Longevity: The fitness industry’s biggest untapped opportunity

In this blog from ukactive Strategic Partner BRP Systems, Chief Business Development Officer Anders Gran explains how the health and fitness sector can use software to embed longevity into its operations.

Over the past couple of years, it has become clear that fitness operators are not just gyms, but also a critical part of the health ecosystem.

That statement sounds bold, but the data backs it up and the conversation is accelerating fast.

European researchers, policymakers and industry leaders are all pointing in the same direction: the fitness sector has a unique and largely untapped role to play in how Europe ages. The question is whether operators are actually ready to step into that role.

Evidence from the European Health & Fitness Market Report 2026 shows around 70% of European consumers have heard of the longevity concept, but only 5% have deep knowledge of it.

That gap is not a problem, but an opportunity, and I believe fitness operators are perfectly positioned to close it.

Among consumers who are aware of longevity, regular physical exercise ranks as the number one factor for maximising long-term health, recognised above sleep, diet and stress management.

This means the product our industry sells every single day is the thing people associate most with living longer and better.

The shift required is not primarily about programming or facility design. It starts much earlier – in the digital member journey.

• How is your brand perceived?
• How does a prospective member first encounter your services?
• What happens after they sign up?
• Are they guided toward long-term health behaviours, or are they left to figure it out alone?

These are questions that live inside your club management software, your CRM, your onboarding flows and your member communication logic.

Your software stack should fuel your longevity strategy, not limit it.

The operators who will win in the longevity era are not just the ones with the best facilities, but the ones who use their digital infrastructure to build continuous, personalised relationships with members.

A well-configured tech platform is not a mere back-office tool, it should be the connection between a member’s first visit and their tenth year; tracking engagement, identifying drop-off risk early, and delivering the right nudges at the right moments.

The European fitness market hit €39.1bn in revenue and 75.5 million members in 2025, meaning the sector’s visibility to healthcare systems and policymakers has never been higher and the timing could not be better. However, a shift towards a longevity approach will not happen by default. It requires operators to reframe their role, build the right partnerships with healthcare providers, insurers and employers, and invest in the digital infrastructure that makes a long-term member relationship possible.

The question is which operators open that door, and who will stick with business as usual?

BRP Systems is a member of the ukactive Strategic Partner Group – find out more here.

Disclaimer: Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of ukactive.