The global wellness market is projected to grow to nearly $9 trillion in 2028 as consumers embrace new ways of living, moving and being.  

This is good news for the fitness industry, which is enjoying increased foot traffic at gyms and strong member engagement numbers, although getting more Americans involved in fitness remains a vexing problem.

The rise of longevity services, GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and holistic wellness presents massive opportunities for fitness brands, but also exposes the industry to increased competition from new entrants. Meanwhile, the popularity of strength training is reshaping the way gyms look across the globe, while the rise of AI begins to transform the way fitness brands do business.

To get you ready for a new year, Athletech News breaks down the top fitness and wellness trends to watch in 2025:

• 

  Longevity & Recovery Become Big Business

  The longevity movement took off in 2024 as medical professionals, influencers and everyday wellness enthusiasts alike became enthralled with the idea that scientific breakthroughs and lifestyle choices can help people live better, for longer. 

  Amid this backdrop, longevity and recovery services are steadily making their way inside gyms, health clubs and studios. High-end brands like Life Time and Equinox now offer their members access to services including weight-loss support, biomarker blood testing and personalized health plans (for an extra fee), pushing us closer to a reality where the gym replaces – or at least competes with – the doctor’s office. 

  On the more modest end of the pricing spectrum, high-value, low-price (HVLP) gym chains including Crunch Fitness, Chuze Fitness, EōS Fitness and others are adding recovery modalities like infrared saunas, along with “recovery rooms” stocked with massage guns, massage chairs and more. With premium memberships at HVLP gyms available for $40/month or less, it’s becoming easier than ever to get a holistic wellness experience at your local big box. 

  The rise of longevity isn’t relegated to gyms and studios, either. Wellness and longevity centers are popping up across the United States, offering everything from GLP-1s to cryotherapy to testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). Restore Hyper Wellness is the leader with over 200 locations, but emerging brands like Next Health, Serotonin Centers, Lindora and Humanaut Health are projecting growth in the years ahead.

  Direct-to-consumer longevity is big business, too. According to a survey conducted by YouGov, 45% of Americans say they’re taking supplements to fight the aging process. Timeline, a maker of supplements with an active ingredient designed to slow aging at the cellular level, raised $66 million in funding in early 2024. 

  Those bullish on the science of longevity believe the movement is just starting to gain a critical mass in America. 

  “Today, when I talk to people about slowing down aging, nine out of 10 are telling me, “I shouldn’t be doing it,’” Anar Isman, the CEO of longevity startup AgelessRx, told ATN. “I envision a world in five to 10 years where that’s going to completely flip on its head, where nine out of 10 people are going to be saying, ‘You don’t want to slow down aging? What’s wrong with you?’”

• 

  Fitness Wearables Evolve Into Healthcare Companions

  Fitness wearables are more popular than ever – nearly half of all consumers surveyed by McKinsey reported having purchased a fitness wearable at some point in time. Wearables have also come a long way from the days of simply tracking steps and calories burned from workouts. 

  As tech advances, wearable makers are envisioning a future where your smartwatch, smart ring or other tracking device becomes your personal health companion.

  Smart ring giant Oura acquired metabolic health company Veri earlier this year and has partnered with Dexcom, makers of the first FDA-cleared over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor (CGM) device. Oura and Dexcom are working to create an ecosystem where users can understand how their glucose levels interact with metrics like activity, sleep and stress. Oura is also highly active in women’s health, adding features like Cycle Insights and Pregnancy Insights, along with perimenopause features. 

  “Wearable tech is for anyone who wants to better understand the state of their health and live more optimally, for longer,” Oura CEO Tom Hale has said. 

  Garmin is also working to make its smartwatches part of the future of healthcare, something the brand has termed “smartwatch-enabled digital health.” Thanks to Garmin Health, Garmin wearables have been part of more than 1,000 research studies in areas including sleep, well-being, rehabilitation, physical activity, and disease management. 

  Not to be outdone, Apple has also signaled its ambitions to play a bigger role in healthcare in the years ahead, with Apple Watches at the forefront. 

  “It’s clear to me that if you zoom out way into the future, and you look back and ask what Apple’s biggest contribution was, it will be in the health area,” Apple CEO Tim Cook told “Wired” in December. 

• 

  Strength Training Is Here To Stay. Pilates Might Be, Too

  We named strength training as one of our trends to watch in 2024, and the modality has only increased in popularity since then. Appreciated for its anti-aging, functional and metabolism-boosting benefits, strength training is everywhere, from gyms to TikTok. Even Peloton has embraced the modality, releasing a dedicated strength training app in hopes of bringing more fitness fans into its ranks.

  Big-box gyms across the country are racing to add strength training equipment like Olympic lifting platforms and other free weights to their fitness floors while ditching cardio equipment. Some gyms are even rethinking their group exercise offerings to account for the rise of strength – Vasa Fitness will introduce Studio LFT, a group-based strength training class featuring power racks, benches and plyometric boxes, in early 2025.

  Strength training isn’t just lifting heavy weights, though. Pilates’ surge in popularity over the past few years is thanks in no small part to a rise in awareness around the benefits of strength training. Functional fitness concepts like Pvolve have also become highly popular since the pandemic, buoyed by women embracing strength training in larger numbers than ever before.

  Pvolve president Julie Cartwright believes strength training is here to stay since people are becoming more aware of the science-backed benefits of adding muscle, especially for longevity.

  “I really do think it’s education in the marketplace,” Cartwright told ATN when asked about strength training’s rise and staying power. “Post-COVID, we’re all taking a more active role in our own self-care, in living better, longer. There’s (more) messaging about the importance of muscle mass and what it does for your longevity and health span.”

• 

  Will AI Impact Fitness Experiences?

  AI is changing the world, but will it actually change the way we work out?

  Much has been made in fitness industry circles about the promises (and potential nightmares) of artificial intelligence, but if you ask most gym-goers, the way they participate in fitness probably hasn’t changed too much since before the emergence of ChatGPT.

  “I think much of the AI application in the gym space has been somewhat overhyped,” Matt Wright, the vice president of growth and development at gym chain Healthtrax Fitness & Wellness, has told ATN.

  Can the fitness industry make AI a bigger part of the in-gym experience? Should it?

  Future is using AI to democratize access to virtual personal training, Lumin fitness has big expansion plans as the world’s first AI-powered boutique fitness studio and at-home fitness brands like Tempo and Tonal are using AI to make strength training effective and easy for newbies and fitness buffs alike.

  But as we head into 2025, those brands remain the exceptions rather than the norm. Despite this, some insiders believe it’s just a matter of time before the gym is transformed by AI and other tech.

  “I think in the next 5, 10, years in the U.S., you’re going to see transformative changes within gyms, where technology and AI – and personalization of training programs – is going to take place,” Marc Magliacano, a managing partner at private equity firm L Catterton, said during ATN’s DISRUPT 2024 video series earlier this year.

  If Magliacano’s AI prediction comes to pass, it could spell bad news for real-life personal trainers.

  “Unfortunately, I believe that personal training from a human perspective will be under review, frankly, just to say it nicely,” he said.

• 

  Investors Are Bullish on Fitness Again

  The fitness and wellness industry has rebounded quite nicely from the pandemic, and investors are taking notice.

  2024 was marked by high-profile deals including L Catterton’s acquisition of Solidcore and the firm’s investment into fitness tech brand EGYM, as well as the mega merger between Anytime Fitness parent company Self Esteem Brands and Orangetheory Fitness.

  Meanwhile, private equity groups continue to pour money into large franchisee groups, enabling sophisticated operators to create large portfolios of franchised gym brands in systems including Crunch Fitness, Planet Fitness and Anytime Fitness.

  Consolidation is also happening at the corporate level as larger fitness brands buy up smaller ones. Barre3, a barre fitness franchise brand with around 200 locations nationwide, has acquired competitors including The Barre Code and Barre Centric, while gym giant LA Fitness acquired XSport Fitness earlier this year.

  Experts have told ATN they expect to see more big-time investments in fitness brands in 2025 as people embrace health and wellness – and as the industry moves further away from the carnage of the pandemic.

  “2025 is going to be a huge year for fitness” in terms of deal-making, Jeremy Hirsch, head of franchise and multi-unit services at Houlihan Lokey, predicts. “You’re going to have a lot of investors spending a lot of time on this category.”

The post The Fitness & Wellness Trends To Watch in 2025 appeared first on Athletech News.

It’s no secret that physical activity leads to a healthier, longer life. But for those over, or at least getting close to the hill, this is especially true, a new study suggests. 

Researchers working with the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that low physical activity (PA) is tied to increased mortality. The researchers used a predictive model based on device-measured PA risk estimates and a life-table model analysis to establish results. The life table used included 2019 United States population and 2017 mortality data. Participants were 40 years or older with PA levels based on data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey. 

The study discovered that if all individuals were as active as the top 25% of the population, Americans over the age of 40 could live an extra 5.3 years on average. Dr. Mary Njeri Wanjau, who worked on the project, called the five-year figure “whopping” while referring to it on social media. 

The trial also saw individuals in the lowest activity quartile experience the largest bump in lifetime per hour through PA as simple as walking. An additional hour of doing so could add roughly 6.3 hours of life expectancy, per the report. 

While notable, these findings follow what we’ve heard from the industry at large, specifically regarding older individuals. Another study earlier this year found that weight training can offer long-term health benefits for individuals of a “retirement age.” While 40 is a long way from senior citizenry, an additional study also found that HIIT may improve cognitive health for those aged 65 to 86. 

The British Journal of Sports Medicine also recently discovered a link between high cardiorespiratory fitness and reduced risk of Dementia. It published other findings this year from the University of Sydney explaining how a few minutes of vigorous, incidental PA a day can significantly reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events in middle-aged women who don’t engage in structured exercise.

The post Physical Activity Can Add 5+ Years to Your Life, Study Finds appeared first on Athletech News.

The field of longevity, essentially the science of living better, for longer, shows no signs of slowing down. 

Driven by Americans’ growing distrust of the traditional healthcare system and the rise of wellness-focused podcasts and social media content, an entire industry has formed, with longevity-focused companies reeling in millions in funding to chase what once seemed like an impossible goal: delay – or even reverse – the aging process.

Three leaders of the burgeoning longevity movement – Dr. Mark Hyman, a physician and co-founder of Function Health, Dr. Frank Lipman, a functional medicine doctor who runs the Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York City, and Naveen Jain, the founder and CEO of personalized health testing company Viome, sat down during ATN’s DISRUPT video series to give their thoughts on this emerging field. 

ATN breaks down some key insights from their conversation, including the rise of longevity science, the future of GLP-1s, and the potential of personalized healthcare.

