The fitness industry: transformation of human capital theory, current realities and development prospects in the context of digitalization

Marina Vysochina; Yurievna Margarita

doi:10.52957/2221-3260-2026-8-76-95

JEL I12 JEL L83 JEL M21 JEL Z21

4 more Collapse

THE FITNESS INDUSTRY: TRANSFORMATION OF HUMAN CAPITAL THEORY, CURRENT REALITIES AND DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS IN THE CONTEXT OF DIGITALIZATION The fitness industry: transformation of human capital theory, current realities and development prospects in the context of digitalization

АА Аа

Published in Theoretical economics · Issue 8, 2026 · Pages 76–95 · Rubric: NEW INDUSTRIALIZATION: THEORETICAL AND ECONOMIC ASPECT

DOI: https://doi.org/10.52957/2221-3260-2026-8-76-95

Received: 27.06.2026 Accepted: 10.08.2026 Published: 30.08.2026

Authors

Marina Vysochina

ORCID

Yurievna Margarita

ORCID

Marina Vysochina

Crimean Federal University of a name of V.I.Vernadsky Simferopol

ORCID

Yurievna Margarita

Academic degree: candidate of economic sciences

Science rang: docent

Crimean Federal University of a name of V.I.Vernadsky Simferopol

ORCID

ABSTRACT

The research results present logically interconnected propositions – a comparison of the traditional approach and G. Becker’s approach to health, a visualization of the health capital investment cycle model, the structuring and segmentation of the fitness services market, a characterization of the fitness market in Russia, the most important trends and economic characteristics of the fitness industry. It together creates a holistic picture of the theoretical justification of the fitness industry as an investment in human capital, the current state and prospects for the development of this field of activity in the context of digitalization. The structure of the fitness services market is visualized as a model of a multi-level ecosystem, where service providers form a core around which infrastructure, personnel, regulatory and consumer layers are concentrated. The typology of traditional formats of providing fitness services has been expanded due to the premium boutique segment, women’s, children’s and family fitness, as well as online and hybrid models relevant in the modern market. Based on the typology, the segmentation of consumers in the market of fitness services is carried out. Up-to-date statistical data made it possible to identify key indicators of the development of the fitness services market in Russia, compare the availability of fitness industry facilities to other countries in the country and get an idea of the major players in this field, light significant changes that have occurred in recent years in the field of investment in the Russian fitness industry. An important part of the study is the systematization of global trends in the development of the fitness industry, including a focus on mental health and recovery, microtraining and workouts for the busy, community-oriented fitness, smart equipment and immersive experiences, and sustainable development. The scientific novelty of the research consists in proposing a model of a multi-level ecosystem of the fitness services market, expanding the typology of formats for providing fitness services and segmenting consumers, as well as developing G. Becker’s theory of human capital based on the systematization of global trends in the development of the fitness industry, taking into account digitalization.

KEYWORDS

fitness industry, human capital, health, G. Becker’s theory, digitalization, mental health, personalization, conscious consumption, segmentation, market structure

Text

Text (PDF)

Read Download

1. Astapenko A. A., Bozadzhiev V. Yu. (2021). Vliyanie gipodinamii na sostoyanie zdorov'ya shkol'nikov // Mezhdunarodnyy shkol'nyy nauchnyy vestnik. № 5. https://school-herald.ru/ru/article/view?id=1469.

2. Bekker G. (2003). Chelovecheskoe povedenie. Ekonomicheskiy podhod. M.: GU VShE.

3. Belyakova M. Yu. (2022). Analiz ispol'zovaniya innovaciy v fitnes-industrii // Ekonomika i upravlenie v sporte. T. 2, № 4. S. 237–250. DOIhttps://doi.org/10.18334/sport.2.4.119727. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/RTRCKR

4. Guseva O. V. (2022). Sovremennye tendencii snizhennoy fizicheskoy aktivnosti v razlichnyh vozrastnyh gruppah naseleniya // Profilakticheskaya medicina. № 25(9). S. 111–116. https://www.mediasphera.ru/issues/profilakticheskaya-meditsina/2022/9/1230549482022091111. DOIhttps://doi.org/10.17116/profmed202225091111. EDN AMONPH.

5. Zaseka M. V., Yakovchuk T. V., Pilyugin V. S. (2024). Fitnes-industriya: perspektivnye napravleniya razvitiya // Fizicheskaya kul'tura. Sport. Turizm. Dvigatel'naya rekreaciya. №2. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/fitnes-industriya-perspektivnye-napravleniya-razvitiya. DOIhttps://doi.org/10.47475/2500-0365-2024-9-2-77-85. EDN QINSSA.

6. Kashina A. P., Tkacheva E. G. (2020). Detskiy fitnes // Nauka-2020. №1 (37). https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/detskiy-fitnes.

7. Kostenko E. A., Vysochina M. V. (2023). Faktory razvitiya predpriyatiy v sfere fitnes-industrii // Razvitie malogo predprinimatel'stva v Baykal'skom regione: Materialy 5-y mezhdunarodnoy nauchno-prakticheskoy konferencii. Irkutsk: Baykal'skiy gosudarstvennyy universitet. S. 330–336. EDN BKHZOY.

