If you’ve ever thought about launching a membership for your studio, gym, or physical therapy practice but weren’t sure where to start (or if it would even work), this blog post is for you.

Over the last 10 years of running Pilates in the Grove and consulting with other movement professionals, I’ve seen the benefits of recurring revenue models over and over again. But I’ve also seen how easily they can go sideways if they’re not structured properly.

So today, I want to walk you through how to tell if a membership model is right for you, how to structure one that fits your business, and why PTs shouldn’t count themselves out of this strategy.

Why Memberships Work for Studios and PT Practices

First things first: Memberships provide recurring revenue, which means steadier cash flow, less admin time, and better retention. You can budget more easily, plan ahead, and spend less money on constantly acquiring new clients. That’s a win-win.

In fact, practices that implement memberships well often see:

• A 40% increase in lifetime customer value and
• A decrease in marketing spend for new client acquisition

So why don’t more studios and practices do this? Because they don’t know how to build a model that actually works for their business. That’s what I want to help you with.

What Clients Actually Value

Before you go off creating a bunch of bells and whistles, let’s talk about what people really want from a membership:

• Reserved appointment times – Priority booking for your most popular slots.
• Exclusive access to content – Think video libraries, mini workshops, or recovery tips.
• Quarterly check-ins – Especially great for PT practices to keep patients engaged even after their initial treatment plan is complete.

If you can offer any combination of these things, you’re already halfway to creating a valuable membership.

Membership Mistakes to Avoid

Ask, don’t tell

Don’t assume that a membership will work for your clients or patients. Ask.

Reach out to your top 20 clients (past or present) and ask them if they’d be interested in a membership model. You can even pitch a rough idea — early booking, content access, a quarterly perk — and ask if it’s something they’d pay for. This is a low-lift way to validate your idea before you put time or money into building it out.

Don’t have 20 clients? It’s time to generate leads before you worry about memberships! 

Don’t default to unlimited 

When you think of “memberships,” you might be thinking of unlimited access to your programs or classes or services. That’s not what I’m talking about — and I’d even discourage it.

We tried this at Pilates in the Grove. We offered a $500/month unlimited membership, and guess what? The few people who bought it were coming 7 days a week. Some came 30–40 times per month. That brought our per-class revenue down to as low as $12.

Yikes.

So now? We don’t offer unlimited memberships. Instead, we structure memberships in a way that keeps our revenue per class around $29–$31, which is what we need to stay profitable.

Think about a membership that reduces the load on your instructors, PTs, class sizes, etc. and that keeps profit UP. This is why knowing your numbers is so important! 

Don’t ditch other revenue streams

Do you have class packs? You don’t have to go all in on memberships and abandon your class packs. They can absolutely work together.

Use memberships for your most loyal clients who want priority access and predictability. Then keep class packs available for clients who are newer, less frequent, or more price-sensitive.

The two can (and should) support each other. And diversifying your business income is a good move!

How to Include Memberships in a PT Practice

If you’re a physical therapist, I know you might be thinking: “This doesn’t apply to me.” But trust me — it can. Here’s how PTs can use membership-style models:

• Quarterly wellness check-ins – Offer clients a short re-evaluation or mini-treatment every few months.
  Access to educational content – Give members tips and exercises they can use between visits.
• Priority scheduling – Allow members to book preferred time slots first.
• Add-on services – Recovery sessions, group movement classes, or even telehealth Q&As.

These value-adds help keep clients engaged after discharge and give you a consistent stream of revenue beyond just episodic care.

Want Support Building Your Membership Model?

If you’re thinking about implementing this but want help structuring it the right way, I’d love for you to join my monthly membership: FitBiz Foundations.

Inside, we cover this exact topic — and I even walk you through how to brainstorm and structure a membership that works for your studio. We do two live coaching calls each month, and you’ll also get access to a full library of trainings, worksheets, and a private community of fellow female business owners.

There’s no commitment — join for a month and see if it’s the right fit for you.