Understanding the Longevity Boom

What’s behind the longevity boom? For starters, the science of health optimization has come a long way in just the last few years, according to Dr. Hyman. 

“There’s been a tremendous boom in the science,” Dr. Hyman said. “Up until a few years ago … it’d been a neglected area. The (National Institutes of Health) has spent almost nothing studying aging itself because it was thought to be this irrevocable process that you could do nothing about. But then a bunch of billionaires who don’t want to die started pouring millions and billions of dollars into longevity research, and so now there’s a whole field of longevity science.”

According to Dr. Hyman, the field of longevity science is about understanding the “underlying mechanisms for how we grow old” and then finding ways people can slow or even reverse the biological aging process through a combination of lifestyle changes, medication and supplementation. 

“For the first time in history, we actually are understanding that the things that happen to us – that typically happen to us as we get older – such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s – these are not inevitable consequences of aging,. Neither is frailty or disability or dysfunction; these are optional,” he explained. 

As the science of longevity has risen, so too has the general public’s interest in health optimization, at least among a certain portion of the population. 

Jain, who founded Viome in 2016, believes the COVID-19 pandemic kickstarted things, creating an urgency that prompted people to become more aware of their health.

“I really think COVID made us realize that you don’t want to be sick and go to the hospital,” Jain said, noting that many people who got severely ill or died from COVID had “comorbidities” that exacerbated the virus. 

“During COVID, we realized that we can become the CEO of our own health,” he added. “We realize that health is not something that happens to us, it’s actually something we can control.”

GLP-1s, Other Drugs Show Promise for Anti-Aging

While Dr. Hyman and Dr. Lipman were both quick to note that healthy lifestyle choices including proper sleep, diet and exercise are the foundational pillars of longevity, they believe drugs can make a difference, provided they’re the right ones and are dosed properly. 

Dr. Lipman believes GLP-1 agonists have a future beyond helping people manage diabetes or lose weight: in low doses, they can be powerful longevity drugs.

“I see (GLP-1s) as a wonderful anti-aging medication at a low dose,” he said, noting the proper dosage is significantly lower than what’s typically prescribed for weight loss and that GLP-1s must be accompanied by proper diet and exercise. 

Peptides (including GLP-1s like Ozempic) in general are highly promising, Dr. Lipman believes, citing clinical results. 

“I’m a huge fan of peptides,” he said. “I’ve seen it help myself and many, many of my patients.”

Dr. Hyman believes rapamycin shows promise as an anti-aging drug. 

“(Rapamycin) has a lot of really good data in animal models and human models as well,” he said. “Taken intermittently and at low doses, (it) can actually extend life and improve the quality of life and healthspan.”

The Function Health co-founder is more skeptical of metformin, another drug that’s become popular in longevity circles for its potential anti-aging effects. He cited the lack of a large, randomized control trial on the drug’s effects and some concerning findings from interventional trials.

“When you look at the interventional trials, for example, on metformin, it has a lot of benefits, but it doesn’t work better than lifestyle,” Dr. Hyman explained. “And it inhibits something called mitochondrial complex I, which inhibits your ability to build muscle and improve your mitochondrial function, which is critical for aging.”

Is Personalization the Key to Living Longer?

According to Jain, who was inspired to create Viome after his father passed away from pancreatic cancer, personalization is the key to longevity. 

Viome offers at-home health tests that measure people’s oral microbiome, gut microbiome and cell activity. The platform then offers personalized food, supplement and lifestyle recommendations based on the results. Viome also offers CancerDetect, a test that’s designed to detect biomarkers associated with early-stage oral and throat cancer, although that service is not yet FDA-approved. 

“That’s fundamentally, I think, a foolish idea, that we’re going to find one single silver bullet that’s going to help humanity live healthier and longer,” Jain said. “I believe … there’s going to be 8 billion silver bullets. That means everything is going to be personalized to what’s happening inside your body.”

For Dr. Hyman, who co-founded Function Health in 2021, the future of healthcare won’t just happen inside doctors’ offices, it will happen at home, in gyms and elsewhere. Function offers blood tests that measure 100-plus biomarkers, including hormones, thyroid, heart, metabolic, autoimmunity and toxins, providing users with personalized health recommendations from doctors based on the results. 

Last year, Function partnered with Equinox to make its platform available to Equinox members as part of a new longevity membership that includes blood test data and integrated personal training services. While that program will run Equinox members around $40,000 per year (a regular Function Health membership is cheaper, costing $499 per year), Dr. Hyman hopes it marks the beginning stages of making longevity science accessible to a larger swath of the population.

“What we’re talking about is a revolution in consumer-driven healthcare where people are now wanting their own data, wanting to know what’s going on, are not happy with the healthcare system and (are) looking for other places to engage to optimize their health,” Dr. Hyman said. “That’s what …. our partnership with Equinox is doing. That’s what (Jain) is doing with Viome. That’s what (Dr. Lipman) has been working on for his whole life.”

The post Is Aging a Choice? Doctors, Experts See Bright Future for Longevity Science appeared first on Athletech News.

With the global wellness market now worth $5.6 trillion and climbing higher every year, there’s never been a better time to want to be healthy – or be in the business of helping people get healthy.

As part of DISRUPT, Athletech News’ can’t-miss video series, industry experts took a deep dive into the world of wellness and the related sectors of recovery and longevity, including the rise of GLP-1 weight loss drugs, hot and cold therapy, and the growing field of longevity science.

Topics of discussion also included the growing role fitness facilities are playing in supporting members on their health journeys.

In case you missed any DISRUPT Wellness, Recovery & Longevity videos, ATN is sharing them here for your viewing pleasure. Sit back, relax and enjoy the content!

Personal Trainers in the Wellness Era

• Darlene Marshall, MAPP, NASM Subject Matter Expert, NASM
• Rich Fahmy, M.S., Senior Content Development Manager, NASM
• Moderated by Joy Keller, Athletech News

Pricing Recovery: How To Monetize the Wellness Craze

• Lee Braun, Founder and CEO, Perspire Sauna Studio
• Lisa Semerly, Chief Revenue Officer, Halotherapy Solutions
• Rachelle A. Reed, Scientific Advisor, Perspire Sauna Studio
• Moderated by Joy Keller, Athletech News

Wellness Room: Building the Ultimate Recovery Experience

• Brynn Scarborough, President and CEO, Wellness JK
• Mike Hansen, Entrepreneur and Founder Advisor, Mike G. Hansen
• Robbie Bent, Co-Founder and CEO, Othership
• Moderated by Edward Hertzman, Athletech News

The Booming Business of Longevity

• Dr. Frank Lipman, Founder, Eleven Eleven Wellness Center
• Dr. Mark Hyman, Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer, Function
• Naveen Jain, Founder and CEO, Viome
• Moderated by Edward Hertzman, Athletech News

Unlocking Metabolic Health

• Colleen Cutcliffe, Co-Founder and CEO, Pendulum
• Darshan Shah, MD, Founder and CEO, Next Health
• Moderated by Tricia Madden, Fit Pro Programming/IDEA World

Beyond Fitness: Why the Future of Healthcare Is Happening Inside Clubs

• Julia Klim, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Business Development, Equinox
• Spencer Honeyman, Chief Commercial Officer, Vi Labs
• Nina Crowley, PhD, RD, Director of Clinical Education & Partnerships, Seca Medical Body Composition
• Moderated by Edward Hertzman, Athletech News

The Future of Metabolic Health With Jeff Zwiefel

• Jeff Zwiefel, Health & Fitness Expert Strategist & Advisor, Former President & COO, Life Time
• Edward Hertzman, Athletech News

The post Watch Now: DISRUPT Wellness, Recovery & Longevity Content appeared first on Athletech News.

It was an exciting year for fitness and wellness news, from funding rounds to expansion plans to big-name bankruptcies and acquisitions. Our industry continues to evolve, and we’re here for it all at ATN – but some stories catch more eyeballs than others. 

These were the 10 most-read stories on Athletech News in 2024. Read on to catch up on any stories you may have missed or to get a refresher on the news that shaped the past year in fitness and wellness.

• 10. GLP-1s Present $6.8B Opportunity for Gym Industry, Report Finds

  GLP-1 medications are here to stay, whether you like it or not. For the fitness industry, these weight-loss wonder drugs might hold the key to getting more Americans inside gyms and studios. 

  ATN breaks down a report from investment banking firm Harrison Co., which posits that the total addressable market for U.S. fitness clubs (including gyms and boutique studios) is expected to increase by $6.8 billion as a result of more people taking GLP-1s.

  The hypothesis, advanced by Harrison Co. and other fitness industry stakeholders, is that as more people start losing weight as a result of GLP-1s, they’ll be more inclined to want to work out.

  “I think it’s one of the biggest opportunities to come along for the industry in a long time,” Paul Byrne, a partner in Harrison Co.’s Fitness & VMS practice, told Athletech News. 

  Read more here.

• 

  9. The Gym as a Clinic: Fitness Facilities Embrace Health & Longevity

  A growing interest in longevity, combined with the perceived failures of the current American healthcare system, has created space for gyms and fitness facilities to meet the needs of disenchanted patients –  a staggering 70% of United States adults believe the healthcare system fails to meet their needs in at least one way, according to Harris Poll data.

  ATN breaks down how gyms, clubs and other fitness brands are positioning themselves as accessible options for preventive health and wellness.

  With innovations like longevity-centered gym memberships, high-tech health tools, recovery zones and smart fitness equipment, it’s clear that the fitness industry is quickly transforming into a viable and valuable supplement to traditional healthcare. 

  Read more here.

• 8. Study Challenges Traditional Strength Training Wisdom

  Strength training is more popular than ever, but not all weightlifting routines are created equal. Here, ATN breaks down a study from Florida Atlantic University that analyzed the relationship between training to failure and gains in muscle size and strength. 

  We won’t give all the findings away here, but the study’s results were interesting, possibly surprising and undoubtedly important for fitness professionals seeking to help clients in the strength training era.

  Read more about the study here.

• 

  7. The 10 Healthiest Cities in the US Based on Overall Wellness

  Everybody loves a good rankings article, especially when local pride is on the line. ATN breaks down Mindbody and ClassPass’ annual Wellness Index, which polled residents in the United States’ most populous cities to find out which ones lead the healthiest lifestyles based on metrics including sleeping habits, stress levels, alcohol consumption, family ties, spiritual fulfillment and more.

  Coastal cities mostly dominated the list, but one Midwest city made a surprise appearance, proving that wellness is a truly nationwide phenomenon. 

  To see which city topped the list, read more here.

