The fitness industry has become very good at motivating people who already want to exercise.
We've developed increasingly sophisticated ways to challenge them... Functional training. HIIT. CrossFit. Fitness racing. Hyrox. Boutique classes. Personal training. Wearables. Challenges. Apps.
They're all valuable. They create communities, improve performance and give people new reasons to exercise.
But there's a problem.
Most of the people who could benefit from better health aren't looking for any of them.
And that might be the biggest opportunity the fitness industry is currently missing.
The people we're already good at serving
Walk into almost any gym and you'll find people who are motivated to exercise.
They've got goals. They enjoy training. They might be chasing a PB, preparing for a race, building strength, losing weight or simply maintaining the fitness they've worked hard to achieve.
The industry has become brilliant at serving these people, and it should continue to do so.
But there is a danger in assuming that this is where the biggest growth opportunity lies.
Because we're often competing for the same people: A new class wins members from another club. A new training format attracts people who already exercise. A new challenge gives existing exercisers another reason to train. Or a no-joining fee offer... you get the drift. It's useful growth, but it's often niche on niche.
What about everyone else?
We've talked a lot at GGFit about the 17:66 model.
The numbers aren't intended to be scientifically precise. They're a way of thinking about the market. Roughly:
- 17% are already members
- 17% are genuinely disinterested
- And 66% want to be healthier
That middle group is fascinating... They're not necessarily anti-health. They're not necessarily anti-gym. They're just not motivated by fitness.
They don't wake up thinking:
"I really should do some functional training today."
They might wake up thinking:
"I don't have enough energy."
Or:
"I really need to do something about my health."
Or:
"I'm getting older and I don't feel as good as I used to."
Or simply:
"I want to be around for my kids and grandkids."
There's a difference.
They want the outcome, but they don't necessarily want the traditional route to get there.
Health first. Fitness second.
This is one of the fundamental ideas behind HealthSeekers.
Instead of starting with: "How do we get more people to exercise?"
we start with: "How do we help more people become healthier?"
That might eventually lead to exercise. (In fact, we hope it does).
But it doesn't have to start there... It can start with a conversation.
- A Daily100
- A HealthCheck
- A body composition measurement
- A discussion about hydration
- A small change that makes someone feel better
- A coach who listens rather than prescribes
And then perhaps, when someone feels more confident, movement becomes part of the solution.
The order matters.
The opportunity isn't to make everyone a fitness enthusiast
This is important... HealthSeekers isn't about trying to turn the 66% into gym fanatics. Nor should the industry abandon the people who already love fitness.
It's about recognising that health is a much bigger proposition than fitness.
Someone doesn't need to love exercise to care about:
- energy
- sleep
- stress
- nutrition
- weight
- blood pressure
- longevity
- confidence
- independence
- quality of life
- ...
And those are all things that a good fitness professional can have meaningful conversations about. That creates a much bigger front door into our industry.
Why this matters commercially
This isn't simply a worthy social mission, there is a significant commercial opportunity here.
If your entire proposition is built around people who already want to exercise, your potential market is naturally limited.
But if you can help people improve their health without demanding that they first become "gym people", you can create relationships with an entirely different audience.
That's where the HealthSeekers Accelerator comes in.
We're working with operators to test the proposition, develop the coaching approach, build marketing journeys and learn what actually works.
And importantly, we're learning from real people rather than assuming we already have all the answers.
And there's another opportunity hiding inside this
HealthSeekers doesn't have to sit outside membership.
In fact, some of the most interesting opportunities are happening between HealthSeekers and members.
- A HealthSeeker might eventually become a member.
- An existing member might benefit from a more health-focused coaching conversation.
- A member who wants to cancel might not be ready to leave the relationship altogether.
- A HealthSeeker might introduce a friend or family member.
- And coaches who learn how to have better health conversations with non-members naturally become better at having those conversations with members too.
So we're not creating a separate business.
We're creating a broader health proposition around the existing business.
The fitness industry has a choice
We can continue getting better at competing for the people who already exercise.
Or we can get better at engaging the people who don't.
It's not either/or... There's plenty of room for Hyrox, CrossFit, functional training, personal training, classes and everything else that makes our industry exciting.
But if we're serious about growing the impact, and the commercial opportunity of the fitness industry, we need to look beyond the people already inside it.
Because the biggest market isn't necessarily looking for another workout.
They're looking for a healthier life.
And perhaps our biggest opportunity is to start there.
Continue the Conversation
This article is part of our HealthSeekers Accelerator Insights series, sharing the lessons, observations and evidence emerging from operators around the UK.
The HealthSeekers Accelerator is helping clubs explore how they can engage more of the 66% who want to be healthier, but don't necessarily identify with traditional fitness.
If you'd like to discuss the opportunity, compare experiences, or explore how HealthSeekers could help your organisation build a broader health proposition and a healthier, more resilient business, I'd love to hear from you.
