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.

Congressional Democrats are renewing their push for a bill that would require gyms and fitness facilities around the country to carry fitness equipment that’s accessible for people with disabilities and potentially hire additional staff members.

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.) on Tuesday introduced a bill designed “to promote the provision of exercise machines and equipment, and exercise and fitness classes and instruction, that are accessible to individuals with disabilities.”

DeSaulnier’s bill seems to be a companion to the “Exercise and Fitness for All Act of 2024,” which was introduced by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) this summer. 

Duckworth’s bill contains language that would require gyms and other fitness facilities to offer “accessible exercise machines and equipment” to people with disabilities. It would also mandate that gyms and fitness facilities have at least one staff member on the floor at all times who is “trained to provide assistance to individuals with disabilities.”

If passed, the bill would direct the United States Access Board, a federal agency devoted to accessibility, to create guidelines for gyms and fitness facilities regarding accessible equipment. 

Duckworth, who has served as a U.S. senator since 2017, is an Iraq War veteran who lost both of her legs and partial use of her right arm in a helicopter accident during the war. She told Forbes this summer that since her injury, she’s encountered difficulties “finding fitness equipment I could use” in gyms. 

Duckworth has introduced the Exercise and Fitness for All Act before, including in 2021.

“I thought, ‘We really need to make sure people can access fitness facilities,’” Duckworth told Forbes regarding her motivation to re-introduce the bill this past summer.

While several legislative hurdles remain before the Exercise and Fitness for All Act of 2024 can become law, the fitness industry is already beginning to grapple with new federal regulations. 

In October, the Federal Trade Commission instituted a new “click to cancel” rule that will make it easier for consumers to cancel paid subscriptions, including gym memberships. The Health & Fitness Association (HFA), the fitness industry’s biggest trade group, has said the rule will create regulatory “burdens that will disproportionately affect small businesses” like mom-and-pop gyms and small fitness studios. 

For more information on federal and state legislation affecting the fitness industry, see here.

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College athletes are getting in on the popular worlds of wearable technology, artificial intelligence and crypto. 

Cudis, makers of an AI-powered smart ring that allows users to control their own health data and earn rewards for physical activity, has signed a one-year partnership with UCLA Athletics.

With the partnership, Cudis will get its rings into the hands of UCLA athletes and other students through campaigns including in-game promotions. Cudis will also pursue name, image and likeness (NIL) deals with UCLA athletes in sports including football, women’s gymnastics, and men’s and women’s basketball, tennis and golf. 

“This collaboration holds special meaning for us as we give back to the community that helped launch our vision,” said Edison Chen, the CEO of Cudis and a UCLA graduate. “By empowering UCLA’s student-athletes with our innovative tech, we’re not just improving their performance and health, we’re introducing them to the transformative power of blockchain and crypto, rewarding healthy habits along the way.”

Launched earlier this year, Cudis rings are built on the Solana blockchain platform and are powered by AI and Web 3 tech. Similar to popular smart rings from Oura and Samsung, Cudis rings track health metrics such as heart rate, sleep, stress and calories burned. Cudis also offers an “AI Coach” feature that provides personalized health insights.

The company has sold over 10,000 units since its rings first went on sale in April, and its online community has around 100,000 members. In September, Cudis raised $5 million in a seed funding round led by Draper Associates. 

Can the Blockchain Revolutionize Wearables?

Cudis’ partnership with UCLA comes as demand grows for fitness and wellness wearables, especially among young consumers. The company cited data that 35% of Gen Z consumers use wearables daily to track their health. 

Among wearables, the smart ring market in particular is heating up, with market leader Oura just raising $200 million at a $5.2 billion valuation and tech giant Samsung recently launching the Galaxy Smart Smart Ring.

According to Chen, two things separate Cudis from brands like Oura and Samsung: a reward system that encourages physical activity and the blockchain, which allows Cudis to safeguard its users’ health data. 

On the rewards front, Cudis users can earn points for engaging in healthy habits and actions, which are tracked by the ring and redeemable for exclusive rewards, including cryptocurrency airdrops. 

Cudis also uses cryptographic signatures, IPFS storage and blockchain verification to safeguard users’ health data. The company says this gives users “complete ownership” of their data.

Data as Currency

Chen argues that Cudis users benefit from a higher level of data privacy than they’d get with wearables like Oura, Whoop or the Apple Watch (these brands have data-privacy policies, although they don’t use blockchain verification). 

“Once you put the data on the chain, your data becomes your asset,” Chen told ATN. “This is the first time that users can actually own their health data as an asset. Whoever wants to use your data needs your approval – even us.”

In time, Chen says Cudis users will be able to monetize their own health data, including potentially selling their data to companies who may want to purchase it for research or marketing purposes. 

“Our data can actually be worth up to $5,000 every year,” Chen believes. 

Big Ambitions

Earlier this month, Cudis launched its second generation smart ring model, the Cudis 002 ($349), which offers up to 10 days of battery life, five meters of Bluetooth connectivity and is waterproof up to a depth of 50 meters. 

Cudis aims to sell one million smart rings and grow its online community to at least 5 million members in the years ahead, Chen told ATN. 

However, he’s quick to point out that the brand’s long-term mission goes beyond sales targets. 

“We want people to realize how important and how valuable their data is,” Chen said. “We want people to know your wellness data is an asset just like your house. If you can rent your house to get paid, you can do the same thing with your data.”

The post Cudis, a Crypto Smart Ring, Teams With UCLA Athletics appeared first on Athletech News.

The fitness and wellness industry is starting to settle into a post-pandemic rhythm, marked by people returning to gyms and studios in large numbers, a rising interest in longevity services and the surging popularity of modalities like strength training and Pilates.

This past year saw plenty of headlines, from major mergers to big-name brands filing for bankruptcy to CEO changes at the industry’s top companies. 

Athletech News recaps the eight fitness and wellness moves that defined 2024, and forecasts what each could mean as we enter a new year.

• 

  8. PureGym Acquires Blink Fitness Gyms, Eyes US Takeover

  PureGym, a leading U.K. gym operator, acquired most of Blink Fitness’ assets in a $121 million deal in December, which came after Blink filed for 11 bankruptcy. The deal will see 67 New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania-area Blink gyms rebranded under the PureGym banner in 2025. 

  The U.K. gym brand fended off competition from Planet Fitness, which made an unsuccessful last-minute bid to acquire the Blink gyms amid bankruptcy proceedings 

  Why It Matters:

  PureGym is looking to establish a foothold in the U.S. market, and acquiring Blink’s East Coast gyms gives it just that. Blink also has around 30 gyms in California, Illinois, Massachusetts and Texas, and says it’s still evaluating offers for those locations. 

  What To Watch in 2025:

  The U.S. market for low-price gyms is highly crowded and competitive, but Blink has carved out an impressive niche in the coveted New York metro area. PureGym will look to maintain Blink’s strong ties in the area while transitioning those gyms under its own branding. 

• 

  7. Oura Valued at $5.2B as Smart Ring Wars Begin

  Oura is fortifying its position as the leader in the burgeoning smart ring space, but the Finnish brand has some serious competition. Oura just completed a $200 million Series D funding round, raising the smart ring maker’s valuation to $5.2 billion. The new funding comes as Oura looks to make healthcare features like continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) a key part of its strategy moving forward. 

  Why It Matters:

  Oura’s valuation is noteworthy in its own right, but it’s especially important as the company looks to fend off competition from Samsung, which recently entered the smart ring space with its Galaxy Ring, and Ultrahuman, an India-based smart ring maker that raised $35 million earlier this year. 

  What To Watch in 2025:

  As wearable technology becomes a bigger part of fitness, wellness and potentially healthcare, the smart ring wars will be worth monitoring. Is Oura’s tech too advanced for Samsung and Ultrahuman to catch up, or can those brands encroach on the Finnish brand’s turf? 

• 

  6. BowFlex Goes Bankrupt, Gets Acquired by Matrix Parent

  BowFlex filed for bankruptcy in March, but the at-home fitness equipment brand was quickly gobbled up by Johnson Health Tech Retail, the parent company of Matrix Fitness. Johnson Health Tech acquired BowFlex in a deal worth $37.5 million, and now sells BowFlex equipment alongside its other brands including Matrix, Vision Fitness, Schwinn and Horizon Fitness. 

  Why It Matters:

  For all of BowFlex’s struggles over the past few years, the name still carries some weight among fitness consumers thanks to its 2000s-era glory days. For Johnson Health Tech, having both Matrix and BowFlex in its arsenal gives the Taiwan-based company a powerful one-two punch in the commercial and at-home fitness equipment markets, respectively. 

  What To Watch in 2025:

  It will be interesting to see whether Johnson invests major resources into resuscitating BowFlex, or whether the once-proud brand becomes a bit player in the Taiwanese company’s larger portfolio. 