• 6. Xponential Fitness Dismisses CEO Anthony Geisler

  In maybe the most shocking fitness and wellness news of the year, Xponential Fitness founder and longtime CEO Anthony Geisler left the boutique fitness and wellness franchisor in May following a notice of investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

  Xponential appears to have rebounded well from Geisler’s departure, with its stock price up on the year and new CEO Mark King, the former chief executive of Taco Bell, bullish on the company’s growth prospects, including international expansion plans for Xpo’s brands including Club Pilates, StretchLab and Pure Barre. 

  As for Geisler, he spoke with ATN this past summer in an exclusive interview, addressing his departure from Xponential, analyzing the fitness and wellness landscape, and sharing his predictions for the future.

  Read more here. 

• 5. Planet Fitness CEO Talks Franchise Strategy, Price Increase & GLP-1s

  Earlier this year, Planet Fitness interim CEO Craig Benson presented during the ICR Conference 2024, where he shed light on the low-price gym giant’s plans for the future, including its new franchise growth model, talks of a membership price increase (which PF would go on to implement in May) and efforts to appeal to Gen Z. 

  While Colleen Keating took over as Planet Fitness’ new CEO this past summer, it’s still worth revisiting Benson’s comments, which outline some of the key tenets of the fitness franchise’s strategy for 2025. 

  Read more here.

• 

  4. Orangetheory Launches New Brand Strategy, Eyes Inclusive Fitness

  You might’ve already seen it pop up on your TV or social media feed, but Orangetheory Fitness has a fresh new ad campaign, “Every Reason is the Right Reason,” which showcases the different motivations people have for working out at one of OTF’s over 1,500 studios worldwide. 

  For Orangetheory, the campaign will serve as the springboard for a broader rebranding strategy that includes a refreshed color palette, new digital designs and in-studio changes.

  In this story, ATN speaks to an Orangetheory executive about the brand’s new marketing strategy, which comes as the fitness industry continues to evolve amid post-pandemic realities. 

  Read more here.

• 3. The Beachbody Company Axes MLM Model, Conducts Layoffs

  Beachbody’s famous (or infamous) multi-level marketing (MLM) model is no more. The iconic fitness company, known for workouts such as P90X and Insanity, has fallen on some hard times as of late, although it’s looking to change course under a new name, BODi. 

  ATN breaks down BODi’s decision to axe its controversial MLM model in favor of a single-level affiliate program, which came in tandem with BODi’s decision to shed approximately 33% of its staff as part of a streamlining strategy. 

  Read more here.

• 2. Orangetheory, Anytime Fitness Unveil Parent Company, Name New CEO

  Orangetheory makes a second appearance on ATN’s 2024 Most Popular list, this time for a story exploring the fitness brand’s new parent company, Purpose Brands. 

  Formed following the mega merger between Orangetheory and Anytime Fitness parent Self Esteem Brands, Purpose Brands will act as the holding company comprising Orangetheory, Anytime, The Bar Method, Basecamp/Sumhiit Fitness and Waxing the City, among other entities.

  ATN looks at Purpose Brands’ new strategy, with exclusive insights from its CEO Tom Leverton, Anytime Fitness co-founder Chuck Runyon and Orangetheory co-founder Dave Long. 

  Read more about Purpose Brands here.

• 

  1. Planet Fitness ‘Flexing for Good’

  We close out this list with a feel-good story courtesy of Planet Fitness. ATN breaks down the low-price gym giant’s “Flexing for Good” volunteer initiative, an annual event where Planet Fitness team members and franchisees lend their support to local communities.

  “Flexing for Good” generates approximately 800 volunteer hours both in-person and virtually for non-profits including Boys & Girls Clubs of America. In fact, since 2016, Planet Fitness has donated more than $9.5 million to Boys & Girls Clubs of America, proving that fitness can be a force for good in more ways than one. 

  Read more about Planet Fitness’ philanthropic endeavors here.

The post The 10 Most Popular Fitness & Wellness Stories of 2024 appeared first on Athletech News.

Greg Glassman, CrossFit founder and the driving force behind its rise as a modern fitness sensation, is writing his next chapter—just over four and a half years after stepping down as CEO and putting CrossFit up for sale.

Enter MetFix (short for Metabolic Fix), a methodology grounded in Glassman’s body of work that blends the mechanics of movement and how the body processes energy through nutrition – a program that intends to equip coaches with the tools to improve health and save lives.

The new venture comes at a pivotal time, with a new administration soon taking hold, vowing to Make America Healthy Again and as discussions ramp up regarding the dangers of ulta-processed foods and consumers are increasingly interested in health and longevity. 

For Glassman, MetFix is more than a new business model, but perhaps a comeback following numerous controversies, including accusations of racism in the wake of the death of George Floyd, as well as sexual harassment allegations – both of which Glassman has denied. Although the turbulence of 2020 led to the disaffiliation of numerous CrossFit gyms (with others impacted by the pandemic), CrossFit has largely remained one of the few entities resistant to full-scale cancellation — with devotees of the fitness method in abundance. 

And in a nation divided on numerous issues, MetFix plans to burst onto the scene with a stance most would agree on—that chronic diseases are a serious issue. The framework of MetFix is reminiscent of CrossFit, though it carries a heightened sense of urgency to tackle the health issues plaguing Americans.

Dale King, an affiliate CrossFit owner who is reportedly leading MetFix’s affiliate program, sees MetFix as a return to the “original mission.”

“We’re losing the war to an enemy that has more funds, more weapons and more personnel, and we need to utilize these affiliates as an outpost in that work and basically create an insurgency through education and through connection and through fitness to serve as many people as we can,” he said in a MetFix Q&A video with Emily Kaplan.

Kaplan is deeply entrenched in the mission, having co-founded The Broken Science Initiative with Glassman in 2022, with MetFix serving as an offshoot. Multi-faceted, Kaplan has served as principal of The Kleio Group, a strategic communications firm, founded the women-focused Prime Fitness and Nutrition and has experience as a gym owner, podcast host and journalist.

To hear Kaplan tell it, MetFix is an opportunity to hone in on the science of nutrition.

“The big piece is that the base of the pyramid is nutrition, and that wasn’t sort of well-delivered or explained in a technical sense, back when [Glassman] launched 20 years ago,” she explained.

The first 100 affiliates granted access to the MetFix platform include those with a keen interest in The Broken Science Initiative, longtime affiliate owners “in the know” about ongoing developments and those who regularly attend events.

“I thought we would have a few hundred people interested — we’ve had thousands,” Kaplan said. According to a post on Instagram, more than 3,000 affiliates have applied in hopes of securing one of a hundred spots. She emphasized MetFix’s intentional rollout, ensuring that all of the proper systems are in place before expanding.

Although details are limited, New Species CrossFit will be among the first to adopt and promote MetFix within its fitness community, with gym owner John Hunnicutt describing the program to the New York Times as a “grown and sexy version of CrossFit with a little bit more on the critical thinking.” Part of that includes MetFix’s integration of functional fitness and nutrition that has a strong anti-carb focus.

It remains to be seen just how public-facing Glassman will be as MetFix launches, although Kaplan revealed that two-day seminars led by Glassman are slated for sometime in 2025.

In addition to MetFix, there are two other “societies” that appear to be in development, according to the Broken Science Initiative: a medical society and an educational society. The medical society, launching in June, is described as an initiative dedicated to tackling systemic issues affecting modern medicine, while the educational society is aimed at promoting curricula that foster critical thinking, including the philosophy of science.

In the meantime, King emphasizes that MetFix is looking for affiliates who “aren’t afraid to fight.”

“This is a community driven and led thing,” he said. “We’re finding people who are rebels and want to take it to the fight and fight chronic disease.”

As for 2025, it will be the “year of MetFix,” Kaplan said.

The post Controversy to Comeback? CrossFit Founder Returns with MetFix appeared first on Athletech News.

If food is medicine, plant-based protein may soon gain momentum, thanks to updated recommendations that could shape the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and prioritize lentils, beans and peas over animal protein.

The proposed shift, which also includes recommending plain water as the primary beverage of Americans instead of milk, comes from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC). The group’s recommendations are being championed by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a public health advocacy nonprofit comprising 17,000 doctors.

“Encouraging Americans to avoid red and processed meats and to finally recognize beans, peas and lentils as a preferred source of protein will help save hundreds of thousands of lives a year from colorectal cancer, heart disease and other diet-related diseases that plague our country,” said Dr. Anna Herby, nutrition education specialist with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

The DGAC also recommends that Americans switch to lower-fat plant-based foods and ditch coconut and palm oils to limit total saturated fat intake.

“By recommending more healthier plant-based proteins and other foods, if adopted into the next Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the recommendations in the DGAC’s report would help mitigate the epidemics of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer that are linked to the saturated fat and other harmful ingredients in meat and other animal products,” Dr. Herby added.

The committee’s scientific report is posted here, and a public comment period will be open for 60 days.

Plant-based protein can mean more than just black bean burgers and has opened the door for emerging brands to become quite creative. Whole Foods Market forecasts in 2025 that seaweed, sea moss, duckweed and other aquatic greens will gain steam for their high protein content and minerals, such as iron. The promise of sea plants can take many forms beyond salad, as seen with Cavi-art’s kelp-based caviar, Erewhon’s Sea Moss Gummies and Umaro’s red seaweed plant-based bacon.

For those still uneasy about incorporating alternative protein sources into their health journey, there are plenty of more traditional options—setting aside the concerns that the rise of plant-based food products sometimes constitutes ultra-processed foods.

Still, foot giants appear bullish on the projected popularity of such products. It’s an area food giant Kraft Heinz has invested in following a partnership with NotCo, introducing plant-based mayo, cheddar slices, mac and cheese and Oscar Mayer plant-based “Not Hot Dogs.”

Jason Walsh, celebrity fitness trainer to A-listers such as Matt Damon and Bradley Cooper, is also on board with alternative protein sources. He recently launched Rise311, a plant-based pea and barley protein powder with enzymes, after several of his clients experienced digestion issues from other supplements.

Beyond the ever-growing plant-based and protein-rich food and snack landscape, core ingredients are being created to serve leading commercial brands in revamping their products to appeal to health-conscious consumers.

This month, food tech start-up Gavan Technologies raised $8 million to introduce its plant protein-based fat solution, Fatrix, to the European commercial food market. The alternative fat source replaces butter and is composed of protein isolate, vegetable oil and water while boasting a low content of saturated fats and zero trans fats. It also paves the way for brands to offer cleaner food labels, according to Gavan Technologies. 

“The food industry is in need of a plant-based fat that can provide the same indulgent flavor and mouthfeel as butter, while supporting sustainability and personal well-being,” MoreVC venture partner Rony Patishi-Chillim said.

The post Dietary Guidelines Could Prioritize Beans & Lentils Over Meat appeared first on Athletech News.

