A record 77 million – 25 per cent – of Americans aged six years and older, were members of a fitness facility in 2024, according to Health and Fitness Association research.

This represents a membership increase of 20 per cent between 2019 and 2024.

When adding in non-members who also use fitness facilities, the figure increased to 96 million, or 31 per cent of this population group.

The 2025 US Health & Fitness Consumer Report: Headline Trends is the first installment in a research series that will provide deeper insights into how Americans engaged with fitness facilities in 2024.

Forthcoming releases will explore key topics such as membership demographics, fees, attendance patterns and other critical benchmarks. By breaking the research into focused installments, HFA aims to deliver timely, actionable insights to support decision-making across the fitness sector.

The research also found that average member attendance is around 1.5 visits per week, with people supplementing gym use with activity at home, outdoors or participating in sports. The typical member has trended younger, more male, less affluent and more ethnically diverse than in recent years.

However, HFA also identifies affordability as a common barrier and according to The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates, three in four Americans still aren't meeting recommended levels of physical activity.

“This report signals the impact our industry is already having and how much more we could do with the right support,” said Liz Clark, president and CEO of the Health and Fitness Association. “Fitness centres are engines of wellbeing, connection and community, but for millions of Americans, the cost of access remains a barrier.”

As previously reported in HCM, HFA has proposed the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act, which would allow individuals to use pre-tax dollars from Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts to cover fitness-related expenses, including health club memberships, fitness classes, youth sports fees and equipment.

Recently reintroduced by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, HFA polling shows the bill enjoys support from nearly nine in 10 Americans.

The release of the report follows the recent publication of insight reports on the European and UK markets by UK Active, EuropeActive and Deloitte.