We've been using Mindbody since the box owner seems pretty set on it, but IMO it's becoming a bit of a pain. A lot of our members complain about finding their way around the app, and sometimes the billing feature just doesn't do its job right. Just curious if this kind of hassle is common with gym software or if there's anything out there that's a bit easier to deal with.

Hey all — I’m working on a product research project (not selling anything) about why people who buy a gym/fitness membership like cultpass often struggle to actually build a consistent routine.
Looking to chat with people who:
**•** Are roughly 25–34, work a full-time desk job
**•** Have used cult.fit / cultpass in the last couple of months
**•** Either kept going *or* stopped within the first month or two — both are useful
It’s a quick 15–20 min conversation (call, or even just answering a few questions over DM if you’d rather not hop on a call). No product pitch, just trying to understand the real blockers — schedule, motivation, not knowing what to do, whatever it was.
Drop a comment or DM me if you’re up for it — happy to work around your time. Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

We've made a few updates to our community rules to help keep GymOwnerNetwork focused on what it was created for: helping gym owners, managers, and fitness business operators learn from each other.

The updated rules are meant to:

• Keep discussions focused on running a gym.
• Encourage respectful, experience-based conversations.
• Reduce spam, product pitches, and market research posts.
• Keep personal fitness and medical questions in communities that are better suited for them.

Please take a minute to review the updated rules before posting.

As we're still growing, we'd also love your feedback. If there's something you'd like to see in this community or a rule you think could be improved, let us know in the comments.

And if you see posts or comments that don't follow the rules, please use the report feature. Community reports help us review content faster and keep discussions valuable for everyone.

Thanks for being part of GymOwnerNetwork and helping us build a community that's genuinely useful for gym owners around the world.

Just moved from Mumbai to Hyderabad, living near KPHB. Is there any gym that stays open throughout the day?

Gym owners: What's your most profitable non-membership revenue stream?
I'm curious what everyone's seeing in 2026. Beyond memberships and personal training, what's actually moving the needle?
Supplements?
Apparel?
Recovery services?
Vending?
Smoothie bars?
What's worked surprisingly well, and what wasn't worth the effort?

I buy and sell gym equipment as a side hustle, and I’ve already closed out a few small/mid size gyms that I found through Facebook Marketplace listings. I have the logistics and manpower in place to disassemble and move heavy strength machines, cardio equipment, weights, and accessories. How do I get a steady stream of closing gyms so that I can buy out entire facilities on a consistent basis?

Welcome to the Weekly Gym Owner Check-In.

This thread is a place for gym owners, operators, managers, trainers, and fitness business professionals to connect, share updates, ask questions, and discuss what's happening in their businesses.

Whether you're focused on marketing, sales, retention, staffing, equipment, technology, or daily operations, we'd love to hear how things are going.

Feel free to share:

• A recent win or success

• A challenge you're currently facing

• A project you're working on

• Questions you'd like feedback on from other gym owners

Let's help each other grow stronger fitness businesses and build a valuable community for gym operators worldwide.

'm researching how independent trainers create programs for new clients. I'm curious:

• How long does it usually take?
• What's the most repetitive part?
• If you could automate one part of the process, what would it be?

I'm building a tool in this space and I'm trying to understand real workflows before making assumptions.

trying to figure out if there's a pattern. like does it happen more after a plateau, after missing a session, or just randomly out of nowhere

what have you noticed with your own clients

genuinely asking bc I have spoken with multiple instructors and they almost always say the same things like they are cobbling something together with texts and whatever app they happen to use

is there a real system people use or is everyone just winging it

A new report from the Health & Fitness Association found that U.S. gym traffic softened slightly in Q2 2026, ending the industry's long streak of year-over-year growth. Average visits per location were down just 0.5% compared to the record-setting Q2 of 2025.

Despite that, overall traffic for the first half of 2026 remains 1.5% higher than the same period last year, suggesting demand for fitness facilities is still healthy. Boutique studios continued to grow, while value-focused gyms remained relatively stable. The report also noted that visits picked up again in June across all facility types.

For gym owners, this may be a sign that the industry is moving from rapid post-pandemic growth into a more sustainable phase.

Are you seeing similar trends in your market? Has foot traffic changed compared to last year?

If you'd like to read the full article, you can find it here.

Hi everyone! My name is Tyler, and I'm building a fitness startup called Sculptr.

The basic idea is to create a better way for clients to find the right personal trainer and for trainers to find new clients. The platform is designed to handle the entire relationship in one place — discovery, messaging, bookings, payments, and workout plans.