• 

  5. Peloton Deals With Instructor Exits, CEO Change

  This roundup wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Peloton, the connected fitness giant that’s fallen on some hard times but still enjoys a cult-like following among its 3 million or so paid subscribers. 

  This spring and summer, Peloton dealt with the exit of CEO Barry McCarthy, a new round of layoffs and the highly publicized departures of three popular instructors – Kristin McGee, Kendall Toole and Ross Rayburn. 

  Apple+ co-founder Peter Stern took over as Peloton’s new CEO in October, bringing his expertise in digital subscription businesses to the connected fitness company as it looks to grow its paid subscriber base and become less reliant on hardware sales.

  Why It Matters:

  Whether right or wrong, Peloton still serves as a proxy for the entire connected fitness industry, which has struggled to find its footing in a post-pandemic world where people workout inside gyms and at home. Peloton’s financial struggles will be tough to overcome, but Stern is a hopeful appointment given his background at Apple and Time Warner Cable.

  What To Watch in 2025:

  Peloton is trying hard to win over general fitness enthusiasts, recently releasing a strength training app and launching a campaign led by the NFL’s Watt brothers designed to appeal to Millennial males. The connected fitness giant doesn’t want to be just a bike company, a mission it struggled to make good on in 2024. Will 2025 be the year Peloton becomes known for digital fitness content instead of just cycling? 

• 

  4. Xponential Makes CEO Change, Sells Boutique Fitness Brands

  Anthony Geisler, who founded Xponential Fitness in 2017 and grew it into the world’s largest franchisor of boutique fitness and wellness brands via acquisitions, was dismissed as the brand’s CEO in May. The stunning news came after Xponential received notice of an investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Other executive leaders have left Xponential in 2024, most notably Sarah Luna, who had served as the company’s president since 2021. 

  To replace Geisler, Xponential hired former Taco Bell chief Mark King as its new CEO. The Irvine, California-based company has also brought on new executive talent including Bob Kaufman as president of international and Duncan Cork, a former F45 Training exec. 

  Besides executive upheaval, Xponential divested from two brands in 2024, selling Stride Fitness and Row House while also “winding down” its affiliation with AKT. Xponential’s portfolio now consists of eight brands – BFT, Club Pilates, CycleBar, Lindora, Pure Barre, Rumble Boxing, StretchLab and YogaSix. 

  Why It Matters:

  Xponential enters 2025 with a radically different executive leadership team from the one it had at the beginning of 2024. It’s unclear how the new-look Xponential will differ from the old guard, but King brings high-level franchising experience from Taco Bell. 

  What To Watch in 2025:

  Will Xponential sell any more brands? The franchisor has hinted that it wants to devote more attention to its top-performing brands like Club Pilates and StretchLab while also looking to grow trendy concepts like BFT and Lindora. As a result, other brands could be on the chopping block. It’s also possible that Xponential looks to re-grow its portfolio with another acquisition in the coming year. Additionally, King has stated that Xponential plans to ramp up its international expansion efforts in 2025.

• 

  3. Orangetheory, Anytime Fitness Create a Superpower

  Orangetheory Fitness and Anytime Fitness parent Self Esteem Brands completed a merger of equals transaction in April, creating one of the world’s largest fitness and wellness brands with around 7,000 global franchise locations and $3.5 billion in systemwide sales.

  A new holding company, Purpose Brands, will oversee Orangetheory, Anytime Fitness and other fitness brands in the portfolio, with former Topgolf CEO Tom Leverton tapped to lead the new entity.

  Why It Matters:

  With the one-two punch of Orangetheory and Anytime, Purpose Brands instantly becomes one of the most powerful global fitness brands. While OTF and Anytime will retain their own identities, the brands will lean on each other for franchising support, data and technology integration and other strategic initiatives. In the era of AI, having access to that much data should give Purpose Brands an advantage over other fitness brands. 

  What To Watch in 2025:

  Orangetheory has already begun to adjust its strategy following the merger. The iconic group fitness group brand just launched a new ad campaign and is eyeing a broader rebranding strategy that includes a refreshed color palette, new digital designs and in-studio changes, all of which are designed to align OTF with post-pandemic wellness trends.

• 

  2. Planet Fitness Raises Membership Price, Hires New CEO

  It was quite the year for Planet Fitness, with the high-value, low-price (HVLP) gym giant raising its base membership price from $10 to $15/month and naming Colleen Keating as its new CEO to replace Chris Rondeau, whose exit shocked the fitness world in 2023. 

  Planet Fitness’ decision to raise its Class Card price to $15/month marked the gym brand’s first membership price increase in nearly 30 years. Investors and analysts have told ATN the move was necessary amid inflation.

  Why It Matters:

  Keating, who served as CEO of a rental home property management company and has held leadership roles at major hotel chains, takes over at a pivotal time for Planet Fitness. The company is still top dog in the HVLP gym space with around 20 million members and more than 2,600 locations, but it’s facing increased competition from upstarts like Crunch Fitness, Vasa Fitness, EōS and others. 

  What To Watch in 2025:

  Planet Fitness has given some early glimpses into its new strategy under Keating. The gym brand plans to revamp its marketing approach to position itself as a gym for serious fitness enthusiasts rather than just casual gym-goers. In line with that plan, Planet Fitness intends to add more strength training equipment inside its gyms and cut down on cardio. At least some investors believe this strategy will pay off for Planet Fitness in 2025.

• 

  1. Solidcore Acquired, Valued at $600-700M Amid Pilates Boom

  Solidcore continues to take the boutique fitness world by storm, and it’s just getting started. In September, the Pilates-inspired boutique fitness brand was acquired by private equity firm L Catterton in a deal that reportedly values the brand at between $600 and $700 million. 

  Why It Matters:

  The deal marks a win not only for Solidcore but the entire Pilates space. The mind-body fitness modality surged in popularity in 2024 and shows no signs of slowing down in 2025 as brands like Solidcore and others open brick-and-mortar studios at a rapid clip across the country. 

  What To Watch in 2025:

  Solidcore has ambitious expansion plans under president and CEO Bryan Myers. The boutique fitness brand already has over 100 open locations and said last year that it’s eyeing as many as 250 studios by 2028. L Catterton’s backing gives Solidcore even more ammunition for expansion; the brand is planning to open around 30 new locations in 2025 alone, ATN learned. 

The post The Fitness & Wellness Moves That Defined 2024 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.”

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New York-based partnerships agency Cadence Partners has launched Cadence Collective, a platform designed to help health, wellness, fitness, and lifestyle properties form partnerships with brands from other industries. 

With the tagline “monetizing motion,” Cadence Collective will place a particular focus on serving properties in the participation sports category, including marathons, triathlons, obstacle course races, Olympic properties and health-focused digital media platforms.

“Participatory sports are unique because they are fueled by community and personal challenge, unlike traditional spectator sports,” said Jeff Doyle, the founder and CEO of Cadence Partners. “Our goal with the Cadence Collective is to bridge the gap between brands and these lifestyle sports, allowing brands to become part of an experience that participants live and breathe.”

Cadence Collective works with brands including Spartan Race, Supertri and Head Of The Charles Regatta, among others, according to the platform.

“We are in the business of assisting properties that are focused on health and wellness better commercialize,” Doyle tells Athletech News. 

To do so, Cadence Collective uses what it calls an “innovative agency sales representation model” that combines data and insights related to global health and wellness with a “next-generation targeted sales outreach.” 

“This approach enables the Collective to build a progressive pipeline of partnership conversations with decision-makers at leading brands and agencies,” according to the platform.

The launch of Cadence Collective comes as demand grows worldwide for mass-participation sports. Brands like The Ironman Group and Spartan Race have long been leaders in this space, while new entrants like Hyrox have emerged, offering a new take on the traditional marathon or triathlon experience that appeals to gym-goers rather than pure endurance athletes.

Described by its founder Christian Toetzke as the “marathon of fitness,” Hyrox has caught on worldwide, with the brand staging events from Melbourne to New York and attracting around 175,000 participants during the 2023-24 season. 

The post Cadence Collective Launches To Monetize Participation Sports appeared first on Athletech News.

Personal trainers are getting more support when it comes to helping their clients cut down on alcohol consumption. 

ABC Trainerize has partnered with mindful drinking app Sunnyside to provide fitness coaches and personal trainers with resources to support their clients who participate in “Dry-ish” January, a play on Dry January, a popular public health initiative that sees people abstain from alcohol consumption in the new year. 

With the partnership, fit pros who use ABC Trainerize will get access to Sunnyside tools for personalized alcohol-reduction, including daily habit-tracking templates, communication tools and evidence-based insights on the benefits of reducing alcohol intake.

ABC Trainerize, a leading software platform for fitness coaches and personal trainers under the ABC Fitness portfolio, has seen the tracking of alcohol-related habits increase nearly 3x over the last few years on its app, it reports. 

