Boutique Fitness in Germany: Some Cities Offer Nine Times More Options Than Others

2 min.

Introduction

The fitness industry in Germany is on the rise. With 12.36 million members, it has grown by 5.6 percent compared to the previous year. At the same time, specialized studios offering HIIT, Pilates, or Hyrox continue to gain momentum. With this in mind, we analyzed 4,088 boutique gym offerings across Germany's 20 largest cities. Our findings reveal where boutique concepts and fitness trends are exceptionally well-established and highlight the fascinating differences between these cities.

Cologne boasts nine times more boutique fitness spots per capita than Duisburg

Taking the top spot for cities with the most sports activities per 10,000 residents is Cologne with 6.3. Bonn follows closely in second place with 5.4, and Düsseldorf secures third with 4.0. Right behind lie Munich (3.5) and Stuttgart (3.1) in fourth and fifth place. Rounding out the bottom of the list is Duisburg with just 0.7 offers per 10,000 residents, followed by Essen (0.8), Bremen and Dresden (0.9 each), as well as Leipzig and Hanover (1.3 each).

Berlin leads in total listings, but ranks mid-range for density

If you look at the offers in absolute numbers, Berlin leads the ranking with 947 offers. Second place goes to Cologne with 647 sports classes, followed by Munich with 524 offers, Hamburg (405), and Düsseldorf (247). However, due to its large population, the picture in the capital is put into perspective: Berlin only achieves 2.6 offers per 10,000 residents and therefore, despite holding the absolute top position, only lands in sixth place.

Pilates and functional training lead the way in booking demand

The data reveals a clear concentration on just a few types of offerings. With a total of 954 listings, Pilates is the most popular individual category. Adding Reformer Pilates into the mix brings the format to an impressive 1,088 listings! Close behind is functional training, secure as the second strongest category with 916 listings. This is followed by meditation (315), indoor cycling (249), boxing (246), and EMS (212 classic as well as 150 EMS cardio). Newer or highly specialized formats like Hyrox (74), pole dancing (59), and aerial (54) are much less common. Interestingly, Hyrox, which has only gained a foothold in Germany over the last few years, has already overtaken pole dancing (59) with its 74 listings and is fast approaching more established categories.

Cologne and Berlin lead the way in many sports

Cologne and Berlin share the lead, depending on the discipline. In functional training, Cologne is just ahead with 162 offerings, closely followed by Berlin (159) and Munich (123). In Pilates, however, Berlin clearly leads with 254 options, ahead of Cologne (128) and Munich (126). For boxing, Cologne (54) and Berlin (53) are almost neck-and-neck, with Munich in third (31). Hyrox is most frequently spotted in Berlin (17), Cologne (14), and Düsseldorf (10). Proportionally, Bremen boasts the highest share of Hyrox across all analyzed cities: three out of 52 offerings there are dedicated to Hyrox. EMS is mainly found in Berlin (39), Cologne (23), and Hamburg (19). Reformer Pilates is highly concentrated in Berlin (49), Munich (27), and Hamburg (13).

"Trend sports like Hyrox or Reformer Pilates are currently driving massive growth in the boutique fitness scene. We see among our clients that studios in this space rely heavily on efficient booking systems. The competition for participants is heating up, and demand for spots often exceeds supply. To grow in this market, you need more than just a great class concept—you need the right digital processes running behind it," says Lucian Holtwiesche, co-founder of anny.

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