Curves Franchise: Why the Fitness Industry Needs to Take Women Over 50 More Seriously
For many women, turning 50 changes what they want from exercise. Sport England’s latest Active Lives Adult Survey points to growing demand for strength-based activity among adults aged 55 and over, with more than one million more people in this age group meeting muscle-strengthening guidelines than in 2020.
For fitness operators, this challenges the assumption that strength training is primarily a younger person’s pursuit. Women over 50 represent an important and growing audience, but capturing that demand requires more than simply encouraging them through the door. The experience itself needs to reflect what they want from fitness at this stage of life.
The first mistake is assuming that women over 50 form one homogenous group. Some will have trained consistently for decades, while others may be returning after a long break or joining a fitness club for the first time. Their confidence, fitness level and goals can look very different despite being of a similar age.
Simply adding a class for older adults may therefore miss the point. While it gives women over 50 a dedicated option, it still uses age as the main basis for determining what someone needs. A more useful approach is to make the core fitness offer adaptable enough to support different starting points, rather than creating a separate programme for every stage of life.
Curves leads by example here, making each woman’s starting point and individual needs the basis of her membership. It begins with a one-to-one consultation and body composition assessment, helping the coach understand her current fitness level, what she wants to achieve and where she may need additional support. For women over 50, this can include understanding whether changes linked to menopause, sleep or stress are affecting how they feel when they exercise. Rather than placing women into an age-based category, Curves uses this insight to shape how its signature programme is delivered.
That personalisation extends into Curves’ signature 30-minute full-body workout, allowing women over 50 to take part in the same programme as other members without being separated by age or expected to train beyond their ability. The Curves circuit uses hydraulic resistance equipment, which increases resistance according to how hard a member pushes or pulls. This means the equipment responds to the effort each woman puts in, rather than requiring every member to work against the same fixed resistance. A woman in her 50s can therefore train alongside someone in her 20s, with the workout naturally adapting to their different levels of strength and fitness.
Coaching remains central to helping each woman get the most from her workout. During the circuit, a Curves coach is positioned at the centre, helping members use the machines correctly and offering guidance where needed. CurvesSmart® technology adds another layer by recording pace, power and range of motion, giving coaches a clearer picture of each woman’s progress. This gives coaches additional information to help tailor support as a member progresses.
For operators, the wider advantage of this model is that Curves does not have to reinvent its offer every time a member’s needs change. Its adaptable equipment and technology allow the core experience to evolve with the woman using it, while professional coaching provides ongoing support as she progresses. This can support member retention over the long term, because women are not required to outgrow the programme simply because they enter a different stage of life.
Joanna Dase, Chief of Operations at Curves, explains:
“Women over 50 should not have to settle for a programme that makes assumptions about what they can do simply because of their age. At Curves, the member journey starts with understanding the individual, and that approach shapes how the programme is delivered as she progresses. It means women can stay within a familiar structure while the support around them evolves with their needs at different stages of life.”
For aspiring Curves franchisees, this offers a flexible approach to serving a broader membership base. A single, adaptable core offer can serve a broader membership base without requiring separate programmes for different age groups. This keeps the business simpler to run while giving members more reason to stay as their needs change. Curves has spent more than 30 years refining this model in women’s fitness, and its network of more than 3,000 clubs across 42 countries gives aspiring franchisees a proven framework from the outset.
An investment of approximately £45,750 provides an accessible entry point into the franchise, including hydraulic resistance equipment, CurvesSmart® technology, club setup support and ongoing marketing resources. For franchisees, that means investing in an established model designed to attract women at different stages of life and retain them as their needs change.
Women over 50 are already showing that they want to stay active and build strength. The opportunity for fitness businesses is to make sure their offer is ready to meet that demand. Curves demonstrates that supporting this audience does not require a separate approach, but a model flexible enough to meet women where they are.
Interested in owning and running your own Curves franchise? Visit the Curves.eu website to learn more, or explore the Franchise Express directory of fitness franchises to see what’s out there.