“At ABC Trainerize, we are focused on empowering trainers and coaches to deliver life-changing fitness and wellness experiences,” said ABC Trainerize platform president Sharad Mohan. “In fact, alcohol-related habits are one of our most-tracked habits on the app, so by partnering with Sunnyside, we are expanding the definition of wellness to include mindful drinking, helping trainers support their clients in achieving both their fitness and lifestyle goals.”

Dry(ish) January initiatives come as the personal training industry embraces holistic health and wellness. Gone are the days when trainers could design a simple workout routine for their clients and call it a day. As the wellness market continues to grow, fitness enthusiasts increasingly expect personal trainers to act as go-to sources of information for general health and wellness, including sleep, mindfulness and, in some cases, alcohol consumption. 

Last year, the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) launched a continuing education course for personal trainers called “Mindful Drinking,” which delves into alcohol’s influence on wellness pillars like nutrition, sleep, cognitive function and physical activity. The course also gives fit pros resources for understanding society’s relationship with alcohol.

The post ABC Trainerize Gives Personal Trainers Tools To Coach Mindful Drinking 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.

Dani Coleman is evidence of the Pvolve Method’s effectiveness – and its allure. 

A longtime professional dancer, Coleman became a NASM-certified personal trainer in an attempt to better understand the effects of movement on the body. She’s had stints as an instructor at top fitness brands including Equinox and Physique 57, giving her a well-rounded view of the industry and different workout types.  

In 2020, Coleman joined Pvolve after falling in love with the brand’s distinct approach to low-impact functional fitness and women’s health. Two years later, she became Pvolve’s director of training, and has been instrumental in the boutique fitness brand’s recent rise to prominence (Pvolve has around 50 studios open or in development amid rapid franchise expansion.)

Coleman also serves as Jennifer Aniston’s Pvolve trainer, coaching the former “Friends” star with weekly sessions that include elements of weight lifting, cardio and plyometrics, combined with Pvolve’s proprietary workout equipment.  

Coleman sat down with Athletech News to discuss what makes the Pvolve Method unique, the rise of strength training among women and her work as Aniston’s personal trainer. 

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

Athletech News: Can you tell us a bit about your background in fitness and what led you to join Pvolve?

Dani Coleman: I grew up on the East Coast, where I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. I think dance naturally led me on a path into fitness, and I now have over 10 years of experience in fitness with various certifications. I’ve worked in private training with personal clients and at different boutique studios. 

Before Pvolve, I was into more aggressive workouts, so my body was craving something at a different pace. During my first Pvolve class, I remember thinking, “Wow, this is unlike anything I’d ever experienced.” I left feeling worked out and energized. Functional training was very new to me, so it took me a second to find my feet. But once I understood all of the science behind it, I was hooked. I also love that Pvolve is women-led.

ATN: The word “functional training” gets thrown around a lot these days in different fitness contexts. What does functional training mean for Pvolve?  

DC: Functional just means you move your body in all the ways you do in everyday life. We tend to think of traditional fitness using one plane of motion, front to back or side to side. At Pvolve, we’re also going to work rotationally in all the ways you genuinely move daily. We also use incredible resistance equipment, so as you’re taking yourself through these corrective movement patterns and natural movement patterns, you’re also going to build smart and sustainable strength. 

I always say Pvolve is your one-stop shop. We have everything from mobility work to weight training to cardiovascular formats, along with meditation on our on-demand platform. We really look at health and fitness with a holistic lens. 

ATN: Pvolve has gained a cult following, attracting stars like Jennifer Aniston and everyday fitness enthusiasts alike. What separates a Pvolve workout from other boutique fitness concepts? 

DC: I’ll start with where I have a lot of experience, which is the trainer team. Our trainers go through an extensive, 100-hour immersive training program, and that’s true whether you’re at our corporate or franchised (studio) locations. That leads to mastery of the Method. We then have proprietary equipment that you can’t get anywhere else. So even if another brand is functional fitness, you’re not going to get exactly what we offer. 

We also have a Clinical Advisory Board, a panel of experts who help us keep the Method synced with science. That’s something we take very seriously, and I’m proud to say we’ve done many studies that are backed by science. We also have a big focus on women’s wellness. At any stage in your life as a female, there’s a Pvolve program that meets you where you’re at. 

ATN: How does Pvolve focus on women’s wellness? 

DC: Our workouts can be scaled up and down to meet your body wherever you’re at in your journey of life, whether you’re interested in learning about your menstrual cycle or you’re later on in your life going through menopause and are interested in optimizing your hormones. We also offer things that you won’t find elsewhere like pelvic-floor strengthening classes, classes centered around moving through fertility, pre or postnatal series and knee-stability series. Then we have programs that are for anybody and everybody. 

ATN: Pvolve has participated in some studies, including one that showed the benefits of functional fitness for women over the age of 40. Why is being science-backed important for the brand?

DC: There’s a lot of fluff in fitness, so we’re proud to state that we’re science-backed. We’re always working with our Clinical Advisory Board to make sure our programming is synced with science.

Pvolve stands for “personal evolution” – we’re always looking to do better and to evolve with the times. When I first started with a company, we started with one format, “Strength & Sculpt.” We then added “Sculpt & Burn” to build up cardiovascular health, which we know is so important. We then added heavy weights, which we know are crucial and moving throughout your life. We continue to push boundaries with our Clinical Advisory Board to understand the science behind what we’re doing to better our product and build credibility with our communities.

ATN: Speaking of lifting heavy weights, strength training has become incredibly popular among women over the past few years. What’s led to more women embracing strength training? 

DC: I think women are starting to realize that weights aren’t just for men. These spaces were traditionally dominated by men, and I love that women are feeling more empowered to step into the gym and grab heavier weights because whether you’re male or female, muscle is important for quality of life as you age. I always say, “Cardio adds years to your life but weight training adds life to your years.” I hope strength training is something we continue to talk about, especially for women, who start losing muscle mass around the age of 30 at a more rapid speed than men. 

ATN: You’ve served as Jennifer Aniston’s Pvolve trainer since she became affiliated with the brand. What’s your relationship been like with her?

DC: I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing her before, but we found out during the pandemic she was a secret streamer on Pvolve, and she reached out to us for personal training sessions. I’ve had the pleasure of working with her for around two years now. We work out a couple of times a week in personal training, when her schedule allows.

During our workouts, we take a bit from all of our formats, including Strength & Sculpt, cardiovascular elements and some light plyometric work. We also lift heavy weights, with a focus on building muscle mass, boosting metabolic rate and focusing on longevity.  It’s always full body, and it’s very challenging. She loves a challenging workout and truly never shies away from anything I throw at her.

ATN: Fitness can be an industry of trends, for better or worse. What trends do you expect to see take hold of the industry over the next few years?

DC: I think something we’re going to continue to see is how to biohack ourselves with technology, whether it’s Oura Rings, Apple Watches, or anything else. More technology can help us understand how our bodies work and how to optimize workouts and recovery.

I also think we’re going to see more conversations around peptides like GLP-1s. Some studies show that people aren’t only losing weight, they’re losing muscle mass as well. There’s also been some interesting studies showing that when people start to see positive changes in their bodies, their chances of working out are higher. Hopefully, we’ll see some new content to focus on welcoming people who might be stepping into the gym – or their bodies in movement – for the first time. 

The post Trainer Talks: Dani Coleman on the Rise of Pvolve, Jennifer Aniston’s Workouts appeared first on Athletech News.

Connected fitness is in flux – at-home brands like Peloton, Tonal and Hydrow have gained impressive followings but the jury is still out on whether they can continue to win new members now that people have returned to gyms and studios following the pandemic. 

Aviron believes it’s found a way to break connected fitness out of its rut: video games.  

Founded in 2018 by Andy Hoang, Aviron makes at-home workout machines including rowers, a bike and a treadmill, all of which allow users to play arcade-style video games while working out. 

If the likes of Peloton, Tonal and Hydrow represent the classic model of connected fitness – instructor-led workout classes for cycling, strength training and rowing, respectively – Aviron offers something new. 

“When you say the words ‘connected fitness,’ people think of classes. That’s synonymous with connected fitness,” Hoang tells Athletech News. “We’re doing it differently. Our unique value proposition is that we’re using gamification.”

The Case For Gamified At-Home Fitness

Hoang got the idea to create Aviron after buying a Peloton back in the day and realizing that while he enjoyed the brand’s classes, they weren’t enough to keep him motivated in the long run. He wanted something that could scratch his competitive itch.

Aviron does offer some instructor-led classes, along with guided scenic rides and the ability to stream content like Netflix while working out, but video games are the brand’s bread and butter. 

On its rowing machines, Aviron offers arcade-style video games including “Row Breaker,” where users smash bricks with every stroke, “Row to Riches,” where users battle pirate ships, or “Blaze Breakers,” where users save a burning building by spraying a water cannon. Similar games are available on Aviron’s Fit Bike and Treadmill.

Games on Aviron are adaptive, meaning what’s happening on-screen changes based on a user’s effort level on the machine. On the Fit Bike, users pedal faster or slower to achieve certain in-game targets, for example. 

