Gyms used to be about physical transformation. People went there to get fitter, faster or stronger. They went to lose weight or to train for a sport or specific event. While using physical effort solely for aesthetic improvement is still a priority for some, there’s now a growing appreciation for holistic wellness. It’s happening in the corporate world with workplace wellbeing too—the idea that happier employees are more productive—and now gyms are also adopting a wellness approach to improve member experience and, crucially, attract and retain members. One study found that more people are now joining gyms to manage their health, with 78% of people saying their motivation for taking out a membership was to improve mental health and wellbeing. Gyms already provide access to wellness. Exercise has a positive impact on physical, mental and emotional health. Gyms are also firmly positioned to embrace two other wellness elements: sustainability and community. Trends can, of course, be short-lived, but that seems unlikely with wellness. The recently released Global Wellness Economy report shows an industry surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 18%. The UK has the fifth-largest wellness economy globally and is growing faster than any other top 10 country, including the US, China and Germany. Clearly, there’s an appetite for wellness that gyms can position themselves to take advantage of. Understanding Modern Fitness Wellness Trends in Fitness According to the Global Wellness Institute, wellness is ‘the active pursuit of activity, choices, and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health.’ Holistic health means looking at a person’s physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing as a whole rather than addressing them individually. You may have heard it described as treating the person, not the symptom. Physical health often impacts mental and emotional health and vice versa. Some may also add environmental wellness to the mix. The places where we live, work and interact with others can significantly affect our physical, mental, and emotional health, and so can the places where we exercise. Wellness can be low-tech: yoga classes, foam rolling stations and stretch zones, for example. It can be introducing members to meditation or stress management techniques. Crucially, wellness can also take advantage of technology. It can include recovery-centric activities or cryotherapy, infrared saunas, hydrotherapy pools or compression therapy. Physiotherapy administered in a gym environment rather than an outpatient facility can be less intimidating. Some gyms are now investing in dedicated quiet zones or meditation pods. They’re also integrating their services with third-party apps like Headspace. Technology and technical advancements also mean gyms can improve their sustainability offering. With electricity-generating bikes, for example, gyms can harness human power. Sustainability often goes together with energy efficiency, which can help reduce operational costs. Group exercise is great for wellness. It encourages social interaction and connection with others. Loneliness is hugely detrimental to wellness, so group activities, classes or sports can be a lifeline for those without close social connections outside the gym. Wearable trackers are also great for monitoring wellness. These can be worn as heartrate monitors during classes or, more generally, on a day-to-day basis. Trackers today can monitor heart rate variability, stress, sleep quality, calorie burning, skin temperature, etc. It can help women track their menstrual cycle to understand mood and energy. One of the biggest advantages of this is that it allows people to review their own data. This can’t replace a medical professional (and neither should it), but it can give an indicator of why some workouts feel more difficult (lack of sleep) or why a person’s weight may have gone up (menstrual cycle). It takes some of the mystery away. Research says that most new members often quit within the first six months, because they perceive a lack of progress. Helping them understand that they are making progress, even if it’s not immediately visible, can help keep members using their memberships for longer. How to Recognise Lasting Trends vs. Flash-in-the-Pan Fads Trends can become long-term consumer needs, or they can be short-lived. Gym owners can tell the difference by looking at what’s happening in the industry. Data is a big indicator. You’ll find lots of studies, research and articles about physical and mental wellness and sustainability. You can also see if a trend has legs in other industries too. For example, it isn’t just in the fitness industry that people are pursuing sustainability. It’s influencing people’s personal and professional decisions too: the cars they drive, where they shop for clothes and food, the cleaning products in their homes, the holidays they take, etc. As we’ve also mentioned, sustainability and wellness are growing in the corporate world, and companies are paying significant sums of money to support physical, mental, emotional and environmental health in the workplace. You should also pay attention to what industry leaders are doing. The Gym Group is aiming to achieve net-zero by 2045. David Lloyd is installing air source heat pumps ‘to remove 70% of club carbon emissions’. STORM Cycle Studio in Berlin has installed a full studio of electricity-generating RE:GEN bikes to power their sound, air conditioning and lighting systems. Gymbox in London has introduced mental fitness classes Virgin Active offers nutritional coaching UK Active CEO, Huw Edwards, argues that the health and fitness sector should be better integrated into the NHS. Ill health cost the UK economy around £150 billion in 2023. Edwards argues that getting inactive workers into exercise could be worth ‘up to £17 billion to the UK economy.’ There have been successful trials where gyms have neatly integrated into local health services. Some hospital patients in Wales have been offered ‘intensive workout programmes’ or pre-hab to improve their fitness ahead of major operations. Participants were reported as leaving hospital two days sooner and with a reduction in readmissions. Patients were also supported by a dietician and physio. Earlier this year, Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital in London partnered with UK Active ‘to improve access to muscoskeletal rehabilitation and therapy services in the community’. Patients have more space and a wider variety of equipment in a gym than at a hospital gym while reducing transport costs. These examples are just a small selection that highlight how wellness-centric some gyms and organisations are becoming. Short-term trends often appear out of nowhere. They may become very popular on social media but have little foundation in other areas. Often, they’re centred around a niche piece of equipment or activity. Gyms can jump on these kinds of trends, but significant long-term investment in these short-lived is unlikely to yield signficent financial return. Industry reports like Leisure DB can be very insightful. You’ll often find interesting comments from client feedback too. If you have the option to pilot some new classes or ideas, then that can be a great way to gauge interest without committing to long-term installations or contracts. How Gyms Can Incorporate Modern Wellness Values It’s a good idea to look at your membership base and see if the demographics suggest a wellness value likely to resonate with specific and general groups. Talking to your employees, instructors, and trainers may also shed light on what members are interested in. Men are more likely to experience social isolation as they age, so creating opportunities for age-friendly sports or fitness activities can help. For example, men are more likely to experience social isolation as they get older.Women going through menopause may also benefit from classes or advice on how exercise and nutrition can help. Yoga and meditation are a great way to help people manage their stress, especially in middle-age. Creating quiet spaces for people to sit and exist in can make a huge difference to people’s state of mind. Wellness can also be about encouraging people to make connections with others. Social areas with a coffee or juice bar, for example, or just a space for people to sit down and chat after a class or PT session. Looking at the gym floor and communal spaces can lead to decor and design changes that support wellness. Natural light and plants can create a calming environment. Gyms don’t all have to have a sterile and modern design. Adding eco-friendly elements like reclaimed wood can make large spaces feel cosier without compromising the space. Wood is warmer and can provide a great contrast to sleeker or more industrial elements. Incorporating nature can help create a calmer and more visually appealing design and decor style. Technology and equipment can also help gyms align with modern wellness trends. It could be saunas to aid recover, electricity-generating fitness bikes or physiotherapy space. These types of additions may not be possible right away, but they could form part of a long-term wellness strategy. Tech-integrated equipment can provide members with an enhanced or immersive workout. Equally, creating communal areas where members can relax and socialise can help build a community space for members. This is something Virgin Active focused on. Features like a coffee or juice bar, member-only events etc can help members feel embedded in the culture, making them more likely to return. Gyms Leading in Modern Wellness Trends Third Space (London) - This luxury gym chain integrates wellness-focused offerings like yoga, meditation, and high-tech recovery treatments alongside personal training. Their facilities are designed with open spaces and sustainable materials, and they offer personalized wellness assessments to support mental and physical health. Psycle (London) - Originally a cycling studio, Psycle has expanded to include yoga, barre, and meditation classes. They focus on holistic wellness, combining physical classes with community events and guidance on nutrition and mindfulness practices. David Lloyd Clubs (Nationwide) - David Lloyd Clubs have incorporated wellness into their offerings, including mindfulness and stress-management classes, yoga, and healthy nutrition guidance. They also prioritise family wellness, making them accessible for members at all ages and stages. BLOK (London, Manchester) - BLOK combines fitness with art, wellness, and community in unique spaces. Their classes range from meditation and mindfulness to strength and conditioning, and they focus on providing a calming, wellness-centered environment in beautifully designed spaces. PureGym (UK): Known for it’s competatively priced membership fees, PureGym has introduced wellness zones at some locations and has a focus on group activities to foster social wellness. Nuffield Health (UK): Nuffield Health integrates medical and fitness services, offering members access to physiotherapy, health assessments, and personalised wellness plans, which align with both physical and mental health support. Many of these are high-end gyms, so they’re offering will be different to budget operators, but it shows that industry leaders are heavily investing in wellness, further supporting the argument that this is not a short-term trend but one that companies are heavily investing in. Budget operators may also find that while some wellness trends do require significant investment, others may be more affordable and suitable for the client base. Benefits of adapting to wellness trends for Gym Owners. A wellness-centric approach can help make a gym more attractive to current and potential members. Access to wellness topics used to be limited to the very wealthy or to elite sportsmen and women. Now, you can get nutritional support, cryotherapy, stress management advice, fitness challenges, access to social clubrooms, physiotherapy, spas, and more. You can use technology to access data about your health and gain feedback on your performance. You can train smarter. You can recover faster. Wellness builds community and supports sustainability. While it may be classed as a trend, wellness shows no sign of going anywhere and embracing it can significantly enhance a gym’s offering. ⚡Turn on human power at your gym. The electricity-generating RE:GEN can transform your studio. Find out more ⚡