Issue No. 332 of Fitt Insider ("The Everything Gym") delivered a landmark stat: 77M Americans were gym or studio members in 2024, per a Health & Fitness Association report — a record, up 5.6% year over year and 20% since 2019. Facilities logged 96M unique visitors.
But the number that should shape every operator's strategy isn't the headcount. It's the reason behind it. The issue found that a majority of younger generations now treat fitness as an identity, and most say it's more than a hobby — they're not skipping workouts, they're seeking belonging. That shift is the whole opportunity, and it's exactly what Cadoo is built to serve.
Fitness is becoming a way of life — and a lifestyle hub
The issue documented an industry in the middle of a genuine transformation:
- In Europe, membership grew roughly 10%, per Fitt Insider, and the region's 20 largest chains — including Basic-Fit, PureGym, and RSG Group — generated a combined €7.4B in revenue.
- Consumers didn't flinch at higher dues; Bank of America reported a 7% jump in card spending on "healthy habits," its biggest in two years, per the issue.
- "Superboutiques" and full-stack destinations are blending workouts, recovery, and community into one space, per Fitt Insider — gyms evolving from barbell clubs into lifestyle hubs.
- Issue sponsor EGYM pitched its Genius AI, integrating data across smart machines and 200+ partners to personalize training and keep members coming back, per the issue.
These are industry references, not Cadoo partners. The takeaway from the issue is blunt: the old gym model — intimidating, exclusive — fails to reach most people. The next wave wins by being inclusive, social, and identity-affirming.
A record number of members is a record retention problem
More sign-ups is only good news if members stay. And the very thing driving the boom — belonging — is fragile. A member who joins to be part of something will quietly drift the moment that connection weakens. Discounts and new equipment don't fix belonging; only other people do.
This is the core of Cadoo's positioning: bet money with friends on reaching fitness goals. It takes the identity and community members are already craving and gives it a structure — a shared challenge, a stake, and friends who notice when you don't show up. Social accountability, not willpower, is what keeps a way-of-life membership from becoming a lapsed one.
How Cadoo turns members into a community that sticks
Gyms and studios use Cadoo to run recurring, staked challenges that keep members consistent between visits — the space where enthusiasm usually fades. Members join with friends, put a little money on the line, and stay engaged because the group is counting on them. That's belonging with a scoreboard.
It's verifiable and measurable, which turns engagement into data an operator can actually use. Cadoo-verified workouts confirm the effort: the camera counts reps only. Steps and distance sync from Apple Health or Google Health Connect. And because the fitness-as-identity crowd loves to share, every completed challenge produces a branded, shareable clip — your members marketing your gym to exactly the friends you want to reach.
Reaching the members the old model missed
The issue's most important insight is that the old, exclusive gym leaves a huge share of people out. Games lower that barrier: a friendly challenge with friends is far more inviting than a rigid training plan, which is how brands grow into first-timers and the belonging-seekers who never felt the old model was for them.
On our roadmap — not live yet — winnings could convert into credit or perks at your gym or studio, deepening the loyalty loop. If you operate a gym and want to turn a record membership base into a community that stays, visit cadoo.games/brands or reach Tim@cadoo.io.
Frequently asked questions
Why did US gym membership hit a record 77 million?
Fitt Insider's The Everything Gym issue attributes it to fitness becoming an identity and a way of life, especially for younger generations who join to belong. That belonging is the opportunity — and the retention challenge — Cadoo helps gyms address.
How does Cadoo help gyms retain a growing membership base?
Cadoo turns training goals into recurring games members enter with friends and a stake. That social accountability keeps them consistent between visits, converting the belonging that drives sign-ups into the loyalty that prevents churn.
How does Cadoo help a gym reach people the old model missed?
A friendly, social challenge is far more inviting than an intimidating training plan, which lowers the barrier for first-timers and belonging-seekers. That helps operators grow into the majority the traditional gym model never reached.
How does Cadoo give operators real engagement data?
Cadoo-verified workouts confirm the effort — the camera counts reps only. Steps and distance sync from Apple Health or Google Health Connect — so gyms get trustworthy engagement data instead of self-reported check-ins.
Can members redeem Cadoo winnings at my gym?
Redeeming winnings for credit or perks at a partner gym is on our roadmap and not live yet. Today, Cadoo delivers community, retention, and shareable branded content that markets your brand.