Aviron games are available in multiplayer mode, so users can compete online against friends and other fitness enthusiasts for an added layer of competition. Users can also earn Aviron coins for completing workouts, unlock achievements and participate in monthly challenges. 

Aviron believes gaming makes fitness fun and challenging, motivating people to keep working out on its machines. The Toronto-based company might be on to something. Some studies have found that gamification strategies such as points or small financial rewards can encourage people to be more physically active. 

According to Aviron, 92% of its members are still working out on the brand’s machines after one year. The company has also seen 30% growth year-over-year and consistent monthly increases in membership. Aviron currently has around 50,000 active members globally, it reports.

“Our churn numbers and our engagement numbers are always higher than our competitors,” Hoang says. 

Somewhat surprisingly for a gaming fitness brand, Aviron’s customer base is split nearly 50/50 between males and females. And the brand’s core customer demographic is between 35 and 55 years old, so it’s not just Fortnite-obsessed Gen Z kids that enjoy gamified workouts. 

Given the broad appeal of gaming, Hoang believes Aviron has a bigger total addressable market (TAM) than traditional connected fitness brands that focus on streaming workout classes. 

“If you look at the number of people who are interested in instructor-led classes in North America and you can compare that to how many people play video games on their mobile devices, it overshadows it by 400% or 500%,” he notes.

Don’t Write Off Connected Fitness Just Yet

As Aviron looks to compete with the big boys of connected fitness, it will do so in an uncertain market market for at-home workouts. Brands like Peloton and Tonal have highly dedicated user bases but have experienced some financial struggles and executive upheaval since the pandemic subsided. 

Despite some of the negative headlines surrounding connected fitness, Hoang believes the segment is still on an upward trajectory, even if COVID threw a monkey wrench into things by creating an artificially high demand for at-home workouts, causing some brands to grow too quickly for their own good. 

“It’s still a huge market, so there’s a huge opportunity,” he says. “Peloton had raised a billion dollars before COVID even hit, so this industry has (always) been on an upward trend.”

Assuming the market for at-home fitness continues to grow, Aviron could be well-positioned thanks to the first-mover effect. While other brands offer gamified cardio machines, most of them stick to one modality, whether that’s cycling or VR. Aviron, by contrast, covers rowing, biking and treadmill running, giving it access to a wider pool of fitness enthusiasts. The brand also recently introduced dumbbells, adding a strength training component to its lineup in line with industry trends. 

Looking ahead, Hoang says Aviron will look to expand its product lineup to include not just new fitness modalities, but multiple machines for each modality at different price points.  Aviron gave a sneak peek into what may be coming on that front in 2023 when the company launched the StrongGo, a less-expensive version of its flagship rower. 

“We’re going to continue expanding but it’s not just expanding breadth-wise, it’s expanding depth-wise,” Hoang says. “It’s not just expanding your product line horizontally, you need to expand it in a way that you can appeal to people who have huge budgets or people who don’t want to spend a lot.” 

The post Can Gaming Save Connected Fitness? Aviron Thinks So appeared first on Athletech News.

Celebrity and influencer-founded brands are a dime a dozen these days, but W is doing things a bit differently. 

Co-founded by social media star Jake Paul, along with entrepreneur Geoffrey Woo and consumer/retail industry vet Woodie Hillyard, W is out to disrupt the men’s personal care space with a line of “better-for-you” products including body wash, deodorant, bar soap and more. 

W’s products all retail for less than $10 and are free from parabens, sulfates, phthalates and artificial dyes, bringing young men into the era of natural wellness.

Leveraging Paul’s popularity on social media, W has quickly built an impressive brand: the company launched in June exclusively at Walmart and did over seven figures in sales in its first month, being touted as the best launch in the history of the retail giant’s “Emerging Brands” category. A month later, W announced that it had raised $14 million in funding to drive product and retail expansion.

Hillyard, who serves as W’s CEO, sat down with Athletech News to discuss W’s mission to disrupt the men’s personal care category, how the brand leverages its affiliation with Jake Paul to drive awareness, and what’s coming next for W as it plots a category takeover. 

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 join W? 

Woodie Hillyard: I’ve always loved consumer-facing businesses. I realized when I was in private equity and investment banking, I was more interested in the brands we were working with than the financial engineering aspect of it. Around 2015, I joined Casper, the direct-to-consumer mattress brand, when it was very much still a startup. I was there for almost five years, and I got to do a lot of different things including finance, marketing, a bit of product, and then my last role was running the e-commerce business. 

I moved to LA about four years ago when I got an opportunity to be on the founding team of Safely, which we started with Kris Jenner. I was a chief revenue officer there – we didn’t have a CEO in the business, so I got to play day-to-day CEO. We launched that brand in Walmart, which showed me the opportunity to build big brands at Walmart.

When the opportunity came along around two years ago to start working with Jake and Geoff on a new brand, I got really excited because Jake’s demographic is aligned with the American consumer. This brand has been a perfect opportunity for me to combine my unique skill sets and the career experiences I’ve had so far. 

ATN: Why did you choose men’s personal care for W?  

WH: When we looked at men’s care, we saw a lot of brands targeting and serving that older generation, but Jake’s demographic – 10 to 30-year-old males – wasn’t being focused on. There’s this massive gap in the market that Axe used to fill, but no one really fills it anymore. We just felt like there needed to be a different brand, with a unique mission, in this space. 

ATN: What does W do differently than other men’s care brands to appeal to the 10 to 30-year-old male demographic?

WH: We do a lot of things differently. First, there’s just a level of authenticity that we bring relative to other brands. I think everyone is trying to be “cool” as a brand. But the amazing thing about working with a creator like Jake is he is cool, and he knows what this generation thinks. That’s a huge differentiator for our brand.

It’s also our product. I’ve seen this firsthand with several brands – the majority of Americans aren’t ready for an all-natural product, but they’re open to better-for-you products. So when developing this product, we took out parabens, phthalates and sulfates, a lot of these negative chemicals that are included in a lot of personal care products that just don’t need to be in there to have an effective product. We also produce everything in America, which we think is important, and it also makes our supply chain more manageable. And then price-point: a lot of new brands in this category launch at a premium price. We wanted something a bit more approachable for the average consumer. 

ATN: What does W do on the marketing front to appeal to young male consumers? 

WH: We’re trying to have fun. I think because we’re a creator-led brand, we have permission to have a lot more fun and to be a bit more irreverent relative to a normal brand. If you look at our (social media) feed, we’re trying to entertain our consumers and bring our brand to life through entertainment. 

We’ve done that quite effectively since we launched. We have about 5x the number of organic, tagged social posts relative to every other men’s personal care brand in the space. We have over 100,000 followers on our Instagram account, and we’ve had several videos get over 100 million views. To me, this shows that our product is resonating with digitally native consumers in a way other brands aren’t.

ATN: Jake Paul is one of the world’s most popular influencers, with millions of social media followers. How much do you lean into Jake to market W versus letting the brand stand on its own? 

WH: Jake is obviously a very important part of the brand. He’s our co-founder, and his DNA is in this brand in a lot of ways. But we intentionally didn’t name the brand after Jake Paul, unlike a lot of celebrity brands. It’s W, which stands for “Win.” We’re meant to inspire men to do their best and get audacious wins every day.

We’re always going to leverage Jake for inspiration, for creativity – we talk to Jake every day. He’s a huge part of this brand, and ultimately, he’s a great channel for distribution and awareness. But if we’re successful, the people who are buying W 12 or 24 months from now hopefully won’t know it’s a Jake Paul brand. 

ATN: W launched in Walmart stores only. Why did you choose Walmart as your first distribution partner?

WH: We talked to a few retailers, and from the get-go, Walmart was excited about our vision for the brand – I think they understand the power of someone like Jake. We also did some data analysis prior to launching the brand to see where Jake’s followers lined up with the demographics of some of the different retailers in the U.S., and Walmart really made sense for Jake’s demographic. His fans are America, and 90% of America shops at Walmart. We were in over 4,000 Walmarts nationwide from the jump. It takes most brands years to build that scale and distribution. 

ATN: Besides partnering with Walmart, what’s been the key to W’s quick success in the men’s personal care category? 

WH: We did a great job of announcing to people that we were here in a big way. I’m biased, but out of all of the launches I’ve seen, I think we had the biggest launch of the year, especially in the consumer space. I also think Jake has done an amazing job. He really lives the brand. You always see him with a product in the background of his videos or wearing merch. A big part of our success is that people see the brand out in the world. 

ATN: Could W look to expand into other retail channels or are you exclusive with Walmart? 

WH: We don’t have exclusivity, but at launch, we just focused on Walmart because we wanted to make sure we executed well. Next year, we’re going to be expanding into nationwide grocery chains. Grocery is a very different channel than Walmart, so it’s going to be an exciting opportunity for us to win there. 

ATN: What does W’s product mix look like right now, and could you expand in the future?

