Darío Micillo has watched fitness evolve across Latin America and beyond for more than four decades. He has taught classes, studied how people move, worked with children in different countries and, today, helps gym owners strengthen their businesses. That range gives him a particular perspective on an industry that is always looking for what comes next: new formats matter, but the people delivering them matter more.
What first drew him in was the possibility of “changing lives through exercise, movement and fun”. As a teenager, physical education meant both enjoyment and challenge. A group fitness experience later pushed him to pursue training in Brazil and the United States. But after four years of teaching classes without a clear structure, he recognised that enthusiasm alone was not enough. He began studying physical education to build a stronger foundation in movement and motor development.
A change of training institute led him toward children’s physical education and opened up a new question: why should fitness be thought of as something only for adults? In the 1990s, he sought out specialised children’s fitness programs. Later, working with an Argentine company that adapted an adult training program for children, he travelled internationally and saw how readily movement crossed cultures.
“Language was not an obstacle to getting children moving”, he recalls. Imitation, nonverbal instruction and music allowed him to connect with children even when they did not share a spoken language. It was an early lesson in accessibility that still runs through his view of the industry.
The opportunity, and the responsibility
Micillo believes fitness is in a period of expansion, with room to improve business management, generate employment and help more people move. His optimism, however, comes with a warning. “We need to value the people who work in gyms, clubs, studios and sports centers more”, he emphasizes. In his view, fitness professionals are too often undervalued, and better pay is essential if they are to continue studying and developing their skills.
He also sees a growing need for professionals who are better prepared and more empathetic. The business opportunity cannot be separated from the quality of the experience people receive. For someone who went back to study after years of teaching, that is not an abstract point: a class can be fun and welcoming while still demanding knowledge and care from the person leading it.
Today, he is taking a pause from group classes and working in the commercial area of ABC Fitness for Latin America, ABC EVO Latam, helping gym owners improve their management and grow their businesses. From that position, he has a clear answer when asked what is hardest for a fitness entrepreneur to sustain: not a concept or a trend, but a strong team.
A team people want to return to
“The fitness business is a business of relationships”, Micillo explains. Those relationships, he argues, are what support retention and continuity. A business may have a clear proposition, but it needs people who can bring it to life consistently, with shared goals and economic stability.
His recommendations are practical: involve the technical team in the commercial side, offer commissions, make staff part of the business and give them a greater sense of security. “Community forms on its own if people see a team that is happy in its work and has clear objectives”, he says. For Micillo, community is not simply something a brand announces. It grows through attention, support and the connections people make when they return.
That foundation also helps a business respond to change. New training models and trends will keep arriving; a well-supported team can learn, adapt and bring more people into movement. He is particularly interested in those who are not yet receiving guidance or participating in exercise at all. Reaching them, he believes, will require options that feel simple and enjoyable.
Built to last
After decades of watching programs come and go, Micillo does not mistake novelty for staying power. “Content and an academic foundation”, he says, are what distinguish lasting projects from those built around a song, a machine or a sequence of movements. Behind enduring programs, he sees specialists, technicians, creatives and other professionals continuing to develop the work.
His measure of fitness is equally grounded. Not everyone is training for a race, a heavy lift or a medal. People also move to support their everyday lives, strengthen their bodies and find connection with others. “Fitness is prevention”, he reflects. “It is finding a lifestyle that stays with us forever”.
For the next generation of fitness businesses, his challenge is clear: build beyond the trend, prepare the people doing the work and make room for those who have not yet found their way in.
Keep the conversation moving: @daromicillo @fitwayconsultora
