There’s a wide variety of fitness classes on offer, from barre to spin to reformer Pilates.PeopleImages/Getty Images
When I started going to strongman classes at Toronto’s Bang Fitness a decade ago, a drop-in class cost $20. Today that’s doubled to $40 a session. A grandfathered gym membership price means I can still afford to attend, but a 100-per-cent markup for the workout is staggering.
Geoff Girvitz, owner of Bang Fitness, said the choice to raise prices wasn’t an attempt to gouge members or line his pockets. It was a necessity to keep the business open.
“As a small-business owner, I’ll always have anxiety about a price raise,” said Girvitz. But with a niche class such as strongman, which entails lifting and moving heavy weights, upping the cost was the only way to cover the specialized equipment, knowledge and overhead.
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The need to raise prices is consistent with trends across the fitness industry. The Consumer Price Index from Statistics Canada reported an increase of 14.7 per cent in prices for recreational facilities and services from 2019 to 2023. Operating expenses for these businesses in 2023 were up 16.0 per cent compared with 2019.
For gym owners, it’s a delicate balance to find a price point that turns a profit without turning away customers. As Canadians feel the pinch of inflation, the fitness industry has seen a shift in both what gyms offer for classes and the expectations that come when those classes cost more.
It’s not just a workout, it’s an experience
While my preferred workout involves heavy sandbags and overhead log presses, there are fitness classes offering countless different options across Canada depending on your preferences. Want a ballet-inspired barre session or pole dancing for cardio? What about a Sabrina Carpenter-themed spin class?
Whether it’s a running/weightlifting hybrid such as HYROX training or reformer Pilates in a nightclub setting, specialty classes feel decidedly different from a solo trip to a regular gym because they offer novelty and instruction.
An Orangetheory class in Edmonton in March, 2022. Orangetheory’s classes blend strength training, rowing and treadmills.Amber Bracken/Amber Bracken
“You’re getting guidance and attention from an instructor that you wouldn’t get working out on your own,” said Blake MacDonald, an Alberta-based fitness enthusiast who owns a number of Orangetheory fitness branches across Canada.
Orangetheory’s signature class blends strength training, rowing and treadmill use. During the workout, participants can rent or buy heart-rate monitors to wear, with biometrics appearing on TV screens throughout the fitness studio. Renting a monitor is about $10 depending on the branch, while buying the branded device can cost more than $100. It’s a gimmick that helps members feel like they’ve made the most of their workout. With drop-in prices at around $30 a class, that’s a feeling many are willing to pay good money for.
Luxury gyms sell lifestyle and community with high-end amenities
Across Canada, a number of luxury gyms offer fitness classes, from Equinox in Toronto and Vancouver, to Midtown Sanctuaire in Montreal, or Edmonton’s Archetype. Walking into one of these gyms can feel more like a spa or hotel than a workout space (think steam rooms, saunas and smoothie bars). While the price point comes at a premium – $160 to $300 or more for monthly memberships – they offer a wide range of classes and a social setting people gravitate toward.
These kinds of perks are meant to facilitate a sense of community, offering gym-goers spaces to convene and hang out beyond their workout, says David Ingram, founder of luxury fitness studio Sweat and Tonic in Toronto.
Over-the-top perks can help create the sense that these gyms are appealing third places to spend your time. Sweat and Tonic offers most major types of fitness classes, from yoga, to HIIT (high intensity interval training), to spin. The drop-in fee is $34.
Sweat and Tonic offers yoga, HIIT, spin and other group fitness classes.Supplied
At its location at the Well, a Toronto mall, the gym also features a number of fancy amenities available with certain memberships including longevity spa treatments, a pool and even a co-working space. “It brings a cohort of people together that have like-minded interests,” said Ingram.
With prices going up across the board, more classes are falling into the $30 range. The extra amenities at luxury gyms can be a differentiating factor to get people through the doors.
How to find cheaper options
Gym memberships can significantly decrease the cost per class if you go often, and can be a nice motivator to attend consistently. Most gyms also have the option to buy classes in bulk for cheaper prices.
ClassPass offers access to many expensive gyms for significantly lower prices. Community centres and local gyms can also be cheaper alternatives. Just because a class costs a lot of money doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be a better workout. Before dropping some cash, be sure to do your research.