It’s 3:44 a.m. on May 19, 2025, and I’m digging through digital files stored in the decade since my son was born. For me, it’s a game-changing way to help me make the most of my recovery and my fitness goals. But then I look at the $100 a month subscription fee and think, What about the millions of people who can’t afford this?
2025 has ushered in a new one to the fitness world. With 70% of the world’s workforce now remote and 66% of consumers prioritizing sustainable health brands, it would seem wellness is booming. But the pristine vision conjured by this booming business is a far cry from the reality experienced by many. The same tools that some have to build a healthier life are out of reach for others because of cost, tech limitations and systemic inequalities. For those who fall through the cracks, it’s not simply a question of mild inconvenience; it’s a lost opportunity of health and longevity.
In this article, we examine the many layers of accessibility in fitness, who’s succeeding, who’s being left behind, and what we could do to fill in the gap and make wellness genuinely inclusive.
The Rise of the Wellness Boom
Why the Fitness Industry Is Booming (For Some)
The wellness craze is palpable. The market is expected to rise to $77 billion by 2025, driven by the surging popularity of companies like digital fitness platforms and wearables, making it an ever more lucrative industry. A big driver of this growth? Remote work.
Now that more than 70% of the workforce is working from home, workers are searching for fitness options that suit their flexible lifestyles. Wearables like Fitbits and Oura Rings allow users to monitor 90% of their lives, from steps walked to the quality of sleep. Premium fitness apps, home workout gear and corporate wellness programs complete this ecosystem, which provides a seamless (and profitable) experience for high-income users.
The benefits are clear. The best of these tools help reduce recovery time, save you time that shower at the gym so you’ll never bring stink home to your loved ones (or the bed). For instance, the AI coaching app I subscribe to, costing $100 a month, has cut my recovery time by 15%. But at these price points, some are left out.
Who Foots the Bill
As high-earning professionals revel in new exercise and wellness routines, for much of the boom the landscape appears to reflect almost everyone else’s reality little if at all. Wellness has become a privilege, not a universal right, as sky-high costs and barriers such as lack of internet access or living in “fitness deserts” (communities with few gyms or healthy food options) have prevented consumers from reaching their well-being goals. In other words, the system is set up to help those who can already afford investments in their health, and to leave the most vulnerable among us in the dust.
The Accessibility Gap
Breaking Down Barriers
Consider a friend of mine who freelances for a living, keeping several clients in the air so she can keep the lights on. But 44 percent of freelancers report financial anxiety, and her reality is cobbling together free YouTube workout routines because she can’t afford gym memberships or fitness apps.
It’s people from poorer deciles, people in the countryside and marginalized populations who pay the real price for that lack of equity. A 2025 Pew Research poll showed that 60% of rural households do not have reliable internet, so digital fitness solutions are unavailable. Likewise, job insecurity in the gig economy is compounds the challenge; 33% of European employees said they favored traditional work because gig work did not have vital benefits, such as wellness assistance.
The Problem is Systemic
But the lack of affordability of the wellness industry isn’t just about income brackets. And systemic issues — from tech infrastructure failures to biased approaches to public health campaigns that overlook marginalized populations — exacerbate matters. When they try to access wellness solutions they often encounter closed doors, whether in seeking affordable gyms, healthy food access, or culturally responsive wellness programs.
The result? Most notably, a growing health and fitness divide. And that’s not merely morally worrisome; it’s a public health crisis.
The Hidden Costs of Inequity
What the Theological Virtues Teach About Wellness for Some What Happens When Wellness Isn’t for All
The costs of disenfranchise huge swaths of the population from the wellness boom have immediate as well as long-term consequences. In the U.S., for example, obesity rates were 20% higher in a rural community compared to urban populations recently, due solely to fewer fitness resources.
And then there is the less obvious: stress-induced burnout. An astounding 76% of remote workers feel a sense of overwork, yet many low-income workers can’t afford meditation apps, fitness plans, or even a yoga mat.
Unsustainable Promises
And even sustainability claims in the fitness industry come with a secret catch. Although 40% of shoppers are skeptical of green marketing tactics, eco-minded fitness gear does tend to have a higher price point. If someone can barely afford to live, they will either treat these products as luxury items that they splurge on and feel guilty about or that are a cruel, teasingly-elusive luxury, making them feel demoralized and excluded.
The Broader Ripple Effect
These inequalities affect more than individuals. Whole communities experience more expensive healthcare, diminished productivity and increased risks for chronic disease. And with the yawning divide between them that is those who are “in” and “out” of the wellness bubble — the legitimacy of the industry as a whole may be in peril.
Building Inclusive Wellness
The answers that are good for all of us
Addressing the problem presents actionable steps, and there’s some good news. Change is possible. Look at small-scale programs — the free fitness classes in Mumbai gyms that have already increased health outcomes by 50% in a year — and you realize that accessibility can make a difference.
Another example? I launched an entirely free YouTube series for Body Weight Guide to work out even if you currently don’t have the money. Small efforts like these make for big waves of change, proving that when it comes to fitness, you don’t have to break the bank.
Letting Loose the Ties of Corporate Responsibility
Businesses have a huge part to play. As 84% of companies embrace wellness tools, there’s potential for transformation — but only if these programs lead with equity. Seventy percent of corporate leaders will need to include initiatives such as subsidized fitness apps, discounted gym memberships or wellness grants in their offerings by 2026.
Finally, governments and local communities must advocate for policies which render fitness a public good, not a private luxury. There are solutions, from creating larger public parks to funding fitness programs in underserved neighborhoods. It’s only a question of what are the priorities.”
Leading with Empathy
Finally, inclusive wellness requires displaying empathy from both people and programs. Whether it’s sharing free resources, cutting costs or fighting for policy change, the movement begins with recognition and a commitment to equity.
How Do We Ensure Wellness Is Truly Inclusive?
Wellness Booms 2025 is all about the wellness boom, enjoys a $77 billion market and thrives with 70% of the workforce going remote. But a significant proportion remain left out because of systemic barriers, economic distress and inadequate infrastructure. Accepting health as a universal right, it’s evident that there are a lot of big gaps.
The point is not why we should close these gaps, which is increasingly obvious, but how quickly we can do it. Can businesses, governments, and people meet the challenge of democratizing wellness? Or will it continue to be the domain of a privileged few?
If this vision fills you with inspiration, begin modestly. Share what you know, encourage local programs, or just ask someone new to join your workout. Each gulp of change begins with an action.