Training for health
Fitness studios on the upswing: people want to be fitter
Sweating and going out – for millions of people, going to the gym is part of everyday life. In Corona times, it got out of fashion. But now the sheet has turned.
Germany’s gyms have more members than ever. The fitness and health facilities counted 11.71 million members last year and thus 3.6 percent more than 2023, as can be seen from a study by the industry association DSSV presented in Düsseldorf.
The previous maximum value of 11.66 million in 2019 was exceeded. The number of members broke into the Corona pandemic, in 2021 it was only 9.26 million. Then it went up again, now the industry has made up for the Corona-Delle.
The sales of the 9,127 commercially operated studios in Germany, according to the information, climbed 7 percent to 5.82 billion euros. 157,700 people are employed in the industry.
As a reason for the higher demand, the association cited more health awareness. Health becomes an important terms, says the study author Ralf Capelan. “People are becoming more aware that fitness training is a solution for a better immune system.”
According to the DSSV study, fitness studios are in 1st place in the different sporting training forms.
Fitness training as a means for a healthy life
The 1st chairman of the association board, Thomas Wessinghage, was satisfied with the development of members in the studios. “The past few years have shown that the industry is resistant to live and is innovative.” But you still have a long way to go.
With a view to the growing proportion of obese in the world, he called for a national movement offensive from federal politics in which the importance of fitness training for health is pointed out.
According to the NRW State Secretary for Sport, Andrea Milz, the topic of health becomes more relevant. “In an aging society in which children are already obese, I cannot expect that to improve itself.” You have to do all efforts for an improvement. This is important for this, the CDU politician said.
Companies report growth
Almost 30 percent of the facilities belong to chains, the rest are owner-managed individual studios or special interest locations, which include yoga studios or studios with electricity jams muscle stimulation (EMS).
A large chain is a fitness first, which also sees itself in the upswing. The Lifefit Group, which belongs to Fitness First, also relies on acquisitions, in 2023 there were still 121 clubs in Germany, in 2024, and at the end of this year 198.
The chain Fitx had 109 studios in Germany at the end of 2024, four more than a year earlier. “So far we have been most represented, especially in North Rhine-Westphalia and Berlin, but we are also more and more a foothold in southern Germany,” says a company spokeswoman.
Kieser training had 116 studios at the turn of the year as in the previous year. Since the number of members grew, the business was attracted: according to companies, sales increased from 101 million to 106 million euros. The company Just Fit grew by five percent in the number of members in 2024.
And what’s next with the gym? Study author Capelan still sees plenty of room for improvement. So far, 13.8 percent of the population have been a member of a gym in Germany, in international comparison this value is low: in the United States, it is 25 percent, and in Scandinavia, the values are in the direction of 20 percent.
The situation in the different states is difficult to compare. Nevertheless, it is clear to the industry expert: the interest of the Germans to sweat in a studio and do something for health will continue to rise.
dpa
Source: Stern
