The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) released its 2026 U.S. Health & Fitness Consumer Report showing that 81 million Americans belonged to a gym, studio, or other fitness facility in 2025, marking an all-time high and a 5.2 percent increase from 2024.

When including non-members who visited a gym via day passes, guest privileges and other flexible options, more than 100 million Americans used a fitness facility during the year.

Last year’s growth was broad-based, with penetration rising across all age groups, income brackets and genders. Gen Z adults aged 18 to 24 had the highest membership penetration of any age group at 35.5 percent. At the same time, older adults were the fastest-growing cohort, with members aged 65 and older growing 8.6 percent year-over-year, reflecting the role fitness facilities increasingly play in supporting long-term health.

“What this data makes clear is that fitness facilities can no longer be considered a niche amenity, but rather part of the basic infrastructure that Americans rely on to manage their health, stress and sense of community,” said Anton Severin, VP of Research at the HFA. “Even in an uncertain economy, people keep going to the gym because they see real value in what these spaces provide.”

Use of U.S. fitness facilities also reached new heights, with an estimated 7 billion visits in 2025, surpassing the previous pre-pandemic peak in 2019. Meanwhile, the share of members who did not use their membership at all has fallen from around 10 percent to 4.6 percent, an all-time low.

What members are doing inside facilities is evolving as well.
Free weight usage — dumbbells, barbells and kettlebells — has grown faster than any other equipment category since 2021. Meanwhile, pickleball’s reach among members continued its fast rise, increasing 21.3 percent from 2024 to 7.6 million members, with nearly two-thirds playing weekly. Yoga remained the most widely practiced activity at 17.7 million members, while Pilates and Tai Chi continued to grow steadily. HFA said, “Together, these trends reflect a durable shift toward strength, social and mind-body formats, and away from some traditional high-intensity and stand-alone cardio options.”

The HFA report also underscores a strong connection between fitness facility membership and active lifestyles. Nearly half of all members (49.4 percent) meet or exceed federal aerobic physical activity guidelines, compared to just 24.5 percent of Americans who do not use fitness facilities. Members are also seven times less likely than non-users to report no physical activity during a typical week (4.7 percent vs. 33.1 percent).

“The association between membership and active living is one of the most compelling findings in this report,” said Severin. “Fitness facilities are not just places where active people happen to go but environments that support and sustain physical activity habits over time. That distinction matters enormously for how we think about the industry’s role in public health.”

Key findings from the HFA 2026 U.S. Health & Fitness Consumer Report:

  • 81 million Americans held a fitness facility membership in 2025, while more than 100 million engaged as members or non-member users.
  • 26.1 percent of the U.S. population ages six and older was a member, one of the highest penetration rates in the world.
  • Membership penetration rose across all demographics tracked, with Gen Z adults (ages 18 to 24) posting the highest rate at 35.5 percent, and older adults posting the strongest year-over-year gains.
  • Members were nearly twice as likely to meet physical activity guidelines as the general population and seven times less likely to report no physical activity at all compared to non-users.
  • Nearly 7 billion visits were recorded nationwide, while the share of members who did not visit at all fell to an all-time low of 4.6 percent.
  • Free weights are driving equipment usage growth; pickleball, yoga and Pilates are expanding rapidly; and traditional high-intensity and stand-alone cardio formats are softening.

The 2026 U.S. Health & Fitness Consumer Report is based on HFA’s long-running national tracking study, which surveys approximately 18,000 U.S. residents aged six and older each year. The research is conducted in partnership with Sports Marketing Surveys USA (SMS) as part of the Physical Activity Council (PAC), a coalition of governing bodies and trade associations across the U.S. sports, recreation and leisure industries.

Image courtesy Life Time Fitness