Why Your Gym Needs a Hybrid Fitness Strategy in 2025

This is the reality of fitness in 2025: Your members want flexibility without sacrificing community. They want guidance, accountability, and connection—but on their terms, their own time. And the best gyms won’t force a choice—they’ll offer both. 

In this blog, we’ll dive into:

• How gyms like Barry’s, LifeTime, Equinox, and others are already doing this by offering livestream classes, on-demand libraries, and app-based check-ins to deepen member engagement.
• What it takes to design your own hybrid fitness strategy—including outdoor classes, virtual challenges, flexible programming, and tips to keep both digital and in-person communities thriving.
• How fitness software can tie it all together—helping your team stay organized, communicate better with members, and scale your hybrid fitness offerings without burning out.

Read on to dive deeper.

What does a Hybrid Fitness Strategy look like to your members?

Think of it this way: Hybrid fitness is like giving your members a gym in their pocket—while still keeping them rooted in your community. It blends physical workouts at your location with digital offerings like livestreams, on-demand workouts, mobile coaching, and even virtual nutrition consults.

It could look like:

• Livestreaming your 7 AM spin class for members who can’t make it in.
• Offering an on-demand library of 20-minute HIIT workouts for lunch break warriors.
• Letting members book a personal training session in the gym—or over video—through your app.

It’s flexible. It’s accessible. And more importantly—it’s what your members want.

Gyms That Are Already Winning With a Hybrid Fitness Strategy

Let’s take a look at some of the U.S. gyms and fitness clubs that have adopted hybrid fitness strategies and are thriving because of them. 

💡 Life Time

Life Time is a prime example of how to blend digital and in-person experiences into a unified wellness ecosystem. With more than 160 luxury athletic resorts across the U.S., they’ve always had a strong brick-and-mortar presence. But what really sets them apart is how they extended their brand beyond the four walls of the club.

Through Life Time Digital, they offer:

• Over 1,000 live-streamed classes per week
• Personalized programs
• Meditation and mindfulness content
• Nutrition guidance
• Virtual personal training

In 2023, their digital memberships helped them retain tens of thousands of members who moved or couldn’t physically attend the gym.

💡 Equinox+

If you want to see what premium hybrid fitness looks like, Equinox+ is it.

Rather than just digitize their gym classes, Equinox created a polished, curated digital experience. Equinox+ includes:

• Equinox signature training content.
• SoulCycle, PURE Yoga, and Precision Run classes.
• Integrated tracking and scheduling across digital and in-club experiences.
• Exclusive content and instructor access.

Instead of making it an afterthought, they made the app a part of their brand identity. Members pay for quality, and Equinox delivers on that promise, both in person and on screen.

Their success also proves a powerful point: High-end fitness and hybrid delivery aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, the digital layer can actually enhance brand value when it’s done right.

💡 Anytime Fitness + Apple Fitness+

Anytime Fitness, one of the most widespread fitness franchises in the world, teamed up with Apple Fitness+ to offer a truly personalized hybrid fitness experience that travels with the member.

Here’s how it works:

• Members use Apple Fitness+ for high-quality, guided workouts from anywhere.
• Apple Watch integration tracks real-time progress—whether you’re at the gym or on your living room floor.
• The AF Training app from Anytime Fitness adds coaching, habit tracking, and goal setting.
• In select locations, in-gym screens and trainers are synced with the Apple ecosystem, giving members even more value.

New users can even try a 30-day free trial, which includes access to the Anytime Fitness app and the integrated Apple Fitness+ content. This partnership creates a flexible, 360° wellness journey that supports people wherever they are in life—and that’s what hybrid fitness should be about.

💡 Barry’s

Barry’s has always been known for its high-energy, community-driven Red Room workouts. But during the pandemic, they pivoted fast—and smart. They launched Barry’s X, their digital platform that lets members stream live or on-demand workouts from anywhere in the world.

What makes Barry’s X unique is how they kept the vibe and energy of their in-person classes alive:

• Live leaderboards that fuel motivation.
• Trainer shout-outs to keep the community feel strong.
• On-demand options for anytime access.

Today, Barry’s X is more than just a side offering. It’s become a key revenue stream and helped Barry’s build a global following without needing to expand physical locations.

💡 Snap Fitness

Snap Fitness is a great example of a global gym brand offering a flexible hybrid fitness experience through its own app, Snap App. Members get access to:

• On-demand workouts in strength, cardio, yoga, and more.
• Customized workout plans based on goals and fitness level.
• Virtual personal training integrations.
• Real-time progress tracking and habit coaching.

Snap’s hybrid fitness strategy allows members to work out anytime, anywhere, whether they’re at the gym, traveling, or at home. 

How to Start Building Your Own Hybrid Fitness Strategy?

You don’t have to overhaul your entire business overnight. Here’s how to ease into a hybrid fitness model:

1. Start with What You Have

Before you invest in fancy equipment or production teams, just start live-streaming your most popular classes. Zoom, Instagram Live, or YouTube Live are still solid options for testing what works. This is a low-cost, low-risk way to reach members who can’t make it to the gym.

Want proof it works? During the pandemic, Burn Boot Camp used Facebook Live to stream daily bootcamps. That single pivot helped them retain thousands of members and later informed the design of Burn On Demand.

Pro Tip: Choose instructors who already have a strong rapport with members—they’ll help translate that energy on-screen.

2. Invest in the Right Tech

The next step is to invest in tools that streamline the experience—for them and for you. The right technology removes friction for your team and makes your members feel like they’re always part of your ecosystem—whether they’re at home, on the road, or walking through your doors.