WH: Our current lineup is the core categories within men’s personal care. We have our deodorant, body spray, body wash, bar soap and a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner – the basics of a shower routine. We also have three face-and-hair SKUs: a pomade, hair gel and face wash.

In 2025, we’re going to be bringing some new innovations. One of the products we’re excited about is a natural deodorant. The exact launch date is TBD, but I’ve been using it for the last few weeks, and it’s great. 

ATN: Looking ahead, what’s your vision for the future of W? 

WH: I want W to become the next multi-generational brand in men’s personal care. I think if we can keep building the brand around this idea of instilling confidence in men and trying to inspire people to get the W and just be a better version of themselves, there are a lot of cool category adjacencies we can go into as well. 

Ten years from now, I see W being a multi-billion dollar company that is playing in personal care and also playing in some of these adjacencies. We’ll be a fixture in the lives of most men in America, because they resonate with the message and they want to be associated with a brand that stands for being a better version of yourself. 

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Fitness franchising brings to mind images of independent owner-operators and small-business success. In the post-COVID world, though, the space might be better summed in a few words: “go big or go home.”

During ATN’s DISRUPT video series, three leading investors in the fitness and wellness space – Jon Canarick of North Castle Partners, Marc Magliacano of L Catterton, and Robbie Shapiro of York Capital Management – gave their thoughts on the dynamics shaping the fitness franchising industry, including the rise of consolidation.

ATN breaks down key moments from their conversation, including why the trend of franchise consolidation might be here to stay, current market dynamics, and which fitness modalities are poised for growth in the years ahead. 

Large Franchise Groups Take Control

The fitness franchising space has been marked by consolidation since the COVID-19 pandemic, with large, cash-rich franchisee groups buying up smaller operators to create massive portfolios of gyms and studios. Crunch Fitness, Anytime Fitness and Planet Fitness have all seen private equity-backed franchise groups enter their systems in recent years, acquiring dozens of gyms in one pop. 

Investors expect to see this trend continue in the years ahead, especially since large franchise groups tend to see quick success in terms of expansion. 

“Consolidation is among us,” said L Catterton’s Magliacano, noting that generally, “large, sophisticated, franchisee groups perform very well.” 

“The data is just telling franchisors to help facilitate ongoing consolidation of their franchise groups,” he added.

The rise of so-called “HVLP 2.0” gyms could accelerate the consolidation trend in the years ahead. 

HVLP 2.0 gyms represent the next evolution of high-value, low-price gyms, offering premium amenity sets like group fitness classes, recovery services and top-shelf strength training equipment at monthly price points that are at or near traditional “HVLP 1.0” gym concepts like Planet Fitness. 

Crunch Fitness, Chuze Fitness, EōS Fitness and Vasa Fitness generally fall into the HVLP 2.0 category, although the definition is somewhat loose. Generally, HVLP 2.0  gyms are more expensive to build and maintain than HVLP 1.0 concepts, which can make it cost-prohibitive for individual franchisees to get in on the action. 

To control costs and logistics, many HVLP 2.0 brands opt to stay corporate-owned rather than sell franchises. North Castle Partners’ Canarick noted an interesting phenomenon  – virtually every major HVLP 2.0 brand is corporate-owned, with the exception of Crunch Fitness.

For Crunch, consolidating its gyms into the hands of a few large franchise groups offers a way to compete with the likes of Chuze, EōS and Vasa on the operational side while still tapping into the economic and expansionary benefits of a franchise model. 

“Where Crunch is evolving is to sort of lean into the fact that you do really need sophisticated management teams (and) more concentration of ownership. … So they sort of mimic, almost, the corporate-owned model,” Canarick said. 

A Tougher Market in General 

High-performing fitness brands are still able to obtain growth capital when the conditions are right, but overall, investors say the market is less receptive to franchising than it was before the pandemic. 

“The post-COVID world is very different for a whole host of reasons,” said York Capital Management’s Shapiro. “(The) pattern of daily life has changed, but also inflation and higher interest rates. So it’s a much more difficult operating environment today than it was five years ago.”

Besides macroeconomic factors, Magliacano noted that entrepreneurs are generally less interested in becoming fitness and wellness franchisees than they were before the pandemic, with COVID’s deleterious effects on the fitness industry still fresh in people’s minds.

“Today, trying to find franchisees that are ready, willing and able to lean in with their wallets is a very different proposition than it was pre-COVID,” he said. 

Canarick also pointed to the rise of at-home fitness during the pandemic as a factor that makes it more difficult for brick-and-mortar franchise brands to compete for investment dollars. While connected fitness brands like Peloton might be struggling financially, there’s no denying that at-home fitness is a bigger part of consumers’ exercise routines than it was pre-pandemic. 

“For all of the negatives around Peloton and all their struggles, they still have an enormous market share of daily workouts, much higher than it was before COVID,” Canarick said. 

Pilates, Strength Training Soar

It’s not all doom and gloom, though. The fitness and wellness industry is still generally growing, even if current macroeconomic conditions and lingering memories from the pandemic have created challenges for operators and investors. 

Asked which fitness modalities and concepts are poised for growth in the years ahead, investors pointed to some familiar trends. 

“I think, without question, the highest growth segment in boutique fitness is Pilates in its various forms, mostly machine-based Pilates,” Canarick said, adding that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) also “continues to be very successful.” 

Indoor cycling, on the other hand, is “a massive laggard” post-pandemic, he noted. 

Magliacano pointed to the rise of strength training in gyms, clubs and studios around the world. 

“When people say, ‘Follow the science,’ the science is saying strength is where you need to be,” he said. You want longevity, you want mobility in your older years? It is all about strength.”

On the flip side, “cardio-based concepts are going to struggle,” he said. 

Magliacano also expects to see tech and AI become a bigger part of the gym experience moving forward. This could be bad news for human personal trainers, he believes. 

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

Shapiro pointed to the rise of wellness and recovery franchises, which offer services ranging from stretching and IV therapy to beauty services like Botox. 

“Anything that makes people feel better, feel younger, recover faster,” he said. ”There are huge demographic tailwinds with the aging population in the United States, so we’re very bullish on recovery services.”

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The Amenity Collective, a provider of facilities management services across the aquatics, fitness and recreation industries, has acquired Advantage Sport & Fitness (ASF), a top distributor of fitness equipment for brands including Precor, Peloton, Escape Fitness and Power Lift, the sides announced.

With the deal, Advantage Sport & Fitness will become part of LIVunLtd, an Amenity Collective entity that provides facility management, fitness equipment, programming and consulting services. LIVunLtd now becomes North America’s largest distributor and servicer of fitness equipment, according to the Amenity Collective. 

“We’re thrilled to partner with such a talented, high-performance team of great people and business professionals,” Amenity Collective CEO Brian Sheehan said of the acquisition. “Now, as North America’s largest fitness distributor, we’re eager to combine our resources and decades of experience to create added value for stakeholders, additional opportunities for our team members, and continue delivering the exceptional service our clients rely on.”

Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

Founded in 1987, the Ithaca, New York-based Advantage Sport & Fitness serves as the exclusive distributor of Precor equipment on the East Coast of the United States, and also represents brands including Peloton, Escape Fitness and Power Lift. ASF also provides facility design and equipment selection services.

Last month, ASF expanded into the New England region, giving it a presence in states stretching from Maine to Florida. The brand serves clients in sectors including multi-family housing, high school and college athletic facilities, hospitality fitness centers, country clubs, and personal training/boutique fitness studios. 

“Our vision has always been to build an enduring, great company, and this partnership with The Amenity Collective and LIVunLtd ensures that vision continues to be our reality,” ASF president, founder and co-owner John Murray said of the deal. “After nearly 40 years of hard work and dedication, this milestone represents not just our growth, but the remarkable contributions of those who have been part of our journey.” 

“Alongside my partners, John Pfuntner and John Marcotte, we are proud to remain actively engaged, guiding our clients and team members through this exciting new chapter while upholding the service excellence that has always defined Advantage Sport & Fitness,” Murray added. 

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Endorphins Studios has launched as a next-generation content production company for health and fitness brands, the result of a partnership between Endorphinz, a fitness media company, and Extel, an agency in gaming, extended reality (XR) and AI development.

Endorphins Studios will create immersive and personalized content experiences for health and fitness brands and creators, including video and photo production, AI content creation, game design, interactive learning simulations, and experiences in virtual (VR) augmented (AR) and mixed reality (MR).

“Endorphinz provided best-in-class media production to over 75 fitness brands while helping companies navigate the pandemic and build digital brands over the last 5 years,” said Mike G. Hansen, the founder of Endorphinz and a partner at Endorphins Studios. “Now, it’s time to extend that media into emerging platforms, producing content using advanced technology for more immersive and personalized experiences.”

“Whether you need real-world media like videos or want to dive fully into virtual reality, Endorphins Studios will be your trusted partner every step of the way,” Hansen added. 

