Anytime Fitness Singapore: Checking the Pulse of a 24-Hour Gym Boom

The numbers tell a story of serious local momentum. Just three months into 2025, Anytime Fitness hit a key milestone, opening its 125th club in Singapore. Fast forward to this week, and the brand has celebrated the grand opening of its 150th club islandwide. That's a 25-club surge in less than a year, a pace that's hard to ignore on the ground.

This local sprint is part of a much larger, synchronized push across Asia. The brand recently celebrated reaching 500 clubs across the region with synchronized grand openings in eight different markets on the same day. That kind of unified, corporate-scale rollout shows a franchise system firing on all cylinders, not just in Singapore but across the continent.

The ambition doesn't stop at 150. The long-term commitment is clear: the goal is to reach 200 clubs over the next decade. That's a decade-long bet on Singapore's fitness future, backed by a franchise model that's clearly working.

So, the scale is undeniable. The question for any investor or observer is the same one you'd ask at a crowded new restaurant: is the parking lot full? The expansion is impressive, but the real test is whether this growth is translating to real member usage and sustainable demand. The brand's first-ever fitness festival, Battle of the Purple Champions, is a celebration of community built on that growth. The next step is seeing if that community shows up, day after day.

What They're Selling: Community and Convenience

The expansion is impressive, but the real question is what Anytime Fitness is selling to get people through those 24-hour doors. The brand's new playbook is a clear shift from selling muscle to selling a better life. Their "Train For Your Life" campaign is a direct response to survey data showing that only 14% of people use commercial gyms. That's a stark number. To compete, they're pivoting hard, with 61% of respondents now ranking better sleep as a top health priority and 49% emphasizing mental well-being over weight loss. The pitch is no longer about looking good; it's about feeling good and living better.

This is where the community-building efforts come in. The launch of the first-ever fitness festival, Battle of the Purple Champions, is a physical manifestation of that strategy. It's not just a marketing stunt. The event, themed around the "kampong spirit," is designed to bring members together for shared strength and purpose. The challenges-like moving furniture or pushing sandbags-are meant to mirror real-life movements, tying the brand's philosophy directly to everyday utility. It's an attempt to build loyalty by creating a sense of belonging that goes beyond a monthly membership fee.

Then there's the partnership with Apple Fitness+. Offering free trials with up to 3 months of Apple Fitness+ access is a smart move to deepen engagement. It gives new members a seamless, high-tech experience that extends beyond the gym walls, potentially hooking them on a holistic wellness routine. This partnership also signals that Anytime Fitness is willing to integrate with the broader digital ecosystem people already use.

So, is this building a real connection? The efforts are well-targeted. They address the core problem of low commercial gym usage by focusing on mental wellness and convenience. The festival and app partnership aim to foster community and deepen engagement. The bottom line is that in a crowded market, they're trying to sell more than a workout-they're selling a support system and a lifestyle. The success will hinge on whether members actually show up for the purple-charged community events and use the digital tools, or if it's just buzz that fades when the festival ends.

The Real-World Test: Is the Parking Lot Full?

The headlines scream expansion. The parking lot, however, tells the real story. The brand's ambitious growth plan faces a stark reality check: despite 60% of people saying exercise is their primary health strategy, only 14% report using commercial gyms. That's a massive gap between intention and action. Anytime Fitness is betting that its specific model can bridge it.

Their core pitch is built for the modern, on-the-go life. The promise of 24-hour access and global reciprocity is a direct answer to the convenience problem. For a mobile professional or a parent juggling a late shift, the ability to squeeze in a workout anytime, anywhere, is a powerful utility. It's a simple, practical solution to a common friction point. The brand's new campaign, "Train For Your Life", leans into that, shifting the focus from aesthetics to mental wellness and better sleep-priorities that resonate with a survey showing 61% rank sleep highly.

But access alone isn't enough to fill the parking lot. The strategy now is to make each new club a true neighborhood hub, not just a gym. The recently opened AF Bukit Merah Central is a blueprint. It's not just about the 50kg dumbbells and the Smith machine. It's about the nearby food options, from Domino's to hawker centres, making the post-workout stop seamless. It's about being near the bus interchange, removing the last-mile hassle. This is about integrating fitness into the daily rhythm of a community, making it feel like a natural part of life, not an extra chore.

The bottom line is a classic test of execution. Can a 24-hour, globally reciprocal model, combined with hyper-local amenities, overcome the deep-seated habit of skipping commercial gyms? The brand's playbook is smart and well-aligned with modern priorities. The real-world test, however, is whether members actually show up for that late-night session or that post-workout meal. The expansion is impressive, but the parking lot's fullness will determine if this boom is built on solid demand or just a lot of promise.

What to Watch Next: Simple Signs of Success

The expansion is a done deal. Now the real test begins, and it's a test any local resident can take. Forget the financial reports for a moment. The simple, boots-on-the-ground signs of success will be easy to spot.

First, watch the parking lot. The direct test of local demand is whether new clubs fill up quickly or sit empty. A 24-hour gym's value is in its usage. If the doors are open, but the treadmills are cold and the free weights gather dust, the growth is just a shell. The brand's bet is on convenience and community, but that only works if people actually show up. The next few months will tell if the 150th club is a destination or a ghost.

Second, see if the purple-charged community events draw crowds. The first-ever fitness festival, Battle of the Purple Champions, is a major test of that community-building effort. It's not just a marketing event; it's a live experiment in creating loyalty. If the festival at OCBC Square on January 31st is packed with families, friends, and first-timers, it's a strong signal that the brand's "kampong spirit" is resonating. If it's quiet, the buzz may have faded.

Finally, check if the partnerships lead to real engagement. The free trial offer with up to 3 months of Apple Fitness+ access is a smart hook. But the real question is whether it converts sign-ups into regular members. Are people using the app, trying the workouts, and then walking through the gym doors? Or is it just a freebie that gets forgotten? The bottom line is whether this digital push translates to more people showing up for a real workout, not just signing up for a free trial.

The setup is clear. The brand has a compelling pitch on convenience and community. The next chapter will be written in the parking lot, the festival crowd, and the gym floor. Keep it simple: if the parking lot is full, the festival is packed, and the free trial leads to real members, then this boom is built on solid demand. If not, the expansion may be a lot of promise with little payoff.