Here’s what to look for:

• A branded mobile app that houses both your in-person and virtual offerings.
• Integrated class booking, whether it’s online or onsite.
• A library of on-demand content, categorized by type, duration, or intensity.
• Automated waitlists, reminders, and calendar syncing to reduce manual work.
• Messaging and marketing tools to keep communication direct and personal.

And even better? If one tool can do it all. That’s where platforms like SHC come in—giving you one system to manage your classes, members, schedules, communications, and content, all in one place. 

3. Train Your Team

Your trainers are your biggest asset.  And not all of them are naturally comfortable on camera or with digital tools. That’s okay.

Invest time in training your team on:

• Virtual coaching techniques (eye contact with the lens, cueing without touch, etc.).
• Basic video production skills (framing, lighting, sound).
• How to stay engaging over chat or during livestreams.
• Using your fitness software—like SHC—to manage schedules, send reminders, and track engagement.

When your team feels confident delivering online, your hybrid fitness strategy instantly becomes more cohesive and member-friendly.

✅ Market Your Hybrid Offerings

You’ve put in the effort to build a hybrid fitness experience—now you need to make sure people know it exists. You need to intentionally market your hybrid fitness services just like you would a new class or membership tier.

Here’s how:

• Promote hybrid fitness experience benefits in your onboarding: Make sure new members know they can access classes online, book on-demand sessions, and stay connected outside the gym.
• Use email and push notifications to announce new virtual classes, livestreams, or on-demand content.
• Show behind-the-scenes content of virtual classes on Instagram or TikTok to spark curiosity and FOMO.
• Feature success stories in your newsletters or on your website—highlight members who use both in-person and virtual to stay consistent. 

Equinox, for instance, regularly promotes its Equinox+ app on Instagram, showing members streaming workouts from home or the hotel gym. It reinforces the message: you’re not just joining a gym—you’re joining a 360° lifestyle.

How Can Fitness Software Like SHC Help Implement Your Hybrid Strategy?

This is where SHC steps in and makes life 10x easier for gym owners. You focus on creating great classes and community. SHC handles the tech that powers it all.

One App, All Access:

• SHC gives your members one place to:
  • Book classes (in-person & virtual)
  • Stream workouts
  • Join waitlists
  • See personalized calendars synced in real-time
  • Chat with trainers or get push notifications
  • View and manage their memberships or fees

For Trainers:

• Instructors can manage rosters, update attendance, and run virtual sessions from their mobile devices.
• They can message clients directly, update programs, and track progress without switching tools.

For You, the Operator:

• Real-time data on bookings, attendance, and program performance.
• Custom branding = your app, your voice, your community.

What to Watch Out For?

Let’s be honest—hybrid fitness isn’t plug-and-play. Here are some common challenges to expect:

Content Burnout

Creating high-quality digital content—especially if you’re doing it weekly or even daily—can quickly become exhausting. Filming, editing, uploading, promoting…it adds up fast, especially when your team is already running in-person classes.

What to do instead:
Start small. Repurpose content (record live classes, chop them into shorter clips). Batch-shoot when possible. And remember—your content doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be consistent and valuable.

Studio SWEAT onDemand, for instance, keeps a tight rotation of instructors and records several classes in one session. This way, they maintain a full content library without daily filming.

Keeping Things Personal: 

Online doesn’t mean anonymous. Your members still want to feel seen and supported—even from behind a screen. If your virtual offering feels cold or one-size-fits-all, engagement drops.

What to do instead:
Build in personal connection. Use live chat during streams. Shout out members by name. Encourage feedback, run digital challenges, track progress. Use leaderboards, emojis, check-ins—whatever keeps it human.

For example, Fhitting Room keeps their virtual sessions interactive, with real-time feedback, mid-workout shoutouts, and post-class Q&As—just like in person.

What’s Next?

The future of fitness is integrated. We’re moving into a world where physical workouts, digital tools, recovery, data tracking, and even AI all work together in one seamless loop. 

According to McKinsey, 70% of fitness consumers now prefer a blend of digital and in-person options. 

Your gym should be the central hub for your members’ entire wellness journey. Not just where they come to work out—but where fitness, recovery, data, content, and community all come together in one place.

According to Pew Research, 1 in 4 U.S. adults use a fitness tracker daily. And the global wearables market crossed $80 billion in 2023, with fitness tracking leading the way (Statista).

Think about it:

• Members track their steps, calories, sleep, and stress on their smartwatches.
• They follow personalized recovery plans in apps.
• They use wearables like WHOOP or Apple Watch to get real-time data.
• And they’re increasingly expecting their gym or studio to connect with that data

According to IDC, global shipments of wearable devices reached 492 million units in 2023, and adoption is expected to keep climbing.

They’re managing their wellness across a dozen touchpoints—and they’re looking for a gym that can help bring it all together.

That’s your opportunity.

Gyms that succeed in 2025 and beyond will be the ones that:

• Integrate with wearables and fitness apps to personalize training.
• Offer digital content that complements in-person sessions.
• Help members track progress across movement, recovery, and nutrition.
• And make it easy to stay connected—whether someone’s at home, on vacation, or in your lobby through a hybrid fitness experience.

Emma Barry, a global fitness industry expert, says:
“Fitness is no longer a standalone activity. It’s a lifestyle ecosystem. The brands that build for that reality are the ones that will win.”

We’re already seeing early signs:

• Equinox+ is integrating sleep tracking and mindfulness content into its membership.
• Orangetheory has launched its own wearable, the OTbeat link, to track member performance in real time across all workouts.
• Platforms like Future and Trainiac offer AI-powered personal training synced with wearables, giving members totally customized coaching

Ultimately, members will expect their in-person and online workouts to adapt to how they’re sleeping, recovering, or feeling. And the sooner gyms start exploring those connections, the more future-ready they’ll be. 

FAQs: Hybrid Fitness Strategy for Gyms in 2025