The Top Trends Propelling Fitness Forward

From AI to healthcare alliances, Les Mills CEO Sean Turner explains the must-watch shifts reshaping fitness and how brands can stay ahead

With a presence in more than 20,000 gyms across 100 countries, few health and wellness brands have a wider scope than Les Mills. By delivering motivational and progressive programming, the group fitness leader stretches across demographics as well as borders.

This perspective makes Les Mills CEO Sean Turner well-positioned to chart evolutionary swings and shifts as they’re happening. Here, he outlines the consumer demands, cultural trends and market shifts brands need to leverage to remain competitive.

Broadening Health 

Today’s fitness consumers expect more. Specifically with health, Turner notes recovery, nutrition and performance insights are no longer viewed as optional add-ons, but expected components of a membership. 

“Personalization is accelerating this shift,” Turner said. “Wearables, blood testing and AI-driven health tools are transforming one-size-fits-all into tailored wellness journeys.”

Today’s consumer expects healthcare and fitness to be integrated. Turner expects to see that happen to a greater degree as wellness studios and holistic fitness centers work closer together.  

“The real opportunity is for health clubs to evolve into preventive health hubs,” Turner said. “Not every operator will have advanced diagnostics, but partnerships with healthcare providers, wearable integrations and in-club assessments are bridging the gap. Members increasingly want a single destination where they can train, recover and track long-term health markers.”

Sean Turner (credit: Les Mills)

Differentiating Through Design

When it comes to physical spaces, expectations are rising as well. Today’s consumers seek more impactful, experience-driven environments with intentional lighting, sound and ambiance. 

“Design has become a key differentiator,” Turner said. “European clubs have long emphasized aesthetics and flow, and U.S. operators are now catching up quickly, influenced by boutique fitness and luxury wellness destinations.”

The days of warehouse-like spaces lined with treadmills and benches are almost long gone, if not already. 

“We’re seeing a move away from industrial design,” Turner added. “This is especially important in mind-body and recovery zones, where the atmosphere shapes how people feel.” 

Tapping Into Wellness Tourism

Design tactics aren’t the only thing going global. A connected fitness and wellness experience across hotels and resorts around the world represents another common ask from the modern consumer. Here again is an area in which the United States is a step or two behind, but continues to progress in. 

credit: Les Mills

“The crossover with wellness tourism is accelerating as well,” Turner added. “Clubs connected to hotels and resorts that offer fitness, recovery, spa and healthy dining are growing globally. In the U.S., this is still emerging, but consumer demand is clear. Health-conscious travelers want their wellness lifestyle to continue wherever they go.”

Programming for GLP-1s

Cognizant of the GLP-1 boom, Turner also noted the opportunity to support members, not only due to fitness being a helpful complement to the drugs, but a necessary companion, pushing the healthcare and fitness sectors closer together with even greater force. 

“These drugs may help people lose weight, but they often lose muscle mass as well, which can compromise long-term health,” he said. “That’s why offering strength training in a motivational group environment is so important; members grow within a supportive community while building a sustainable lifestyle. Clubs that implement the right offerings will see an increase in engagement.”

Fostering Social Connection

As fitness programming providers, Les Mills is also well aware of how strength training and mind-body modalities like yoga, Pilates and breathwork are dominating today. Especially for the latter, curating a group-centric environment that thrives on camaraderie represents a key opportunity for brands to address consumer interest. 

“Clubs are uniquely positioned to provide structured social connection,” Turner said. “Live group training remains one of the most effective ways to deliver results and build belonging.” 

credit: Les Mills

With wellness also high in demand, Les Mills’ chief aim is to make it more inclusive and accessible, relying on the strength of its community to achieve that as well.

“We want to ensure people don’t need to find a guru or a niche boutique, but can experience world-class fitness in an inclusive, community-driven way,” Turner added. 

The same goes for the aforementioned strength training, as Turner noted Les Mills continues innovation to “keep the modality accessible” while also creating programs that blend resistance, functional training and music-driven motivation. 

Empowering Through AI

AI is forcing countless organizations inside and outside the fitness industry to rethink standard operating procedures, marketing, staffing and more. While Les Mills is no exception, the brand’s focus is on leveraging the tech to empower humans rather than supplant them.   

“The big shift is in turning data into actionable, human-centered insights,” Turner shared. “AI can segment, predict and personalize, but the real value comes when we combine that intelligence with the human touch…We believe the future is a blend of artificial intelligence and emotional intelligence. Technology should amplify, not replace, the live human experiences that define our industry.”

Turner called out AI-driven innovation in content delivery, coaching and sales support as key priorities for Les Mills right now. 

Les Mills encourages fitness providers to leverage the tech to sharpen curated experiences or spur retention and engagement and address the aforementioned trends. 

“The real opportunity lies in creating curated, personalized fitness journeys that adapt to individual health markers and behavior, while keeping the power of community, motivation and connection at the center,” Turner said. 

This article originally appeared in ATN’s Fitness Center Reimagined: The Evolution of Gyms, Wellness Tourism & Real Estate report, which explores how health clubs, hospitality brands and boutique operators are reshaping the industry to meet shifting member expectations and lifestyle demands. Download the free report.

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