The negative impact of consuming highly processed foods is quickly becoming well-documented, and a new study suggests such a diet could also compromise muscle quality and increase the risk of knee osteoarthritis.

The study examined the link between ultra-processed food, or UPF, consumption – such as packaged snacks, frozen pizza, soft drinks, energy drinks, candies and ready-to-eat meals – and intramuscular fat in the thigh. Researchers analyzed data from 666 participants in the Osteoarthritis Initiative, a nationwide study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that seeks to better understand how to prevent and treat knee osteoarthritis.

Based on imaging, the participants (455 men and 211 women with an average age of 60) were not yet affected by osteoarthritis. The participants, on average, were classified as overweight with a body mass index of 27, and roughly 40% of the foods they had consumed in the past year were ultra-processed.

According to Zehra Akkaya, M.D., a researcher and former Fulbright Scholar in the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at the University of California, San Francisco, this is the first imaging study to explore the relationship between MRI-based skeletal muscle quality and dietary patterns.

Ultimately, the researchers discovered that the more ultra-processed foods that were consumed, the more intramuscular fat participants had in their thigh muscles, regardless of caloric intake.

“In an adult population at risk for but without knee or hip osteoarthritis, consuming ultra-processed foods is linked to increased fat within the thigh muscles,” Dr. Akkaya said. “These findings held true regardless of dietary energy content, BMI, sociodemographic factors, or physical activity levels.”

The findings were presented earlier this month at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

“Research from our group and others has previously shown that quantitative and functional decline in thigh muscles is potentially associated with onset and progression of knee osteoarthritis,” Dr. Akkaya said. “On MRI images, this decline can be seen as fatty degeneration of the muscle, where streaks of fat replace muscle fibers.”

Dr. Akkaya also noted that osteoarthritis is not just an increasingly prevalent issue, but one that is costly on a global scale.

“It is the largest contributor to non-cancer-related health care costs in the U.S. and around the world,” Dr. Akkaya said. “Since this condition is highly linked to obesity and unhealthy lifestyle choices, there are potential avenues for lifestyle modification and disease management.”

In addition to their potential impact on muscle quality, ultra-processed foods have been demonstrated to be highly addictive, with one Lifesum survey this year revealing that one in six U.S. employees considers themselves hooked on UPFs.

Dr. Casey Means, Levels co-founder and an outspoken critic of highly processed foods, advocates that a clean diet that is rich in nutritious foods plays a massive role in the prevention and reversal of metabolic health conditions.     

“We are absolutely missing the forest for the trees in the health and longevity conversation — so focused on the margins and on products,” Dr. Means told Athletech News in June. “When, in fact, we can get most of the way there by targeting simple elements of our diet and lifestyle towards what actually matters.”

“The average American is eating 70% of their calories from ultra-processed food — step one is literally just making that towards eating real, unprocessed food,” she added.

The post Ultra-Processed Foods Harm Muscle Quality, Study Finds appeared first on Athletech News.

The business of longevity is booming as consumers embrace the idea that they can live better for longer through medical, pharmaceutical and lifestyle interventions. 

The market for longevity and anti-aging therapies alone is projected to grow to $44.2 billion by the end of the decade, up from $25.1 billion in 2020. That number likely represents just a small slice of the economic power of the longevity movement in the broader wellness economy, which itself is projected to reach $9 trillion by 2028. 

For fitness brands, the longevity movement offers an opportunity to appeal to consumers who might not ordinarily be interested in working out. 

Xponential Fitness brands YogaSix and StretchLab are tapping into the longevity movement, offering new class types and services, along with tailoring their marketing approaches to get members excited about the idea of doing fitness for the long haul over quick fixes. 

“With both brands, we’re not having to reach too far to be able to fit into this trend,” YogaSix president Lindsay Junk tells Athletech News. “We’ve always used (terms) like recovery, mobility. The word longevity we haven’t used in the past with yoga, but it’s something we’re starting to add into some of our keyword searches.”

YogaSix Adds Mobility Class, Targets New Consumers

Amid the longevity movement, YogaSix is launching a new class type, Y6 Mobility, which focuses on active mobility and will incorporate tools like TriggerPoint balls, a type of massage ball. The yoga brand has also introduced Y6 TRX, a class that leverages TRX suspension trainers to help members increase their range of motion and get into deeper yoga poses with the help of straps. 

In marketing materials, YogaSix highlights the “more gentle aspects of yoga,” including breathing, Junk notes. This helps the brand appeal to a wider swath of the fitness population than would generally be interested in yoga. 

“It allows us to bring in a whole new group of people that maybe historically hadn’t thought about doing yoga,” Junk says. 

The average age of a YogaSix member is around 44, but Junk reports the brand is seeing success attracting members in their 50s, 60s and 70s. The yoga brand is also seeing interest among younger populations, including athletes and weekend warriors.

“We’re not just getting people that are older; we’re getting athletes and people that are coming in after a hard cardio workout,” Junk says. “Longevity doesn’t necessarily have to be about age, it could just be about being able to do things for a long time. Say you’re a marathon runner and you want to be able to run lots of marathons for several years, you need to be able to (recover). That type of work is where yoga can come in.”

StretchLab Adds Normatec, Markets Longevity

StretchLab, which offers a range of assisted stretching classes led by accredited instructors, has partnered with Hyperice to bring Normatec compression therapy leg sleeves into its studios. Over 100 StretchLab locations now offer Normatec services, which members can purchase as an add-on to their existing membership plan after a complimentary session. 

StretchLab president Verdine Baker tells ATN the brand added Normatec sessions to help members get more out of their health and wellness journeys, in line with the longevity movement. 

“Our goal through the first couple of quarters of next year is to have all 500-plus locations using Normatec as a service,” Baker says. “As it stands right now, we’re the largest provider of the Normatec compression therapy out of any singular brand, so we have a great partnership.” 

While assisted stretching naturally lends itself to the longevity movement, StretchLab is taking deliberate steps to put itself front and center of the anti-aging trend. 

For example, in its marketing, the brand tells stories about its members who’ve experienced health benefits over the long run versus just feeling better after a 50-minute stretching session (which happens, too).

“When you’re telling a story, you have to be able to show it with real examples,” Baker says. “ We leverage testimonials of our members who’ve gone through a journey to show what it looks like to go through six months a year, two years… We have members who’ve been with us since the very beginning, so we try to bring those stories to life in how we market locally.”

Why Longevity Is Here to Stay

Fitness is an industry of trends, but both Baker and Junk believe the longevity movement has staying power, even if it may not always be top-of-mind like it is today. 

“I don’t think it’s a trend, but it is trending,” Baker says of longevity’s newfound popularity. “In my opinion, we have a more educated consumer than we’ve ever had in the history of the fitness industry, and it shows by how our consumers are valuing these different wellness modalities.”

Junk believes that over the coming years, longevity will settle in as an accepted pillar of fitness, similar to cardio and strength training today.

“I think something else will become really popular in the next couple of years. But I don’t think people will say, ‘Oh, forget about longevity, that’s not important,’” she says. “It’ll always be a part of the complete fitness journey.”

Eyeing Expansion

Buoyed by the longevity movement and a strong pipeline of franchise sales under parent brand Xponential, both StretchLab and YogaSix are eying continued studio expansion.

StretchLab just topped the 500 studio mark in North America and is eyeing 600 locations as its next big goal. International expansion, in particular, will be a big focus for the stretching brand in 2025 as StretchLab looks to build on its presence in countries including Australia, Mexico, Japan and soon, Kuwait. 

“We’re excited about our international expansion opportunities,” Baker says. “We have a great team in-house that’s doing a great job of trying to find the right partners for us to have the right growth plan.”

YogaSix has over 200 open studios, making it one of the world’s biggest yoga brands. In 2025, YogaSix will continue to pursue domestic expansion, although Junk notes it will be “very strategic with where we develop” in the United States. 

International expansion is also on tap for the yoga brand in the year ahead. 

“We’re going to have our first studio open in Japan, we just opened in Germany and we have plans for Mexico,” Junk notes. “Xponential has built out its international team, and some of our focus for the year is going to be on international (expansion). But we still have some domestic work to do.”

The post YogaSix, StretchLab Tap Into the Business of Longevity appeared first on Athletech News.

Life Time made headlines around a year ago when it launched Miora, a longevity and performance clinic that gives Life Time members access to medical guidance, personal trainers and services including bloodwork, recovery therapies and GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. 

The launch of Miora marked a turning point for the fitness industry’s embrace of the longevity movement. Since then, brands including Equinox and Fitness SF have launched similar services, while gym and health club operators across the country tout the promises of an era where fitness, lifestyle and healthcare converge. 

Jeff Zwiefel, the longtime former chief operating officer and president of Life Time who now runs the Miora program, sat down with Athletech News founder and CEO Edward Hertzman during the DISRUPT 2024 video series to share his thoughts on the program’s progress around 12 months after its launch.

Here are some key takeaways from their conversation.

The Rise of Longevity & Preventive Care

Zwiefel said Life Time created Miora to democratize access to health-optimization services that were once reserved for the “uber-rich.”

“The consumer, now more than ever, is interested in optimal health; they’re interested in looking good, feeling great, and living longer, better,” he noted. “And there wasn’t a viable, trusted solution on a national basis (that was) out there. … We felt like we could be a tremendous one-stop-shop solution for our customers.”

Miora members first get their bloodwork taken to measure over 90 biomarkers. Based on those results, medical and fitness specialists recommend a personalized combination of longevity, weight loss and performance protocols. Services include IV therapy, peptides, red-light therapy, aesthetic treatments and GLP-1s, among other options. 

The initial bloodwork for a Miora subscription runs between $400 and $800, and then a recurring monthly membership costs between $149 and $249. That’s not cheap, but it’s significantly more affordable than a personalized longevity program used to be, Zwiefel noted. 

“One of our objectives was to make this accessible to the masses (and) make this available to our customers at a price point that they can afford,” he said. 

While Miora leverages MDs and nurses, Zwiefel was quick to point out that the Life Time clinic isn’t meant to replace the doctor’s office. Instead, it’s meant to help “take people beyond neutral,” prioritizing preventive care in a way traditional American healthcare doesn’t. 

“We’re not looking to provide sick care, we’re not looking to provide treatment of disease,” Zwiefel said. “We’re looking to try to provide health optimization. We’re trying to help consumers look better, feel better, perform better.”

GLP-1s as a Massive Fitness Opportunity

On the subject of GLP-1s, Zwiefel noted he was originally skeptical of the weight-loss wonder drugs but became convinced of their value and efficacy after digging into the research. 

“The power … in creating hope for customers that have failed in their weight-loss journeys countless times is an amazing opportunity,” he said. 

