The latest research into the US fitness market has been released by Sports Marketing Surveys for IHRSA.
The annual IHRSA Health Club Consumer Report was published in September and is based on nearly 31,000 interviews conducted with health club consumers in 2017.
In total, US health clubs attracted more than 70 million consumers in 2017, a record high since IHRSA began tracking health club consumer statistics in 1987.
US health club membership totalled 60.9 million last year, up 6.3 per cent from 57.3 million in 2016. Another 9.1 million non-member consumers reported using a health club at least once in 2017.
The 2018 report takes an in-depth look at the demographics and behaviours behind these numbers. How old are health club members and non-member users? What’s their household income and education level? What ethnicity are they?
It also looks at the type of facilities they’re visiting – commercial, nonprofit, corporate, or boutiques – and how much they’re spending on membership.
Importantly, it examines how long they stay as members of a club once they join and what activities they favour. Finally, Sports Marketing Surveys looked at how many are investing in personal training, and also at generational behaviour in relation to club usage.