Where Fitness Meets Real Estate
As someone who’s spent the last 30 years developing commercial properties—and who also happens to be passionate about fitness—I’ve had a front-row seat to one of the most exciting shifts in our industry: the rise of health-conscious real estate.
We’ve come a long way from the days when a strip mall with a fast-food joint and a tanning salon was the norm. Today’s consumer is more health-aware, more intentional, and more demanding when it comes to how and where they spend their time. And that shift is reshaping how we design, lease, and develop retail projects across the country—especially here in Florida.
At MX Properties, we’re not just observing the trend. We’re actively leaning into it. We believe that integrating fitness-oriented amenities into our developments doesn’t just benefit the tenants—it creates stronger, more vibrant communities and better long-term value for everyone involved.
Fitness is the New Anchor
Traditionally, grocery stores or big-box retailers served as the anchor tenants in retail developments. But in recent years, fitness has taken that role in many centers. Whether it’s a full-scale gym, boutique fitness studio, or wellness spa, these tenants are driving consistent foot traffic—and attracting the kind of demographic that spends money across adjacent businesses.
Think about it: someone might go to a yoga class, grab a smoothie from the juice bar next door, stop at the pharmacy for supplements, then swing by a quick-service restaurant for a healthy lunch. That entire routine can happen within a single center—and we see it every day in our newer developments.
Fitness tenants bring daily, predictable traffic, and they often operate outside of traditional business hours. That gives surrounding retailers more exposure during mornings, evenings, and weekends—times that used to be slow for standard retail. For us, it’s a win-win.
Designing for Wellness
Beyond just leasing to fitness tenants, we’re also thinking more broadly about how our design choices support a health-conscious lifestyle. That starts with the basics: wide sidewalks, well-marked pedestrian pathways, and outdoor seating areas that encourage people to linger.
But we’re also taking it a step further by incorporating active design principles—a growing trend in real estate development that prioritizes physical activity and wellness. That can mean everything from building staircases that are visible and inviting, to creating walking loops around a site, to placing bike racks in accessible locations (and yes, people really do use them).
In several of our Florida projects, we’ve begun including outdoor fitness zones, shaded walkways, and landscaped green space—not just for aesthetics, but to promote movement and relaxation. The goal is to create an environment that encourages healthy living without having to think too hard about it.
Meeting the Wellness Consumer
The rise of the “wellness consumer” isn’t just a marketing fad—it’s a real behavioral shift. People want to feel better, live longer, and be more active. That shows up in how they shop, where they eat, and what kind of businesses they support.
This shift is especially noticeable in suburban and tertiary markets where families and retirees are prioritizing lifestyle more than ever. We’ve seen this firsthand in developments near retirement communities, where tenants like physical therapy clinics, low-impact fitness studios, and wellness centers are thriving. These consumers are loyal, engaged, and looking for convenience—and mixed-use developments that meet those needs are outperforming the market.
Even our QSR and retail tenants are catching on. Health-conscious food brands, smoothie shops, and organic grocers are more interested than ever in co-locating with fitness-focused businesses. It creates a natural synergy that enhances the overall experience for visitors and keeps them coming back.
Fitness as a Community Builder
One of the most overlooked benefits of including fitness-oriented amenities in commercial developments is their ability to build community. Fitness classes, wellness workshops, running groups—these activities bring people together in ways that traditional retail just doesn’t.
That sense of belonging and shared purpose strengthens not only the tenant base, but the development as a whole. It gives people a reason to return regularly, and it creates opportunities for cross-promotion and local engagement. When done right, a health-conscious center becomes more than just a place to shop—it becomes a hub for healthy living.
At MX Properties, we’re starting to work with tenants who host free classes, wellness fairs, and community challenges as a way to activate public spaces and build deeper connections with the neighborhoods we serve. These aren’t just “extras”—they’re smart strategies for long-term success.
A Healthier Path Forward
As we look to the future of commercial real estate, I believe the health-conscious model isn’t just here to stay—it’s going to lead the way. Whether it’s a national fitness brand anchoring a development or a series of smaller wellness-focused tenants coming together to form a lifestyle destination, the message is clear: people want spaces that support how they want to live.
As a developer, that’s both a challenge and an opportunity. It means we have to be more thoughtful in how we plan, design, and partner. But it also means we get to create spaces that genuinely improve people’s lives—and that’s a reward that goes beyond the balance sheet.
For me personally, blending my passion for fitness with my professional work has been one of the most fulfilling parts of this journey. And I can tell you this: when you build with health in mind, you’re not just developing property. You’re building momentum for something much bigger—a better, stronger, more vibrant future for our communities.
And that’s the kind of ROI that truly matters.