5 Ways AI Is Transforming Business

Welcome to the new hyper-personalized member journey. Imagine a member—let’s call her Jane—walking into her fitness club. Not long ago, this visit might have been entirely and literally just another customer going through the motions: scan a key card, grab a treadmill, follow a generic routine.

With AI woven into the experience, everything changes for Jane. Her routine is no longer routine. Now, it’s a series of suggested pathways created just for her.

That transformation starts at the front door. With AI-enabled facial recognition or mobile credentials, Jane enters the club effortlessly, thanks to what Dana Milkie, general manager for North America at EGYM, calls reducing friction at the front desk.

“AI can be used to personalize every step of the member experience by making every interaction smarter and more tailored,” Milkie says.

But this is just the beginning. Smart entry tech can display personalized greetings and even alert staff when a VIP or at-risk member walks in, says Al Noshirvani, head of ALTA Technology and organizer of the annual Fitness Technology Summit.

As Jane moves through the club, her app might ping on her phone and deliver one of those customized pathways. For instance, based on her recent activity and goals, Jane is informed that there’s an open yoga class that she’s likely to enjoy. Or, as Noshirvani describes, she might receive a number of “dynamic workout recommendations” customized just for her.

“Then, connected equipment can determine settings, adapt resistance, determine pace, or vary difficulty in real time to match Jane’s fitness goals and level,” Milkie explains.

This removes the guesswork and intimidation factor, ensuring a perfect workout every time.

Even the environment itself can adapt, with AI capable of adjusting “lighting, music, or even equipment—settings based on member profiles or prior behavior,” Noshirvani says.

As Milkie describes it: “AI transforms what was once a generic, impersonal gym visit into a dynamic, hyper-personalized fitness experience that evolves with the member.”

Jane is more engaged, motivated, and makes faster progress on her fitness goals. She's much more likely to remain a member.

Brave New World

Artificial intelligence is reshaping nearly every industry on the planet, and fitness is no exception.

In fact, it’s ahead of the curve. Long before AI entered the mainstream, the fitness sector had already embraced smart wearables, machine learning for equipment maintenance, and automated communications in response to staffing challenges.

These early integrations paved the way for today’s AI-powered personalization, engagement, and operational efficiency.

And this is just the beginning. As Noshirvani once responded when asked what AI is good for: "Everything."

Unlike other tech trends that fizzled—think NFTs or the Internet of Everything—AI is not a passing fad. The question isn’t if AI will transform club operations, but how leaders should best use it and what they need to prepare for next.

Here are five ways many fitness professionals and operators are using AI for engagement, retention, and operational efficiency.

Proactive Retention

For decades, member retention has been a reactive numbers game, a post-mortem analysis of why people left. AI flips the script entirely, turning retention into a proactive, predictive science. It provides clubs with the tools to see the future—or at least the most probable version of it—and act before a member ever thinks of walking away.

The core of this capability lies in sophisticated behavioral analysis. AI platforms monitor a constellation of data points that signal a member's engagement level.

Machine learning analyzes historical cancellations to predict which current members are at high risk, sometimes weeks before they vocalize dissatisfaction,” Noshirvani says.

Milkie elaborates, noting that AI analyzes “visit frequency, class attendance, app usage, and engagement patterns to flag members who are showing early signs of disengagement.”

It can detect subtle changes, like declining work-out intensity or shorter session durations, that a busy staff member might easily miss. This is not just theoretical; it’s being put into practice.

“We are currently piloting several solutions using AI to identify high-risk members based on their interactions with our brand, location, search, and other third-party factors,” says Jason Breazeale, vice president of technology at Burn Boot Camp.

The goal, he says, is to “engage with at-risk members more frequently to help reduce attrition.”

Once a member is flagged as high-risk, a range of automated, intelligent interventions can be triggered.

“This could be a hyper-personalized message, like ‘We haven’t seen you in 10 days,’” Noshirvani says. “It could be an automated offer for a complimentary personal training session or a prompt for the member to try a new class.”

For high-value members, Milkie adds, AI can even send alerts to staff, prompting a timely phone call or face-to-face check-in. Milkie says: “AI is turning retention from a reactive process into a proactive, data-driven strategy, boosting loyalty and lifetime value. It’s a total paradigm shift.”

