On September 14, the Health & Fitness Association (HFA) released its 2026 Global Report. It covers 33 countries, 244 operators and about 27,000 facilities. For the first time, HFA made it available to the whole industry, and I recommend every operator read it.
The headline is good news. The fitness industry had a strong 2025, and most operators expect 2026 to be even better. But when I read the numbers as someone who works with operators on member retention every day, I see a second story under the headline. It is about where the next chapter of growth will come from, and what it will take to keep it.
Here is what stood out to me, and what I think it means for wellness and fitness operators.
1. The industry is healthy, and confident
According to the report, the median operator in 2025 saw:
10.7% revenue growth
6.1% net membership growth
A 22.1% EBITDA margin
Looking ahead, 92.3% of operators expect revenue to grow in 2026, more than 85% expect membership to grow, and 83.4% expect EBITDA to grow.
This matters. Growth conversations are easier than survival conversations. Operators who are confident about the future are more willing to invest in better systems, and that is exactly when good systems pay off the most.
2. Revenue is growing faster than membership
This is the number I keep coming back to. Median revenue grew 10.7%, while median net membership grew 6.1%.
The report does not break down where the difference comes from. My reading is that part of it likely comes from pricing, premium services and more spend per member, not only from more members. That is healthy, but it has a condition attached: higher value per member only works if members stay.
When each member is worth more, each member who quietly stops showing up costs more. In last year's HFA Global Report, annual member retention was about 66%. That means roughly one in three members walks away each year. Growth that depends on higher value per member makes retention even more important, not less.
3. Technology is where the most operators plan to spend more
Two out of three operators (66.7%) expect to increase technology spending in 2026. That is more than the share planning to increase marketing (60.7%) or staffing (45.8%).
I read this as a clear signal. Operators know they cannot grow by adding more people to every task. They want tools that give their existing team more capacity.
But more technology is not automatically better. Most operators I talk to already have a CRM, a booking system, a payment tool, an email tool and a few spreadsheets. They are not short on dashboards. They are short on time to act on what those dashboards show. The question for 2026 budgets should not be "what new tool can we add?" It should be "what will actually get done that is not getting done today?"
This is the problem we built NexScale to solve. Insight is not execution. NexScale sits on top of the CRM an operator already runs, spots members who are starting to disengage weeks before they cancel, and then acts: a personal message in the operator's voice, sent with their approval, with every follow-up handled and reported back.
4. Staffing is the pressure point
Fewer than half of operators (45.8%) plan to increase staffing, even while most expect more members and more revenue. So the same teams will be serving more people.
This is where member experience usually slips. The personal check-in after a member misses two weeks is the first thing to disappear when the front desk is busy. Our view is simple: automate the preparation, never the relationship. Let technology find who needs attention and prepare the right message, so your team can spend its time on real human connection.
5. Fitness is becoming part of healthcare
One of the most important parts of the report is not about revenue at all. HFA highlights how countries are starting to connect physical activity with their health systems:
In the United States, Medicare now reimburses standardized physical activity assessments as part of the Annual Wellness Visit.
In Australia, private health insurance rebates have returned for selected therapies, including Pilates.
In Japan, some exercise therapy costs now qualify as tax-deductible medical expenses.
In the Netherlands, collaboration between municipalities, healthcare and fitness providers is expanding.
HFA's interim President and CEO, Greta Wagner, noted that consumers are increasingly prioritizing strength, mobility, healthy aging and connection.
This is the part that excites me most. At NexScale, we believe wellness and fitness businesses are longevity infrastructure. When a gym or studio becomes part of someone's health journey, keeping that person engaged is no longer only a business metric. It is a health outcome. A member who keeps showing up is a person who keeps moving, stays connected to a community, and ages better.
What this means for operators planning 2027
If I were sitting with an operator today to plan the next year, here is what I would suggest based on this report:
Protect the members you already have. Growth is strong, but it is worth more when it compounds. Know who is slipping before they cancel, not after.
Judge new technology by action, not insight. Ask every vendor, including us, what gets done on a Tuesday when a member has quietly missed two weeks.
Give your team capacity, not more tools to manage. With staffing growing slower than membership, the right systems should remove work, not add screens.
Prepare for the health connection. As fitness moves closer to healthcare, operators who can show consistent member engagement will be in a stronger position with partners, insurers and their communities.
Final thought
The 2026 HFA Global Report shows an industry that is growing and confident. I share that optimism. But the next chapter will not be won only by attracting more members. It will be won by the operators who help their members keep coming back, month after month, year after year.
That is the work we care about at NexScale: scaling wellness and fitness businesses today to power human longevity tomorrow.
You can read the full report on the Health & Fitness Association website: 2026 HFA Global Report.
All figures in this article are taken from the 2026 HFA Global Report and HFA's press release of September 14, 2026, except the annual retention figure, which comes from the 2025 HFA Global Report. Interpretations are our own and are not endorsed by HFA.
