According to market participants, the cost of fitness services in Russia has increased by 15% over the past year. The primary reasons behind this rise include general inflation, escalating equipment costs, higher rental prices for training facilities, and the burgeoning popularity of a healthy lifestyle (HLS).
New Season, Rising Prices, and Inflationary Pressures
With the commencement of the new fitness season following summer vacations, service prices have once again seen an upward adjustment. While last year witnessed an average increase of 20%, this year`s rise is more moderate, ranging between 13-15%. This trend is attributed to both general economic inflation and specific inflationary pressures within the fitness industry.
Everything has become more expensive: rent, trainer salaries, equipment, and logistics. Olga Kiseleva, President of the Association of Fitness Industry Operators and head of World Gym in Russia, elaborates:
“The industry approaches price increases cautiously; our analytics indicate a rise of no more than 13-15%. However, price growth is inevitable due to significantly increasing operational costs for fitness clubs, including salaries, rent, and utilities. Nevertheless, rising prices are not deterring clients, and the number of participants continues to grow, indicating a boom in the fitness industry.”
Client Loyalty and Market Evolution
Despite the escalating costs, which can range from 20,000 to 100,000 rubles for a membership depending on the segment, market participants report that fitness club clients are not being deterred. On the contrary, client numbers are growing across both economy and premium segments. This surge in interest acts as a key driver for price increases and encourages the emergence of innovative new formats.
While the number of traditional large sports clubs continues to grow, the segment of smaller, specialized studios is expanding at an even faster rate. These studios often offer training in compact spaces conveniently located near homes or offices.
Stanislav Zhitnikov, an expert trainer at Wellness Park, highlights the practicality of this trend:
“It’s much simpler to find a 100-square-meter space to open a fitness studio, which are available in almost every residential complex, than to secure a suitable 1,500-2,000 square-meter facility for a full-fledged club. At our fitness club, services became on average 10% more expensive in early September. However, with promotions, the increase is only about 5%. We don`t see a drop in clients; on the contrary, there`s a new influx. People seek out professionals and prefer clubs close to home. Fifteen years ago, the fitness industry wasn`t as developed; people chose clubs based on brand or specific trainers. Now, with high competition, convenience and proximity are key factors, which is both right and logical.”
Growth in Dance, Yoga, and Studio Rentals
The public`s escalating interest in physical activities extends beyond traditional gyms to fields like dancing, stretching, yoga, and Pilates. In Moscow, for instance, dance schools and studios are proliferating rapidly across the city. This growth in available training spaces, ironically, seems to correlate with rising prices, as noted by Anastasia Altaianova, head of an Eastern dance and yoga school:
“As interest in fitness and dance grows, so does the number of dance schools, and with increased demand, prices also rise. As a studio head, I can confirm that rental prices for dance halls in Moscow have increased. Last year, a hall near the city center could be rented for 1,000 rubles an hour in the evening. Now, the average price is 1,400 rubles an hour, and this trend is not limited to the center but extends to residential areas as well. This inevitably forces us to raise class fees. I divide the rental cost by the number of participants to ensure affordability for clients while maintaining comfort for me. A class is 800 rubles, plus the hall rental.”
Anastasia further observes that over the past three years, many previously vacant commercial spaces in shopping centers are being re-equipped as choreography studios, which are fully booked in the evenings. Several popular online services facilitate the rental of such halls, with prices varying from 400 rubles for morning slots to 2,000 rubles for evening hours. These spaces are versatile and can be utilized for fitness and yoga sessions too. For example, the Nautilus shopping center on Lubyanka, which a few years ago housed numerous shops and cafes, now has 80% of its premises converted into dance studios, reflecting this significant market shift.