With a team of 20-plus developers who specialize in gaming, AI and VR, Endorphins Studios says it can help health and fitness brands transition from static and dynamic media to immersive, tech-enabled content experiences and navigate the upcoming Web 3.0 environment. 

“Since 2008, we’ve been developing games and interactive experiences, supporting health and fitness brands with everything from cardio-based games to VR fitness experiences,” noted Kandaswamy Sankara Narayanan, the founder of Extel and a partner at Endorphins Studios.  “Combining forces with Mike G. Hansen and capitalizing on Endorphinz’s experience will accelerate industry innovation, allowing brands to push the boundaries of what’s possible as we lean further into AI-powered solutions for both real and virtual worlds and new media experiences.”

Endorphins Studios comes as ChatGPT developer OpenAI just released Sora, a video-generating AI that can create “realistic videos” from text, photo and video inputs. Sora has the potential to transform video content generation in the same way ChatGPT has done for text-based content, giving health and fitness brands a powerful new tool for marketing and advertising. 

To celebrate its launch, Endorphins Studios is offering all first-time health and fitness customers a content and media audit which includes a review of current production, recommendations on new tools and a complimentary storyboarding workshop for new content ideas. 

To learn more about Endorphins Studios, you can contact Info@EndorphinsStudios.com

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Planet Fitness’ strategy under new CEO Colleen Keating is starting to take shape, and at least some analysts are confident the low-price gym giant will be able to reassert its dominance in 2025, buoyed by a revamped marketing plan and a shift to more strength training equipment. 

In an equity research report published Friday, analysts from TD Cowen expressed optimism in Planet Fitness’ future under Keating, who took over in June at a pivotal time for the high-value, low-price (HVLP) gym brand.

The analysts said they met with Planet Fitness’ executive team including Keating, chief financial officer Jay Stasz, retiring CFO Tom Fitzgerald, and vice president of investor relations Stacey Caravella, and that the meeting “re-affirmed our confidence” in the gym brand’s stock as a “buy” for 2025. 

“We expect changes around marketing, messaging, box lay outs, and franchise economics to reaccelerate openings, members, and comps growth,” the analysts wrote. “Progress will take time, but we expect a better 1Q, and are encouraged by the price transition.”

Just before Keating took over, Planet Fitness in May raised the price of its Classic Card membership from $10 per month to $15, its first price hike in nearly 30 years. 

Planet Fitness is still the largest gym chain in the United States with over 2,000 locations and around 20 million members, including a sizable Gen Z contingent. However, the brand is facing increased competition from low-price gyms including Crunch Fitness, EōS Fitness, Chuze Fitness and Vasa Fitness, which have won over a certain portion of the fitness population by offering amenities like group fitness classes, recovery services and premium strength training equipment at price points at or near Planet’s $15/month offering. 

Marketing to Gym-Goers

To fend off competition from those brands, Keating has made revamping Planet Fitness’ marketing strategy a top priority. This includes focusing on fitness over fluff, and positioning Planet as a brand for serious gym buffs. 

“We’re beginning the shift to communicating the high value of a Planet Fitness membership versus primarily focusing on our low price and using our marketing to demonstrate the breadth of high-quality top-tier equipment in our club,” Keating explained during a Q3 earnings call last month.

TD Cowen analysts noted that Planet Fitness execs are aligned on delivering a marketing message that’s focused on “getting people off the couch” and into the gym. In line with Keating’s comments, the brand will also focus on “dispelling the perception members can’t advance their fitness journey at its gyms,” the analysts wrote. 

New marketing tactics include touting the quality of Planet Fitness’ workout equipment, especially its strength training offerings. In a recent social media campaign, the brand compared its dumbbells to those of an “overpriced competitor gym,” noting that both pieces of equipment weigh the same and will get you the same results, but a Planet Fitness membership is cheaper. 

Similar marketing initiatives will be implemented this month and over the first quarter of 2025 across social media and on TV, the analysts said. They caution, however, that Planet Fitness is still searching for a new chief marketing officer, who will want to “put their stamp on the business,” so the brand’s marketing strategy could evolve.

Strength Training Shift

To match its new marketing ethos, Planet Fitness is also changing the look and feel inside of its gyms, notably by embracing strength training and cutting down on cardio. TD Cowen analysts noted that the brand is tweaking the layouts of its gym floors to include “a better mix of on-trend equipment.”

According to the report, Planet Fitness gyms around the country are gradually adding more strength training equipment, including free weights, and removing some cardio machines, eyeing a 50/50 split between the two modalities. That move follows industry trends as gym-goers, especially young people and women, flock to strength training.

“This should improve the member experience by increasing equipment relevance and reducing wait times,” the analysts wrote. 

In the long term, Planet Fitness execs are also looking to improve franchise economics to drive more gym openings in the years ahead. That includes lowering build-out costs for new gyms by around 10%, making it cheaper for franchisees to buy and maintain equipment, and increasing revenue through the Classic Card price increase, per the TD Cowen report.

Overall, the report is positive on Planet Fitness’ outlook ahead of a pivotal January –  the brand’s first with its new $15/month pricing structure. TD Cowen predicts that Planet will add around 1.1 million net members in the first quarter of 2025.

“We expect a strong 1Q, but net member growth could look different from prior years as it will be the first 1Q with a higher price point,” the analysts wrote. 

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Barcelona-based boutique fitness software platform bsport has raised €30 million ($31.5 million) in a Series B funding round, setting the stage for international expansion, including a bigger push into the United States market.

Bsport announced the funding round this week, which was led by American venture capital firm Base10 Partners and U.K. firm Octopus Ventures, alongside Stanford University and joining existing investors, notably Seventures Partners and Seed4Soft.

With the new funding, bsport intends to drive expansion across the North American, European and Asia-Pacific (APAC) markets, accelerate its investment in generative AI and triple its workforce by 2026. 

“With the support of our new and existing investors, bsport is on a mission to unlock the full potential of wellness studios by providing an unparalleled, all-in-one solution that combines advanced technology and innovation with a deep understanding of our clients’ needs,” bsport co-founder and CEO Zakaria Mansour said. 

Founded in 2018 and launched in 2020, bsport serves around 2,000 gyms and fitness studios across Europe and North America, predominately small and medium-sized businesses. Its clients include U.K.-based brands Paper Dress Yoga, United Fitness Brands and Boom Cycle, according to its website. In 2022, the company raised €4 million in a Series A round led by Seventure Partners.

By next month, bsport expects to reach over €10 million in annual recurring revenue, Mansour has told Axios. 

Bsport says its software offerings are designed to “reduce operational costs and maximize revenue to enable scalable growth” for fitness studio owners. Its services include class bookings, payments, staff management, sales and marketing, and member experience tools. 

The company has its headquarters in Barcelona and additional offices in Paris, London, Berlin and the United States, employing a multilingual staff of around 160. As it pursues expansion, bsport will place a special focus on the North American, Asian-Pacific and DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) markets, the company says.

“Bsport is well-positioned to take on the needs of small and medium-sized businesses in the wellness space – an industry that has largely gone underserved by technology,” TJ Nahigian, a managing partner at Base10 Partners, said. “Zakaria and team’s all-in-one platform helps these businesses take control of their own growth, and we are thrilled to be supporting this special team.”

Bsport isn’t the only fitness software firm to reel in funding for international expansion. Hapana, an Australia-based brand, landed $17 million earlier this month to fuel expansion in the APAC region and the U.S., and launch a next-generation platform.

Sport Alliance, a software platform based in Hamburg, Germany, that serves the sports and fitness industries, got a $100 million growth investment from PSG Equity late last year to drive global growth.

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Corporate wellness – the practice of giving employees access to discounted or free fitness, wellness and healthcare services as part of their benefits package – has exploded in recent years, and for good reason. 

The corporate wellness market is projected to grow to nearly $105 billion by 2030 as blue-chip companies continue to invest in their employees.

While there’s some debate over just how effective corporate wellness programs actually are, studies and surveys have consistently shown that having healthier employees can help businesses save money on healthcare, boost workplace productivity and reduce costs associated with absenteeism. 

Having a robust corporate wellness offering might also help firms recruit and retain top talent, especially among younger generations. A 2023 survey from healthy eating platform Lifesum found that nearly 71% of Gen Z and Millennials would quit their job in favor of one that better supports their overall well-being.

“Post-COVID, (people are) looking for organizations that have some kind of commitment to their well-being,” says Dilan Gomih, the founder of Dilagence, a firm that advises companies on how to design effective workplace wellness programs. “If you want to be able to attract and retain talent, then it’s absolutely in your interest to make sure you’re investing in wellness.”

But for businesses to see an economic return on their wellness investments, employees must actually use the services on offer. 

Gomih, whose firm has worked with brands including Google, Pinterest and J.P. Morgan, sat down with Athletech News to share her biggest tips for companies looking to craft a winning corporate wellness program.

