About the institute
Research built from direct operator insight.
Fitness Research Institute exists to better understand the Australian gym and boutique fitness sector. We collect direct feedback from gym owners, studio operators, and franchisees, combine it with public business data, and publish practical benchmarks that help the industry understand what is changing.
The institute is supported by TrialSession.com, which works with gyms and studios on trial offers, lead capture, and local marketing performance. TrialSession.com is part of our group. We disclose this openly on every report and to every research participant.
Our reports are designed to be useful at the studio floor — not theoretical white papers. Benchmarks cover lead sources, trial conversion bands, retention norms, software adoption, cost pressure, and the things owners and operators actually plan around.
Principles
How we approach the work
Four commitments that shape every research project we run.
01
Operator-led
Findings begin with the people running the businesses. Suppliers, vendors, and consumer surveys do not replace direct operator feedback.
02
Aggregated by default
Individual responses are confidential unless an operator has explicitly chosen attribution. Reports are published in aggregate with sample size disclosures.
03
Open about support
Our work is supported by TrialSession.com, which is part of our group. We disclose this on every report and at every point of contact.
04
Practical over theoretical
Benchmarks are designed to be useful at the studio floor — lead sources, conversion bands, retention norms, cost pressure, owner confidence.
Disclosure
Research supported by TrialSession.com
TrialSession.com is part of our group and supports gyms and studios with trial offers, lead capture, and local marketing performance. Their support funds the field work, hosting, and analysis that underpins our reports.
The participation gift offered to eligible operators — a $250 TrialSession.com Marketing Starter Pack — is provided as a thank-you for taking part. It is available regardless of whether feedback is positive, negative, or mixed, and participation does not require purchasing any service.
Where research findings discuss services or providers covered by TrialSession.com, that relationship is labelled inline so readers can interpret the work appropriately.
Get involved
Contribute to the next benchmark report.
We're currently collecting input from gym owners, studio operators, franchisees, and multi-site operators across Australia. Sessions take around nine minutes and your responses can remain anonymous in published summaries.