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Fitness companies have increased revenue through premium memberships and recovery amenities, while consumers and healthcare buyers show growing interest in measurable health results. InsideTracker CEO Rony Sellam argues that operators could capture more value by linking fitness services to health data, but the source report does not establish that this model has produced verified outcomes or new revenue at scale.
Fitness operators have expanded revenue with premium memberships and recovery amenities, and an Athletech News report says the next business opportunity may be charging for services tied to measurable health outcomes. The case is still prospective: the report describes consumer demand and payer interest, but does not show that fitness operators have broadly demonstrated clinical results or turned them into a proven revenue stream.
Recent company figures illustrate how operators have raised spending per member through enhanced offerings. Life Time reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of $866 million, up 13.7%, while membership grew 1.2%; the report calculates revenue per membership increased 11.8%. At Planet Fitness, Black Card members accounted for 68% of memberships, compared with 62.6% in 2021. YMCA operators have also signed up members for monthly recovery add-ons, according to the report.
Those services include recovery lounges, cold plunges and red light therapy. InsideTracker CEO Rony Sellam told Athletech News that operators have established that consumers will pay more for a better experience. He said the next challenge is showing whether newer services improve health and wellbeing, beyond fitness and performance. Sellam’s comments are an industry executive’s assessment, not independent proof that these offerings produce measurable health improvements.
The report points to wider interest in health data: it says wearable ownership rose from 13% in 2015 to 46% at the time of publication. It also cites Quest Diagnostics’ expectation that its consumer testing business will grow 20% to 30% in 2027, reaching $250 million. These figures indicate market activity and a company forecast; they do not establish how much fitness operators could earn from outcome-linked services.
From Amenities to Measured Health
For gyms and studios, the proposed shift could change what they sell: alongside access, equipment and recovery features, they could offer members a way to track health measures over time. If operators can credibly connect services to results, that may give members a reason to stay and provide a distinction that is harder to copy than installing the same equipment.
The potential customer base extends beyond individual members. The report says employers and healthcare payers increasingly seek evidence of results when paying for services. It cites 44.9% of U.S. healthcare payments flowing through arrangements tied to results rather than services. That statistic signals a broader payment trend; it does not show that gyms currently qualify for such contracts or that their services meet clinical requirements.
Fitness operators would need more than attendance and satisfaction data to serve those buyers. The report says healthcare arrangements may require validated measures such as HbA1c and blood pressure. Collecting and interpreting those data could create costs and responsibilities, while a credible link between an intervention and an outcome would matter to both members and payers.
A Growing Market for Health Data
The potential opportunity comes as gym participation and usage rise. The source report says 81 million Americans belonged to a gym, studio or fitness facility in 2025, equal to 26.1% of people aged six and older. Members recorded nearly 7 billion visits, and the share of members who never visited fell to 4.6%. The figures describe participation and engagement, but do not by themselves measure changes in health.
Sellam argues that gym operators already have frequent contact with members and can observe attendance and, depending on their technology, activity patterns. Members who want insight into biomarkers or other health data may turn to testing companies and healthcare services elsewhere. Sellam describes this as spending leaving an operator’s existing customer relationship. The report does not quantify that spending or establish how much operators could retain.
The report identifies federal initiatives as possible openings for fitness and prevention services. It says the CMS ACCESS model links payments for technology-supported chronic care to measurable outcomes, while MAHA ELEVATE is testing evidence-based preventive care approaches that include physical activity. These initiatives suggest areas for exploration; the source does not say that fitness operators have secured participation or payments through them.
“The industry has already answered the question of whether consumers will pay more for a better experience.”
— Rony Sellam, CEO of InsideTracker, quoted by Athletech News
Proof, Payment and Privacy Questions
The central question is whether fitness services can be shown to improve health outcomes in a way that members, clinicians and payers consider credible. The report describes a proposed data platform from InsideTracker that combines biological, physiological, genetic and fitness information, but it does not provide enough detail here to assess its evidence, validation or results in fitness settings. A platform’s ability to combine data does not itself prove that a particular service caused a health change.
It also remains unclear how operators would handle sensitive health information, what clinical oversight would be required, and whether payer contracts would cover the cost of testing and analysis. The source does not identify fitness companies already earning significant outcome-based healthcare revenue, nor does it provide contract examples, pricing or measured financial returns. Those details will determine whether the opportunity extends beyond a promising strategy.
Evidence Will Shape Adoption
The next step for operators pursuing this model is to show results through transparent measures and explain how their services relate to those results. For healthcare partnerships, the report points to clinically credible metrics and evidence as buyer expectations. Operators and platform providers will also need to explain data handling, oversight and costs before members or payers can judge the offer.
The source does not name a specific upcoming launch, contract decision or results release. Growth forecasts for consumer testing and federal programs may offer indicators to watch, but it is not yet clear whether they will translate into fitness-sector revenue. Any claims about clinical benefit or payer adoption will need to be assessed against published evidence and actual contract terms as they emerge.
Key Questions
What is the development described in the report?
An Athletech News report examines whether fitness operators can earn revenue by measuring and demonstrating health outcomes, building on existing premium services and membership offerings.
Have gyms proved that their services improve clinical outcomes?
The source does not establish that fitness operators have broadly proved clinical outcomes or connected them to specific services. It presents measurable results as a potential next step and says healthcare buyers may expect measures such as HbA1c and blood pressure.
Why might outcome measurement matter to fitness operators?
It could help operators distinguish their services and respond to members seeking health insights. Sellam also argues that members currently spend on testing and health services outside their gym, though the report does not quantify that spending.
Are healthcare payers already paying gyms for outcomes?
The report cites payment models tied to results and federal initiatives involving chronic care and prevention, but it does not document fitness operators securing those payments. Whether gyms can participate and meet buyers’ evidence requirements remains unclear.
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