For decades, fitness marketing aimed at women has been full of outdated tropes: bikini-body countdowns, pastel yoga mats, and low-intensity classes “for her.” But today’s female consumers aren’t buying it — literally. At the ATN Innovation Summit 2025, executives from top fitness brands made it clear: if you’re still using one-size-fits-all messaging, you’re not just off-base, you’re leaving serious money on the table.
Outdated Assumptions Are Holding Brands Back
“We make a lot of assumptions about decision-making,” said moderator Brynn Scarborough. “Too many customer journeys are designed from the executive perspective, not the consumer’s.”
That disconnect shows up everywhere — from product design to ad campaigns. Barre3 CEO Sadie Lincoln noted that women don’t want to be told to “get ready for summer.” They want to be respected for who they are. The fitness industry’s reliance on narrow beauty standards, she warned, has created an emotional toll.
“We all have that inner dialogue,” Lincoln said. “Even the most pulled-together women feel they’re not fit enough or thin enough. That needs to change. It’s our job to reprogram the message of what’s aspirational.”
The Strength Training Myth Is Dead
One of the most persistent stereotypes is that women don’t want intensity. CorePower Yoga’s data proved otherwise: 95% of their female clients sought out strength training.
“When we launched Strength X, it became one of our highest-performing class types,” said Sarah Choi, CorePower CMO. “The idea that women want only light workouts? That’s outdated — if it was ever true at all.”
The new reality: women are prioritizing power, performance, and mental resilience over calorie counting. Brands that ignore this shift risk losing a massive customer base.
Build With Women, Not Just For Them
Representation inside the boardroom matters too. Melissa Knowles, VP at ABC Fitness, challenged leaders to look at their teams: “How many women are in your leadership room? Women interact with tech differently than men. If those voices aren’t present when you design a product, you’re missing the mark.”
ABC Fitness’ own data shows the point clearly: women account for 73% of all goal guides tracked on their platform, especially in areas like nutrition, habit tracking, and requests for features around cycle and hormone health. These aren’t niche needs — they’re central to how women engage with fitness.
But Knowles cautioned: data isn’t enough. Listening to franchise owners, field leaders, and community managers often reveals insights no dashboard can capture. Lincoln recalled how one month, franchisees reported that staff and members alike were emotionally drained. “That didn’t show up in our analytics — but it was real. And we had to act on it.”
Why It Matters
In closing, Knowles urged brands to drop the “one-size-fits-all” playbook. Marketing to a 45-year-old perimenopausal woman should not look the same as marketing to a 22-year-old recent grad. Testing segmentation, experimenting with new approaches, and being willing to scrap irrelevant data points are key.
“Women don’t just want to feel seen — they expect it,” Choi added. “And if you’re not listening, someone else will.”