Zwiefel is a firm believer that the rise of GLP-1s will be a positive force for the fitness industry over the long term by encouraging more people to join gyms and health clubs, or just work out in general. 

A recent report from investment banking firm Harrison Co. estimated that the total addressable market for U.S. fitness clubs is expected to increase by $6.8 billion as a result of more people taking GLP-1s.

“There’s no doubt that I think this is going to enlarge the segment of people working out,” Zwiefel said, although he noted that it’s incumbent on the fitness industry to ensure it’s creating a welcoming and safe environment for members taking weight-loss drugs.

“We’re at an inflection point within the health club industry, I would argue, to be at the center of this conversation” around GLP-1s, he added. 

Life Time Eyes Miora Expansion

Miora is still in pilot mode – Life Time’s flagship Target Center location in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is the only club that currently offers the clinic. But Zwiefel told ATN that the test is going well so far, and that Life Time is planning to expand the clinic to more of its locations across the United States.  

“We’re now at the stage where we are planning to roll out hub-and-spoke destinations across the other 180-plus lifetime locations,” Zwiefel said. 

Life Time’s planned nationwide rollout of Miora will be methodical, involving coordination with state laws and regulations as well as partnerships with local medical providers in select markets, Zwiefel noted. 

“We’re going to continue to thoughtfully roll Miora out in a very pragmatic and impactful way, but making sure that we continue to maintain the right quality as we scale – and consistency,” he said. 

To watch Zwiefel’s interview in full, click here.

The post Life Time, Jeff Zwiefel See Big Future for Miora, GLP-1s appeared first on Athletech News.

WellnessJK, a wellness tech subsidiary known for its red light therapy and touchless massage, understands that wellness has no boundaries. While the goal of living longer and better has long been sought-after, it’s now being accomplished in new places.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, longevity and holistic health drew new eyes — and more attentive ones at that. It prompted countless individuals to self-reflect and conceptualize their morality, leading them to the inevitable conclusion that there’s more they could be doing for themselves. 

“The pandemic brought about a wave of fear and uncertainty, prompting thousands, if not millions, of people to look inward and reflect on their health, happiness, and lifestyles,” said WellnessJK representatives. “Many individuals made changes to adapt during this challenging time.”

That proactivity has pushed wellness into new places, as those changes are now taking place both inside and outside of traditional fitness or wellness studios. It’s a testament to the ongoing interest in holistic health as well as the industry’s ability to facilitate wellness with haste and creativity.

Wellness at Work

In-person places of business are among the top areas in which wellness has expanded during the pandemic’s aftermath. While “wellness in the workplace” has always been something brands have highlighted as an employee benefit to put forth a hospitable work environment, there’s now more to it than that.  

“Today, offices are equipped with much more than just a coffee maker and tea,” said the WellnessJK team. “We’ve seen the rise of elaborate break rooms filled with snacks, gyms and meditation spaces. With the emergence of ‘Third Spaces’ within company cultures and a focus on investing in the health of their employees, companies will continue to compete by offering attractive wellness options to potential hires.”

While this relates more to quarantine conditions rather than COVID-19 itself, the arrival and eventual dismissal of remote work opportunities in the years after the pandemic has contributed to the demand for wellness at work simultaneously. 

“As businesses increasingly prioritize in-office environments, it’s essential for them to enhance their benefits packages beyond what they traditionally offered,” said the WellnessJK team. 

“Employees have experienced the convenience of working from home, and if they are now commuting, spending money on professional attire, and being away from their families, they can also have the opportunity to incorporate quick workouts and massages into their workday. This would be a far more appealing option than having to visit separate businesses during their off-hours — or, even worse, not prioritizing their well-being at all.”

Independence is Key

Being a top wellness product supplier, WellnessJK has of course played a large role in this development. The brand’s devices and their ability to operate with little to no staff is a game-changer in terms of their applicability to an office setting.  

“Our devices operate autonomously, meaning no staff is required for usage,” the WellnessJK team explained. “They feature user-friendly control panels that allow anyone to input custom settings and start a session without any experience. Users can engage with our devices briefly, allowing them time to unwind with them during lunch.”

By removing the need to direct any manpower to WellnessJK’s devices, they allow offices to remain focused on their primary goals as a business. This makes them enticing for the employees who get to enjoy them, and business owners alike. 

Notable Devices

WellnessJK specifically mentioned its Touchless Massage with Wellsystem Wave as an ideal product for businesses looking to add or upgrade in-office wellness offerings. The automated table delivers dry massages using artificial intelligence (AI) and airless water. It’s a simple insert to any in-person business operation thanks to its convenience and the level of comfort it applies. 

“WellnessJK’s product line is an excellent fit for corporate wellness programs,” said the WellnessJK team. “The Wellsystem is especially beneficial for corporate settings. It enhances employee wellness with little additional oversight while delivering a high-quality experience.”

WellnessJK also touts red light therapy as a standout modality at this current juncture. The brand facilitates that with its Revive Red Light. 

“Red light therapy has grown increasingly popular among fitness enthusiasts due to its unparalleled benefits for rejuvenation and recovery,” said the WellnessJK team. “With roots in healing through LED light, it harnesses specific wavelengths that influence cellular regeneration, much like how plants respond to light.” 

“This therapy is also gaining attention in the direct-to-consumer market, with both handheld devices and larger units like the Revive becoming more common,” the WellnessJK team added. “As personal care has shifted from just topical treatments to a more holistic approach to health, it was only a matter of time before red light became a staple in everyday wellness routines.”

A Nod to the Future

Having already proven itself capable of evolving with the wellness industry through its concentration on office-friendly products, it should come as no surprise that WellnessJK has several other innovative products ready to hit the market soon.  

“Looking ahead, WellnessJK is concentrating on developing and offering a range of holistic solutions aimed at promoting overall well-being in the workplace,” said the WellnessJK team. “We have some thrilling initiatives in the pipeline, and we can’t wait to share them with you.”

“Our commitment to innovation in this area is unwavering, and we’re excited to pave the way for a healthier, more balanced lifestyle and work culture in the coming years,” the WellnessJK Team added.

The post How WellnessJK is Taking Holistic Health into the Workplace appeared first on Athletech News.

IM8, a new health brand co-launched by Prenetics and former pro soccer player David Beckham, has debuted with two products:  Daily Ultimate Essentials and Daily Ultimate Longevity.

“Health and wellness have always been a priority for me, both on and off the field,” Beckham said.”I wanted to create something that makes it easier for everyone to feel their best, every day. With IM8, we’ve done that. These are products my family and I take, and they’ve made a real difference in how we feel. We’ve brought together some of the best minds in science to make something truly unique, and I’m thrilled to be able to share it with the world.”

IM8’s Daily Ultimate Essentials offers prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics in addition to greens, superfoods, adaptogens, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to fuel daily energy and support health in a tasty powder form, while Daily Ultimate Longevity promotes healthy aging, cellular renewal and enhances NAD+ levels in capsule form.

Both products — which are non-GMO and vegan — are now available on IM8health.com.

The health brand touts a Scientific Advisory Board, which includes expertise from Dr. Dawn Mussallem, a Mayo Clinic oncologist, Dr. James Green, NASA’s former chief scientist, Dr. Suzanne Devkota, a microbiome expert from Cedars-Sinai, preventive medicine and nutrition expert Dr. David Katz, Prof. Stephen Anton, an expert in aging and physiology and Prof. Ock K. Chun, a specialist in nutritional sciences from the University of Connecticut.

“Launching IM8 with David has been an incredible journey,” Prenetics CEO Danny Yeung said. “His vision for a healthier, balanced lifestyle is completely in line with what we stand for at Prenetics. Together with David and our world-class Scientific Advisory Board, we’ve created something truly unique—products that bring the best of science, nutrition, and convenience into people’s everyday lives. IM8 is more than just supplements; it’s a new standard in wellness. We’re here to help people transform their health with products they can trust and that deliver real results.”

Daily Ultimate Essentials is priced at $79 for subscribers or $99 for a one-time purchase, while Daily Ultimate Longevity is available for $75 with a subscription or $95 as a one-time purchase. The “Beckham Stack,” which bundles both Essentials and Longevity, is offered at $129 for subscribers or $154 for a one-time purchase.

The post David Beckham’s IM8 Launches appeared first on Athletech News.

Getting fast results in the gym is no longer all the rage. Even in strength training, the ideals of recovery and prevention continue to gain steam. The long game is becoming popular — and TRX Training is an established player. 

As a leading provider of functional training products, TRX produces or acquires new innovations that directly meet fitness consumer demands. Amid the increased concentration on longevity and the rise of strength training, the brand has found a sweet spot with resistance-based, low-impact tools that help users live longer and healthier lives. 

“It’s been incredibly exciting for TRX to witness the simultaneous surge in popularity of both longevity and strength training,” said Brynne Elliott, Vice President of Education & Training at TRX. “This convergence aligns perfectly with our philosophy of promoting sustainable, functional fitness that supports long-term health and well-being. Seeing more people prioritize not just building strength, but also enhancing their overall longevity, validates the direction we are heading in.”

Core Strength & Functional Movement Are Key

Many of TRX’s products nurture core strength. That, along with functional movement, are two foundational principles for injury prevention and maintaining long-term health. 

“TRX focuses on functional movement patterns and core stability because these elements are vital to overall fitness and long-term health,” explained Krystal Say, TRX Senior Master Instructor. “Functional movements mimic everyday activities, which helps improve strength, balance, and flexibility in ways that are directly applicable to daily life. This focus not only enhances performance in various physical activities but also reduces the risk of injuries by ensuring that the body moves efficiently and correctly.”

“Core stability is also crucial because the core muscles support almost every movement we make,” she added. “A strong core helps maintain proper posture and alignment, which can prevent strain and injuries. By emphasizing these aspects in our programs, TRX aims to build a solid foundation that promotes prolonged health and resilience against injuries.”

Products That Promote Longevity 

TRX’s Suspension Trainer and Rip Trainer spearhead the company’s efforts to collectively address strength and longevity. Suspension Trainers leverage body weight with resistance training bands while engaging a user’s core to build balance and stability. 

“This constant engagement of the core helps build strength in the muscles that support your spine and improve your overall functional movement patterns, reducing the risk of injury in daily activities,” said Say. “Additionally, the TRX Suspension Trainer helps optimize mobility by allowing for a full range of motion in every exercise, ensuring that your joints and muscles remain flexible and healthy.”

Rip Trainers feature a similar style of resistance-based, low-impact strength training that also tests a user’s core but instead with a bar attached to a bungee.

“The TRX Rip Trainer uses rotational movement and asymmetrical loads to build core strength,” said Elliot. “This is particularly beneficial to golfers, tennis players, and pickleball enthusiasts, who see not only an improvement in performance, but also a reduction in pain, injury, and stiffness.”

