Zdrofit continues its expansion in Poland, opening its first club in Lublin. The network, owned by Benefit Systems, started its operations in this city with a club in Galeria Olimp. At the end of the year, it plans to open another facility at Kraśnicka Avenue. The development of Zdrofit is part of a broader trend of rebuilding the fitness industry in Poland after the pandemic, especially in the context of Poles’ increasing awareness of the impact of physical activity on wellbeing.
The opening of the first Zdrofit club in Lublin is an important step in the development of the network in eastern Poland. The modern facility – focusing on an extensive onboarding package, a variety of training zones and a wide range of group classes as well as technological support for trainees – offers space for both fitness enthusiasts and beginners. Moreover, at the end of the year, city residents will be able to take advantage of the network’s second club, which will complement the offer in the region.
– Lublin is an important step for us in expanding the presence of Zdrofit, the largest fitness network in Poland, to new regions. High availability of comprehensive and modern training spaces is one of the features that distinguish our networks – says Tomasz Groń, managing director of fitness club networks at Benefit Systems. – Our priority is also to educate society about a healthy lifestyle. The new club in Lublin is therefore not only a response to local needs, but also the introduction of new quality to a new market for us, where we want to inspire activity and support building healthy habits – he adds.
Lublin: two Zdrofit clubs in two months
The first network’s club in Lublin is situated in Galeria Olimp at 34 Spółdzielczości Pracy Avenue. The facility covering an area of almost 1,500 square meters offers modern training zones, including functional, free weights, machines, cardio, stretching and recovery.
Those who enjoy training with others have a spacious fitness room and a wide catalogue of group classes at their disposal.
The comprehensive nature of the club is also evidenced by the relaxation zone where one can regenerate after training, e.g. in the sauna.
Significant support for exercisers – both in terms of organising training and maintaining motivation at a stable level – is provided by the ZdrowAppka application.
On 30 December, the network plans to open a second club: Zdrofit Lublin Batory at 31 Kraśnicka Avenue. The new facility with an area of almost 1,300 square meters will consist of functional, free weights, machines, cardio, stretching, fight and cycling zones. The offer will also include group classes. A distinguishing feature of the club will be an extensive relaxation zone with a dry sauna, an icefall and a salt wall.
Accessibility as one of the priorities
The opening of new clubs in Lublin is the next stage of the development of the Zdrofit network. Currently, there are over 100 clubs available in Poland, mainly in the central and northern part of the country, and from November also in the eastern part. The facilities are situated in places convenient for customers, such as shopping malls, office buildings and large housing estates. Thanks to this, exerciers can easily incorporate physical activity into their daily routine.
The first Zdrofit club in Lublin is situated in a shopping centre, and the second one will be operating in an office and service building. Currently – considering the locations of clubs – this is the dominant trend. Almost half of all Zdrofit clubs are located in shopping centres, and another 25% occupy space in office and service buildings.
– Currently, we are present mainly in large Polish cities and at the same time we follow our customers, i.e. we try to be in places they visit regularly. At the same time, we strive to increase the availability of our services in smaller towns, especially those around the agglomerations. This strategy allows us to reach residents of rapidly developing suburban regions that previously had limited access to high-quality training spaces – explains Tomasz Groń.
The fitness industry is in good shape
The development of the Zdrofit network in Poland is part of the broader trend of rebuilding the fitness industry, which is experiencing dynamic growth after the difficult period of the pandemic. According to the “European Health and Fitness Market 2024” report prepared by Deloitte and EuropeActive, there is a constant increase in revenues, the number of fitness clubs and people using their services in Europe. The situation is similar in Poland, where the industry is making up for losses using increasing social awareness of the importance of physical activity for wellbeing.
– The fitness industry in Poland still has huge potential, and changes in Poles’ habits are the best proof of this development – says Tomasz Groń, referring to the MultiSport Index 2024: Sportcrastination report. – The percentage of people exercising at least three times a week increased from 30% in 2017 to 36% in 2024, which shows that for many people physical activity is becoming an element of lifestyle.
Considering the market penetration rate for European countries, the Polish fitness market is characterised by high development potential. Currently, according to the previously mentioned Deloitte and EuropeActive report, it is 8.4%. At the same time, it differs significantly for individual regions of Europe. The highest one – at the level of 16–21% – is in the Scandinavian countries. In Western European countries it is between 6% and 21% percent, while in Germany, Austria and Switzerland it reaches 12–15%. In Poland, the market penetration rate is 8%, which, compared to other European countries, gives a lot of scope for action in the coming years.
Zdrofit are fitness centres owned by Benefit Systems. The clubs promote healthy exercise in accordance with the philosophy that physical activity is available to everyone who wants to take care of their health, regardless of age, body shape and previous achievements. Currently, Polish residents can exercise in over a hundred Zdrofit clubs. Most of them – 61 – are situated in Warsaw. The remaining ones are in Trójmiasto, Szczecin, Kielce, Koszalin, Toruń and Lublin.