Drive Awareness & Make It Easy

To start, awareness is key. Too many employees either don’t know they have access to corporate wellness benefits or don’t know where to find them, according to Gomih. Predictably, this leads to low usage rates. 

“Awareness is huge,” Gomih says. “You have to make it incredibly easy for people to find it – in a minute or two. Otherwise, they’re not going to take advantage.”

Companies should take strides to make sure their employees understand the depth and breadth of the services available to them. Wellhub, a popular corporate wellness platform used by more than 15,000 companies in 11 countries, gives employees preferential access to gyms, wellness coaching, mental health services and more, for example. 

“Make sure people know that yes, you can use it on a massage if you want, or you can use it on your Peloton subscription – there’s a full gamut of things you can spend it on,” Gomih says. “Choice is good. You just have to make sure people know what their choices are.”

Convenience Is Key

Driving awareness is only part of the battle, though. To encourage long-term usage, companies must ensure their corporate wellness offerings are convenient for busy workers. 

Gomih gives the example of offering yoga classes at lunchtime, a stereotypical corporate wellness benefit. Lunchtime yoga sounds good in theory, but taking an hour-long break in the middle of the day isn’t feasible for most white-collar workers.  

“Imagine working at an investment bank like I did,” she says, recalling her previous career at Bank of America. “I’m going to be like, ‘That’s really nice. (But) I can’t leave my desk.’” 

Instead, Gomih recommends companies offer programs that reimburse employees who attend a fitness class or get a massage on their own time. Reimbursement programs are more flexible, leading to higher usage. They also give HR leaders valuable data on which wellness benefits are most popular with workers – where people choose to spend their money is where they see the most value. 

Fitness brands looking to capture a bigger swath of the corporate wellness crowd should consider offering shorter workout classes or small pieces of online fitness content, Gomih recommends. This way, brands can appeal to time-crunched employees, many of whom don’t have time for a full hour-long class during the workweek but can find the time to squeeze in 10 or 20 minutes of physical activity.

“Where Peloton has been winning is having these 20 or 10-minute (classes),” she says. “People feel like, ‘Okay, I’ve got a few minutes. I can do this.’”

It Starts at the Top

For all the good that corporate wellness can do, there’s still a stigma around employees taking time out of their day to focus on health and wellness. This is especially true in more traditional industries like finance, law and, ironically, healthcare. 

This societal barrier prevents many companies from fully embracing corporate wellness – and reaping the productivity and cost-saving benefits that come with it. 

“Where there’s still a mental shift to be made is connecting the dots between well-being being as a nice-to-have versus a need-to-have,” Gomih says. “It’s realizing, ‘If your employees are healthier, they’re more productive for you.’”

Ideally, CEOs and top-level executives should embrace wellness and set the tone for the entire organization. 

Gomih cites Thrive Market – a Dilagence client – as a good example of a brand that’s embraced a top-down commitment to workplace wellness. When Dilagence worked with Thrive, the company’s executive team built movement into their daily work lives, including taking regular team walks to relieve stress and stir creativity.

“When they were working on a strategic problem or they had a consideration they were thinking through as an organization, they literally took the advice of going on a 20-minute walk to think about it,” she recalls. “All the research says that when you move, you’re helping your mind think better.”

At the end of the day, Gomih believes white-collar workers should approach physical health in the same way athletes increasingly prioritize taking care of their mental health for peak performance. 

“Physical and mental health aren’t mutually exclusive, and that’s still something we’re fighting,” she says. 

Correction: Dilagence has worked with brands including Pinterest, not Peloton, as a previous version of this article stated.

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High-intensity interval training (HIIT) may be poised for another breakthrough, while Pilates and strength training remain top-of-mind for fitness enthusiasts, according to a new report from smartwatch giant Garmin. 

Garmin has released its 2024 Garmin Connect Data Report, which reveals how Garmin users participated in health and fitness over the past year. The report offers some interesting insights – and perhaps a few surprises – for fitness operators and wellness enthusiasts.

Track running (+65%), HIIT (+56%) and Pilates (+42%) saw the highest year-over-year activity percentage increases, followed by e-bike riding (+38%) and indoor rock climbing (+31%).

Strength training also saw a healthy 25% year-over-year increase, which is unsurprising given the modality’s surge in popularity post-pandemic. 

Stairclimbing also saw a notable 25% increase, likely driven by the rise of glute training, especially among women. Breathwork logged a 19% year-over-year increase as fitness enthusiasts increasingly prioritize holistic wellness. 

Outdoor running (7%) and walking (6%) also saw modest year-over-year increases, showcasing the staying power of foundational fitness modalities. 

Pilates’ surge is notable, especially since Garmin users aren’t traditionally associated with the mind-body modality. One of the fastest-growing fitness modalities over the past few years, Pilates shows no signs of slowing down as franchise brands continue to expand and equipment makers release tech-forward spins on the modern Reformer experience. 

HIIT’s strong performance should bode well for large fitness operators like Barry’s and smaller boutiques alike, A recent report from Research and Markets projected high-intensity interval training to become the fastest-growing boutique fitness modality over the next five years, driven by its effectiveness for time-constrained exercisers. Studies like this one, meanwhile, have found that HIIT may reduce the risk of cognitive decline in seniors.

“This is the first study to our knowledge to identify that a HIIT paradigm for the healthy elderly is suitable and effective at significantly improving and retaining long-term hippocampal-dependent learning, for up to 5 years,” the study’s authors wrote.

Stepping to Better Health

Garmin’s 2024 report also offered insights into the general health and wellness patterns of people across the globe. 

The average Garmin user logged 8,317 steps per day in 2024, well above the worldwide average, which hovers around 5,000. Hong Kong users took the most steps on average, with 10,340, while Indonesians came in last, taking just 5,375 daily steps. 

Going Dutch? Netherlands Wins on Key Health Metrics

The Dutch have a reputation for leading a healthy lifestyle, which appears to be well-earned. Garmin users in the Netherlands had the highest average Body Battery level, a metric Garmin uses to measure personal energy levels based on factors like physical activity, stress, heart rate and sleep. 

The average Garmin user’s Body Battery level in the morning was 71, while those in the Netherlands had an average level of 74. Japan had the lowest average body batter level, coming in at just 66 in the morning. 

The Dutch also got the best sleep in 2024, with an average sleep score of 73, outpacing the worldwide average of 71. Indonesians had the lowest average sleep score of 64 (maybe they should walk more!).

South Korean Garmin users did the best at managing their stress, logging an average daily stress score of 28, ahead of the global average of 30. Malaysians had the highest stress scores of all Garmin users, coming in at 33. 

Surprisingly, across the board, Garmin users’ stress scores were lowest on Monday (29) and highest on Saturday (32). Garmin notes that might be due to “jitters” before a big race or event, which often takes place on the weekend.

Fountain of Youth

In terms of fitness, the average Garmin user’s “training readiness” score was 60, which equates to moderately prepared. Users in New Zealand were the most ready for training on average, while South Koreans tended to be the least prepared. 

Garmin users tend to be healthier than their biological age would suggest. According to the brand’s “fitness age” metric, Garmin users are, on average, 2.48 years younger than their actual age. Women were 1.94 years younger on average while men were 2.75 years younger than their actual ages. 

Garmin Eyes Healthcare

While Garmin has made a name for itself over the past two decades for its health and fitness wearables, the Kansas-based brand is also eyeing the healthcare space. 

Garmin executives believe smartwatches can become an integral part of modern healthcare by tracking metrics like stress, heart rate variability (HRV) and skin temperature, and feeding that data to healthcare professionals, who can then make more informed decisions on patient health.

Called, “smartwatch-enabled digital health,” Garmin is actively working to make this vision a reality. The company launched Garmin Health in 2014, growing it into a full-scale B2B solution for healthcare, research and clinical trials, insurance companies, gyms and fitness brands, corporate wellness and more. 

When it comes to smartwatches and healthcare, Garmin believes it has an advantage over other tech players like Apple and Samsung thanks to its open platform, the quality of its biometric data and the long battery life of its watches. 

“Garmin’s business strategy is to be an ecosystem player,” Scott Burgett, senior director of Garmin Health Engineering, told Athletech News earlier this year. “When you look at the breadth of our wearable products, the breadth of our data, and the ease of integration – we’re agnostic between iOS and Android – we really are the best company (to work with).”

To view the 2024 Garmin Connect Data Report in full, see here.

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Pickleball might be all the rage right now in the United States, but another racket sport could be coming for the crown. 

Padel, a sport invented in Mexico in 1969, has emerged as a potential competitor to pickleball’s hegemony inside gyms and health clubs across America. Essentially a cross between tennis and squash, padel is popular in countries including Spain (where it’s the second most popular sport after soccer), Italy, Argentina, Sweden and its homeland of Mexico, among others.

Santiago Gomez is betting that padel will make it big in America, too. 

