3 Generational Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Fitness Business in 2025

It’s hard to understate the value of marketing in the ultra-competitive fitness industry. But to be truly effective, your marketing can’t be one-size-fits-all: you need to change your content and messaging to speak to specific target demographics.

One of the simplest and most effective ways to compartmentalize your audience is by generation. Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z experienced different upbringings, are at different stages of their lives, and have unique motivations, habits and preferences when it comes to health and wellness.

Why does generational marketing matter for gyms? Because it allows you to tailor your messaging, offerings and channels to speak directly to each generation’s expectations. Do so effectively, and you can increase engagement, retention and overall member satisfaction.

In this ultimate guide, we’ll look at three actionable generational marketing strategies that gym owners can use to grow their slice of the fitness market in 2025.

Strategy 1: Marketing to Baby Boomers

Born between 1946 and 1964, most Baby Boomers are now at retirement age, and are looking to maximize their enjoyment of post-work life. Boomers are both the oldest generation your gym will look to attract, and one of the largest: even today, Baby Boomers continue to make up a significant portion of the population.

Let’s take a closer look at how to market your gym or fitness center to Baby Boomers.

Understanding the fitness needs of Baby Boomers

Given their age, the gym priorities of Baby Boomers are firmly fixed on maintaining their health and physical mobility. They prioritize fun, low impact workouts that keep their bodies strong and limber: think pilates, dance-based fitness classes, and resistance band training.

And as retirees, Baby Boomers also prioritize the community aspect of gyms. They’ll often see workouts as social occasions - an opportunity to get out of the house, make new friends, and perhaps extend those relationships beyond the gym.

Actionable tactics for Boomers

Key channels: Direct mail, Facebook.

Having grown up in an analog world, you can effectively target Baby Boomers by dropping flyers in local letterboxes. But that’s not to say that Boomers are technologically inept - digital marketing is effective too, particularly in the form of precisely targeted Facebook campaigns.

Some effective Baby Boomer gym marketing ideas include:

• Advertise daytime group fitness classes: Help retirees fill their days - and fill your otherwise empty gym - by hosting low impact group fitness classes during traditional work hours.
• Offer seniors discounts: Lure in Baby Boomers with special deals and promotions for those over the age of 65.
• Host wellness workshops: Promote holistic health by running health and wellness workshops that help Baby Boomers to eat healthily and maintain their physical fitness.
• Post physical mobility content: Use social media, particularly Facebook, to share fitness tips and exercises that help Baby Boomers to maintain their mobility.
• Simplify tech touchpoints: Make sign-ups, bookings and apps easy to use: choose large fonts, clear instructions, and offer in-person support wherever possible.
• Emphasize community and wellbeing: Focus your marketing messaging on staying active, independent and socially connected - not just “getting fit.”
• Post testimonials: If you’re already helping a number of Baby Boomers, encourage members to share their stories of how your gym has enhanced their mobility, energy and social connection.

Strategy 2: Engaging Generation X

Born between 1965 and 1980, Generation X are well into their working lives, and many have older or adult children. Gen Xers have a mixture of fitness goals, but can face time pressures in achieving them, due to busy home lives and developed careers that may demand more than the traditional 40 hours per week.

So what fitness business marketing trends apply to Generation X?

What drives Gen X to the gym?

Juggling careers, families and aging parents, Gen X can view fitness as a way to maintain balance in their lives - the ‘me’ time that keeps them happy, healthy and (to some degree) sane. They gravitate to workout environments that are practical, no-fuss and goal-oriented.

Bundled perks like wellness consultations and family add-ons can help to attract Generation X, as does a focus on convenience, consistency and usable value. The gym as a place for social connection can be less of a priority for this group.

Practical Gen X marketing ideas

Key channels: Facebook, Instagram, email

Generation Xers are generally a little more tech-savvy than Baby Boomers, and can be reached through social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. But perhaps the most effective way to reach this cohort is via email, so you should put effort into capturing addresses, perhaps by granting potential members access to downloadable, Gen X-specific content - workout plans, strength training tips, streamable classes - via your website.

