0.5% year over year in the second quarter of 2026, the fitness industry’s first quarterly decline since early 2021, then recovered over the summer, according to the Health & Fitness Association. The dip followed a record 2025, when 81 million Americans held a gym, studio or fitness facility membership.
Key Takeaways
- Q2 2026 visits averaged 48,805 per location, down 0.5% from Q2 2025, ending a 19-quarter growth streak.
- Visits per location rebounded 2.1% year over year in June and edged up 0.1% in July, putting June and July combined 1.1% above last year.
- Average monthly visits per visitor fell 1.3% in Q2, showing that traffic is being held up by more people visiting rather than by members going more often.
- Boutique studios led all facility types for six straight months through July, with visits per location up 3.3% year over year that month.
- Fitness facility membership reached 81 million in 2025, up 5.2% from 2024, or 26.1% of Americans aged six and older.
Gym Membership Reached A Record 81 Million In 2025
The Health & Fitness Association’s 2026 U.S. Health & Fitness Consumer Report put fitness facility membership at 81 million Americans in 2025, a 5.2% increase from 2024 and an all-time high. Counting non-members who used day passes, guest privileges and other flexible options, more than 100 million people used a fitness facility during the year.
The growth reached every demographic HFA tracks. Gen Z adults aged 18 to 24 had the highest membership rate at 35.5%, while members aged 65 and older grew 8.6% year over year, faster than any other age group. Members also used their memberships more consistently: the share who didn’t visit at all fell from about 10% to 4.6%, an all-time low.
Americans made an estimated 7 billion visits to gyms, health clubs and studios in 2025, surpassing the 2019 pre-pandemic peak. HFA’s traffic data showed visits averaging more than 184,000 per location for the year, up 4.2% from 2024, with fourth-quarter visits up 3.4%.
Second-Quarter Visits Fell For The First Time Since 2021
The Health & Fitness Association’s Fitness Industry Traffic (FIT) Tracker, which analyzes anonymized foot traffic from more than 10,000 U.S. locations, showed the first year-over-year quarterly decline in five years. Commercial fitness facilities averaged 48,805 visits per location in the second quarter of 2026, down 0.5% from an all-time high in Q2 2025.
The slowdown was uneven. High-value, low-price (HVLP) gyms slipped 0.2%, mid-priced facilities fell 1.7%, and luxury clubs fell 2.3%. Boutique studios moved the other way, with visits per location up 2.5%.
The quarterly dip came against a historically strong comparison, and the first-half picture held up. Average visits per location for January through June 2026 were still 1.5% higher than the same period in 2025.
Fewer Visits Per Member Is The Number Operators Are Watching
The Health & Fitness Association’s second-quarter data included a figure that matters more for operators than the headline traffic number: average monthly visits per visitor fell 1.3% across the industry. Total traffic stayed close to record levels because more people were coming in, not because existing members were coming more often.
That distinction affects revenue planning. Gyms with membership-based models depend on retention, and members who visit less often are more likely to cancel. A larger visitor base can offset lower frequency in traffic counts, but it doesn’t necessarily translate into stable recurring revenue.
The broader spending environment adds pressure. Services are among the first discretionary categories households trim, and consumer confidence falling to 81.9 in September as planned spending on services declined shows the kind of headwind gym operators face as they head into the new year.
Boutique Studios And Budget Gyms Lead The Summer Rebound
The Health & Fitness Association’s first monthly FIT Tracker check-in showed the slowdown reversing. After declines in April and May, visits per location rose 2.1% year over year in June and 0.1% in July. Combined, June and July ran 1.1% above the same period last year.
Boutique studios remained the standout segment. Their visits per location rose 3.3% year over year in July, the sixth consecutive month in which studios led all facility types in visitation growth, a streak that started in February and continued even through the softer month of May.
Budget and mid-priced gyms held at high levels. HFA’s July index put HVLP visitation at 124, meaning visits per location were 24% above July 2019, while mid-priced gyms reached 107, or 7% above 2019. Both readings were essentially unchanged from last year but were the highest July levels in the series.
What The Data Means For Operators Heading Into January
The fitness business enters its seasonal peak from a position of scale. HFA’s 2025 Fitness Industry Benchmarking Report found that U.S. facility operators’ median revenue grew 9.9% in 2024, with an average EBITDA margin of 23.6%. Those figures reflect a business that recovered strongly from the pandemic and kept growing through 2025.
The 2026 data points to a narrower question for 2027 planning. Membership and total traffic are at or near records, studios keep gaining share of visits, and budget gyms remain well above pre-pandemic levels. The weaker signal is frequency. For franchise owners, equipment suppliers and studio operators, the January season will show whether the summer traffic rebound comes with members visiting more often, or whether growth keeps depending on adding new people to replace lighter users.
FAQs
How many Americans have a gym membership?
81 million Americans held a gym, studio or fitness facility membership in 2025, according to the Health & Fitness Association. That is 26.1% of the U.S. population aged six and older and an all-time high.
Are gym visits going up or down in 2026?
Both, depending on the period. Visits per location fell 0.5% year over year in the second quarter, the first quarterly decline since early 2021, then rose 2.1% in June and 0.1% in July.
Which type of gym is growing fastest in 2026?
Boutique studios led every facility type in visitation growth for six straight months through July 2026. Their visits per location rose 3.3% year over year in July.
What share of gym members never use their membership?
The share of members who didn’t visit at all fell to 4.6% in 2025, down from about 10% and an all-time low, according to HFA.
