The Business Behind 15 Fitness Fads, Ranked by Earnings

We’re willing to spend money to get fit — and these companies have seriously cashed in on major fitness fads.

The Business Behind 15 Fitness Trends, Ranked by Earnings

Exercise crazes have come and gone over the years, and some are more successful than others.

From the short-lived ThighMaster to candlelit spinning classes a la SoulCycle, here’s a look at the business story behind 15 of the world’s most popular fitness fads that rocked the fitness industry.

15. Les Mills

Headquartered: Auckland, New Zealand

Started in: 1968

Annual earnings: $2.42 million

Bottom Line: Les Mills

In 1968, four-time Olympian track-and-field athlete Les Mills opened his first strength and cardio gym in Auckland, New Zealand. Today, that basic gym is the global HQ of the multimillion-dollar family company with Mills’ grandchildren Diana and Les Jnr. leading a team of thousands of Les Mills “presenters” around the world.

The company may be best known for BodyPump and BodyCombat, but it also offers yoga, cycling, dance, martial arts and more, through in-person classes and the on-demand app.

14. Tae Bo

Headquartered: Skokie, Illinois

Started in: 1982

Annual earnings: $5 million

Bottom Line: Tae Bo

Taekwondo and karate expert Billy Blanks combined taekwondo, boxing and other fitness styles to create Tae Bo, which is also an acronym for “Total Awareness Excellence Body Obedience”. Blanks started his classes in Boston in 1982, and within 10 years, it included celebrities like Paula Abdul, Carmen Electra, Alicia Silverstone and Alicia Keys among its fans.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Blanks has a net worth of $20 million, and Tae Bo has generated more than $150 million in total revenue. In 2016, Blanks released Tae Bo Evolution to a new generation of fitness fans.

13. Physique 57

Headquartered: New York, New York

Started in: 2005

Annual earnings: $10 million+

Bottom Line: Physique 57

Jennifer Maanavi and Tanya Becker created Physique 57 in 2005, based on a 57-minute barre workout. Their first studio opened in New York City in 2006 and, a few years later, saw the launch of their award-winning DVD, “Workout Series Volume 1”. The accolades came flooding in, including “Best New Fitness Class” by Los Angeles Magazine, and celebrity fans included Sarah Jessica Parker and Kelly Ripa.

Physique 57 can now be found across the world, with studios in Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and India. And if you can’t attend a class, you can access the workouts on demand from anywhere.

12. Curves

Headquartered: Waco, Texas

Started in: 1992

Annual earnings: $11.88 million

Bottom Line: Curves

Women-only fitness club Curves is based on a simple but hugely popular premise — a 30-minute circuit workout. Gary and Diane Heavin opened the doors of the first Curves Club in Harlingen, Texas, in 1992, and it wasn’t long before it was the fastest-growing franchise in history.

Curves now has more than 4,500 clubs worldwide and is owned by the private equity firm North Castle Partners. In 2012, Curves Complete was launched to offer women a personalised weight-loss and weight-management solution, including one-on-one coaching and support.

11. Zumba Fitness

Headquartered: Hallandale Beach, Florida

Started in: 2001

Annual earnings: $21.46 million

Bottom Line: Zumba

In the 1990s, Colombian dancer and choreographer Alberto Perez created Zumba, a high-energy, whole body workout that combines elements of aerobics and dance. In 2001, Perez teamed up with Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion, to officially launch Zumba with a series of fitness videos sold via infomercial. Hip-hop, salsa, merengue and mambo are just some of the dance styles included in the diverse choreography.

As a result, Zumba appeals to audiences of all ages and with a wide range of athletic ability. Today, Zumba classes are held in 180 countries around the world.

10. ThighMaster

Headquartered: SouthernCalifornia

Started in: 1992

Total sales: $100 million (average of about $33 million per year)

Bottom Line: ThighMaster

“You just put it between your knees and squeeze,” was the tagline that helped turn the ThighMaster into a global phenomenon. Infomercials featuring TV actress Suzanne Somers played a big part as well, with millions watching her “squeeze her way into shapely hips and thighs”.

The product (basically two pieces of metal tube shaped in a loop and connected with a hinge) was actually invented in Sweden by a physical medicine intern named Anne Marie Bennstrom, but it was later labeled the “V-Toner” and patented by Joshua Reynolds. After it became the ThighMaster, Somers got on board, and sales went through the roof, albeit only for a few years.

9. Ab Roller

Headquartered: Lakewood Ranch, Florida

Started in: 1994

Total sales: $1 billion (average of $37 million a year)

Bottom Line: Ab Roller

Don Brown’s simple Ab Roller — basically a wheel with two handles on the sides — is one of the most successful fitness products of all time. By firing up your core as you roll it forward and backward, it claims to revolutionize the way people do crunches (Brown was inspired to create it after watching his health club members put excessive stress and strain on their necks and backs).

Brown also invented the Ab Coaster, which is another key product in fitness clubs around the world.

8. Wii Fit

Headquartered: Kyoto, Japan

Launched: 2008 (U.S.)

