Mid-market gyms feel the heat in Singapore’s ‘golden age’ of fitness

“Instead, they mix and match across different formats: using the condo gym, running outdoors, attending pilates classes, joining colleagues for pickleball, following free digital fitness programmes, or even travelling regionally for Hyrox competitions with their training communities.

“Fitness spending has become more fragmented, more flexible, and increasingly driven by experience, community and measurable outcomes.”

It is a challenge noted by Amore Fitness, which has been in business for more than 40 years. The homegrown chain runs women-only fitness studios and spas in nine locations around Singapore.

“Fitness is no longer just about choosing between one gym and another. Consumers can choose from 24-hour gyms, boutique studios, pilates, specialised training, outdoor activities and digital programmes, and many move between them,” said director Lim Kian Leong. 

As women look for “more choice and more ways to fit fitness into their lives”, Amore has responded by introducing new brands for beauty, rest and recovery treatments, reformer pilates, and strength and functional training.

“Women don’t all want the same thing from fitness, and what they need can change over time. We want to give them the choice to find what works for them, while staying within a community they know,” he said.

Amore’s physical footprint reflects these ongoing shifts. It closed outlets at Jurong Point in 2023 and Seletar Mall in 2024, only to open at the CPF Jurong building in 2024 and Punggol Coast Mall in 2025.

Mr Lim said this was “part of running a physical fitness business in a changing market”, adding that the goal is not to have more locations, but the right ones.

“We regularly review our locations based on factors such as demand in the neighbourhood, rental rates and operating costs, as well as changes to the properties themselves,” he said.

“At the same time, we look at where we can serve members better, whether that means being closer to where they live and work, having a more accessible location or offering a space that better suits the way they want to exercise.”