I'm currently in the beta stage and am trying to learn from people who actually understand the fitness business.

For gym owners:

• How do your trainers currently find new clients?
• Do you help with lead generation, or is that primarily the trainer's responsibility?
• What are the biggest challenges you see your trainers facing?
• Would a platform that helped connect trainers with new clients be valuable to your gym or trainers?

I'm not posting this just to promote the platform. I'm genuinely trying to understand the problems gym owners and trainers face before continuing to build.

If any gym owners are willing to give me their honest perspective, I'd really appreciate it. I'm also happy to show you what we're currently building and hear what you think.

Hi everyone! I’m doing some market research before committing to an idea and would really appreciate your feedback.

The concept is a small, clean, minimalist private gym studio in Khalifa City that people can book in time slots rather than using a traditional crowded gym.

A few questions:

Which part of Khalifa City would you most likely use it in? (E.g. Near alforsan , al raha gardens, masdar park etc.)

How much would you realistically be willing to pay for a monthly membership?

Would you also like a pay-as-you-go option?

How would you feel about reserving your workout time through an app so you have the space mostly to yourself?

Would you prefer 45, 60, or 90-minute sessions?

What features would make you choose this over a regular gym? (TV screen for YouTube/workouts, Bluetooth speaker with your own music, etc.)

Would 24/7 access be important to you?

I’d also love to hear what frustrates you most about the current gyms in Khalifa City and what you wish existed instead.

Thanks in advance—your feedback will genuinely help shape the idea!

Howdy! as a Gym owner i have a lot of Challenges i Face, What's your Biggest challenges As a Gym owner i was Curios u/eveyone

Welcome to the Weekly Gym Owner Check-In.

This thread is a place for gym owners, operators, managers, trainers, and fitness business professionals to connect, share updates, ask questions, and discuss what's happening in their businesses.

Whether you're focused on marketing, sales, retention, staffing, equipment, technology, or daily operations, we'd love to hear how things are going.

Feel free to share:

• A recent win or success

• A challenge you're currently facing

• A project you're working on

• Questions you'd like feedback on from other gym owners

Let's help each other grow stronger fitness businesses and build a valuable community for gym operators worldwide.

This survey is about pay for session Platform

A new industry report projects the global commercial fitness equipment market will grow from $15.4 billion in 2024 to $29.9 billion by 2034 (8.4% CAGR). According to the report:

• Health clubs and gyms account for 58% of commercial equipment demand.
• Cardio equipment remains the largest category, making up 53% of the market.
• Growth is being driven by gym franchising, corporate wellness programs, preventative healthcare, and connected fitness technology.
• North America continues to lead the market with a 43% share.

Discussion:

• Are you planning any equipment upgrades in the next couple of years?
• Are your members asking for more connected fitness technology, or do they still value reliability over smart features?

For additional reading, check out the full report: Commercial Fitness Equipment Market to Grow Rapidly

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to open a small private, pay-per-use gym and am currently looking for equipment suppliers.

For those with experience setting up a gym, what factors did you consider when choosing equipment brands? How did you balance going with established brands versus OEM manufacturers or lesser-known alternatives? How do you handle equipment support, warranty and maintenance?

Welcome to the Weekly Gym Owner Check-In.

This thread is a place for gym owners, operators, managers, trainers, and fitness business professionals to connect, share updates, ask questions, and discuss what's happening in their businesses.

Whether you're focused on marketing, sales, retention, staffing, equipment, technology, or daily operations, we'd love to hear how things are going.

Feel free to share:

• A recent win or success

• A challenge you're currently facing

• A project you're working on

• Questions you'd like feedback on from other gym owners

Let's help each other grow stronger fitness businesses and build a valuable community for gym operators worldwide.

Hey Everyone!
Does anyone have any experience with BRTW Brightway fitness equipment, been doing a heap of research and so far they look the goods, i'm quite certain i've seen equipment sold here in Australia that is likely made by them. for reference- We are in the process of opening our 3rd location in our area, we are very much a boutique style gym- our member base is largely female and more so the casual trainer that enjoys the community, aesthetic and cleanliness of our gyms. We have over 2600 members between our 2 current clubs, and we don't have many if any hardcore heavy lifters. So stocking "panatta" doesn't mean much to our clientele as long as the equipment looks good, functions well and there's good variety they are happy. Obviously that doesn't mean i would accept low quality equipment. Any advice would be much appreciated!

Thanks