Annual earnings: $43.8 million (including both Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus)

Bottom Line: Wii Fit

Released in Japan in 2007 and in the US the following year, Wii Fit is an exercise game for Nintendo’s Wii home video game console. It was the third best-selling game of 2008 in the U.S., selling over 4.53 million copies. The player stands on the Wii Balance Board, which doesn’t move but measures their center of balance.

Yoga, strength training, running and aerobics are some of the activities to choose from, with an emphasis on encouraging families to exercise together.

7. Power Plate

Headquartered: Chicago, Illinois

Started in: 1999

Annual earnings: $54.3 million

Bottom Line: Power Plate

First used by the Soviet space program in the 1960s to counteract astronauts’ muscle and bone loss from prolonged stays in zero gravity, the Power Plate was brought to the U.S. in 2007 by physical therapist Andrew Barile. Celebrities like Mark Wahlberg and Madonna helped it become a fitness trend.

The exercise machine provides a high-speed workout by using vibrations to stimulate the body’s muscles to contract and relax. The manufacturer claims that 10 minutes on the Power Plate has the same results as 60 minutes of traditional training. Where do we get one?

6. Insanity

Headquartered: New York, New York

Started in: 2007

Total DVD sales: $1 billion (average of $71.4 million a year)

Bottom Line: Insanity

The most popular workout DVD program in the U.S., Insanity was inspired by trainer Shaun T’s grueling workouts. After teaming up with Beachbody, a private company specializing in at-home workout videos and nutrition, Shaun T (real name Shaun Blokker) sold over 10 million DVDs and generated sales of $1 billion.

He’s still firmly in the game; his newest Beachbody workout, the 30-day cardio and dance program Let's Get Up!, can be streamed online. And he counts Lizzo as one of his most famous fans.

5. CrossFit

Headquartered: Washington, D.C.

Started in: 2000

Annual earnings: $100 million

Bottom Line: CrossFit

The biggest fitness chain in the world is CrossFit, which was founded by Greg Glassman and Lauren Jenai in 2000. As a competitive fitness sport, it includes elements of HIIT (high intensity interval training), plyometrics, powerlifting, gymnastics, Olympic weightlifting, callisthenics and more.

The infamous WOD stands for “workout of the day,” which is practiced by members of more than 15,000 affiliated CrossFit gyms around the world. And it’s not confined to the gym — athletes from more than 120 countries take part in the CrossFit Games each year.

4. SoulCycle

Headquartered: New York, New York

Started in: 2006

Annual earnings: $117 million

Bottom Line: SoulCycle

There’s no shortage of indoor cycling studios around the world, but few have the cult following of SoulCycle. Founders Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice opened their first studio in New York City’s Upper West Side in 2006 and attracted an A-list crowd. It was spinning with a difference — set in a dark candlelit room with a high-energy soundtrack and inspirational, motivational instructors.

In 2012, the SoulCycle bike was launched, with the mobile app arriving three years later. The company now has studios throughout the U.S. and in Canada and London, England.

3. Jazzercise

Headquartered: Carlsbad, California

Started in: 1969

Annual earnings: $410.9 million

Bottom Line: Jazzercise

Combining dance, strength, and resistance training, Jazzercise has offered a fun full-body workout for more than 50 years. The company was founded by Judi Sheppard Missett, who has netted $2 billion in cumulative sales. You’ll find Jazzercise classes in every U.S. state, primarily in community venues like schools and churches, plus 25 other countries.

According to The Atlantic, at the height of its mid-1980s popularity, Jazzercise was the second-fastest-growing franchise business in the country, after Domino’s Pizza.

2. Barry’s Bootcamp

Headquartered: Los Angeles, California

Started in: 1998

Annual earnings: $500 million+

Bottom Line: Barry’s Bootcamp

Barry Jay was a Los Angeles celebrity trainer when he came up with the idea for a one-stop cardio (like running and cycling) and strength-training (such as body weight and weightlifting exercises) workout designed to increase endurance, strengthen muscles and burn fat. The first Barry’s Bootcamp opened in West Hollywood, and it started the trend for boutique fitness studios.

More U.S. studios followed, and in 2011, Barry’s went global. By 2016, Barry’s boasted a celebrity clientele including David Beckham, Mandy Moore and Isla Fisher.

1. Peleton

Headquartered: New York, New York

Started in: 2012

Annual earnings: $3.95 billion

Bottom Line: Peloton

When former Barnes & Noble e-commerce executive John Foley realized that instructor-led workouts were the most rewarding way for him to work out, he vowed to find a way to bring those exercise classes into people’s homes. Celebrity fans of the fitness fad include actor Hugh Jackman, Olympic champion sprinter Usain Bolt, and Virgin Group founder Richard Branson.

Foley came up with the Peloton Bike, an at-home exercise bike that includes a large screen on the front and rear speakers to let riders work out to one of thousands of classes available through the Peloton All-Access membership. Recent additions to the Peleton family include multiple at-home gym equipment options and a mobile app.