The YBell, a kettlebell-dumbbell hybrid, also grants users a safe strength training experience while dodging injury risk. 

“These tools infuse mindfulness into workouts by encouraging focused, deliberate movements and body awareness,” Elliot said of the YBell, Rip Trainer and Suspension Trainer. “This mindful approach not only enhances the effectiveness of each exercise but also promotes mental well-being, contributing to overall longevity.”

The TRX Difference

Notably, TRX equipment doesn’t require users to be perfect to avoid injuries, nor does it ask anyone to move in a way that’s unnatural for the human body. 

The same can’t always be said for traditional equipment from competing suppliers — separating TRX from the pack. 

“While traditional strength training equipment like dumbbells and barbells can be effective, they can also pose risks if not used correctly,” said Say. “These tools often require precise form and technique to avoid injuries, such as strains or joint issues and do not always mimic functional movement patterns, which increases the risk of injury. 

“Without proper guidance, it’s easy to develop poor habits that can lead to long-term problems, especially if the equipment is used in a way that doesn’t engage the core or promote functional movement patterns,” she adds. 

For TRX, it’s all about educating gym-goers about these key differences. Their products’ superior functionality is there; awareness is all that’s standing in the way. With over 300,000 course graduates, TRX Training is empowering the next generation of fitness professionals to prioritize long-term health — both for themselves and for their clients. Elliot is committed to democratizing education

“Our courses are expert-led, available in many formats, and accessible to everyone,” she said. “We’re doing everything we can to improve member experience, one coach at a time.”

The post TRX Functional Equipment Is a Must in the Longevity Era appeared first on Athletech News.

Luminescence, a women-focused health and longevity summit, is set for February 1, 2025, in Los Angeles, California.

The one-day event will include insight from experts and fitness and wellness luminaries Dr. Casey Means, Marianne Williamson, Jillian Michaels, Dr. Sara Gottfried, Kimberly Snyder, JJ Virgin, Dr. Mindy Pelz, Kayla Barnes, and Dr. Robin Berzin. Topics will include nutrition, metabolic health, menopause, weight management, spirituality, community, and emotional regulation. Attendees will learn stress relief techniques and methods to promote strength, good hormone health, and mental wellness.

Bringing Luminescence to life is Wanderlust, a company that inspires attendees through festivals, online classes, and events centered on wellness and mindful living. A wellness content platform – Commune – has followed, providing insight into health and longevity for women.

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring a totally new kind of health and longevity experience to women, particularly at a time when women need it most,” Wanderlust co-founder and Luminescence co-creator Schuyler Grant said. “We recognize the potential impact of a more tailored and thoughtful approach to women’s health and we’re bringing together the best of the best to deliver something unlike anything we’ve seen before.”

General admission tickets begin at $100 and include a 60-day complimentary Commune membership, offering access to a library of 150 online health and wellness courses. VIP tickets start at $600 and include center orchestra seating, VIP theatre entrance, access to the VIP Reception with the event speakers at the SLS Beverly Hills Hotel, VIP gift bags, a year of Commune membership, and an advanced hard copy of Jeff Krasno’s new book “Good Stress.”

Luminescence will be held at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. PST. Additional locations and dates will be announced in early 2025. Tickets are available here.

The post Women’s Health & Longevity Summit Speakers Announced appeared first on Athletech News.

Longevity is having a moment, attracting investors, social media influencers and members of the general public alike, all of whom are drawn to the idea that humans can live better for longer. 

For Dave Asprey, it’s about time.

The self-proclaimed “father of biohacking,” Asprey divides opinion like few others in the fast-growing longevity movement. To his legions of social media followers, the Bulletproof Coffee founder and New York Times bestselling author is a modern-day prophet, disseminating the secrets of a world where humans can leverage science, nutrition and tech to live their best lives. 

To his detractors, Asprey represents much of what’s wrong with modern-day “wellness,” promoting products backed by questionable science and making dubious claims about what it’s possible to achieve through self-improvement. 

As usual, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.

Athletech News caught up with Asprey at the recent Eudemonia summit to get his take on the future of the longevity movement and his plans for Upgrade Labs, a biohacking and recovery franchise he launched in 2017.

A Case for the Future of Longevity

According to Asprey, a lot of the confusion about longevity and biohacking stems from a fundamental misunderstanding about the origins of the movement and the long-term goals of its practitioners. 

“Biohacking is the art and science of changing the environment around you and inside of you so you have control of your own biology,” he explains. “Control of your biology can mean you want to live longer, it can mean you want to be (mentally) smarter and faster and remember everything, it can mean you want more muscle. … These are all things that are tunable in the human body.” 

Asprey says he championed the term “biohacking” as a more approachable entry point into the wider field of longevity, which is essentially the science of aging gracefully, or slowing down the aging process altogether. 

“I’ve been in the longevity field for 25 years, and part of starting the biohacking movement was to normalize longevity and to prepare society for this idea that it’s okay to ask for more than just health,” he says. “No one wakes up in the morning and says, ‘God, I just want health today,’ unless they’re really sick. We want to feel amazing.”

If some of Asprey’s marketing tactics come across as brash or even over the top, there’s a method to the madness, he assures. 

“I’m including the language that makes it so I would have wanted to pay attention when I was 19,” he says, adding that biohacking “started as a new idea that would make longevity accessible and interesting for people who weren’t already old.”

To the movement’s skeptics – and there are many in mainstream science and medicine – Asprey likens the evolution of longevity science to technological advancements like cars and cell phones, which started out as pie-in-the-sky ideals, and expensive ones at that. 

Businesspeople and influencers like Bryan Johnson spending millions to defy death with advanced biohacking protocols could be laying the groundwork for a future where the average person can do so for a fraction of that cost. 

“The first automobiles were pieces of crap compared to a car, and people with too much money bought them until we had cars that worked really well,” Asprey says. “Longevity is just at the same phase of every technology application where people spend a lot of money on stuff that doesn’t work very well, then they show it can be done … and then it goes down in cost. “

“You should be grateful that the 1% are wasting a bunch of money on this,” he adds.

Can Upgrade Labs Democratize Longevity?

The day when working-class Americans have access to the same health-optimizing tools as millionaires might be closer than you think. 

In 2017, Asprey created Upgrade Labs, which brands itself as the world’s first biohacking and recovery facility. Asprey also calls it a “human upgrade center,” a term he says is trademarked. 

Inside an Upgrade Labs facility, members can find everything from red light therapy beds to an “AI Cheat Machine,” a digital strength training system that leverages artificial intelligence to mimic the effects of an hour-long weightlifting session in only 10-15 minutes. Other pieces of equipment include cryotherapy booths, whole-body vibration plates, oxygen trainers and full-body lymphatic detox massage systems.

According to Asprey, a typical Upgrade Labs session consists of a quick bout of intense exercise on advanced machinery, followed by some type of recovery treatment. Some sessions can be entirely recovery-focused to avoid the negative effects of overtraining. 

“20% or less of what you do is going to be stimulation and 80% is going to be recovery,” he explains. “To put on muscle really quickly, you need quick stimulation, and then the body has to have proper minerals, enough protein and a feeling of safety and recovery. We use technologies to drive recovery beyond what’s possible in mother nature.”

Memberships cost on average between $300 and $500 per month, and the typical member visits an Upgrade Labs facility two to three times per week, with sessions lasting 20 or 40 minutes. That’s more than enough time to build muscle, lose weight and generally feel much better, Asprey argues. 

“Every minute you spend at Upgrade Labs should provide a huge return,” he says. 

For an added layer of personalization (and an additional fee), members can purchase blood test kits that measure over 100 biomarkers. Based on the test results, Upgrade Labs designs specific protocols for how members can improve any lagging markers, such as adding more red light therapy or going for a walk after eating. 

Asprey doesn’t have a medical degree, and doctors aren’t included at any point in the Upgrade Labs process. 

“Everything we do is non-medical, even the lab tests, you never talk to a doctor. We let you order them without a permission slip,” Asprey says, arguing that many people find it overly burdensome to obtain bloodwork from their primary care doctor without an illness. 

“If you want to talk to a doctor, you can. … We’re not treating or diagnosing anything other than your life sucks and you want more energy, you want muscles and you want to control your biology,” he adds. 

Upgrade Labs currently has eight studios in cities across the United States and Canada. The brand has another 32 franchise licenses sold, so more facilities should be opening their doors soon. 

In five years, Asprey believes there will be “hundreds” of Upgrade Labs facilities open in North America thanks to a growing demand for longevity and a strong franchise sales pipeline. While other brands have cropped up in recent years offering similar longevity and biohacking services, Asprety believes his concept has the first-mover advantage.

“Anyone could buy a sauna and a cold plunge and open a biohacking center and go for it,” he says. “But the problem is, no one knows the recipe. We’ve got the recipe, and it’s different for every person.”

The post For Dave Asprey, the Longevity Movement Is Just Getting Started appeared first on Athletech News.

A few years ago, Anar Isman had an epiphany: he wanted to help people live past 100.  

In 2020, Isman left behind a successful but unfulfilling career in investment management to co-found AgelessRx, a telemedicine platform whose mission is to help people slow down the physical process of aging by prescribing doctor-approved drugs like Metformin, Rapamycin and GLP-1s, among others. 

Isman’s vision for AgelessRx extends beyond profit and loss: his goal is to help grow the field of longevity science into a mainstream force for good, helping change people’s lives – and lifespans – in the process. 

“To me, longevity and anti-aging, it’s not an industry, it’s not a sector. It’s a movement,” Isman says. 

Isman sat down with Athletech News to discuss his decision to create AgelessRx, his thoughts on the field of longevity and anti-aging, and why he believes we’re not too far off from a world where people live far past 100.

The following conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Athletech News: Can you tell us about your background and why you decided to create AgelessRx?

Anar Isman: I spent 15 years in various prominent investment funds and then, sometime in my early 30s, I realized I wanted to build something that would change the world. Having done a lot of soul-searching, I couldn’t think of anything more important than slowing down aging and maybe eventually even reversing it. By aging, I mean the accumulation of age-related damage that comes with the passage of time. So we started thinking about how we could make the biggest impact on slowing down aging. The answer was a direct-to-consumer platform. 

AgelessRx is a telemedicine company focused on longevity. Generally, the goal is to give people access to products that can have a potentially positive impact on their lifespan and their health span, products that help them optimize their health, delay the onset of certain age-related conditions, and screen for certain things sooner, like cancer, for example. Right now, everything we deal with requires a prescription. 

ATN: It can be daunting for the average consumer to choose the right anti-aging drugs or supplements among a sea of options. How does AgelessRx help simplify this process?

