31 Oct The Medical Fitness Industry: What Has to Change — and Why.
RECENT REPORT FROM HEALTH AND FITNESS ASSOCIATION
“The US fitness industry reached new heights in 2024, with gyms, studios, and other fitness facilities welcoming an unprecedented 77 million members.”
(WHICH IS 22% OF THE 340,000,000 POPULATION OF USA)
As both a user and an architect who has specialized in Medical Fitness and sports facility design for the past 45 years, I am venturing a bit out of my lane to offer some thoughts on the Medical Fitness Industry as a whole.
I believe that we must go beyond the membership model if we, as an industry, truly want to have a positive impact on population health. Year after year, we hear that the demographics of medical fitness memberships pretty much max out at 20% of the overall population…leaving 80% of the population to fend for themselves.
The demographics of medical fitness memberships pretty much max out at 20% of the overall population…leaving 80% of the population to fend for themselves.
We must go beyond the membership model that has served the commercial fitness industry so well. Yes, that membership model has also worked well for medical fitness but, just like with commercial applications, the membership model has a limited audience. The demographics are compelling; the 80% that will not buy a membership can perhaps be enticed to practice healthy living in other ways – the possibilities are easy to understand.
1. Not everyone likes to exercise indoors.
2. Not everyone enjoys working out on machines.
3. Not everyone can afford the full monthly membership expense.
4. There are plenty of free outdoor venues for various physical activities such as running, walking, climbing, cycling, playing tennis, and various other sports.
5. There are also plenty of what the industry calls “affinity groups” related to physical activities – walking, jogging, biking groups – both formal and informal, that provide social connectivity for such non-membership based activities.
6. Free health education seminars and lectures that target these affinity groups will also attract non-member interest and begin to draw down that allusive 80% of the market.
Herein lies the opportunity for the Medical Fitness industry to get involved. Outdoor affinity group activities can definitely benefit from the medical fitness involvement at a level much less expensive than what would require a full membership charge – enjoying such services as organizational leadership, outdoor gathering venues, instructional guidance that might be needed for outdoor yoga, Tai Chi, dance, etc. as well as support for safety, nutritional guidance, shade, shelter and social activation, not to mention hydration and access to restrooms. Every Medical Fitness center should have a sheltered outdoor assembly area for members and non-members alike to gather before and after a group run, hike, bike, stretch, etc.
As lifestyle medicine captures the attention of more and more healthcare professionals, the importance of health assessment, coaching, accountability and progress verification for exercise prescriptions will continue to grow. In short, even membership-based medical fitness centers can expand their reach by offering low-cost, non-member outdoor programming and support, serving the variety of healthy activity “affinity groups” described above.
So, What Has to Change — and Why — in the Medical Fitness Industry?
In summary, the answer to the question posed in the title goes like this: The Medical Fitness Industry must find a sustainable business model that goes beyond selling memberships and offers affordable, healthy, outdoor lifestyle programming to the 80% of the population that will never buy a membership for access to its indoor attractions.
How OLC can help: A Medical Fitness facility that effectively serves 100% of its market, both member and non-member populations, will look and feel much different than one that is member-only in its focus. Let OLC Architects help you solve that facility planning puzzle.
Click Here for OLC’s Medical Fitness Brochure
About the Author
Hervey Lavoie, FMFA, is OLC’s President actively involved in projects and team leadership, responsible for design inspiration, client-centered creativity and mission fulfillment. In his 40+ years as a licensed Architect, he has designed more than 45 medically-integrated, hospital-affiliated fitness/wellness facilities.
For additional information contact:
Hervey Lavoie
M: 303.888.8665
E: hlavoie@olcdesigns.com
Click here for OLC’s Medical Fitness Brochure
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