Life Time survey: 82% prefer strength training

Life Time said on Dec. 30, 2025 that its annual wellness survey found consumers heading into 2026 were prioritizing strength training, longevity habits and broader wellbeing over narrower weight-loss goals. The company said the survey covered more than 750 general consumers and Life Time members and was conducted in December. The findings circulated again on social media this week, but the survey itself was released at the end of 2025, not on Sept. 2, 2026. The most-cited number in the survey was 82%. Life Time said 82% of respondents planned to focus more on overall health and wellbeing in 2026, up seven percentage points from the prior year. The company framed that as a sign that members were moving away from short-term body-change targets and toward strength, recovery and longer-term health markers. (ir.lifetime.life) ### Did Life Time actually say 82% preferred strength training? Life Time’s published survey did not say 82% chose strength training as their single top goal. The company said 82% planned to focus more on overall health and wellbeing in 2026. A separate survey result identified strength training as the leading specific fitness priority, with 42.3% saying their primary 2026 health goal was to get physically stronger. (ir.lifetime.life) Health Club Management, which summarized the survey, reported that strength training was the top trend in the data and that longevity was a key motivator for exercise for 33.2% of respondents. That matches Life Time’s own description of the survey as centered on strength training, longevity health habits and measured use of newer wellness technologies. (ir.lifetime.life) ### What did Life Time say about the move away from weight loss? Danny King, Life Time’s director of recovery and performance, said in the company’s release that “strength training is the new weight loss.” He said people were training “more intentionally” to feel and perform better for longer, while pairing exercise with recovery and objective health metrics. (ir.lifetime.life) That language is the basis for social posts describing a shift from weight-loss-focused programming to strength and wellbeing. The company’s materials support that broader framing, though they do not present it as an 82% strength-training figure. Instead, the 82% number refers to overall wellbeing, while the strength-specific figure is 42.3%. (ir.lifetime.life) ### What about wearables, AI, HIIT and calisthenics? Life Time said the survey showed interest in “objective health metrics” and a measured view of emerging wellness technologies, including AI-related tools. Independent summaries of the release said respondents showed continued interest in wearable tracking and cautious adoption of AI-guided fitness. (ir.lifetime.life) The social-media references to HIIT and calisthenics are harder to verify from the company’s release itself. The available Life Time materials reviewed here support strength training, longevity, recovery and technology-assisted tracking as the core themes, but they do not clearly establish HIIT and calisthenics as headline survey findings. (ir.lifetime.life) ### Why are the dates in posts confusing? Sept. 2, 2026 social posts appear to be recirculating a survey first published on Dec. 30, 2025. The company’s investor-relations page, newsroom post and PR Newswire release all date the announcement to late December 2025, as consumers were setting 2026 goals. (ir.lifetime.life) More recent online discussion reflects the survey’s afterlife rather than a new release. The next primary source to watch would be Life Time’s next annual wellness survey or any updated company release on member behavior and training trends. (ir.lifetime.life)