AI: We put a lot of work into that, and we’ve come up with a very sophisticated assessment. It has around 50 questions and it gives you scores across multiple categories. It’s on our website, and once you do it, it will tell you based on your answers to questions on diet, lifestyle, exercise, family history, sleep patterns, etc., the things that could benefit you. 

We also offer blood tests – you can order a blood test (through the AgelessRx website) or you can upload your own bloodwork. 

ATN: How important is blood test data in prescribing personalized longevity products?

AI: Right now, generally, to be very precise with recommendations, you probably need some kind of blood work. But blood work comes with a lot of obstacles, which result in people not actually doing it. I envision a future where we can get a similar level of insight from the sensory data (in wearables), whether it’s your Apple Watch, Whoop or CGM sensor. That will allow us to personalize supplements or even interventions for you. That’s probably a few years away. 

ATN: “Longevity” has become a buzzword in the wellness community. Has the longevity movement reached a critical mass of Americans yet? 

AI: The longevity movement is definitely more prominent than it was five years ago, and people are much more open to telemedicine after the pandemic. But it’s still very niche. In terms of how many people are knowledgeable and interested in this, it’s still probably in the 2- 3% range across all American adults. So it’s moving in the right direction, but there’s still a long way to go. 

ATN: What’s the key to getting more Americans on board with the longevity movement? 

AI: Several things, I think. Do you have a pet? I ask because whenever I talk to people about longevity and living longer, most of them say, “Oh, we shouldn’t be doing that, it’s unnatural,” or whatever other reasons they come up with. But when I say, “Would you like your dog to live longer?” Everyone says, “Yes, sign me up.” 

It’s actually much easier to prove that something is working to slow down aging in dogs – there was a first clinical trial approved specifically for longevity in dogs earlier this year. I’m really optimistic that over the next three to five years, we might have an intervention that you can just give to your dog to live longer without the dog having any disease. I’m hoping that once the 70 million American households that have dogs see that, they’ll say, “Oh, I can give a pill to my dog just to live longer? Why not to my Grandma? Why not to my parents?” I think that might function as an eye-opening event. 

Another accelerated model for aging is female fertility, the female reproductive window, where women’s ovaries and other organs technically age faster than the rest of their organs. If we’re able to slow down the aging of ovaries, for example, I think we can apply similar methods to slow down the aging of other organs.

One of the objections (to longevity science) is that people just don’t believe it’s possible to do anything to slow down aging. It feels kind of inevitable. So if we have something over the next five years that is effective, I think people will change their minds fairly quickly.

ATN: Right now, what does the typical AgelessRx customer look like?

AI: Our average age is probably around 50. But I define our persona differently than just age, it’s more people who want to be their own health advocates, people who come to realize that their primary care physician cares about them but really is very busy treating people who are sick. A lot of doctors don’t have time to figure out what’s the best thing they can do to help you stay healthy. 

Our audience is also made up of people who are very high performers in demanding jobs who are saying, “I need to stay on top of my game, I can’t afford to be crashing at 4 or 5pm.” Those people benefit from things like NAD or B12 injections to give them that additional boost of energy.

ATN: What role should drugs and supplements play in people’s overall quest to live longer and healthier? 

AI: Diet, sleep and exercise are the most important things you can do. Unfortunately, however, even if you have the most optimal of those three, that’s not going to get you to 120 years old or even 100. What we’re talking about is taking it to the next level, augmenting whatever you can get from a healthy lifestyle so you can benefit from a more radical lifespan and healthspan extension. 

I’m not a biologist, but talking to a lot of biologists and physicists, there isn’t really anything from the scientific perspective that says we have to die or become decrepit by age 90 or 100. If we’re able to slow down the accumulation of age-related damage, we could live well in our hundreds and maybe even even longer. 

ATN: What’s your vision for the future of AgelessRx? 

AI: Today, when I talk to people about slowing down aging, nine out of 10 are telling me, “I shouldn’t be doing it.” I envision a world in five to 10 years where that’s going to completely flip on its head, where nine out of 10 people are going to be saying, ‘You don’t want to slow down aging? What’s wrong with you?’ In that world, I’d love for AgelessRx to be the go-to, trusted partner on people’s longevity journey. 

The post CEO Corner: AgelessRx’s Anar Isman on the Future of Longevity Science appeared first on Athletech News.

Over the past 4 years, wellness and recovery spaces in gyms have transitioned from being a luxury to a non-negotiable. As consumers increasingly adopt a holistic approach to their well-being emphasizing self-care, health span and longevity, they are seeking out fitness facilities that align with these values. 

Modern gym-goers no longer see the gym as simply a place to burn calories or build muscle. They are looking for environments that support a deeper approach to overall wellness. Gyms and studios that fail to offer such spaces risk becoming non-relevant.

The questions then become: where do you start in your build-out? What are the considerations to keep in mind when you’re designing the ultimate space for your members and how can operators and owners create a space that enhances “stickiness” and even brings in new members?

For more than 30 years, WellnessSpace Brands has been addressing these very questions.

“Our longevity in the wellness space gives us a unique perspective,” said Kevin Conaway, the company’s president. We’ve been involved in developing  thousands of wellness spaces for multiple industries and can leverage what we’ve learned to help eliminate the pain points and navigate the potential pitfalls for owners and operators designing a new space.”

Navigating Potential Pitfalls

When embarking on the planning process, Conaway says there are two common mistakes that stand in the way of success.

“First, do your homework,” he says. “You should understand what other clubs are doing well. What’s working and what’s not? And even more importantly, you need to understand your member base – what they desire in a wellness space and what type of equipment they will use the most.”

Another mistake? Dipping your toe in.

“You should never start with just one piece of equipment,” he says. “No member wants to be the only person using a single piece of equipment—it’s uncomfortable and counter to the social nature of a gym. You need multiple pieces to make the space feel accepted and even desirable, creating a social experience.”

Beyond these common pitfalls, there are several key considerations to take into account.

Staffed or Unstaffed?

Conaway advises that from a strategic standpoint, the first decision is to determine whether or not the space will be staffed.“Assisted stretching, Cryo chambers, hands-on massage and the like require staff,” he explains. “If that’s part of your model, great, but most gyms don’t have the resources to allocate to this.”

To this end, WellnessSpace products are all designed to accommodate self-guided use.

 “We have three product categories – HydroMassage, RelaxSpace and CryoLounge – that are all designed to be completely intuitive and self-guided, offer extreme comfort and require very little staff involvement,” he says.

Location

Conaway says the optimal placement of a wellness space was a learning curve for the fitness industry at first.

“In the beginning, many operators saw wellness as being akin to a personal massage – something to put behind closed doors,” he explained. “But hiding is a big mistake. You want members to know these services exist and to recognize their value. Think of it like a busy restaurant — if it’s crowded and inviting, it becomes enticing.”

The sleek, private design of RelaxSpace Pods provides a full-sensory relaxation experience within a bustling wellness environment. “Products like this are an excellent choice because they offer a personal session while still maintaining a sense of connection with the larger space.”

Product Choice

Product choice is clearly a pivotal aspect, and with so many options, how does one even begin?

Conaway points to four critical factors.

“First, as discussed, gyms find great benefit in choosing self-guided, intuitive products that members can walk up to and use on their own without assistance,” he explains. “This makes the space approachable as well as easy to manage.”

“Second, a high-capacity rate is crucial. Products that can accommodate 30, 40, or more users a day are clearly a better investment than those requiring longer sessions per user.For example, HydroMassager offers full-body relief in 10 to 15-minute sessions, which is key to maximizing your space.”

Next, Conaway highlights the “Ahhhhhh” factor.“If a product appeals to a lot of members and makes them feel great, that’s where you create stickiness,” he says. “Members are driven to return again and again when you offer them something that relieves pain and makes them feel better.

Enter HydroMassage.“The water massage technology delivers a deep, warm massage that contours to the body, making it a popular choice for gyms,” explains Conaway.

Finally, he says, “Give members something they can’t get at home. If you get equipment mix right, they’ll get in the car and drive to your location — even on their off days for recovery.”

Atmosphere

When it comes to atmosphere, Conaway emphasizes that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, but it’s crucial to ensure the space feels distinct and separate from workout areas, offering a comfortable environment that aligns with your brand’s identity.

“I’ve seen countless strategies for creating the right ambiance,” he says. “Some opt for a calm, dimly lit setting, while others go for a brighter, lighter vibe. What matters most is that the space stands out from the rest of the gym. It should feel special. Prioritize aesthetics—choose products that are not only functional but also visually striking and pleasurable to use. This is what transforms a simple wellness area into a high-end, must-visit amenity.”

To address this, WellnessSpace recently launched the HydroMassage Lounge 440 G3, their most advanced model yet, combining ultimate comfort, durability, and cutting-edge design to make a bold statement in any wellness space.

Conaway says there are two approaches to the financial model. “It’s very simple, ” he says, “You can either charge for it or include it in the membership. The biggest piece of advice here is to make it an easy yes for members. You want more members using the wellness space, so don’t make it a hard decision”

Promotion & Future Proofing

The adage ‘if you build it, they will come’ does not necessarily apply here.“The best way to promote your wellness space is to get members to experience it,” he says. “There’s nothing that replicates a test drive, so invite people in to try the new services.” “Then make sure your marketing reinforces the message that these new services are available for them to enjoy every day.” In support of this, WellnessSpace provides many marketing materials in a Customer Portal, including brochures, posters, banners,videos, staff training,  and more.

With so much innovation happening in this space, Conaway advises gyms to leave wiggle room for the future.

“During the design process it’s smart to allocate space for future concepts and equipment,” he says. “Leave some extra room for new concepts so you can grow and evolve as the industry does.

In closing, Conaway emphasizes that while there is no cookie-cutter solution for designing a wellness space, certain elements are essential.

“There isn’t a silver bullet for creating the perfect space,” he says. “But it must be highly visible, comfortable,and inviting. 

The equipment needs to make people feel great every time they use it, providing a reason for members to return day after day. 

And finally, it’s about more than just adding equipment, it’s about creating an experience that reflects your brand’s commitment to wellness, offers something unique, and drives engagement and retention. 

When your wellness space stands out and provides real value, that’s when you’ve truly completed the fitness experience for your customers.”

The post Why Building a Wellness Space Completes the Fitness Experience for Members appeared first on Athletech News.

According to a recent study led by the researchers at Mayo Clinic and published in the Public Library of Science One journal, standing on one leg might be the easiest way to determine an individual’s overall risk of falling and age-related neuromuscular decline. 

Over 14 million adults in the U.S. ages 65 and older fall every year, with over half of those falls resulting in an injury requiring medical attention, according to the CDC. Some individuals may struggle to know if they’re at risk of falling as they age. Now there is one simple test that could tell them where they stand and if they need to take further precautions to avoid a fall.

