Americans increasingly see fitness as an essential investment in themselves and are projected to put $60B collectively behind achieving their goals in 2026.

Key takeaways

• Americans plan to invest $60B in fitness in 2026, signaling long-term commitment beyond New Year’s resolutions.
• Fitness is increasingly seen as essential, with Americans more likely to cut dining, travel, or entertainment first.
• Gen Z and Millennials are fueling growth as wellness spending expands into longevity, social clubs, and competitions.

Exercise is once again America’s most popular New Year’s resolution, with 25% of people looking to work out more this year, according to a new YouGov survey. Other top resolutions include being happy (23%), eating healthier (22%), saving more money (21%), and improving physical health (21%).¹

A nationwide poll from the Health & Fitness Association found fitness goal-getters will spend an estimated $60 billion in support of their exercise resolutions in 2026 — a sign that even potential budget pressures won’t dissuade Americans from meeting their goals.² While Empower research shows 82% of Americans say their money doesn’t go as far as it used to, nearly a third value the return on happiness they get from breaking a sweat at the gym.

And while many resolutions fade quickly, data suggests fitness goals may stick longer than expected: Among those who included health, fitness, or exercise goals in their New Year’s resolutions for 2025, 55% say they fully achieved them.³

Budgeting for gains

The average cost of a monthly gym membership can run anywhere between $10 for budget gyms to $500 for luxury gyms or boutique studios.⁴ Prices vary drastically depending on location, amenities, and perks. Empower Personal Dashboard^TM data reveals that gym membership spending saw a 19% jump from 2024 to 2025, with Americans spending $101.80 a month on average. Even with a range of fitness approaches available, 86% of Americans say access to gyms, studios, or other fitness facilities will be important to reaching their 2026 goals.⁵

While exercising more can come at a cost, Americans say it’s one they’d hesitate to pull back from. When asked which household expenses they’d reduce, if necessary, 44% said dining out, 36% said travel or vacations, and 29% said entertainment. Only 23% said fitness or exercise.⁶

Together, the findings indicate a shift in how Americans categorize health and wellness spending, treating it more as a necessity than a discretionary expense.

Generation gym

Millennial and Gen Z consumers are spending more on health and wellness than older Americans, particularly when it comes to fitness and nutrition.⁷ The generational shift towards healthy habits is creating what some have deemed a recession-resistant corner of the market, with Gen Z households spending about 2.8 times the amount that Baby Boomers do on fitness, while Millennials spend around three times as much.⁸

Planet Fitness, the largest gym franchise in the U.S. by member count and system sales, reports that Gen Z is the fastest-growing segment of its membership. Despite raising its monthly membership fee by 50% in the summer of 2024 (from $10 to $15), the company has increased revenue by 13% in its most recent quarter. Share prices are also up by more than 30% in the past five years.^9,10

Fitness spending trends for 2026

In the U.S., the wellness market — comprising better health, fitness, sleep, mindfulness, appearance, and nutrition — is growing as much as 10% per year and is now worth $500 billion, per McKinsey analysis. Eighty-four percent of U.S. consumers now consider wellness a top or important priority in their everyday lives. It’s expected that consumers will maintain their spending on fitness club memberships and fitness apps and increase their spending on in-person fitness classes and personal training.¹¹

But new trends are also emerging for 2026 that will influence spending habits:

Longevity

Demand for products and services to support longevity continues to grow among consumers of all age groups. Up to 60% of consumers report that healthy aging is a “top” or “very important” priority.¹² Spending on longevity is expected to exceed $8 trillion annually by 2030, and experts predict more fitness programs will aim to capitalize on that in 2026.^13,14

Social wellness clubs

Social connection is becoming a core part of wellness. For 2026, private wellness and social fitness clubs are expanding beyond traditional workouts into spaces for community, celebration, and personalized self-care.¹⁵ These venues are increasingly positioned as destinations for milestone events and proactive wellness experiences, reflecting growing consumer interest in fitness as both a social and lifestyle investment that can run anywhere from $350 to $10,000 a month.¹⁶

Fitness-related travel

The fitness-travel crossover continues to gain momentum as demand for in-person services, such as boutique fitness classes and yoga retreats, grows and consumers continue to prioritize experiences.¹⁷ Travel centered around runners is also expected to boom with the growing popularity of long-distance races and companies like Vacation Races hosting marathons across national parks and abroad.¹⁸

Workout competitions

Interest in competitive fitness is accelerating as people look beyond traditional weight room routines. Participation in indoor fitness competitions like Hyrox has surged, with more than 550,000 athletes competing in 2025.¹⁹ The category continues to grow rapidly, with an estimated 1.3 to 1.5 million participants expected for the 2025–2026 season, signaling strong demand for structured, goal-driven fitness experiences. Entry costs up to $185 and the winner of the pro division gets a prize of up to $7,500.²⁰