How JK Wellness Is Rewriting the Retention Playbook With Wellness

Through tiered memberships and smart onboarding, wellness is becoming a revenue-generating pillar — not just an amenity

For years, fitness operators have understood that retaining an existing member is significantly more cost-effective than acquiring a new one. But knowing that and executing on it are two different things. The question has always lingered: How do you actually keep them coming back?

Now, with the rapid rise of wellness and recovery, the industry finally has a compelling answer. It’s not just about cardio and strength anymore – it’s about helping members feel better, faster. And wellness is emerging as the lever that not only improves retention but also drives new streams of revenue inside the four walls.

“The amount of money, resources and effort it takes to attract new members far exceeds what it costs to keep your current ones,” says Andy Dunn, Senior Sales Director at JK Products & Services, the company behind Wellness JK. “But the age-old question is — how do we keep members longer? And that answer is wellness.”

At the center of that equation are products like RedWave Plus (formerly Revive Pro) and Wellsystem HydroWave, which are designed to integrate seamlessly into clubs and create a highly engaging, deeply restorative wellness experience. The result? Retention, revenue and an entirely new way of thinking about the fitness business model.

From Retention to Revenue

For club operators looking to future-proof their business, wellness isn’t just a trend — it’s a transformation.

“When you think about recovery and wellness products that can keep members happy, engaged and wanting to come back over and over — that’s where clubs are starting to think more strategically,” says Dunn. “What are the additional services we can offer above and beyond our current amenities? How can I create a revenue model around this? Wellness is giving gyms that opportunity.”

That shift is showing up not only in member retention, but in expanded spend per member. Rather than investing heavily in marketing to draw new members, gyms can now deepen the relationship with existing ones and monetize that deeper connection.

“There are parallels in hospitality,” Dunn explains. “Think about resort properties. They want you on-site, spending money. The same thing is starting to happen in fitness. If we can provide amenities that members want under one roof, they’re more likely to stay — and to spend more.”

The smartest operators, Dunn says, are rethinking their membership models to reflect this new wellness-forward reality. A growing number are turning to tiered pricing to unlock revenue and give members choice.

“For example, I’ve seen clubs roll out three-tier memberships,” Dunn shares. “One level is full-service fitness. Then there’s fitness plus studio access. And the top tier is fitness, studio, plus recovery.”

It’s here where products like RedWave Plus and HydroWave take center stage — giving members access to recovery technology that supports physical performance and overall well-being. And according to Dunn, adoption has been strong.

“These clubs are seeing many members gravitating toward the upper tiers. Members want recovery. They want wellness. It’s giving operators a way to recapture dollars that were going elsewhere — to spas, chiropractors or other locations across town.”

While the business model is critical, Dunn emphasizes that success hinges on adoption – and that starts the moment a member walks through the door.

“When you think about recovery and wellness products that can keep members happy, engaged and wanting to come back over and over — that’s where clubs are starting to think more strategically.” – Andy Dunn,   Senior Sales Director at JK Products & Services

“One of the best things I’ve seen is clubs who introduce recovery right at the point of sale,” says Dunn. “You assign a trainer, put together a program and you start with recovery. Red light therapy or massage becomes part of the experience from day one.”

By building recovery into the onboarding process, clubs help create habits and that leads to stickiness.

And it doesn’t stop at programming. Clubs have long used existing technology — like cardio consoles — to promote services. Now, wellness products like RedWave Plus and HydroWave can get that same level of promotion and visibility.

“These products are a service — and they’re also a platform that operators can expand on,” whether that’s highlighting wellness or promoting amenities like the restaurant/bar, café, classes and other amenities.

Expanding Customer Footfall

Dunn says wellness isn’t just about adding amenities — it’s about reimagining the customer journey.

“In a traditional gym flow, members swipe in, hit the locker room, do a circuit, shower and leave,” Dunn explains. “But when you add wellness —  RedWave Plus, HydroWave, sauna, plunge —  you completely change that footfall.”

Suddenly, members are interacting with more areas of the club, spending more time on-site and using more of the facility’s offerings. That increased engagement not only drives loyalty but makes the space itself more efficient.

“It’s a smarter use of square footage,” says Dunn. “And from a business standpoint, it deepens your value proposition. When you’re competing with a dozen other facilities for the same member, differentiation becomes critical. If you’ve got something they don’t — you win.”

Two or three years ago, Dunn says, recovery was considered a trend. Now, it’s the expectation. “Members want it. Daily.”

And the speed at which technology and consumer demand is evolving only reinforces the urgency for gyms to adapt. With AI, social media and member data all accelerating the pace of innovation, Dunn sees an industry increasingly driven by collaboration between operators and product developers.

“What impresses me most at JK is how we’re building based on what the consumer actually wants — functionally and emotionally,” he says. “Whether it’s connectivity, user experience or fully integrated design, we’re shaping these products based on real insight.”

Ultimately, what’s emerging is a new fitness landscape – one where recovery, retention and revenue converge. For operators willing to reimagine their business model around wellness, the opportunity isn’t just to retain more members.

It’s to reinvent what a membership means.

This article originally appeared in ATN’s 2025 Wellness Room: The Art & Science of Integrating Recovery, which maps the forces redefining how operators retain members, monetize square footage and prepare their brands for a dynamic future. Download the free report.