The reasons for the rebound are many. The fading of COVID-era sensitivities helped propel many fitness enthusiasts from home treadmills to public clubs. Employers\u2019 return-to-office plans have led many employees to look for spots near work. And health-conscious young people are bringing a whole new generation of customers into the gym. <\/p>\n
Geoffrey Janey, founder and owner of JET Boston-Brooklyn, said some of his young gym-goers are intermingling expensive lifestyle choices like high-end workouts with weekend nights out on the town.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s almost like the new club is working out,\u201d Janey said.<\/p>\n
Since 2019, membership has grown 20 percent at Healthworks, GymIt, and Republic Fitness, making it the highest on record, according to Mark Harrington Jr., president of Healthworks Group, which operates the three gym franchises. <\/p>\n
Healthworks has been trying to construct new gyms and expand its current locations, but it\u2019s a difficult feat, he said, pointing to how a successful gym should be in a pedestrian-dense district and tends to require a large, costly build-out. <\/p>\n
Even when gyms make their best attempt to persuade people to switch, loyal gym-goers often won\u2019t leave.<\/p>\n
Selhadin Yasin, 25, doesn\u2019t plan on leaving any time soon from the Planet Fitness in Downtown Crossing. Yasin, an accountant, pays $15 per month for unlimited access to gym equipment.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all I need,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
A few blocks away, Jeff Bissinger, a 33-year-old who works in finance, frequents Equinox for an hour or two most mornings for amenities like a steam room and personal trainer. Bissinger pays around $500 per month and lives nearby. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s stupid. It\u2019s very expensive,\u201d Bissinger said. \u201cBut I value investing in health and wellness, and this is incredibly convenient for me.\u201d (Equinox, a premier gym chain with five clubs open in Boston, declined to comment.) <\/p>\n
In 2025, there were 1.9 million fitness-facility members across Massachusetts. That number is the same as in 2019, according to the Health and Fitness Association, a trade group that represents gyms. Meanwhile, the number of commercial health clubs and studios remains around 1,700 \u2014 about the same as in 2019. <\/p>\n
Buoyed by such high demand, some of Boston\u2019s priciest gyms cost hundreds of dollars per month even for memberships that don\u2019t include all amenities. <\/p>\n
Bene Stroud, a 29-year-old who works in marketing, did deep research on Equinox\u2019s fitness instructors and their techniques before putting down almost $300 per month.<\/p>\n
A private fitness instructor, Stroud moved from Florida around two months ago and has tried other Boston gyms. Those she frequented didn\u2019t open early or have savvy instructors, she said. <\/p>\n
But other operators may have somewhat lower prices, niche workout classes, and special events \u2014 providing a middle ground between low-cost and higher-end gyms. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not running it like a [private equity] firm,\u201d said Giampaolo Nicosia, managing partner of SoWa Health and Wellness, referring to some ritzy high-end gyms.<\/p>\n
When SoWa opened in September 2023 in the South End, it had 400 memberships. Now, it has more than 2,000 gym-goers, each paying $190 per month \u2014 the same rate as when it opened. But management will cap memberships when lines for equipment become too long, Nicosia said.<\/p>\n
Nicosia has noticed that there\u2019s almost no space for large gyms to come to town, and attracting customers from small boutique studios is difficult. \u201cMost of Boston is pretty saturated right now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, Planet Fitness gyms recorded $1.3 billion revenue in 2025, up 12 percent from 2024. Memberships also grew by a net 1.1 million, according to a report from February<\/a>. Now, it has over 21 million members<\/a> worldwide.<\/p>\n New York Sports Club, formerly operated as the chain Boston Sports Club<\/a>, has three locations in Greater Boston after a whirlwind of legal headaches<\/a> and bankruptcy erupted in 2020.<\/p>\n At six of Beacon Hill Athletics Clubs\u2019 seven locations, around 35 percent of gym-goers are Gen Z, and referrals grew 10 percent year-over-year from 2024 to 2025. <\/p>\n Because more young people are spending on health and wellness, making gyms more of a one-stop shop has become more important than ever, said marketing coordinator Jeremy McCabe.<\/p>\n Household spending on alcohol is hanging around 40-year lows, and Gen Z\u2019s spending growth for gyms is over double that of alcohol, according to a February report<\/a> from Bank of America.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople know what they want,\u201d McCabe said, \u201cand what they can get out of their dollar.\u201d <\/p>\n