US Gym Visitation Hit New Records in Q3, Driven by Budget Fitness Options

    Health & Fitness Association's FIT Tracker shows sustained industry momentum through 2025.

    WASHINGTON, DC—October 20, 2025—Visits to US commercial fitness facilities continued to climb in the third quarter of 2025, with both high-volume low-price (HVLP) and mid-priced gyms reaching record visitation levels, according to the latest Fitness Industry Traffic (FIT) Tracker from the Health & Fitness Association (HFA).

    In the third quarter, average visits per facility rose more than 4% year-over-year, reaching nearly 47,000 visits per location, as value-oriented gyms powered growth across the country. HVLP locations recorded the strongest quarterly performance on record, with visitation 22% above pre-pandemic levels, while mid-priced gyms also achieved a new Q3 high.

    "The latest FIT Tracker results reinforce what we’re seeing across multiple HFA research initiatives as Americans continue to make fitness a consistent part of their lives," said Anton Severin, vice president of research at HFA. "The combination of accessibility, affordability, and convenience is fueling strong engagement across much of the industry."

    Visitation frequency also increased with the average number of monthly visits per user up 2.5% compared with 2024, indicating that growth is being driven both by new participants and by more frequent use among existing members. Regionally, the Middle Atlantic, Pacific, and Mountain divisions led growth, highlighting nationwide demand for value-focused fitness options.

    Together with HFA's Fitness Industry Benchmarking Report and US Health & Fitness Consumer Report, the FIT Tracker contributes to a comprehensive, data-driven view of the fitness landscape, linking visitation trends, business performance, and consumer behavior to inform business strategy, investment, and advocacy efforts that promote the benefits of regular exercise.

    The FIT Tracker is based on anonymized foot-traffic data from nearly 11,000 US fitness facilities, analyzed in partnership with Sports Marketing Surveys USA (a Buffalo Groupe company) and powered by Placer.ai. The quarterly report is available free to HFA members and for purchase by non-members at healthandfitness.org/publications.

    About the Health & Fitness Association

    The Health & Fitness Association (formerly IHRSA), a global community of industry leaders, is the only worldwide trade association providing a unified voice for the community of leaders who operate health and fitness facilities, offer professional guidance on physical activity, and provide the tools and equipment to do so to the millions of fitness facility members who understand that exercise improves their physical and mental health.

    Through advocacy, education, and research, the association speaks to opportunities, challenges, and changes that are moving the industry into a new era.

    Founded in 1981, the global association publishes a monthly magazine, Health & Fitness Business, and operates The HFA Show, the European Congress, and the Fly-In and Advocacy Summit. It also operates partnerships with ChinaFitFitness Brasil, and MEFIT Summit. Follow the Health & Fitness Association on FacebookInstagramLinkedInX and YouTube.

    Author avatar

    HFA Staff @HealthFitAssoc

    This article was a team effort by several HFA experts.