Fitness Is the Top Focus of Americans’ New Year’s Resolutions

As 2025 begins, health and fitness are taking center stage in Americans’ New Year’s resolutions. Sixty percent of U.S. adults plan to set resolutions this year, and health, fitness, or exercise is the most popular focus, according to the 2025 Fitness Resolutions survey by the Health & Fitness Association (HFA). Approximately 96 million U.S. adults plan to prioritize health, fitness, or exercise in 2025. Other leading resolutions focus on money and finances (49%) and nutrition and diet (44%).

Generational trends reveal varying approaches to New Year’s resolutions. Adults under 35 are the most likely to set resolutions (82%), compared to 50% of those aged 35 and older. However, older Americans (55+) are more likely to prioritize health, fitness, and exercise than younger adults (75% vs. 57%).

Among Americans prioritizing fitness, 50% aim to build muscle or strength, 44% want to establish a regular exercise routine, and 42% seek to improve mental health through physical activity. These goals reflect a growing understanding of fitness as a holistic endeavor that benefits both physical and mental well-being.

Gyms, studios, and health clubs play a pivotal role in achieving fitness aspirations. Nearly nine-in-10 adults (88%) prioritizing fitness consider access to fitness facilities to be important to achieving their 2025 goals, and 61% rate it as very important. Looking ahead to the new year, 58% plan to maintain existing fitness memberships, while 23% aim to join a new fitness facility.

Although enthusiasm for fitness is high, Americans identify several potential challenges to achieving their 2025 fitness goals, including difficulty staying motivated (40%), time constraints (38%), and cost of gym memberships or fitness programs (32%).

“Americans are entering the new year with strong ambitions to improve their health and fitness, but financial strain is a real obstacle for many,” says Liz Clark, HFA president and CEO. “This represents both a challenge and an opportunity to explore strategic solutions that can make fitness more accessible to everyone.”

The 2025 Fitness Resolutions survey coincides with the release of a new HFA report, Reversing the Physical Inactivity Crisis: Fitness Affordability as Strategic Policy. Conducted in collaboration with Portas Consulting, the report explores how public investment in strategic pricing policies—such as those proposed under the PHIT Act—could expand access to structured exercise and deliver transformative health and economic benefits.

To learn more about the report, Reversing the Physical Inactivity Crisis: Fitness Affordability as Strategic Policy, click here.

The 2025 Fitness Resolutions survey was conducted online by Kantar, on behalf of the Health and Fitness Association (HFA), from December 19-27, 2024, among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adult Americans aged 18 and over. The survey was related to new year’s resolutions and 2025 goals. The margin of error is +/- 2 percent and greater among subgroups.