The Public Library of Science One study, which was published in October, focused on the idea of longevity and determining how those who are aging can improve their living standards and health concerns, such as falling. According to the researchers, muscle mass decline increases by 8% after age 30 and continues to rise past age 60. 

Researchers recruited 40 healthy adults over the age of 50 to test their gait and strength and how those affect their daily activity. The subjects were tested for various health markers such as isometric upper grip strength, isometric lower extremity extension strength, meaning to extend the knee, and static balance.

With the help of a physical therapist, participants performed 30-second static balance exercises on one leg at a time, testing their center of pressure, or COP, which is the center of pressure on the foot when standing. The results indicated that the subjects’ COP movements increased with age, determining that the bilateral test is a highly reliable indicator of aging and fall risk. Standing on a non-dominant leg decreased in time length by 2.2 seconds per decade of participants’ ages and their dominant leg balance decreased by 1.7 seconds.

In the study, older participants were more likely to make frequent balancing movements than their younger counterparts, showing aging has a significant effect on muscular and neurological systems.  

Dr. Gregory Stewart from Tulane University’s Center for Sport says falling is no small issue and can be an indicator of a larger problem or a sign to incorporate resistance training into exercise.

“We can all have an ‘oops’ and have one fall, but if you have more than one … you probably should go ahead and see someone and make sure that you’re not at risk for something else,” Stewart said.

The post Standing on One Leg Could Predict Fall Risk, Study Shows appeared first on Athletech News.

SWTHZ, a leading supplier of recovery and holistic health services, facilitates wellness in more ways than one. Keeping a close ear to the ground to provide for the modern consumer while also managing to deliver a wide range of offerings that appeal to everyone, the brand meets both specific and broader wellness demands at the same time.

With this multifaceted approach, SWTHZ hasn’t just taken large steps forward, but leaps and bounds in terms of franchising. The brand has 31 open locations and 16 under construction. Future advances are expected as well. 

“This deliberate exposure to hot and cold is only going to grow in adoption,” said Mike Tan, COO at SWTHZ. “There’s going to be more down the line. We’re only scratching the surface as to the reasons why people are going to use this.”

Meeting New Demands

It’s difficult to find anything in the fitness industry more prevalent right now than strength training. Mindbody forecasted a surge in popularity for the modality ahead of 2024 and the past few months have proven it to be an accurate one.

SWTHZ has everything anyone needs to recover fast and effectively to get back in the gym quicker for more. The brand’s infrared sauna and cold plunge therapy services are especially impactful in this regard. 

“We know if you strength train, inflammation and joint pain tend to be one of the first things that comes up,” said Tan. “With cold plunge and infrared sauna, first they increase blood flow. Blood flow is particularly important when you think about reducing inflammation.”

In the sauna, infrared wavelengths penetrate the skin, reaching deep into the muscles to enhance recovery. The cold plunge further stimulates blood flow and offers anti-inflammatory benefits.

However, strength training doesn’t just test the body, but also the mind. The benefits of infrared sauna and cold plunging touch the mental and physical side of things as well. 

“You’ve also got the other part of strength training, which is stress on the mind,” said Tan. “These modalities that help release the appropriate hormones to be able to regulate a lot of that so you’re in a much better place.”

All these factors help users get a better night’s rest as well, which remains the ultimate recovery tool. 

“For those people that train aggressively and train hard, in some scenarios they will experience challenges with sleeping, depending on the time of day that they’re training and how muscles are breaking down,” said Tan. “They’re repairing themselves. So in any case where you can again support blood flow, reduce stress hormones, or things of that nature, you’re going to improve sleep. What happens when you sleep better? You’re going to recover better.”

It’s all a part of SWTHZ’s desire to be on top of all things wellness. If another fitness modality takes off like strength training, the brand will be there to support it at the drop of a hat. 

“There’s a lot of buzz around a lot of stuff,” Tan added. “At the end of the day, it’s our job to be aware of what these trends are and how they potentially fit into our product roadmap. We’re always going to be aware of what’s out there and if it makes sense in terms of it fitting within this luxurious contrast therapy wellness experience that we want, then we’ll be interested in bringing it into the member experience.”

Wellness for All

Even while catering to the specific demands of current wellness consumers, SWTHZ pays attention to the general fitness community with equal vigor. It’s an important group to pursue in furthering the growth of wellness — and a lucrative one. 

SWTHZ reports that 20% of the population in North America has a gym membership, but 50% don’t use it. That data suggests the gym is no longer the first place people visit to begin improving their health. SWTHZ is eager to make itself available and welcoming as a new, alternative starting point for a healthier lifestyle. 

“The world is telling us that just going to the gym doesn’t work for everyone,” said Tan. “They’re looking for alternative solutions and in this context, at SWTHZ, you’ve got three types of members. You’ve got individuals who are looking to recover from fitness, those who are coming in for mental health reasons, and then the individuals just looking to live a healthier life and recognize the benefits of hot and cold exposure. If you think about that, there’s a really big total addressable market.”

“I think it’s just very important that because our product is able to impact a very broad range of health outcomes, we’d be crazy not to have a product that is able to appeal to that broad of an offering,” he added. “From a business perspective, it makes sense. From a product perspective, it makes sense because it doesn’t require a different product or experience.”

The post How SWTHZ Delivers on Wellness Demands of All Kinds appeared first on Athletech News.

Function has officially rolled out in New York and New Jersey, upgrading the way individuals approach their health. With over 70% of medical decisions depending on lab results, the traditional healthcare system can fall short, typically testing only about 20 biomarkers in standard annual physicals. Function aims to change that with a platform offering access to over 100 comprehensive lab tests, providing a proactive approach to healthcare.

Dr. Mark Hyman, a co-founder and the Chief Medical Officer of Function Health, is focused on using food as medicine to support longevity, energy, and mental clarity. A practicing family physician, Dr. Hyman is the founder and director of The UltraWellness Center, Founder and Senior Advisor for the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, a fifteen-time New York Times best-selling author, and Board President for Clinical Affairs for The Institute for Functional Medicine.

In a conversation with Athletech News, Dr. Hyman explained the principles he developed to prioritize wellness, particularly with food and hydration.

“In the morning, I make sure to drink enough water infused with electrolytes, which plays a crucial role in regulating key functions such as nerve and muscle activity and maintaining proper hydration levels,” Dr. Hyman said. “Then, I have a protein shake for breakfast. It keeps me balanced and energetic. I like to toss in a handful of frozen berries for the extra phytonutrient kick.”

Dr. Hyman’s Personal Approach

His approach to nutrition has evolved over the years, emphasizing the importance of nutrient-dense meals.

“Lunch often includes a salad rich in healthy fats from vegetables, providing vitamins A, E, and K,” Dr. Hyman noted. “For dinner, I usually have regeneratively raised steak, pastured chicken, or small cold-water fish with a Japanese sweet potato and roasted vegetables. I also made sure to stop eating at least three hours before bed to give my body time to process everything properly.”

Exercise is another cornerstone of Dr. Hyman’s wellness philosophy. “My personal exercise regimen consists of outdoor activities, like hiking, playing tennis, or biking four to five times a week, as well as high-intensity resistance training and yoga,” he said.

“I always tell people to start where they are. If they were doing nothing, even a 30-minute walk is a great place to begin. For optimal fitness, I suggest 30 minutes of cardiovascular conditioning five to six times a week and 30 minutes of resistance training four times a week. Stretching, flexibility, and stability training are also essential to staying fit and functional.”

Dr. Hyman’s transition to a preventative approach to medicine came from his personal experiences with the healthcare system.

“My journey struggling with metal toxicity opened my eyes to the many shortcomings of traditional healthcare,” he explained. “I saw that our system prioritized outdated processes and profits, with people only visiting doctors on a reactive basis. That experience inspired me and the other founding members of Function to create a new way for people to manage their health and live their best lives.”

Critical Biomarkers & Lifespan vs. Healthspan

Function’s approach ensures users have access to critical biomarkers across multiple health categories, including metabolic, cardiovascular, immune health, and toxin load. “Most chronic diseases start quietly, and early screening and evaluation of key biomarkers are essential to improve outcomes and lower healthcare costs,” Dr. Hyman stated. “The biomarkers we selected for Function were chosen because they deeply look at your metabolic health, cardiovascular health, immune health, and more. Abnormalities in these biomarkers often precede disease by decades.”

Critics of preventative health often point to the risk of overwhelming the healthcare system with unnecessary follow-ups, but Dr. Hyman emphasized that the benefits outweighed these concerns. “The benefit of Function’s proactive approach significantly reduced crowding and healthcare costs in the long term,” he noted. “By encouraging users toward health personalization with accurate data points, we empower them to self-manage their lifestyle choices and not rely on an outdated healthcare system.”

Function’s platform delivers test results in an easy-to-understand dashboard, complete with detailed clinician summaries. For $499 per year—equivalent to $42 per month or $1.37 per day—users gain access to lab tests that cover heart, hormones, thyroid, nutrients, cancer signals, immunity, aging factors, and more. “It’s about understanding what your body needs and making informed decisions,” Dr. Hyman emphasized. “We want people to be active participants in their health journey.”

Beyond lab testing, Function addresses another gap in today’s medical and nutritional education: the lack of focus on personalized health and nutrition’s role in preventive care. “Medical and nutritional education often fall short, focusing on general guidelines rather than tailored approaches,” Dr. Hyman said. “At Function, we drove a shift toward personalization, equipping people with the tools and insights to take meaningful, informed action based on a deep understanding of their own health.”

Dr. Hyman also called out misconceptions about dietary fat, which persisted despite evidence of its essential role. “Many misconceptions about fat linger, fueled by outdated science and cultural narratives,” he explained. “Modern research shows that fat can be a healthy part of our diet, but overcoming this stigma requires continued education.”

Function is also aligned with key trends in wellness, such as prioritizing healthspan—the years spent in good health—over lifespan. Consumers increasingly sought to extend the quality of their lives through balanced nutrition, exercise, and consistent health monitoring.

“Lifespan was just the total number of years you lived, but healthspan is about how many of those years are spent in good health,” Dr. Hyman said. “Function aims to maximize healthspan, helping people live fully and vibrantly for as long as possible.”

In a landscape cluttered with quick-fix solutions, Function aims to offer a sustainable approach grounded in science. “True health takes patience and commitment,” Dr. Hyman concluded. “A balanced, consistent approach leads to sustainable results. At Function, we are committed to empowering people with the tools they needed to live their best, healthiest lives.”

The post Dr. Mark Hyman’s Function Rolls Out in New York and New Jersey appeared first on Athletech News.