Rising Fitness Trends: Gen Z Leads Gym Membership Surge

For many people, especially in middle and high school, it is common to play some kind of sport. Now, there are definitely many people who don’t join or make a sports team, but among those who do, 7% continue playing the sport after high school.

So you ask yourself, is that it? Is that where the physical activity ends? Well, for Gen Z, I don’t think it is. According to ABC Fitness, 54% of new gym memberships are now Gen Z, a huge increase in younger members. Compared to Gen X and Boomers, with roughly 40-50% of the people having a gym membership, 73% of Gen Z have a gym membership. And Millennials are pretty high up there with 72% having a gym membership.

Now, I’m not saying everyone with a membership is going to the gym, since only 20% of people with a membership go consistently, but this is still a huge jump in the interest in making fitness a part of people’s lives.

A group of individuals engaged in a workout session at a gym, focusing on strength training exercises with weights and resistance bands.

It’s great to see a rise in care for physical health, and, interestingly, 75% of Gen Z who go to the gym prefer group classes – showing that the young adults look to the gym for not just a workout, but also recreational opportunities to connect to other people. I personally prefer going and doing my own workout, but it’s great to see people enjoy it because it lets them spend time with others.

On the downside, Gen Z has the highest cancellation rate within 6 months, with only 37% of new members maintaining their subscriptions for a full year. So while retention rates of new gym goers are generally low, the US did hit a surge of gym memberships in 2024, with over 77 million people. Showing the recovery and growth from the 20% jump in the industry since the pre-pandemic period.

Seeing the younger generation integrate more physical activity into their lives is a great sign. We live in a world where physical activity is becoming less necessary with advances in technology. And I hope that these numbers continue to grow.