The fitness industry is very diverse and there are a number of fitness subfields where gym owners, fitness influencers, and personal trainers can build great careers. When you’ve got a detailed view of all the different types of fitness businesses, you’ll be able to find the ways to win and know when and how to stick to your business plan.
Below is the list of profitable fitness business ideas you can consider.
1. Personal Trainer
Personal training can be a very flexible career and you have options of where you want to work. You can work at a gym, or at a fitness studio, make house calls, and set up pop-up events, and when you open your own fitness space you can take clients with you. You also have the option of training your clients virtually.
2. Speciality Gym
If you’re passionate about a particular fitness area and have expertise in it, then it could be a great idea to open a specialty gym. For instance, if you love CrossFit, Powerlifting, yoga, dance, or boxing, you can share your experience and knowledge with others and help them achieve their goals. Specializing in a particular fitness niche will make your business unique and stand out in a crowded market. Sport-specific gyms, for example, are becoming increasingly popular as more athletes realize the benefits of training meant for their specific needs.
3. Meditation and Mindfulness Coach
Meditation, the practice of achieving mental clarity, has numerous health benefits, including a stronger immune system, lower blood pressure, elevated mood, and improved sleep. The popularity of meditation is increasing day by day in the US. If you have experienced the benefits of meditation and have a passion for it, then surely you should consider venturing into this business.
4. Kids Fitness Coach
Physical fitness helps every area of child development including confidence and self-esteem. The CDC recommends, 60 minutes of exercise each day for school kids, yet most don’t get nearly enough. If you want to have an impact on developing the physical literacy of kids, then this is a very good business idea to think of. You can consider buying into kid kids focussed franchise.
5. Physical Therapist
As a physical therapist, you can coach patients on how to manage or prevent injuries, like athletes. Starting this business requires certifications. A physical therapist enjoys high national average pay. A few areas where a therapist can think of venturing into are sports, orthopaedics, women’s health, and geriatrics. This profession also comes with the flexibility to better your work-life balance.
6. Nutritionist
A nutritionist can find work anywhere. You can work in your own gym or somewhere else’s gym. Being a nutritionist is an amazing way to make an impact on an individual’s overall health. You can help your clients with meal plans, weight loss, and healthy eating. After all, clients’ results depend more on what type of fuel they are loading up on and if they are eating healthy or not. You will require certification in nutrition to start this business.
7. Workplace Fitness Instructor
Promoting fitness and healthy living at the workplace is a win-win for both employers and employees. It is a great idea to work exclusively or partly with corporate offices in the fitness niche. Creating fitness challenges among staff members can be rewarding.
8. Outdoor Fitness
Outdoor fitness has become popular recently, as it lets your clients breathe fresh air and get Vitamin D. Outdoor fitness classes are another way that can be a part of your group fitness or boot camp sessions. In addition to boot camps, outdoor fitness can also include other creative fitness business ideas such as yoga, hiking, cycling, and water sports if the landscape is right.
9. Health & Wellness Coach
You need to get yourself licensed and accredited if you want to teach about nutrition, functional medicine, or weight loss. Once you have a specialized offering, you can provide services and can take classes and sell courses. Health coaches, therapists, nutritionists, and acupuncturists have high hourly rates.
10. Mobile Gym
When you offer a mobile gym, you’ll spend your time leading on-site training, group fitness classes, or corporate wellness programs. The location will be different from session to session, it can be the client’s home or a massive corporate office.
11. Nutritional Product Lines
You can source and manufacture health supplements such as vitamins, protein powders, or superfoods, and do private labelling. But you should exercise caution and research each product before you get them approved for distribution.
12. Fitness Influencer
When you have a loyal following on social media, you can leverage platforms like YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram to share your workout routine, fitness journey, and healthy lifestyle tips with your audience. By building a loyal following, you can monetize your online fitness channel through affiliate marketing, sponsored content, or selling your own fitness services or products.
13. Yoga Studio
The popularity of Yoga is increasing day by day among fitness enthusiasts all across the globe. Yoga is now practiced for the overall growth of the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of a person. But before you start a Yoga business you must get trained and have the necessary certifications.
14. Sell Fitness Equipment
As more and more fitness centers are starting to operate, the sales of equipment are also rising. The fitness industry is a growing industry and the demand for the equipment will always be there. If you have prior experience in sales or distribution you should definitely consider this business opportunity.
15. Healthy Meal Delivery Service
Healthy meal kit delivery service is steadily getting popular worldwide. Firstly, you have to select themes for your meal kits. It can be fully prepared meals, plant-based meal service, organic meal service, and more. As people are becoming health conscious day by day, the demand for healthy meal kits is going to increase in the future.
16. Wearable Device Sales
Wearable devices are gaining popularity rapidly as fitness enthusiasts find them very handy to track calories, steps, and many more health metrics. Starting this business may have higher costs but rewards are equally promising, as people are adapting to this new technology.
Why should you consider starting Fitness Business?
There are many fitness companies that serve various niches within the fitness industry, so the options to start a fitness business are endless. Some of the top options to begin to include personal training, selling fitness equipment, and online or in-person fitness classes. The fitness business is a growing industry and people are more aware than ever.
To know better let’s know a few important facts about the fitness business.
| Fitness Business Statistics for 2023 (US) | ||
| 1 | Number of health and fitness clubs in the US | 32,270 |
| 2 | Number of Americans holding Gym memberships | 39% (2019) |
| 3 | Expected fitness industry members in the US by 2030 | 230 million |
| 4 | The Generational breakdown of the average gym membership | |
| Gen Z (born 1994-2022) | 35% | |
| Millennials (born 1979-1993) | 45% | |
| Gen X (born 1964-1979) | 14% | |
| Baby Boomers (born 1949-1963) | 6% | |
| 5 | Online fitness industry’s Worth in 2019 | $6.04 billion |
| 6 | Expected online fitness industry growth from 2021 to 2028 | 33.10% per year |
| 7 | Average American spending on a gym membership | Less than $ 30 per month |
| 8 | Most used fitness equipment | Treadmill |
Pros and Cons of Fitness Business
| Pros | Cons |
| You are your own boss | You may have to work unsociable hours |
| You choose whom to work with | Competitive industry |
| You can take this profession anywhere | There are liability risks |
| You stay fit and healthy | |
| It is not a seasonal business | |
| Growing industry |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What kind of fitness business should I start?
If you are looking for some good business ideas in the fitness industry, as a beginner you should start with easy ideas like personal training, physical therapy, outdoor fitness, kids’ fitness coach, and mobile gym. These fitness businesses require lesser investment and are easy, to begin with.
2. Is the fitness business profitable?
Yes, the fitness business is profitable for sure. The extent of profitability depends upon the number of services offered, the number of clients you cater to, geographical location, and more. You can get a fair idea of how much fitness business can be profitable based on the statistics displayed at the start of this blog post.
3. Is health and fitness a good business?
The health and fitness industry is a rapidly growing industry across the globe. People have become more aware of having a fit body. This is an evergreen niche. Though it is a competitive niche, rewards are equally lucrative. When you think of starting any business always think long term and choose a niche that will always remain in demand. Fitness is a niche that is related to health and who doesn’t like to be in perfect shape and healthy.
Conclusion
There are plenty of sub niches within the fitness industry. You can make a career which is enjoyable and profitable too. Before you jump into this business make sure you are aware of all pros and cons. You should have clear calculations about investments and returns from the business.