Here’s something every gym owner should stop and think about: who is your competition? It’s probably not who you think.

It’s not the local leisure centre, the budget gym down the road, the boutique studio or the bootcamp in the park. Yes, they compete for the same audience, but only a very small part of it.

Roughly 15 to 20% of the population actively uses gyms and structured fitness. The vast majority are choosing something else, and that’s your real competition: the sofa, the TV, the dog walk, the pub. Comfort, habit and routine.

The Problem We’ve Created

As an industry, we’ve spent years fighting over the same people with offers, price cuts and one-upmanship, all aimed at the minority who already train. If we’re honest, we haven’t done enough to attract the people who don’t.

For many of them, the gym simply isn’t appealing. It feels intimidating, unfamiliar and like something “other people” do. So they choose what’s easy and familiar, and we lose them before they ever consider walking through the door.

If You Want Growth, You Have to Create Change

If your real competition is comfort and habit, your job isn’t just selling memberships. It’s giving people a reason to change their behaviour. That’s a big ask. You’re asking someone to:

• Step into an unfamiliar environment
• Do something they may not enjoy (yet)
• Feel uncomfortable before they feel confident

That needs more than a good offer. It needs understanding.

Ask Better Questions

We need to think differently, not just about how we sell, but about how we remove barriers.

• Why don’t people enjoy fitness?
• What actually makes a gym feel intimidating?
• Are we designing for beginners or for experienced users?
• Does our gym marketing speak to people who don’t train, or only those who do?
• Are we educating people, or assuming they already understand?
• Are we building relationships with GPs, health professionals and community groups?
• Are we visible in the community, or waiting to be found?
• Can people try fitness without fear or pressure?

If we don’t tackle these questions, we’ll keep getting the same results.

Think Like a Behaviour Change Business

We need to stop thinking like gyms and start thinking like behaviour change businesses, because that’s what we are. We’re not just selling access to equipment; we’re helping people change how they live. That means:

• More welcoming environments
• Simpler first steps
• Real support from day one
• Genuine community, not just talking about it
• Meeting people where they are, not where we want them to be

The Opportunity in Front of You

The biggest growth opportunity in this industry isn’t stealing members from another gym. It’s bringing in people who’ve never set foot in one: people who don’t see themselves as “gym people”. Yet.

Connect with them, support them and give them a reason to start, and you’re not just gaining a member. You’re changing a life and building a far more sustainable business.

Your competition isn’t just down the road. It’s on the sofa, in the pub and in the habits people choose every day. If you want to win, give people a reason to choose something different.

Want help putting this into practice in your gym? Black Raccoon Consulting are gym and fitness business consultants with over 25 years’ industry experience in sales, marketing, member retention and operations. Book your free 45-minute business call or explore our services.

Ryan Charlesworth, Founder, Black Raccoon Consulting