Soldiers at Fort Drum now returning from Afghanistan may be done with combat, but they still need to exercise to stay fit.

Local health clubs are already reaping the benefits from the wave of 2,600 soldiers in Fort Drum’s 3rd Brigade who are starting to return, owners say. And the trend is slated to continue through the spring and summer as all troops come back, making it the only time in which all three brigades are based here at once.

“Our memberships have been increasing across the board here, as well as the number of military families using our facilities,” said Steve N. Rowell, branch director for the Watertown Family YMCA located downtown at 119 Washington St.

Incoming soldiers are partly why January through April are the busiest months at the fitness club, which also serves members at the Fairgrounds YMCA in Watertown and Carthage YMCA, Mr. Rowell said. A number of programs are offered exclusively for military families there, including discounts on memberships and free child care services. It hosts a “Parents’ Night Out,” for example, in which military couples can drop off their children for baby-sitting on Friday evenings. And its “respite care” program allows busy families to drop off their children for up to two hours a week to run errands.

“Sometimes it’s hard for military families to find time off to get things done,” he explained, adding that military families make up about 25 percent of the club’s 9,000 members.

The military programs are part of the YMCA’s mission to respond to the community’s needs, he said. The nonprofit is coming off the heels of a three-year, $1.6 million capital improvement project that built the Watertown Family YMCA day care center on Washington Street, an art studio and fitness center at the Fairgrounds YMCA, and equipment upgrades at the Carthage YMCA.

“The Fort Drum piece is certainly a large part of our community here,” he said, “and we expect to continue to grow in size like we have in previous years,” with military families playing a key role.

Traffic at Page Fitness Athletic Club, located at 19472 Route 11 on outer Washington Street, has picked up considerably along with the wave of soldiers returning to Fort Drum, said Chris R. Page, who co-owns the club that he launched in 2009 with his wife, Jessica L.

“There are definitely more people using our services here now than ever before,” he said. “We noticed a big influx in January when our classes kicked off, and we had quite a few military people for those.”

By offering training programs geared toward the military, Mr. Page said the club has carved a distinctive niche that sets it apart from traditional health clubs with membership fees. The club offers “boot camp” classes, for example, that include workouts familiar to soldiers, as well as core exercise and weight loss classes.

About 100 of the 400 people now enrolled in programs are in the military, he said, and that number is slated to grow this spring and summer as more soldiers return. Enrollment numbers are expected to boost again in April, when the club will host classes outside on an athletic field.

“We offer a totally different type of strength-and-conditioning training that soldiers are used to,” he said. “And the programs keep you accountable because when you sign up for a class you have to come to work out at least three times a week.”

Watertown Health & Racquet Club, 431 Eastern Blvd., has likewise seen an increase from soldiers returning to the area, said Nancy T. Gray, who owns the club with her husband, Chet F. In addition to exercise equipment, the club offers a family-friendly atmosphere with its four racquetball courts and two indoor tennis courts, she said.

She said at least a quarter of the members at the club, which was launched 33 years ago, are in the military. The club offers membership discounts and free racquetball lessons as an incentive for military families.

“We have everything from families to young soldiers who’ve just joined,” she said, adding numbers have fluctuated in past years based on deployments. But with all three brigades in the area this summer, the demand for health clubs is expected to be at a record high.

“There are going to be thousands of people in the area,” she said, “and we sure can’t wait to meet them.”