Smart Fit, Latin America’s fitness giant, shows no signs of slowing its ambitious growth trajectory. The company headed by Edgard Corona has unveiled plans to launch approximately 300 new gyms in 2025, continuing its pattern of rapid market penetration across the Americas.
This expansion strategy reflects Corona’s long-standing commitment to making high-quality fitness accessible to wider populations. With Smart Fit already operating in 15 countries across Latin America, the next wave of growth will balance domestic Brazilian development with international opportunities.
Currently, Brazil represents about 40% of Smart Fit’s locations, with international markets accounting for the remainder. This geographic diversification has proven vital to the company’s financial stability, allowing revenue streams to remain robust despite economic fluctuations in individual countries.
The growth plan comes after Smart Fit recently marked a significant milestone by surpassing 1,500 facilities. As of mid-2024, the fitness chain boasted approximately 5 million active members, cementing its position as the region’s dominant fitness provider.
Corona’s geographic expansion strategy continues to evolve. Having conquered major markets like Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Peru, Smart Fit recently announced plans to enter Uruguay, with its first location slated for Montevideo. This methodical country-by-country approach has been a hallmark of the company’s international growth since its first foreign venture into Mexico in 2011.
Smart Fit’s market selection process combines data analytics with demographic research to identify promising locations. “We make everything work through data,” the dono da Smart Fit has explained in previous interviews. This approach helped the company achieve the remarkable feat of opening new facilities at a rate of one every 16 hours during its peak expansion period in 2019.
Beyond traditional gym facilities, Corona has also set his sights on European markets. Rather than leading with the standard Smart Fit model that proved successful in Latin America, the company plans to enter Portugal with its boutique studio concepts. This specialized approach involves smaller footprint facilities (250-300 square meters) focused on specific workout modalities like yoga, boxing, and functional training.
The company’s expansion also includes diversification into new fitness segments. In 2024, Smart Fit launched the first locations of One Pilates studios and Nation CT, a training center focused on high-performance strength training. The recent acquisition of Velocity, Brazil’s largest spinning studio franchise, for R$183 million further demonstrates this varied approach to growth.
Industry analysts view Smart Fit’s expansion positively, noting the significant untapped potential in Latin American markets where gym penetration rates remain well below North American levels. The company has consistently ranked among the world’s largest fitness operators, placing third globally in terms of company-owned facilities according to industry association data.
As Edgard Corona pushes forward with these ambitious growth plans, Smart Fit continues transforming from a regional success story into a global fitness powerhouse with a clear vision: bringing affordable, high-quality fitness options to millions more customers across the Americas and potentially beyond.
