Matthew Januszek, co-founder of Escape Fitness, and Mo Iqbal, founder and CEO of SweatWorks, brought IHRSA's research leadership onto the LIFTS Podcast to walk through the findings of the 2023 IHRSA Global Health Club Report and the 2023 U.S. Health and Fitness Consumer Report.
The episode unpacks the data behind the headlines — from Pilates growth and treadmill dominance to the expanding intersection of fitness and healthcare — giving operators, investors, and industry professionals a grounded view of where the market stands and where it is headed.
What This Episode Covers
The IHRSA Global Health Club Report is published annually by IHRSA (the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association) and serves as the definitive reference point for health club industry statistics, covering membership numbers, revenue, consumer trends, and market segmentation across dozens of countries.
IHRSA's research leaders joined the conversation to explain the methodology behind the reports and to contextualize the findings for an operator and investor audience, drawing on the association's deep institutional knowledge of the global club market.
IHRSA's foundational pillars — education, advocacy, and research — inform the scope of these reports, which have grown in importance as governments, healthcare systems, and private investors pay closer attention to the fitness sector as a public health lever.
Key Moments from the Conversation
- The 2023 IHRSA Global Health Club Report examines market size and consumer behavior at a global level, providing the kind of benchmarks that help club operators and investors understand relative performance.
- Post-pandemic demand for in-person fitness experiences has remained strong, with data showing consumers actively seeking the social and community dimensions of gym membership that digital platforms cannot fully replicate.
- Digital member touchpoints outside the club — apps, on-demand content, wearable integrations — are increasingly expected as a complement to in-person access rather than a replacement for it.
- Pilates has seen a notable boom in popularity, strength training continues its upward trajectory, and traditional cardio equipment participation is softening — a shift with real implications for facility design and equipment investment.
- Treadmill utilization remains the top tracked activity in health clubs, even as the broader cardio category faces headwinds from changing consumer preferences.
- The intersection of fitness and healthcare is an expanding frontier, with operators and policymakers exploring models in which gym membership functions as a preventive health intervention.
- Mental health, recovery, and longevity have moved from niche interests to mainstream consumer priorities, reshaping program design and the language facilities use to market themselves.
- Click-to-cancel regulations represent an emerging compliance challenge for the fitness industry, requiring clubs to revisit membership contract structures and cancellation processes.
Why This Conversation Matters
Understanding industry-wide data is central to the kind of strategic thinking Matthew Januszek brings to Escape Fitness USA — knowing where consumers are moving before the trend fully materializes is how equipment brands and operators stay relevant.
By bringing IHRSA's researchers directly into the LIFTS conversation, Matthew and Mo give listeners access to the primary source of the industry's most cited statistics, rather than secondhand summaries — which is precisely what the podcast was built to deliver.
▶ Watch the full episode on YouTube
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About Matthew Januszek
Matthew Januszek is the co-founder of Escape Fitness, the functional-training equipment brand he built from a UK startup into a global name supplying many of the world’s leading gyms, studios, and hotel fitness spaces. Following the separation of the UK and US businesses, Matthew’s focus today is Escape Fitness USA and the next chapter of the brand in North America. He hosted more than 300 episodes of the Escape Your Limits podcast and now co-hosts the LIFTS Podcast with SweatWorks founder Mohammed Iqbal, covering the business, science, and technology shaping the fitness industry. Explore more interviews and episodes on MatthewJanuszek.com.
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