Ageless Fitness Capitalizes on the Untapped Senior Fitness Market

Co-Founders Emmanuel Verduzco and Julie Pollard’s Senior Fitness Program Creates a New Niche in Fitness Franchising

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Ageless Fitness co-founders Emmanuel Verduzco and Julie Pollard saw an opportunity to do well by doing good. Their new senior fitness franchise helps older adults in a new way while giving investors an opportunity to take advantage of a rich niche market that is largely untapped. Ageless Fitness is a community-based workout that bills itself as “created for seniors, perfect for everyone.” The unique exercise program helps seniors significantly improve their fitness levels, strength, balance and confidence.

The franchise opportunity is unique and caters to a growing demographic. About 45 million U.S. residents are 56 to 74 years old, and in 12 years, the Census Bureau predicts 77 million Americans will be 65 or older. Seniors have deep pockets: The Wall Street Journal cited Federal Reserve data that by March 31, 2021, Americans 70 and older had a net worth of almost $35 trillion, equivalent to about 27% of the nation’s wealth.

The senior fitness programs are an easy sell: Fit seniors reduce their risk of developing chronic diseases, maintain muscle and bone mass, and are happier. Workouts target improved strength, confidence and balance, the latter being crucial for fall prevention, a leading cause of death among the elderly. Ageless Fitness studio environments feature minimal equipment and a non-intimidating atmosphere.

“Our franchisees not only invest in a
business, they also invest in an essential resource for their community.”

Some clients are in great shape; others may be recovering from injury, battling physical challenges, or dealing with cognitive impairment. Inclusiveness is baked into the company culture by co-founder Emmanuel Verduzco, who saw the void in elder fitness when working with a Parkinson’s disease client who had a broken hip. The client was turned away by other programs. Verduzco brought on co-founder Julie Pollard, whose background is in kinesiology and gerontology, to create specialized, adaptive fitness programs. Their Ageless Fitness location quickly filled to capacity and in January 2020, Verduzco and Pollard began franchising.

Senior Fitness With Ageless Fitness

With an emphasis on safety while executing optimum workouts, Ageless Fitness features three types of programs:

• One-on-one workouts with a personal trainer and customized 45- or 60-minute supervised programs.

• 60-minute buddy sessions with two to three clients guided by a personal trainer.

• Group fitness classes.

Established in 2018, Ageless Fitness has an initial franchise fee of $34,900, and franchisees will invest about $64,000 to $118,000 in their start-ups. The Santa Barbara, California-based franchisor provides many hours of hands-on training and continuous support after each franchise opens.

Two Franchise Ownership Models With Ageless Fitness

Ageless Fitness offers two franchise opportunities: 1) a single-unit deal in a protected territory and 2) area development franchises for entrepreneurs who want a larger territory so they can gradually develop a network of Ageless Fitness locations. Recurring revenue is a plus for franchisees, who often are professionals with an interest in senior care such as in-home support and clinical services.