Health and Fitness Club Industry News: Chains
Monday, March 2nd, 2026
Life Time Opens First Athletic Country Club of 2026 in West Cary (its Fourth in the Raleigh-Cary Market) Further Addressing Rapidly Growing Demand for Healthy Living
Posted: February 10, 2026 in Chains
CARY, N.C. - Life Time (NYSE: LTH) announces the opening of its first new athletic country club of 2026 in Cary, North Carolina, as the company continues to expand in highly desirable fast-growing markets demanding premium health and wellness experiences. Life Time Alston Town Center strengthens the company's footprint in the Raleigh-Cary market, benefiting from sustained population growth, a strong economic base and favorable demographic trends. Read More...
Planet Fitness Appoints Steve Beard to Board of Directors
Posted: February 9, 2026 in Chains
HAMPTON, N.H. - Planet Fitness, Inc. (NYSE: PLNT), one of the largest and fastest-growing fitness center operators with more members than any other fitness brand, announces the appointment of Steve Beard, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Covista Inc., formerly Adtalem Global Education Inc., to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. The appointment of Mr. Beard brings Planet Fitness' Board of Directors to nine total directors. Read More...
Top Crunch Fitness Franchisee CR Fitness Holdings Expands Central Florida Presence with Plans for Crunch Maitland
Posted: February 6, 2026 in Chains
MAITLAND, FL - CR Fitness Holdings LLC, the fastest-growing and leading franchisee of Crunch Fitness, announces plans to open Crunch Maitland, a 43,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art fitness facility in Maitland, Florida. The new club is projected to open in 2026. Backed by more than 150 years of combined industry experience, the leadership team—Vince Julien, Geoff Dyer, Jeff Dotson, and Tony Scrimale—currently operates 93 locations across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, and Tennessee, with continued expansion happening in Arizona. CR Fitness is on track to operate 110 Crunch Fitness locations nationwide by the end of 2026. Read More...
UFC GYM, the Premium Fitness Brand of the UFC, Officially Enters Mainland China
Posted: February 5, 2026 in Chains
CHENGDU, CHINA - UFC, the world's premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization, announces that its premium fitness brand, UFC GYM, has officially entered the Mainland China market. The expansion marks a significant milestone in UFC GYM's global growth strategy and its commitment to delivering elite, competition-proven training systems and a performance-driven approach to health and wellness to Chinese consumers. Read More...
YogaSix and Dogtopia Team Up for “Paws and Poses” to Redefine Everyday Wellness for Pet Parents
Posted: February 5, 2026 in Chains
PHOENIX, AZ - As pet parents increasingly prioritize wellness for both themselves and their dogs, Dogtopia, the nation's leading pet wellness franchise, and YogaSix, a leading franchised yoga brand in the United States, are teaming up this February to make healthy routines easier to maintain. Read More...
Club Pilates Unveils Circuit, Brand’s First New National Class in Seven Years
Posted: February 4, 2026 in Chains
IRVINE, CA - Club Pilates, the world’s largest Pilates brand, announces the national launch of Circuit, its first new class format to roll out nationwide in seven years. Launching across studios beginning this month, Circuit delivers a dynamic, full-body workout that blends strength, mobility, endurance and cardio through structured, circuit-style Pilates rounds. Read More...
Workout Anytime Names Tim Hicks as Vice President of Franchise Development
Posted: February 3, 2026 in Chains
ATLANTA, GA - While Americans are projected to spend an estimated $60 billion on fitness in 2026, Workout Anytime, a premium 24/7 fitness franchise, has named Tim Hicks as Vice President of Franchise Development to spearhead the brand's next stage of disciplined franchise growth. In this role, Hicks will lead Workout Anytime's franchise development strategy, focusing on identifying the right franchise partners, strengthening real estate selection and building systems designed to support scalable growth across new and existing markets. Read More...
EōS Fitness Clocks Record Growth in 2025, Surpassing Two Million Members
Posted: February 3, 2026 in Chains
DALLAS, TX - EōS Fitness closed 2025 by surpassing two million members and growing its national footprint by more than 20% during Q4. The High Value. Low Price. (HVLP) gym brand continues to accelerate its strategic growth, fueling expansion with ongoing reinvestment in existing locations and deeper community partnerships. Read More...
World Gym Corporation Presents at 2026 ICR Conference
Posted: January 30, 2026 in Chains
TAIPEI - World Gym Corporation (2762.TW) ("World Gym " or the "Company"), the owner of the iconic World Gym brand with over 280 locations worldwide, recently presented at the 28th Annual ICR Conference, one of the largest growth company investment conferences of the year with over 3,000 attendees. During the conference, the company held many investor and banker meetings to raise awareness of the business and explore a potential capital markets listing in the United States. Read More...
Crunch Franchise Brings State-of-the-Art Crunch 3.0 Gym to Apple Valley, Minnesota
Posted: January 28, 2026 in Chains
APPLE VALLEY, MN - Crunch Fitness announces the upcoming opening of Crunch Apple Valley in Apple Valley, Minnesota. The $8 million, 50,000-square-foot state-of-the-art fitness facility will open its doors in Summer 2026. Operated by Crunch Fitness franchisee The Undefeated Tribe, Crunch Apple Valley will create a new fitness offering for residents of Apple Valley. Read More...
VASA Fitness Appoints Chris Tarrant as Chief Growth Officer
Posted: January 28, 2026 in Chains
GREENWOOD VILLAGE, CO - VASA Fitness, one of the nation's leading high-value, low-price fitness club operators, announces the appointment of Chris Tarrant as Chief Growth Officer. A longtime VASA Board Member, Tarrant brings more than 30 years of experience leading market planning, real estate, design, construction and development initiatives for some of the world's most respected consumer brands. His appointment marks an important step in strengthening VASA's leadership as the company continues to grow and expand nationally. Read More...
HOTWORX Raises Over $63,000 for Veterans and Military Women Battling Breast Cancer
Posted: January 28, 2026 in Chains
NEW ORLEANS, LA - HOTWORX, the revolutionary 24-hour infrared fitness studio franchise, announces the successful conclusion of its 2025 Workouts for Heroes campaign, raising a total of $63,253.42 to support U.S. veterans and military women battling breast cancer. Read More...
Life Time Miami Marathon and Half Delivers an Unforgettable Weekend for More Than 17,000 Runners
Posted: January 25, 2026 in Chains
MIAMI, FL - The 24th Annual Life Time Miami Marathon and Half presented by FP Movement once again transformed South Florida into a vibrant celebration of running, drawing a global community of more than 17,000 athletes from 49 states and 82 countries, making it one of the most globally diverse fields on record. Read More...
Crunch Fitness Takes #20 Spot In Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500
Posted: January 20, 2026 in Chains
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Crunch Fitness, one of the fitness industry's leading high-value, low-price gyms, has ranked #20 overall in the annual Entrepreneur Franchise 500, the world's first and most comprehensive franchise ranking. Entering the top 20 and climbing the ranks from #32 to #20 overall, Crunch exhibits how the brand has successfully evolved to meet the unique needs of modern consumers and gym-goers. Read More...
Workout Anytime Appoints Savannah Baseball Star Kyle “KJ” Jackson as First-Ever Chief Aura Officer
Posted: January 20, 2026 in Chains
ATLANTA, GA - Workout Anytime, the premium 24/7 fitness franchise with more than 190 locations nationwide, has appointed the viral Savannah baseball star and influencer Kyle "KJ" Jackson as its first Chief Aura Officer, reinforcing the brand's commitment to intentionally leading culture, connection and community across its clubs. Read More...
