{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"LIFTS Episode 111 - Strength, Pilates &amp; Wellness Are Booming, But Something Isn\u2019t Adding Up? | Inside the Les Mills 2026 Global Fitness Report | with Sean Turner","description":"Welcome to the latest episode of LIFTS, your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. In this episode, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal are joined by Sean Turner, CEO of Les Mills US, to explore one of the most persistent and misunderstood challenges in fitness today: member retention. Drawing on decades of experience as both a club operator and global brand leader, this conversation examines why retention is not a content problem, but a human one. Sean shares how confidence, belonging, and experience design play a far greater role in long-term engagement than endless workout libraries or digital platforms. As the industry continues to invest heavily in content, technology, and on-demand solutions, the discussion focuses on why fitness cannot be built like a streaming service and what actually drives consistency and behavior change. From group training and coaching quality to structured systems that scale, this episode highlights what operators often misunderstand about motivation and why members quietly disengage. This episode moves beyond tactics and trends to highlight what fitness operators, brands, and leaders should prioritise if the goal is not just acquisition but long-term retention and meaningful participation. In this episode, we cover: \u2022 Why retention is driven by confidence and belonging, not content volume \u2022 The \u201cconfidence gap\u201d that prevents people from fully engaging in fitness \u2022 Why fitness isn\u2019t Netflix and why that analogy matters \u2022 How group training and coaching create long-term adherence \u2022 What operators misunderstand about motivation and disengagement \u2022 Lessons from Les Mills on building systems that drive retention at scale \ud83d\udc49 To learn more about Sean Turner, click here: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/seandturner\/ \ud83d\udc49 To learn more about Les Mills, click here: https:\/\/www.lesmills.com\/ See comments for how to access the Global Fitness Report - add link - To download a copy of the Les Mills Global Fitness Report 2026 click here:  https:\/\/www.lesmills.com\/clubs-and-facilities\/research-insights\/fitness-trends\/2026-global-fitness-report-strength-and-wellness-to-drive-next-wave-of-member-growth\/   \ud83d\udc49 To learn more about our sponsor, EGYM, click here: https:\/\/bit.ly\/3JzsosR  ====================================================== Support fitness industry news by sponsoring future LIFTS episodes. Contact us at wendy@liftspodcast.com for advertising opportunities. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and turn on notifications so you never miss a new video when it\u2019s published: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/EscapeFitness Shop gym equipment: https:\/\/escapefitness.com\/shop View our full catalog: https:\/\/escapefitness.com\/support\/catalog (US) https:\/\/escapefitness.com\/support\/catalogue (UK)  ====================================================== Join the conversation at LIFTS LinkedIn: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/liftspod 0:00 Retention, attrition, and why the problem hasn\u2019t changed 3:30 Why fitness isn\u2019t Netflix (and why content fails) 7:30 Systems, operators, and the Les Mills perspective 11:30 Sponsor: EGYM 13:00 Confidence, intimidation, and why people disengage 22:00 Group training, belonging, and behavior change 34:00 What operators misunderstand about retention 48:30 Final lessons on experience, systems, and retention at scale ","author_name":"Escape Your Limits &amp; LIFTS","author_url":"http:\/\/www.escapefitness.com\/podcast","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/40108270\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/000000\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/198563170"}