A Mexico-born padel fan turned New York entrepreneur, Gomez founded Padel Haus in 2022 in Brooklyn as New York City’s first dedicated padel club. Since then, Padel Haus opened two additional clubs in Brooklyn, with new locations set for Denver, Nashville and Atlanta.

Gomez sat down with Athletech News to discuss the origins and growth padel, why the racket sport is poised for growth in the U.S. and his plans for the future of Padel Haus.

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 Padel Haus?

Santiago Gomez: I was born in Mexico and grew up between Mexico City and Acapulco, where padel was invented in 1969. I grew up with the sport in my blood – my family has been playing it for years. I started playing as a teenager and played until after I graduated college in Mexico. 

I moved to New York in 2010 to work in finance – at that time there were no courts here, so I stopped paying. In 2014, I left my finance job and opened a few restaurants, which I sold in 2020 when COVID came. During COVID, I moved back to Mexico for a bit and started playing padel again every day. I’d heard they opened a first club in Miami, Wynwood Padel Club, and that it was doing quite well. That’s when I got the idea of opening a club in New York City. I came back to New York and opened our first club (in Dumbo, Brooklyn) in the summer of 2022. 

ATN: How would you describe padel for people who aren’t familiar with the sport?

SG: Padel is like a mix between tennis and squash. You play on a smaller court than tennis and can use the walls, which is why it’s somewhat similar to squash. It’s doubles only, so four people on a court. 

Even though it was invented in Mexico, there are now 25 million people playing padel worldwide. In places like Spain and Sweden, padel has surpassed tennis as the largest racket sport. “Padel” searches on Google are up almost 100% year-on-year for the past three or four years. 

Brands are also starting to realize the value of the sport and the amount of players who are passionate about it. Brands like Adidas and Wilson, which used to be just tennis brands, now have their own padel lines. Some fashion brands like Prada and Zara have also launched their own padel lines. 

ATN: Padel hasn’t historically been popular in the United States, but that’s starting to change. How would you assess padel’s growth trajectory in America? 

SG: The U.S. was probably the last (large, Western) country where the sport wasn’t present, up until three or four years ago. Since then, it’s grown around 100% year-on-year in terms of players and clubs. The Pro Padel League (PPL) was just created, which I compare a lot with MLS. When soccer started in the U.S., it was kind of late to the game but everybody played it worldwide. Then MLS started growing by bringing in a lot of former top players or retired players. The PPL is somewhat doing the same.

Given its size and the amount of potential players, I think the U.S. is going to become the number one padel market in the years to come. Right now, there are about 400 courts but I think we can easily get to 5,000.

ATN: Is the rise of pickleball in America a good or bad thing for the future of padel? 

SG: Pickleball, padel, tennis, ping pong, squash – any racket sport – I think they all help each other out. The world has seen a rise in racket sports as a whole, and pickleball did a great thing by converting some tennis players to try pickleball for the first time. I see the same with pickleball players trying padel for the first time. The conversion in most cases is one way, meaning people try padel and they just want to play paddle; they don’t want to go back to tennis or pickleball. We have a 92% retention rate in terms of people who come to try this sport for a second time returning for a third time. 

Padel players tend to have a different profile than pickleball players. Padel players tend to be a bit younger and more athletic, whereas pickleball is mainly for people who wouldn’t play sports otherwise. Padel has more strategy involved because of the walls, and it’s a bit more (physically) challenging because you’re running more on a bigger court. 

ATN: Why did you decide to launch Padel Haus in New York City to start, and how has the brand grown since 2022? 

SG: New York is a fantastic market given how many expats and foreigners live here. In all of the facilities we’ve opened here, the club was full within one or two months. Initially, most of our players were international, but those people told their friends who came over and tried it for the first time. Now, the majority of our players are Americans. 

As we go to new markets like Nashville, Denver and Atlanta, one thing they all have in common is that they’re wellness-first markets. A lot of people who live in Denver are outdoorsy and they want to try sports. Nashville has also gone through a transition in terms of what people like to do for social activities. 

ATN: What’s the typical demographic profile(s) of a Padel Haus member?

SG: When we first opened in New York, 90% of our customers were male. Now we’re at around  65% men and 35% women. That probably has to do a lot with where we are in New York City. We don’t get a lot of stay-at-home moms but we’ll get that in other cities like Nashville and Denver. 

ATN: What are your expansion goals for Padel Haus over the next few years?

SG: We want to get to 40 facilities within the next five years. We’re looking at every tier-one and tier-two city right now. 

We want to be close to downtown in most of the cities that we go to, and we’re targeting cities that have at least 800,000 people and that have purchasing power to pay the rates that we ask for. I always say we have a premium facility and we have premium prices. Because of that, we stay closer to the city centers.

The post CEO Corner: Padel Haus’ Santiago Gomez on the Next Big Racket Sport appeared first on Athletech News.

While the obesity epidemic still runs rampant in America and much of the modern world, an ever-increasing number of consumers are prioritizing nutrition, leading to a proliferation of healthy food and drink options.  

Driven in part by the GLP-1 weight-loss craze, the market for healthy eating continues to grow, with brands from Nestle to Hims & Hers entering the space. 

Amid this backdrop, Lifesum, a popular healthy eating app with over 65 million users, has revealed its top five food and drink trends for 2025. 

“The future of food is functional, blending nutrition with purpose to support holistic health and well-being,” said Lifesum CEO Markus Falk. “These trends reflect a growing desire for foods and drinks that not only nourish the body but also empower individuals to live healthier, more balanced lives, making wellness both accessible and enjoyable.”

Here are Lifesum’s predictions for the five healthy eating trends set to define 2025, based on anonymized user trends and behaviors within the Lifesum app, supplemented by industry research and insights.

GLP-1 Enhancing Foods

Foods inspired by GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are “set to dominate” in 2025, according to Lifesum. These foods help support weight management, either by boosting GLP-1 naturally in the body or by providing protein, which is vital for preserving lean muscle mass while losing weight. These foods are meant to complement weight-loss medications, not replace them, Lifesum notes. 

Examples include green tea blends, which contain catechins that boost natural GLP-1 secretion for appetite control, and protein-enriched coffee and energy drinks.

Brands To Watch: Nestle, Hims & Hers and SoWell have all introduced pre-packaged food and drink lines designed to support people taking GLP-1s, underscoring the growing market for weight-loss companion meals.

Fermented & Gut-Health Foods

Gut health and microbiome supplements have become highly popular, but the right foods can produce similar effects. Fermented and probiotic-rich foods are expected to take off in 2025: searches for gut-health foods increased by 47% in 2024, according to Lifesum’s research. 

Foods like fermented cashew cheese, a dairy-free alternative rich in probiotics, and kimchi superfood blends, which pair kimchi with ingredients like turmeric and spirulina, are foods to watch in 2025.

Brand To Watch: Supergut, a prebiotic superfood brand that launched in 2022, inked a deal with GNC earlier this year to bring its line of prebiotic drink mixes and bars to the health retailer. 

Nootropic Beverages for Cognitive Health

As mental health becomes a bigger priority for people around the world, nootropic drinks have emerged. A category of supplements designed to improve cognitive functions like focus, memory and creativity, nootropics are commonly found in pill form, but they’re also making their way into prepackaged drinks.

Examples of nootropic beverage include cacao-based tonics, which offer adaptogens like rhodiola rosea for mood and mental clarity, and matcha + L-theanine combos, which seek to pair energy and calm for cognitive support.

Brand To Watch: Odyssey, which makes ready-to-drink beverages infused with nootropics, raised $6 million earlier this year. 

Fiber-Rich Foods

The health benefits of fiber are becoming more appreciated by the general public amid the GLP-1 craze, thanks in part to the nutrient’s ability to regulate appetite. Searches for fiber-rich foods increased by 29% in 2024, per Lifesum.

To help busy people get more fiber on the go, fiber-infused sparkling waters and fiber-rich smoothie boosters could become more popular in 2025. 

Brand to Watch: Vibi+ is among those getting in on the fiber beverage trend. The brand’s prebiotic-infused water contains 27% of the average American’s daily fiber needs in one bottle.

Protein Powder & Foods (especially for women)

Protein-enriched foods are nothing new in the fitness world, but they’ve got impressive staying power. Driven in part by the rise of strength training and the benefits of protein consumption for GLP-1 takers, protein is poised to remain highly popular in 2025.  Women are seeking protein more than ever before for hormonal balance, muscle recovery and metabolic health benefits, Lifesum notes. Searches for protein-rich foods increased by 42% in 2024, according to the healthy eating platform. 

Protein donuts, which can be enriched with whey or pea protein powder, represent one creative way brands are offering protein in tasty ways. 

Brand To Watch: To help people get their daily protein while avoiding some of the GI discomfort that many experience while taking protein supplements, celebrity trainer Jason Walsh created Rise311, a plant-based protein powder that contains clean ingredients and enzymes for digestion. 

The post These 5 Healthy Food & Drink Trends Could Define 2025 appeared first on Athletech News.