If you’ve been putting all your content efforts into social media lately, you might want to reconsider. Email is not dead. In fact, a well-crafted fitness newsletter is one of the best ways to market and grow your fitness business!
Health and fitness newsletters are a tool for connection that can help all types and sizes of fitness businesses:
- Build relationships with their members
- Turn leads into new memberships and upsell existing ones
- Foster community and re-engage lapsed members
According to GetResponse, email marketing still delivers strong results. Instead of fighting fickle social media algorithms, enjoy a direct line to your audience. In fact, 32% of Gen Z consumers say they like to receive emails from brands a couple of times a week.
But what do you write in your emails? Workout tips and member success stories can help position your brand as a source of education and motivation. Class updates and nutrition know-how turn you into a trusted information source.
With the right strategy, you can craft emails your members will look forward to opening.
In this post, we’ll explore how to create a newsletter strategy that drives engagement, boosts retention, and supports your goals—helping you make the most of every send.
What Is a Fitness Newsletter & Why It Matters
A fitness newsletter is simply a regular email sent to your members or subscribers. It’s your Gazette, your Daily Mail, your Times…and it’s completely your own. In it, you can share insights and tips related to relevant health and wellness topics, updates about your business, and more.
Email newsletters are an essential part of your marketing strategy. They offer a way to stay connected with your audience outside of your studio and social media channels. They help you build trust, establish authority, and keep your members motivated.
A newsletter can be as simple or as sophisticated as you like. You can include content such as:
- Weekly workouts or fitness challenges
- Healthy recipes and wellness tips
- Success stories from your community
- Upcoming classes or events
- Exclusive member offers and promotions
Whether you run a boutique personal training studio or a multi-location gym, the key is email content that educates, inspires, and drives action.
And remember, a simple health and wellness newsletter sent at the right times can make a big impact. Over time, your newsletter will become one of the best tools in your marketing toolkit.
The Data-Driven Benefits of Fitness Newsletters
Email newsletters still deliver some of the most impressive ROI in digital marketing. The fitness industry is no exception. In fact, the health and fitness sector sees an average open rate of 48.9%, and a click rate of 1.74%—well above many other industries.
But it’s the return on investment that stands out. Omnisend reports that omnichannel email marketing often yields $36–$40 for every $1 spent. Some US-based fitness brands report an average ROI of $68 per dollar.
As if that weren’t enough to convince you, click-to-conversion rates increased by 27.6% in 2024. Automated emails—like ABC Glofox’s scheduled class reminders—generate 37% of all email-driven revenue.
As you can see, health and fitness newsletters are a powerful and strategic revenue generator.
Learn More: The Ultimate Customer Engagement Playbook
Examples of Top-Performing Fitness Newsletters
Here are 5 of today’s most popular health and fitness newsletters to help get your creative juices flowing. Borrow their ideas and adapt them to your business, then test to see if they resonate with your audience.
Strava
- What works: Offers personalized performance summaries and motivational progress reports. This “fitness report card” makes users feel accomplished and encourages them to keep at it.
- Lesson: Use data and progress tracking to make your health and fitness newsletter personal and motivating.
MyFitnessPal
- What works: Combines trendy topics (e.g., high protein foods), a clean layout, and clear CTAs that subtly upsell the app’s premium features.
- Lesson: Offer valuable newsletter content like recipes and tips while softly promoting your offerings.
Yoga Journal
- What works: Uses striking visuals, deliberate color hierarchy, and clear, benefit-driven CTAs to showcase new workouts or promotions.
- Lesson: Invest in a strong fitness email newsletter design with compelling visuals.
Gymshark
- What works: Clean, modern promotion (e.g., Training App launches) with bold headers and plenty of CTAs to boost conversions.
- Lesson: Use dynamic email campaigns to promote services or products effectively, with clear calls to action.
The Weekly Rep
- What works: Each piece is backed by expert voices or science (e.g., Jeff Cavaliere or “fitness age” tests), lending credibility
- Lesson: Include mini expert tips or cite research to position your brand as knowledgeable.
These brands succeed by combining:
- Engaging visuals & design. They use strong images and clear sectional headings so members can jump to what they care about.
- Personalization & data. They feature performance tracking and progress overviews.
