Curves is a women's health and fitness club built around a signature 30-minute strength training circuit, designed to fit into a busy life while still delivering a full-body workout. Members move around the circuit alternating between strength training stations, cardiovascular exercise, and stretching and recovery, with a coach on hand throughout to guide and motivate.
The brand was founded in 1992 in Harlingen, Texas, by Gary and Diane Heavin. Gary's motivation traced back to losing his mother at 40 to health issues when he was 13 — he came to believe strength training was a missing piece in women's health, and that busy women needed workouts that were fast, effective, safe and affordable. That first club grew into one of the fastest-growing franchises in history; at its peak, Curves had more than 12,000 locations in over 92 countries, and in 2003 it became the largest fitness franchise in the world, earning a Guinness World Record. Curves has even been referenced in popular culture, inspiring the "Shapes" gym storyline in a 2007 episode of The Simpsons.
Today Curves clubs operate in 42 countries, each run by local, passionate club owners. The brand describes itself as the most scientifically validated exercise club, backed by $6 million USD in research funding. Beyond the in-club circuit, members can also work out anywhere via MyCurves On Demand, an online platform offering classes, monthly challenges and a member community. Curves also runs Curves Charity, hosting yearly fundraisers, competitions and food drives to support causes in the communities its clubs serve. Since 2023, under CEO Kim McQueen, the brand has entered a new chapter focused on reigniting club culture, refreshed branding, expanding into underserved communities, and partnerships with women's health organisations.
Curves began with a personal loss. Co-founder Gary Heavin was 13 when his mother died at 40 due to health issues, and he came to believe that a place like Curves might have changed that outcome. In 1992, he and Diane Heavin opened the first Curves in Harlingen, Texas, built on the idea that strength training was a missing link in women's health — and that busy women needed a workout that was fast, effective, and delivered in a safe, non-judgmental, coach-supported environment.
That first club struck a chord immediately. Curves went on to become one of the fastest-growing franchises in history, and by 2003 had grown into the largest fitness franchise in the world, a milestone recognised with a Guinness World Record. At its peak, there were more than 12,000 Curves locations spread across over 92 countries. The brand became enough of a cultural fixture that it inspired the "Shapes" gym storyline in a 2007 episode of The Simpsons, where Marge opens her own women's gym after feeling out of place at a regular one.
Like much of the fitness industry, Curves faced real headwinds through the 2010s as trends shifted and digital fitness disrupted the traditional gym model. The brand consolidated and focused on sustainable growth through that period. Then COVID-19 forced a broader rethink — and out of that came MyCurves On Demand, Curves' online fitness platform, launched so members could keep working out whether they were in a club or at home.
Since 2023, Curves has been in what it calls a new chapter, under the leadership of CEO Kim McQueen — who, notably, walked into her first Curves workout over 20 years ago and left having already decided to buy her own club. Under her direction, the brand has been reigniting its original club culture and values, refreshing its interiors, branding and merchandising, expanding franchise opportunities into underserved communities, and partnering with women's health organisations such as the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund.
The core of the Curves experience hasn't changed much since 1992: a 30-minute circuit that alternates between strength training stations, cardiovascular exercise, and stretching and recovery, all guided by a coach. Curves describes the effect as comparable to a 1.5-hour session at a regular gym, minus the time commitment — and while members are welcome to visit as often as they like, the brand recommends three sessions a week for best results.
That coaching layer extends beyond the floor. The Curves Coach program includes monthly personal coaching sessions to track progress and goals, with members able to opt in to check-in calls or texts to stay accountable to their weekly workout goals. Curves also positions itself as the most scientifically validated exercise club in the industry, pointing to $6 million USD in research funding behind the program's design.
Every Curves club is run by a local owner — often, as the brand tells it, someone who walked in as a member first and fell in love with the format before deciding to bring it to their own community. That local-ownership model feeds into Curves Charity, through which clubs host yearly fundraisers, competitions and food drives to support causes that matter in their own neighbourhoods.
For women who can't make it into a physical club, or who want to supplement their in-person sessions, MyCurves On Demand offers the same 30-minute full-body workout format online, complete with classes, monthly challenges and access to an online community of members — meaning the Curves circuit is available anywhere, anytime, on any device.