Pulse Fitness, a fitness equipment manufacturer with more than 45 years of experience, today released Built for Everybody: The Business Case for Inclusive Fitness, a white paper outlining the business opportunity in serving fitness consumers with disabilities.
The research estimates that U.S. adults ages 18 to 79 with disabilities, together with their households, spend about $24 billion per year on fitness memberships and services. Drawing on a survey of 2,500 U.S. adults, findings from academic research, and interviews with operators and practitioners, the resource builds the business case for inclusion at fitness centers and gives operators a framework for serving consumers with disabilities.
“Making fitness more accessible has been central to Pulse Fitness since we engineered our first inclusive equipment in 1997,” said Jamie Burton, president, USA and Global Development, Pulse Fitness. “As we bring Pulse to the U.S., this white paper reflects that same commitment, giving operators the data and a playbook to create fitness environments that empower everyone.”
“For most facilities, this opportunity is already in the neighborhood,” said Melissa Rodriguez, principal of Datagonist, the independent research firm that prepared the paper. “Adults with disabilities and their households are already investing in fitness. The question is whether the environment is ready for them.”
According to the survey, among adults who exercise, 55% of those with a disability use an in-person fitness facility at least once per week, compared with 43% of their non-disabled peers. Published research cited in the paper points to untrained staff, crowded floors, and inaccessible equipment as barriers to using fitness centers. The paper notes that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sets requirements for building access but does not regulate equipment, a gap Universal Design aims to close by making products usable by everyone without modification.
“One of the biggest misconceptions is that adaptive exercisers want a separate, segregated offering, when most people simply want to belong to the general community,” said Ben Clark, founder and consultant, Adapt to Perform, who contributed to the paper.
The resource also includes one-page playbooks for four types of facilities and a 90-day action plan, along with perspectives and case studies from practitioners and operators leading the effort in inclusive fitness.
Built for Everybody: The Business Case for Inclusive Fitness is available at pulsefitnessusa.com/whitepaper. Pulse Fitness commissioned and funded the research.
About the Research
Built for Everybody is based on an original survey of 2,500 U.S. adults ages 18 to 79, fielded October 24 to November 6, 2025; government and public health data; independent and academic research; and interviews with four practitioners and operators in September and October 2026. The study oversampled adults with disabilities and weighted results to represent U.S. adults. Survey findings are self-reported, and the interviews are qualitative.
Founded in 1980 in the United Kingdom, Pulse Fitness is a global total-solutions provider specializing in the design, manufacture, and digital integration of commercial fitness equipment, including one of the industry’s leading ranges of inclusive strength and cardio equipment. Pulse Fitness USA is the dedicated U.S. operation. For more information, visit pulsefitnessusa.com.
About Datagonist
Datagonist is an independent market and consumer research firm serving the fitness and wellness industry. Founded by Melissa Rodriguez, the firm draws on more than 20 years of industry experience, including 14 years leading global research at IHRSA (now the Health & Fitness Association) and market intelligence at Mindbody. For more information, visit datagonist.co.
jamie.burton@pulsefitness.com
Pulse Fitness
melissa@datagonist.co
Datagonist
