Whether it’s hitting the local gym for cardio, weights, or personal training, a wide range of fitness options exist in today’s marketplace — no matter your fitness level or budget. In fact, the evolving fitness industry has seen an impressive surge of franchises in the last year that aren’t only reshaping how we approach wellness but also dominating the small business landscape.
Keep reading for a showcase of top-performing and fun fitness franchises, exploring what makes them the top picks for exercise enthusiasts and aspiring business owners alike — so you can reach your fitness goals, business goals, or both!
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Hottest Fitness Franchises of 2023-24
Let’s take a look at some of the hottest fitness franchises from the past year to now. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast looking for exciting workout options or an aspiring franchise owner seeking a rewarding investment, these franchises have something to offer. Join us as we explore what sets them apart — and why they have become top picks in the world of exercise and business.
1. Barre3
Flexible Fitness for Everyone
What do you get when you mix ballet with yoga and a dash of Pilates? Barre3, of course. As one of the key players in the barre industry, Barre3, offers “efficient, effective workouts in studio, at home, and on the go” through a mix of strength, cardio, and mindfulness, according to the company’s website. Barre3 has 165+ studios across the country (and in Canada and the Philippines) and offers a “first class free” coupon online. And if one of those options doesn’t work for you, you can get curated content with on-demand workouts for everything from cardio and strength to prenatal workouts. (Plus, you get 14 days free with the online option.) Flexibility is clearly essential with this fitness franchise.
Leading the Industry
According to its website, Barre3 has been a leader in the fitness industry for 15 years and serves 69,000 clients monthly. The franchise shows steady and consistent growth.
A Supportive Franchise
Barre3 prides itself on offering a purpose-driven fitness club that adheres to its core values: practice, authenticity, strong togetherness, love of learning, generous giving, and making it happen. The franchise also gives each studio owner a dedicated point person to support them in growing a successful Barre3 franchise — from real estate assistance to marketing and brand recognition. Ongoing education also helps fuel and empower Barre3 franchise owners.
Barre3 Franchise Summary
- Flexible barre workouts in the studio, from home, or “on the go!”
- Initial franchise fee: $50,000
- Total initial Investment: $306,796 to $597,146
- Royalty fees: 6%
2. IronTribe
Exceptional Training for Top Athletes
This fitness franchise offers people a place to transform themselves into athletes — all in only 45 minutes, three times a week. IronTribe’s business model offers group fitness classes, online options, high-performance training, and semi-private options in its 29 (currently open) locations across the U.S. IronTribe coaches help people find their inner athletes, lose weight, and gain the competitive fitness advantage that is within them.
Franchisegrade.com suggests working from $40,000 to $75,000 to open an IronTribe. If you’re a veteran, you can expect a 15% discount on the initial franchise fee, which is $42,000.
Community-based support
IronTribe’s Franchise Development team offers streamlined options to help you quickly grow your fitness center and community. This includes helping you select a site, negotiate a lease, work with construction companies, and coordinate vendors. IronTribe believes the location is truly everything. Here’s a sample of what else you can expect, according to IronTribe’s website:
- Evaluate communities
- Create a list of approved communities that meet the criteria
- Identify real estate sites
- Complete a real estate analysis
Franchising an IronTribe
- Exceptional athletic training, in-person or online.
- Initial Franchise Fee: $42,000
- Total Initial Investment: $300,000 to $433,500
- Royalty Fee: 6.0%
3. KidStrong
Making Kids Stronger and Healthier
While most fitness and wellness franchises focus on adults, KidStrong takes a holistic approach: helping kids “win at life.” The franchise offers itself as a “milestone-accelerator” for kids who can walk up until age 11. The franchise offers development across three areas: character, physical fitness, and brain milestones. Examples include courses in teamwork, strength and endurance, and problem-solving. KidStrong offers in-person training centers with coaches as well as apps for online programs and tracking.
There are 400 franchises sold to date, and the company has experienced explosive growth on its journey to get to that number since starting in 2018.
App-Based Support
KidStrong provides three apps to help kids and parents access science-based learning tools and at-home resources, as well as keep track of your kid’s progress and milestones.
Franchising a KidStrong
- A holistic approach to helping children develop their minds and bodies for optimal success.
- Initial franchise fee: $40,000
- Total Initial Investment: $313,000 – $664,000
- Royalty fee: N/A
4. Anytime Fitness
“Anytime, Anywhere, Any Way You Want”
Anytime Fitness believes working out shouldn’t feel like work. With personalized coaching, high-quality equipment, and the added bonus of free access to Apple Fitness+, loving your fitness routine is easier than ever at Anytime Fitness, regardless of where, when, or how you choose to get active. Anytime Fitness gyms are open 24 hours a day — and there are over 3,000 of them across the U.S.
Growing More than Muscles
According to a recent report from The International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), Anytime Fitness has maintained its position as the world’s fastest-growing fitness club for the seventh consecutive year. According to the IHRSA, the past years have seen an impressive surge in Anytime Fitness units as 1,396 new gyms were launched from 2008 to 2013. In 2013 alone, Anytime Fitness expanded its network with 338 new gyms — marking a remarkable 17 percent increase compared to the previous year.
What’s more, Anytime Fitness saw an even more impressive surge in membership numbers surpassing both U.S. and global rates. They experienced a remarkable 19 percent growth, taking their membership count from 1.55 million to 1.84 million. Worldwide, the number of fitness club memberships grew from 132 million to 140 million in 2013. And growth isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Anytime Fitness Franchise Summary
- A global growing presence boasting personalized, convenient tools and training.
- Initial franchise fee: $25,000
- Total initial investment: $388,966 – $970,097
- Royalty fees: N/A
5. Crunch
A Fun, Low-Cost Fitness Franchise
Crunch Fitness is a gym franchise that aims to make working out fun (as evidenced by its name). Crunch offers basic $14.99 memberships to keep costs low and provides a tagline of “#nojudgements.” When you join Crunch, you gain access to group classes, HIIT (high-intensity interval training) classes, and one-on-one training with personal coaches.
Crunching the Numbers
With more than 2.4M members and 325 locations worldwide, Crunch Fitness franchise businesses are popular around the globe. It was founded in 1989 in New York City — and currently has more than 440 franchise locations open today.
Crunch is Winning
Here’s just a sample of the awards Crunch has won:
- Entrepreneur Franchise 500, 2023
- Entrepreneur Franchise 500 Top Brand for Multi-Unit Owners, 2023
- Entrepreneur Franchise 500 Fastest Growing Franchise, 2022
- Entrepreneur Top Global Franchise, 2022
Crunch Franchise Summary
- Budget fitness center with a variety of offerings and a focus on fun
- Initial franchise fee: $25,000
- Total Initial Investment: $255,500 – $2,320,500
- Royalty fees: 5%
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Finding the Fitness Franchise for You
You have a wide array of options when it comes to fitness franchise models or gym franchise opportunities from more traditional, full-body workouts at Crunch and Anytime Fitness to more boutique fitness franchises and unique workout experiences at KidStrong, IronTribe, and Barre3. All of these franchise opportunities have something a little different to offer prospective franchisees — and are among the top fitness franchises as we look to 2024.
The fitness franchise industry certainly isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Whether you’re looking for weight loss or becoming a franchise owner, we wish you luck on your fitness or business journey!
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