ABC Fitness 2025 year-end Wellness Watch report reveals that nearly half of all new gym joins in 2025 came from Gen Z
Report dives into top trends in the fitness industry across gyms and studios
ABC Fitness, tthe leading technology and solutions provider for fitness businesses worldwide, today released its 2025 Year-End Wellness Watch Report, offering a data-backed look at how more than 40 million members across 30,000 gyms, studios, and health clubs engaged with fitness over the past year. This year’s insights reveal meaningful shifts in how members join, participate, and stay committed across gyms and studios.
Across the industry, fitness participation remained steady, but the drivers behind engagement continued to evolve. Gyms saw modest growth in new joins, higher cancellation rates, and an increasingly young membership base, while studios strengthened retention even as top-of-funnel demand softened. Together, these patterns underscore a foundational truth heading into 2026: operators must prioritize meaningful engagement, community connection, and seamless member experiences to sustain growth.
- Gyms saw 7.2 million new joins in 2025, with check-ins up 1% year-over-year and 11% since 2021.
- Nearly half (47%) of all gym new joins were Gen Z
- Studios showed new joins declining 4% year over year and check-ins remaining flat.
- Cancellations in studios dropped 6%, indicating stronger commitment among those who did join.
The report also highlights notable shifts in how members are choosing to pay for fitness. Neobanks, while still a small share of Automated Clearing House (ACH) transactions, made up a disproportionate share of returns, over 26%, illustrating the need for operators to blend convenience with thoughtful risk management as younger generations adopt new banking behaviors.
Community emerged as one of the strongest predictors of member retention in 2025. Nearly half of Gen Z members reported that community is the reason they stay with fitness, one in three members interacted with fitness communities daily.
AI also played a notable role in shaping fitness habits this year. Awareness and adoption continued to rise, with 61% of members using AI-driven fitness tracking tools, 49% using nutrition apps, and nearly half turning to AI-powered wellness apps daily.
The 2025 Year-End Wellness Watch Report is part of ABC Fitness’ ongoing quarterly research into consumer behavior, industry trends, and technology’s role in redefining health and wellness.