The fitness landscape is starting to feel different… and the numbers back it up

Pilates Outpaces Indoor Cycling, HIIT, and Cardio Machines: What the Shift Means for the Future of Fitness

According to the latest data from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), Pilates training has grown nearly 40% since 2019, making it the fastest-rising activity in the sector. Yoga isn’t far behind with growth above 20%, while kettlebell training and free weights continue to expand into the mainstream.

On the other side of the spectrum, indoor cycling, cardio machines, and bootcamps are in steep decline. Group cycling participation has dropped by more than 30%, while ellipticals, stair climbers, and other repetitive cardio machines have seen double-digit decreases. Even high-intensity bootcamps and cross-training formats, once the darlings of the industry, are losing steam.

The Rise of Strength and Mobility

What do these numbers tell us? Consumers are shifting their priorities:

• Pilates (+40%): A low-impact, core-focused practice that improves posture, control, and longevity. It’s not just for rehab or niche audiences any more, it’s mainstream.

• Yoga (+20%): Continues its role as a body-mind staple, accessible across demographics and adaptable to almost every training environment.

• Kettlebells (+20%): Functional, versatile, and effective for strength and conditioning, a great tool in the age of hybrid training.

• Free Weights: More people than ever are lifting, with strength training attracting women and older adults who see it as the cornerstone of healthy aging.

  
  

This is the clear rise of strength, mobility, and functional health over the old cardio-first model.

The Decline of “Suffering as a Service”

On the decline side, the message is equally strong:

• Group Cycling (-33.5%): Once a cultural phenomenon, cycling classes are struggling to stay relevant as consumers seek variety and personal progression.

• Cardio Machines (double-digit declines): Treadmills, stair climbers, and ellipticals are losing ground. They’re repetitive, disengaging, and don’t deliver the community or progression members are seeking.

• Bootcamp/HIIT/Cross Training: Despite trends like Hyrox which attracted a good part of the crossfit community, there’s less appetite for randomized, all-out training formats. Members are prioritizing goal-specific, sustainable plans over “smash yourself and hope for the best.”

In short: intensity is out, intentionality is in.

Longevity Over Intensity

This shift reflects a deeper cultural transformation in fitness:

• Consumers want fitness that supports long-term health and vitality, not just sweat and exhaustion.

• The growing base of female members and operators is shaping the industry toward formats that emphasize sustainability, empowerment, and holistic health.

• Science is winning: evidence-backed approaches like resistance training, mobility, and structured programs are edging out the “just work harder” mentality.

The era of glorifying exhaustion is fading. The new era celebrates strength, resilience, and longevity.

What This Means for Operators

For gym owners, trainers, and investors, the message is clear:

1. Adapt programming – Offer more Pilates, mobility, and functional strength formats. These aren’t niche add-ons anymore; they’re mainstream demand.

2. Invest in equipment that lasts – Free weights, kettlebells, and versatile tools deliver more value than rows of cardio machines collecting dust.

3. Design for longevity – Members don’t want workouts that burn them out. They want programs that build them up for years. Offer a program that takes their needs and wants into account and use it to create a long-lasting relationship with them.

4. Rethink community – People are looking for shared, sustainable experiences, not just high-intensity challenges. Community building is not something that happens organically and needs to be facilitated by you.

The Takeaway

The SFIA numbers confirm what many of us have felt on the ground, even outside the USA: fitness is moving away from intensity-driven models toward longevity-driven models.

Pilates, yoga, strength, and mobility aren’t trends, they’re the new foundation. Cycling, cardio machines, and random bootcamps aren’t dead, but they’re no longer the drivers of growth.

The future of fitness will belong to operators and brands who embrace this shift, building ecosystems that prioritize long-term health, functional strength, and holistic well-being.