8. Kremneva V. N., Nepovinnyh L. A. (2020). Malopodvizhnyy obraz zhizni – kak faktor razvitiya gipodinamii v rannem vozraste // E-Scio. №6 (45). https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/malopodvizhnyy-obraz-zhizni-kak-faktor-razvitiya-gipodinamii-v-rannem-vozraste.

9. Pshebel'skaya L. Yu., Lednickiy A. V., Nemkovich A. V. (2025). Cifrovaya transformaciya servisnyh processov fitnes-industrii // Peredovye tehnologii i innovacii v obrazovanii i nauke dlya uluchsheniya kachestva zhizni i stimulirovaniya ustoychivogo ekonomicheskogo rosta: sbornik statey VIII Mezhdunarodnoy nauchno-tehnicheskoy konferencii «Minskie nauchnye chteniya – 2025», Minsk, 3–5 dekabrya 2025 g.: v 3 t. T. 1. Minsk: BGTU. S. 515–518. EDN CCRHUO.

10. Ryamova K. A., Rozenfel'd A. S. (2015). Adaptacionnyy potencial pozhilogo cheloveka i ego podderzhanie sredstvami fitnesa // Pedagogicheskiy zhurnal Bashkortostana. №4 (59). https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/adaptatsionnyy-potentsial-pozhilogo-cheloveka-i-ego-podderzhanie-sredstvami-fitnesa.

11. Fedorova O. N., Smirnova Yu. V., Eliseeva T. P. (2020). Effektivnost' zanyatiy fitnesom s zhenschinami zrelogo vozrasta // Sovremennye problemy nauki i obrazovaniya. № 6. https://science-education.ru/ru/article/view?id=30272. DOIhttps://doi.org/10.17513/spno.30272. EDN ABSGLW.

12. Chastoedova A. Yu., Yakimova L. A., Prokopchuk Yu. A. (2025). Metodika primeneniya sredstv fitnesa v fizicheskom vospitanii detey starshego doshkol'nogo vozrasta // Fizicheskaya kul'tura, sport – nauka i praktika. №.4. S. 71-77. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/metodika-primeneniya-sredstv-fitnesa-v-fizicheskom-vospitanii-detey-starshego-doshkolnogo-vozrasta. DOI:https://doi.org/10.53742/1999-6799/4_2025_71-77. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/NHBEWD

13. Shirokova E. A., Schegoleva M. A. (2024). Myagkiy fitnes kak perspektivnoe napravlenie ozdorovitel'nyh zanyatiy so studentami vysshih uchebnyh zavedeniy // Aktual'nye voprosy sportivnoy psihologii i pedagogiki. T. 4, № 3. S. 59–68. https://elar.urfu.ru/handle/10995/139840. DOI:https://doi.org/10.15826/spp.2024.3.115 EDN: https://elibrary.ru/OAHDUW

14. Soares, Rodrigo R. Gary Becker’s Contributions in Health Economics. – URL: https://katalog.slub-dresden.de/en/id/126-ZnR6YndraWVsOm9haTplY29uc3Rvci5ldToxMDQxOS8xMDY1Mjc (data obrascheniya: 18.01.2026).

This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

PDF Text JATS XML

Executive editor

Maksim Markin

markinmi@ystu.ru

Chief Editor

Valery Gordeev

vagordeev@rambler.ru

Deputy Editor-in-Chief

Marina Mayorova

mayorovama@ystu.ru

Deputy editor-in-chief

Galina Rodina

galinarodina@mail.ru

downloads

This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Creative Commons

GOST

Vysochina M. V., Margarita Y. V. The fitness industry: transformation of human capital theory, current realities and development prospects in the context of digitalization // Theoretical economics. 2026. no. 8. pp. 76-95. DOI: https://doi.org/10.52957/2221-3260-2026-8-76-95. (Date of access 29.09.2026).

MLA

Marina Vysochina, Margarita Y. V.. "The fitness industry: transformation of human capital theory, current realities and development prospects in the context of digitalization." Theoretical economics.8 (2026): 76-95. DOI: https://doi.org/10.52957/2221-3260-2026-8-76-95.

APA

Vysochina M. V., Margarita Y. V. (2026). The fitness industry: transformation of human capital theory, current realities and development prospects in the context of digitalization. Theoretical economics(8), 76-95. https://doi.org/10.52957/2221-3260-2026-8-76-95

Chicago

Marina Vysochina, Margarita Y. V.. "The fitness industry: transformation of human capital theory, current realities and development prospects in the context of digitalization." Theoretical economics, no. 8 (2026): 76-95. https://doi.org/10.52957/2221-3260-2026-8-76-95.

WIKI

{{cite journal | author = Vysochina M. V., Margarita Y. V. | title = The fitness industry: transformation of human capital theory, current realities and development prospects in the context of digitalization | journal = Theoretical economics | year = 2026 | issue = 8 | pages = 76-95 | doi = 10.52957/2221-3260-2026-8-76-95 }}

Copy

Export: BibTeX EndNote RefMan RusMARC

THE FITNESS INDUSTRY: TRANSFORMATION OF HUMAN CAPITAL THEORY, CURRENT REALITIES AND DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS IN THE CONTEXT OF DIGITALIZATION The fitness industry: transformation of human capital theory, current realities and development prospects in the context of digitalization

Confirmation