India’s fitness industry is moving beyond the traditional obsession with six-packs and appearance, with consumers increasingly looking at strength, recovery, nutrition and long-term health.
According to Vikas Jain, managing director of Anytime Fitness India, this shift is also changing how the gym chain operates. The brand has moved from selling convenience and memberships to focusing on coaching, training, nutrition and recovery.
Women are reshaping the gym floor
Women now account for around 40% of Anytime Fitness India’s membership base, highlighting how safety and accessibility are becoming increasingly important in fitness.
The company has redesigned its clubs with individual-use washrooms and changing rooms, while also investing in security systems, controlled member access, CCTV monitoring and security during late hours.
Female trainers across clubs are another part of the effort to create a more comfortable environment for women.
From bodybuilding to everyday fitness
Unlike traditional gyms heavily associated with bodybuilding, Anytime Fitness is positioning itself around general fitness, strength and healthy ageing.
The company is also seeing growing interest among women in strength training, driven by greater awareness around muscle retention, mobility and longevity.
Post-Covid fitness gets serious
The pandemic changed how many Indians viewed fitness. Anytime Fitness says its average number of active members per gym increased by around 15% after Covid, as fitness shifted from a lifestyle choice towards a greater health priority.
The company now has 200+ clubs in India and nearly 200,000 active members, while its global network exceeds 6,000 gyms.
Gen Z and influencers change marketing
Fitness discovery has also become increasingly digital. Anytime Fitness has shifted marketing towards Meta, Google, LinkedIn, OTT, YouTube, Spotify and cinema, while social media creators have become an important influence on younger consumers.
Gen Z, in particular, is more informed about workouts, nutrition and fitness trends, with technology and AI increasingly influencing how they approach their routines.
The bigger takeaway
The Indian gym market is gradually evolving from “look good” to “feel strong and live better.”
However, Jain believes appearance still remains one of the biggest motivations for joining a gym. The opportunity for fitness brands will be to convert that initial aspiration into a longer-term relationship built around coaching, safety, recovery and healthy ageing.
With plans to expand across western and southern India and an ambition of reaching 500 gyms nationally, Anytime Fitness is betting that India’s next fitness boom will be about much more than just looking good in the mirror.
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