- Valuable content. Each newsletter includes workout tips, recipes, or motivational stories. A mix of quick news nuggets, a short workout plan, and a tip or funny element keeps readers hooked.
- Clear CTAs. The content promotes app downloads, class sign‑ups, or premium offerings.
- Community elements. They feature testimonials and member spotlights. The content also mentions subscriber counts or member highlights to foster community and credibility.
“(Social media) makes you pay to reach your audience. Not everyone is going to see it. You want to get people into some sort of platform like an email list. Email is still one of the most effective ways to connect with people.” – Joe Sanok, Practice of the Practice
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The Top 10 Barriers
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Discover more Steps to Creating a Newsletter Members Will Open
A successful fitness newsletter starts with intention and ends with impact. These 5 key steps will help you create content that your subscribers can’t wait to open:
Step #1: Define clear goals, audience & frequency
Start by identifying what you want to achieve. Are you looking to boost class attendance, promote your services, or position yourself as an expert in a certain area?
Know your audience. Are they beginners, current members, or personal training clients? This will guide your tone and topics. Then, set a consistent send frequency (weekly, biweekly, or monthly) so your readers know what to expect.
Step #2: Build a solid, branded template
Use a fitness newsletter template that reflects your brand’s unique style—colors, logo, and voice. A clean, mobile-friendly layout with clear sections for content makes your newsletter digestible and easy to scan. (For instance, it’s easy to create, brand, and schedule mass and/or recurring emails using ABC Glofox’s drag-and-drop template editor.)
Step #3: Write compelling subject lines & CTAs
Strong fitness email subject lines increase open rates. Use curiosity, urgency, or a clear benefit to pique readers’ interest (e.g., “3 Core Moves to Improve Your Ride”). Add call-to-actions that encourage clicks—whether to book a class, read more, or reply. Vary your subject lines and be sure to A/B split test to see what delivers the best results.
Step #4: Measure performance & optimize
Track open rates, click-throughs, and conversions right inside your email platform, eliminating the need for third-party tools. Over time, test different fitness newsletter topics, send times, or fitness email content ideas to see what resonates. Use this data to improve your design and strategy.
Follow these steps and your fitness business newsletter will drive engagement, loyalty, and results!
Read More: The One Rule You Need to Apply to Your Gym Marketing Strategy
FAQ: Fitness Newsletters and AI
AI is a great tool for improving your newsletter process and content. Here are some common questions and recommended AI tools to try in your next fitness newsletter.
How can I use AI to write my fitness newsletter?
AI tools like ChatGPT or Jasper can help you quickly generate subject lines, fitness tips, content ideas, and promotional copy tailored to your audience.
What are the best AI tools for fitness email marketing?
Try Mailchimp with AI content suggestions, HubSpot for smart segmentation, and Brevo for predictive email performance.
Can AI personalize my fitness newsletter content?
Yes! AI can segment your audience based on behavior or goals. It can help personalize content with class suggestions, tips, or reminders. ABC Glofox’s integrated audience filters let you tailor your communications by member activity, membership tier, and more.
How do I automate a fitness newsletter using AI?
Use platforms like ActiveCampaign or MailerLite to set up automated email flows triggered by actions like sign-ups, class bookings, or missed sessions.
What’s the best AI platform for designing a fitness newsletter template?
Tools like Mailchimp and BeeFree offer AI-enhanced drag-and-drop editors that make it easy to create branded, responsive fitness newsletter templates.
Unlock the Power of Email with ABC Glofox
A well-crafted fitness newsletter is a branding and retention powerhouse. It can help you:
- Bolster the brand you’ve worked hard to build, keeping your business visible and valuable.
- Create a professional impression, setting yourself apart in a competitive market.
- Support the whole member journey, welcoming new sign-ups, keeping active members involved, and re-engaging inactive ones.
- Reinforce your authority and personality, helping build trust and recognition.
At ABC Glofox, we understand the unique needs of fitness businesses. Our platform makes it easy to automate emails, segment your audience, and deliver high-impact content that keeps your members coming back.
Whether you’re sending a health and fitness newsletter, a class reminder, or a special offer, we give you the tools to do it all—smarter and faster.
Ready to level up your email game and turn your newsletter into a growth engine? Book a demo today and see how ABC Glofox can help.
