Fitness tenants are growing. Which format belongs in your retail space?

A Pilates studio and a full-service gym can both bring repeat visitors to a center. They may have very different answers to the questions that determine whether a lease is workable: how much space, what equipment, how many customers arrive together, and what happens on the other side of the demising wall.

The Health & Fitness Association’s April 2026 report puts the category’s scale in perspective. It estimates that 81 million Americans belonged to a fitness facility in 2025, up 5.2% from 2024. National membership growth is a reason to investigate fitness operators. A local leasing decision still depends on the format and the building.

Build separate lists for separate formats

Begin with what can physically work. A small appointment-led training practice, a scheduled class studio, and an equipment-heavy club should have separate prospect lists. Ask each operator for its own space requirements rather than borrowing a square-foot range from another brand.

Look beyond the number of locations. Inspect the same format the operator would bring to your unit. A group may run both small studios and larger facilities; their visibility under one brand does not make the real estate interchangeable.

Walk through the busiest half hour

A class business can concentrate arrivals. Think through a changeover: people finishing one session, people arriving for the next, staff, and neighboring customers using the same parking or entrance. Ask for the proposed timetable and capacity before deciding that the existing parking arrangement is comfortable.

Visit the property during that window. A center that is quiet at 11 a.m. may have a very different access problem when dinner trade begins. Discuss the actual schedule with the operator and have applicable parking and use requirements checked locally.

Ask about the building before negotiating the finish

• Sound and vibration: what activities, equipment, music, and neighboring uses are involved?
• Air and temperature: what does the proposed occupancy and activity require?
• Layout: where do exercise areas, storage, circulation, changing rooms, and reception fit?
• Building capacity: what needs confirmation by the operator’s design and engineering team?

A landlord should supply existing plans and documented building information. The operator and its advisers should assess suitability for the proposed use. Avoid presenting an untested floor, ventilation system, or acoustic treatment as ready for every fitness concept.

Find the person responsible for a site decision

Site selection can involve both a franchisee and a corporate team. In its 2024 annual report, Planet Fitness describes corporate review of sites and approval of franchisee design and layout. That is one company’s process, but it illustrates why a local club manager may be unable to approve a new lease.

For an independent, ask who would operate the additional location and whether growth is actually planned. Busy classes are customer-demand evidence to investigate; they do not establish the owner’s interest in another site.

Once the building questions are clear, ask about timing and responsibility for the next site. Our tenant qualification guide covers the broader conversation before a tour becomes a negotiation.

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