Other effective Gen X marketing ideas include:

• Flexible membership options: Offer hybrid access, where members can join classes either in-person or online, or increased value through family bundles.
• Highlight time-efficient workouts: Market 30-45 minute classes or express workouts that are designed for busy schedules.
• Early morning and evening classes: Cater to pre- and post-work hours so generation X members can fit fitness around career and family commitments.
• Create ‘fit for life’ messaging: Focus on functional fitness and general health and wellness, rather than aesthetics or peak performance.
• Incorporate wellness perks: Partner with complementary businesses, like physios, nutritionists and recovery providers, to offer members a more holistic health, wellness and fitness experience.
• Celebrate consistency: Recognize and reward consistency (and loyalty), by offering a deal or discount for major milestones, e.g. “the 100-class club”.

Strategy 3: Attracting Millennials and Generation Z

Gym-goers younger than 45 can be categorized as either Millennials (born 1981-1996) or Gen Z (1997-2012). While these groups span a wide range of ages - early teens to mid-40s - they share a few key traits: they’re tech savvy, they have more of an interest in aesthetics and peak performance, and they spend a lot of time on social media.

Here’s how you market to these younger demographics.

Fitness trends for Millennials and Gen Z

Where Baby Boomers and Gen X are primarily looking to maintain their fitness, health and mobility, Millennials and Gen Z can be more growth focused, looking to get fitter, stronger or more sculpted.

In pursuit of more effective training, they have embraced wearables, which they use to track their workouts carefully. By offering gym equipment that connects to wearables, and gives members detailed data on their workouts, your fitness business can more effectively tap into the Gen Z and Millennial market.

Digital-first marketing tips

Key channels: Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat

Millennials and Gen Z are very social media savvy, though they gravitate towards slightly different platforms: Instagram for Millennials, TikTok for Generation Z. This makes short form video a powerful tool in attracting these segments. By sharing workouts, challenges, tips and memes on TikTok and Instagram Reels, you can build up a captive audience of potential members.

Other marketing efforts that can help your gym or fitness studio to attract Millennials and Gen Z include:

• Social media giveaways: Post competitions on your social media channels that followers can enter by liking, sharing and tagging a friend. Offer free classes, memberships or merch.
• Body positive content: Representation matters to younger generations - they want to see themselves in marketing materials, so feature a variety of fitness levels, body types and identities in your content.
• Member app: Let members book classes and track progress towards fitness goals through a dedicated member app.
• Launch fitness challenges: Use hashtags and leaderboards to encourage friendly competition and expand your reach on socials.
• Collaborate with influencers: Partner with local micro-influencers, offering them a membership or a small amount of reimbursement in return for social posts about your gym.
• Highlight your sustainability efforts: Younger members are often environmentally conscious, so showcase eco-friendly equipment and recycling initiatives.

Get generational with your gym or fitness business marketing

By using generation-focused gym marketing strategies to attract specific types of members, a gym, health club or boutique fitness business can seriously enhance its ability to attract and retain customers.

Generation-specific marketing forces you to get to know your potential customers on a deeper level. You must work to understand the unique needs, wants, motivations and limitations of each demographic, then craft marketing strategies and materials that speak directly to them.

This effort is so much easier with the help of smart marketing and gym management software like GymMaster’s Marketing and Retention Tools, designed to minimize the work and maximize the effectiveness of any given campaign.

Our tool allows you to:

• Accept new sign-ups directly through your gym’s website.
• Send automated, personalized email and SMS messages to members.
• Monitor member visitation patterns to identify and engage with members who are at risk of cancelling.
• Track and guide leads through your sales funnel.
• Monitor email open, bounce and unsubscribe rates, and track social media performance with the Facebook pixel.
• Create discounted memberships or concession passes in seconds.

Ready to enhance your marketing and membership game and drive serious, generational growth for your gym? We’re ready to help.

Get in touch with our friendly team today.