AI Hybrid Coaches and Trainers

A common fear surrounding AI is that it will replace human workers. In the fitness industry, however, the most effective model emerging is not one of replacement but of partnership.

The future of coaching is a human-AI hybrid.

While AI excels at data analysis, consistency, and personalization at scale, it has its limits.

“AI is less effective for emotional engagement,” Noshirvani explains. “It lacks the nuanced rapport that live instructors provide. Motivation, empathy, and community are human strengths, not algorithmic ones.”

This is where the hybrid model thrives. AI acts as the ultimate assistant, handling the complex and time-consuming tasks of program design and data tracking.

"AI can create and update personalized workout plans automatically based on progress data," Milkie says. "That frees up trainers to spend less time on programming and more time coaching."

The conclusion is clear: Let AI handle the science and let humans perfect the art of coaching.

Redefining Programming and Performance

AI is ushering in an era of dynamic, evolving fitness programs that are as unique as members themselves. This evolution is touching every aspect of training, from initial program design to real-time feedback during a session.

It all begins with a comprehensive data intake.

“AI uses intake forms, assessments, and wearable data—like heart rate, VO2 max, or step count—to create unique training plans,” Noshirvani says.

EGYM’s Fitness Hub, for example, combines this data to generate a member’s true biological age, a baseline fitness metric that, according to Milkie, “provides motivation and a clear starting point for progress.”

But the real power of AI lies in its ability to adapt.

Traditional programs can’t adjust for missed workouts or a poor night’s sleep, but AI can Noshirvani refers to this as “continuous adaptation,” where the system automatically increases intensity for fast-improving members or scales back when needed.

This is the concept behind EGYM’s Genius AI, which draws from over eight billion workout data points to deliver hyper-relevant recommendations.

According to Milkie, “It’s not just personalized; it’s an ongoing conversation between member performance and the technology guiding it.”

This intelligence extends into the workout itself.

AI-powered cameras and sensors provide real-time form correction, reducing injury risk. Live performance metrics on screen, such as heart-rate zones and effort scores, create gamified experiences that boost engagement.

Importantly, none of these advances replace human instruction—they enhance it.

“AI-led classes are great for structure and consistency, especially during off-peak hours,” Noshirvani says, “but they lack the emotional connection of a live coach.”

The most successful approach, he argues, is the “hybrid model where AI handles the technical programming and tracking, while a live coach focuses on motivation and interaction.”

Milkie says: "Ultimately, real-time AI feedback turns workouts into smart, responsive sessions that accelerate progress and elevate engagement."

Operational Efficiency

While members experience the direct benefits of AI through personalized workouts and engagement, AI is becoming the invisible engine of operational efficiency, automating an array of back-of-house tasks and freeing staff to be more productive and member-facing.

At its core, AI is about eliminating friction and automating repetitive work.

"This is key to the future of AI," Breazeale says.

"By embedding generative AI in our existing gym tools, we are reducing the low-value tasks that need to be accomplished. For example, the integration of AI solutions into our social and SEO practices helps auto-generate review responses, social posts, and business profile management to keep on top of SEO activities."

This automation extends across the club. AI handles class bookings, waitlist management, and attendance logging. It can forecast busy periods to create intelligent staff schedules, reducing both over- and under-staffing. It can even manage equipment through predictive maintenance, where sensors analyze vibration and usage data to schedule service only when needed, cutting costs and preventing downtime.

But this widespread automation isn’t about replacing employees; it’s about elevating them.

"AI turns operational complexity into streamlined simplicity,” Milkie says. “It boosts efficiency, enhances the member experience, and gives clubs the agility to respond faster."

Turning Your Database Into a Business Intelligence Hub

Club and studio operators have long collected vast amounts of data—check-ins, class attendance, purchases—but much of it remained siloed and underutilized. AI is changing that, turning raw data into strategic business intelligence that drives revenue and growth.

With AI, clubs are shifting from gut-driven to data-driven decisions. Member segmentation, targeted marketing, and accurate revenue forecasting are now powered by real-time insights.

Breazeale describes how Burn Boot Camp’s Burn Intelligence platform makes large datasets actionable: “It recommends actions to gyms so they can proactively manage their business.”

