Why Mobile Will Define the Future of Fitness – And Why the Smart Operators Are Moving Now 

By Lee Robinson, VP of Sales, ABC Fitness 

Recently, I’ve been on the road – visiting clubs, speaking at events like HFA, and hosting intimate strategy sessions at our VIP gatherings. I’ve also spent time in the field with reps across the U.S., meeting operators where they are. One recurring theme in nearly every conversation? 

Mobile adoption. 

Or more specifically: hesitation around mobile. 

Many operators I’ve spoken with are skeptical. And honestly, I don’t blame them. A lot of clubs leaned into mobile during COVID out of necessity. Adoption spiked, but as life normalized, usage dropped. That left a lot of folks feeling like mobile is a “nice-to-have” that doesn’t deliver. 

When I dig into the resistance, here’s what I hear most: 

• It’s too expensive. 

• It’s hard to integrate with our current systems. 

• Staff don’t want to learn a new tool. 

• Members won’t use it – especially our older ones. 

• Data privacy is a concern. 

• And maybe the biggest one: “We already built an app and no one used it.” 

That last one stings. Because it’s real. 

But here’s what I tell operators every time: you can’t treat mobile like a Field of Dreams – build it and they will come. That’s not how mobile works in any industry. You have to drive adoption, make it part of the member experience, and treat it like the core infrastructure it can be. 

Let me walk you through what’s actually happening in other industries – and why those use cases should be shaping your mobile strategy today. 

Banking: From Branches to Behavior Change 

Let’s look at the banking industry. 

Over 55% of Americans now use mobile banking as their primary channel – more than branches, ATMs, or desktop (ABA, 2024). Mobile apps now serve as personal finance assistants: helping customers track spending, receive alerts, deposit checks, and even monitor their credit score. 

When I log into Bank of America, I get push notifications about overspending, budgeting trends, and upcoming bills. I don’t just bank on the app – it manages my behavior. 

What’s more, the global mobile banking market is projected to triple, from $1.34 billion in 2024 to $4.26 billion by 2032, with banks reallocating staff from transaction-heavy teller roles into higher–value advisory and service positions. 

Mobile made banking faster, more personal, and more profitable – for both the institution and the end user. 

Fitness can do the same. The parallel is simple: what if your app reminded members of their workout streak? Nudged them when they missed a session? Suggested a class based on their goals? Mobile gives you leverage – to shape habits, not just track attendance.  

Investing: Mobile as the Great Equalizer 

When I was growing up, investing was for Wall Street. If you weren’t on the floor or working with a broker, you weren’t trading. 

Enter Robinhood. 

They took what was once complex and exclusive, and made it mobile, intuitive, and even gamified. They didn’t just digitize investing – they democratized it. 

Now, anyone can invest. And that explosion of retail investing has changed the entire landscape of the stock market. 

Here’s why it matters for fitness: Robinhood didn’t grow just because of accessibility. It grew because it used mobile to change behaviors. Gamification. Push notifications. Real–time performance insights. These weren’t just features – they were behavior drivers. 

We can do the same. We can gamify consistency. Reward habits. Personalize nudges. This is how we turn passive members into active ones – and create long-term value beyond the four walls of your club. 

Grocery: Coupons, Loyalty, and the New Shopping Experience 

Let me take you back. 

When I was a kid, we’d sit on the kitchen floor, clipping coupons from the newspaper before heading to multiple stores – Mariano’s, Jewel – just to get the week’s best deals. 

That world is gone. 

Today, if you’re not using a grocery app, you’re missing the deals. Brands like Whole Foods, Walmart, and Mariano’s have shifted entirely to mobile-based pricing, loyalty, and promotion. 

In fact, mobile-driven grocery shopping is now a $257 billion industry in the U.S., with 138 million Americans using mobile for grocery purchases. And the typical user? They spend 14 hours a year on mobile grocery shopping alone (GlobeNewswire, 2025). 

That’s not just convenience – it’s habit formation, driven by: 

• Personalized discounts 

• Automated reminders 

• Loyalty rewards 

• Push notifications that drive return visits 

It’s not about replacing the store. It’s about enhancing the in–store experience. 

Sound familiar? 

This is what mobile should be doing for fitness. It should deepen the in-club experience. Extend the brand beyond the facility. And drive additional visit frequency, loyalty, and spend – just like retail.  

What Fitness Operators Can Learn – Right Now 

Let’s connect the dots: 

• Banking used mobile to streamline operations and personalize guidance. 

• Investing used mobile to increase access and gamify behavior. 

• Retail used mobile to personalize loyalty and drive repeat visits. 

The fitness industry needs all three. 

We are in the behavior-change business. And behavior change doesn’t happen once a week. It happens every day – with frictionless touchpoints, smart nudges, and personalized experiences. 

That’s what mobile delivers – if you do it right. 

But here’s the kicker: it’s not just about engagement. It’s also about efficiency and headcount leverage. A well-integrated mobile strategy can reduce front–desk burden, automate scheduling and payments, streamline communication, and increase operational capacity without increasing cost.  

Mobile Isn’t a Feature. It’s a Business Strategy. 

If you’re an operator reading this and thinking, “We tried mobile, and it didn’t stick,” ask yourself: 

• Did we make it part of our onboarding? 

• Did we train staff to promote it with conviction? 

• Did we tie mobile usage to member outcomes? 

• Did we iterate and improve the app experience based on data? 

• Did we treat it like a critical business system – or a shiny add-on? 

The difference between a failed rollout and a mobile-powered business is not luck. It’s intentional design and consistent reinforcement.  

The Future of Fitness Will Be Mobile-Driven 

We’re still early in this transformation. That means there’s an opportunity for those willing to lead. 

If you want to create true habit formation, increase engagement, reduce costs, and extend your brand far beyond your walls, then mobile isn’t optional. 

It’s the strategy that will define the next decade of growth. 

So don’t wait for perfection. Don’t wait for guarantees. 

Start building your mobile muscle now – and you’ll be the one defining the member experience of the future. 

Ready to future-proof your fitness business?

See how ABC Fitness can help you turn mobile into your most powerful growth strategy.

👉 Request a Demo and start shaping the member experience of tomorrow, today.