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Boutique studios led the fitness industry in year-over-year visits per location in the first half of 2026, according to an Athletech News report. Physique 57 co-founder and CEO Jennifer Vaughan Maanavi discusses financial planning, staffing and systems for growing studio businesses.
Boutique studios led the fitness industry in year-over-year visits per location during the first half of 2026, according to an Athletech News report. Jennifer Vaughan Maanavi, Physique 57’s co-founder and CEO, discusses staffing, financial planning and business systems in the report.
In the report, Maanavi describes customers entering boutique studios, including women just out of college attending classes at Physique 57 locations. She says these customers have access to gym and at-home fitness options, while some continue to attend in-person classes. The report does not identify the data provider or give underlying visit totals.
Maanavi distinguishes between building a brand and building a company able to support it. She writes that operating a growing business involves managers, clearly assigned responsibilities, consistent instruction and systems for making decisions.
She says profitability provides resources to pay employees, maintain studios, invest in instruction and manage difficult periods. Maanavi also describes her involvement in payroll, facility upkeep and communication with new members.
Operational Considerations for Studio Growth
The report discusses operational demands that may accompany increased customer activity. Additional locations, products or revenue streams can require changes to staffing, leadership and systems. It does not establish whether these factors affected the reported visits-per-location figures.
Maanavi says operational planning relates to facility upkeep, instructor preparation, communication and class consistency. She also says profitability helps businesses pay employees and continue operating through difficult periods. These are her views on studio operations.
Maanavi says studio closures can affect customer confidence in the wider sector. The report provides no data measuring that effect.
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Physique 57’s Expansion
Maanavi writes from her experience building Physique 57, which launched in 2006 and expanded through studios, digital fitness, licensing and partnerships with luxury hospitality businesses, according to her biography in the report. She says the company’s growth brought new demands on its team, systems and leadership. The article presents these experiences as the basis for her advice to founders and operators.
Maanavi says operating one studio and managing several locations involve different approaches. She writes that processes used at one site may not provide sufficient accountability or support as a business expands, and that leadership roles may need to change. She also describes handling payroll, facilities and member relationships as part of her work.
The report is an opinion piece by a company founder and adviser, not an independent study of the boutique fitness sector. Its industry-growth statement concerns visits per location in the first half of 2026. It does not establish that all boutique studios grew, that revenue increased at the same rate or that the trend will continue.
Limits of the Reported Growth Figures
The report gives no source, methodology, raw visit counts or comparison details beyond describing the result as year-over-year visits per location in the first half of 2026. It does not say whether the measure covers all boutique studios or a particular sample, or whether visits were adjusted for studio openings, closures or other changes. The figure therefore cannot show the size of the increase or be directly compared with revenue, memberships or profitability.
The report does not establish whether the visit trend continued after the first half of 2026. Maanavi offers observations from Physique 57, but the article provides no data on the age profile of its customers or evidence that the same pattern applies across the sector. Her comments about closures and customer trust are not supported by quantified industry data.
Information Needed to Assess the Trend
The report does not announce a new company initiative, industry policy or scheduled follow-up. Maanavi advises founders and operators to assess studio profitability, train managers and staff, define decision-making responsibilities and maintain service quality as businesses expand.
Details about the visits-per-location measure and data on whether the trend continued after the first half of 2026 would provide additional context. The report does not include the underlying methodology; its operational guidance reflects Maanavi’s experience and views.
Key Questions
What did the report say about boutique fitness visits?
It said boutique studios led the fitness industry in year-over-year visits per location in the first half of 2026. It did not provide raw totals, a data source or a percentage increase.
Who is Jennifer Vaughan Maanavi?
Maanavi is the co-founder and CEO of Physique 57 and the founder of JM Advisory, according to the biography accompanying her Athletech News report. She writes about operational issues in fitness businesses.
Why does Maanavi emphasize profitability?
She says profitability provides studios with resources to pay employees, maintain facilities and invest in instruction.
Does the report prove boutique fitness is growing across the whole industry?
No. It reports a visits-per-location comparison for the first half of 2026 but does not disclose the underlying data or method. Maanavi’s observations from her own company do not independently establish a sector-wide trend.
Source: athletechnews.com
