0 Comments
New ClassPass data shows younger users are trading bar tabs for barre class.
For Gen Z and younger Millennials, the question “want to grab a drink?” is increasingly being answered with “how about a class?” According to a new ClassPass survey of more than 900 users across the U.S. and international markets, many users aged 18–34 say they’ve chosen a workout or wellness experience over a night out in the past year.* And they are reporting making this choice at higher rates than users 35 and older.
More than half of the younger users surveyed are choosing the studio over the bar
Among surveyed ClassPass users aged 18–34:
- 53% said they’ve booked a workout, class, or wellness experience over going out for drinks or nightlife in the past year.
- Just over half (51%) said they have suggested a workout to a friend instead of drinks.
- 44% said they have used a class as a substitute for meeting a friend at a bar or restaurant.
The data shows that many younger ClassPass users are planning their nightlife around wellness. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of surveyed users aged 18–34 said they’ve booked an early morning class on purpose, using the next-morning commitment to be home earlier in the evening, and 44% said they’ve skipped or cancelled a night out altogether to be fresh for a class the next morning.
Younger users report trading nightlife for wellness more than older users
Across every “wellness-over-nightlife” behavior we measured, surveyed ClassPass users aged 18–34 outperformed those aged 35 and older—despite the common assumption that younger adults are more likely to pursue nightlife.
| Reported behavior in the past year | Users aged 18-34 | Users aged 35+ |
|---|---|---|
| Booked a workout or wellness experience over drinks or nightlife | 53% | 42% |
| Suggested a workout to a friend instead of drinks | 51% | 38% |
| Booked a class instead of meeting a friend at a bar or restaurant | 44% | 27% |
| Skipped or cancelled a night out to be fresh for a morning class | 44% | 32% |
| Booked an early morning class to be home earlier in the evening | 64% | 49% |
Social life is moving into the studio
The story here isn’t so much a generation staying in, but a shift in where they’re going out. More than half (53%) of surveyed users aged 18–34 said they have used a class as a way to catch up with someone, 44% said they’ve made a new friend or meaningful connection through a class they booked on ClassPass, and roughly one in five (18%) said they have joined a run club, group fitness community, or class community in the past year.
The shift is showing up in how users feel about the platform, too: among surveyed users aged 18–34, 68% said they exercise more since joining ClassPass, and 34% agreed that they use ClassPass as a way to spend more time with their friends. For many of these users, working out is becoming the plan they build their evenings around.
Additionally, surveyed users who reported trading a night out for a workout are more likely to report finding community in the process: 49% of those users who said they chose a workout over nightlife in the past year also said they had made a new friend or connection through ClassPass, compared with 37% of those who did not report choosing a workout over nightlife.
Studio owners are leaning into the demand
Businesses are shifting their operations to meet younger users where they are. In New York City, for example, more wellness providers are offering late-night experiences: [solidcore] has classes starting at 10 p.m., and the Big Apple Ballroom is offering Friday-night bachata.
The booking data backs up the shift. Attended ClassPass reservations on Fridays and Saturdays between 7–11 p.m. more than doubled in 2025 compared to two years prior—prime nightlife hours increasingly claimed by wellness.
The bottom line
For younger users, fitness and wellness are now at the center of their social life. The studio is where they go to see friends, make new ones, and unwind on a Friday night. The bar still has its place, but it’s sharing the night with a new kind of venue: one that opens at 6 a.m., stays open late, and leaves them better off the next morning.
*Survey methodology
- From May 21–June 3, 2026, ClassPass ran a 10-minute online survey with n=910 ClassPass users with an English-language locale who had been active on the platform for at least 6 months and taken at least one class or booked one appointment in the 30 days prior to the survey. Age and behavior were self-reported.
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