Real-time analytics are at the heart of this transformation. Managers no longer need to wait for monthly reports.

“AI enables live occupancy tracking, engagement heatmaps, and churn prediction dashboards,”

Noshirvani says. “This empowers clubs to act in the moment, rescheduling underperforming classes or reallocating resources to capitalize on a successful campaign.”

The result? Better member satisfaction, stronger retention, smoother operations, and more agile decision-making.

“AI-powered insights are turning data into smarter strategy, delivered instantly,” Milkie summarizes.

The Future of the Intelligent Club

As transformative as AI already is, businesses are only scratching the surface of its potential. The next wave of innovation promises to create a fitness experience that is not just personalized but truly predictive, holistic, and seamlessly integrated into every aspect of a member’s wellness journey.

Milkie points to “computer vision for movement analysis,” which can assess form without wearables, and “digital twins” for fitness, virtual models of a member’s body used to simulate and optimize movement.

Noshirvani envisions generative AI coaches that adapt conversationally, and even “emotion AI” that reads facial expressions and adjusts lighting and music based on the mood of the consumer.

The foundation for this future is deep biometric integration.

“We’re building unified wellness profiles where AI aggregates data from workouts, wearables, and nutrition,” Noshirvani says.

In the long term, AI may emerge as the foundational engine of a new fitness industry that leaves no one behind, because of its hyper-personalization abilities. Noshirvani predicts that hyper-personalization will become the standard, and clubs will evolve into all-encompassing wellness hubs.

Kees de Vos, chief product officer at BeekeeperAI, asserts that the AI tools shouldn’t be complex systems to operate but should fulfill the promise that greeted the creation of AI: delivering more freedom to do important work away from the keyboard.

“Frontline workers don’t need complicated AI tools. They need AI that helps them act fast, stay connected, and get back to work,” says de Vos.

The future of AI in fitness isn’t about more data or more tech; it’s about the human behind the numbers, Milkie says.

"AI isn’t about replacing people but empowering them,” Milkie insists. “It’s about creating smarter, more human experiences. Clubs that adopt AI to serve people better will be the ones that lead."

Scaling Intelligence: AI in a Franchise World

Deploying sophisticated technology across a franchise system poses unique challenges, balancing consistency with local flexibility. For Jason Breazeale, vice president of technology at Burn Boot Camp, the solution is centralized AI with decentralized power.

Burn Boot Camp's strategy revolves around its Burn Intelligence platform, built on cloud data technology called Snowflake.

"It’s our central nervous system," he explains. "Corporate analyzes trends and sends actionable insights to franchisees, who can implement changes locally. We’re making data more actionable at every level."

AI also enhances local workflows. Integrated CRM tools help in-gym staff identify trends and respond quickly to member behavior. Meanwhile, AI-generated content—social posts, SEO updates, review replies—saves franchisees hours while maintaining a consistent online presence.

“AI gives us the scale of a large corporation and the agility of a local business," Breazeale notes. "That’s the power of intelligent franchising."

AI By the Numbers

$9.8 billion: AI’s valuation in the fitness and wellness market in 2024. It’s projected to rise to $46.1 billion by 2034—a 16.8% CAGR over the next decade (InsightAce Analytic, Global AI in Fitness and Wellness Market, May 2025).

49%: The percentage of consumers who are using an AI-based fitness or wellness app daily, with 30% of people using them weekly (ABC Fitness, Summer 2025 Wellness Watch Report).

38% and 33%: The percentage of Millennials and Gen Z (respectively) who strongly agree that AI supports their health goals. Only 12% of Boomers feel the same way about AI (ABC Fitness, Summer 2025 Wellness Watch Report).

78%: The percentage of personal trainers who now use AI to create individualized workout plans (CreatePT, June 2025).

25%: The percentage of reduced member attrition in just six months at FitLife Gym in Hawkesbury, Ontario, after launching an AI-based churn prediction system in 2024 (Toronto Digital).

25%-50%: The percentage of reduction of maintenance costs by clubs that use predictive maintenance driven by AI (IOT World).

55%: The percentage of consumers who worry about privacy and protecting data, with 37% being cautious of over-reliance on tech (ABC Fitness, Summer 2025 Wellness Watch Report).