What does the latest consumer data actually say about the state of the fitness industry heading into 2026?

In this episode of All Things Fitness and Wellness, Krissy Vann sits down with Melissa Rodriguez to unpack new research on how Americans are engaging with fitness and wellness today.

They explore participation versus consistency, the gap between casual users and committed exercisers, how digital tools are being used, the rise of recovery and wellness services, and what motivates consumers to start and stick with a fitness routine.

For gym owners, operators, and fitness executives planning for 2026, this conversation breaks down the questions that matter most when interpreting industry data and turning insights into strategy.

Topics include:
• Fitness participation and engagement trends
• Consumer behavior in wellness and recovery
• Digital fitness usage patterns
• Barriers to consistency
• Strategic considerations for operators

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Stay fit, stay informed, and keep your fitness business in shape.

#FitnessIndustry #WellnessTrends #GymOwners #FitnessBusiness #HealthAndFitness #IndustryReport #ConsumerTrends #FitnessData

In this episode of This Week in Fitness, we cover Planet Fitness expanding in Mexico, Pilates Addiction reaching 250 U.S. licenses, Novo Nordisk filing a lawsuit over compounded GLP-1 products, Ministry of Sound turning nightlife into competitive fitness, the HFA Hall of Fame honoring Elaine LaLanne’s 100th birthday, and why protein cereal signals a bigger shift in consumer nutrition behavior. Stay ahead of the fitness business headlines shaping 2026.

Stories Covered This Week:

Planet Fitness Expands in Mexico
Planet Fitness signs a new franchise agreement to open additional clubs in Tijuana and Mexicali. With gym penetration in Mexico below 7 percent, the market continues to present long-term growth opportunity.

Pilates Addiction Sells 250 U.S. Licenses
The boutique Pilates brand reaches a key development milestone and projects more than 2,000 new jobs in 2026, alongside a $5.25 million investment in instructor training.

Ministry of Sound Turns Nightclub into Fitness Arena
Ministry of Sound Games returns in London, staging a competitive fitness event inside a fully produced nightclub environment as operators experiment with experiential formats.

Novo Nordisk Files Lawsuit Over Compounded GLP-1 Products
Novo Nordisk sues Hims & Hers, alleging patent infringement tied to compounded semaglutide. The case highlights continued legal tension around GLP-1 access and regulation.

HFA Hall of Fame to Honor Jack and Elaine LaLanne
The Health & Fitness Association will induct Jack and Elaine LaLanne on March 15 in San Diego, followed by a celebration of Elaine’s 100th birthday ahead of The HFA Show.

Protein Moves Into Breakfast Cereal
General Mills and GHOST launch protein-enhanced versions of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Lucky Charms. The bigger story is how protein continues reshaping mainstream food categories beyond traditional performance nutrition.

Stay fit, stay informed, and keep your fitness business in shape.

The HFA Show 2026 is almost here, and this year’s event in San Diego is expected to be the largest gathering of health and fitness industry professionals in North America.

In this special edition of the ATFW Podcast, Krissy Vann shares insights from a preview press conference ahead of the show. Hear what Liz Clark, President of the Health & Fitness Association (HFA), says attendees can expect, along with updates from Mike Goscinski on new industry research set to be released in March.

If you’re a gym owner, executive, investor, or fitness operator planning to attend HFA 2026, this episode gives you context before you hit the show floor.

The HFA Show takes place March 16–18 in San Diego. Krissy will be on site covering key conversations and trends.

Connect on LinkedIn and follow All Things Fitness and Wellness for live updates from the event. Stay fit, stay informed, and keep your fitness business in shape.
#fitnessbusiness #fitnessindustry #gymowners 

This Week in Fitness breaks down the most important business stories shaping the global fitness and wellness industry. Each week, we cut through the noise to highlight expansion moves, technology shifts, investment activity, and emerging trends operators and executives should actually be paying attention to — all in under five minutes.

This Week in Fitness: The Stories We’re Watching

The Pack Launches Global Franchising Platform
Backed by Rumble co-founders, Super Bowl–winning NFL quarterback Russell Wilson, and Grammy Award–winning artist Ciara, The Pack moves into franchising as demand builds for experience-led, self-defense–based group fitness concepts.

UFC GYM Enters Mainland China
UFC GYM expands into Mainland China, bringing its performance-led, MMA-rooted training model to a fast-growing market focused on structured, results-driven fitness experiences.

EoS Fitness Surpasses Two Million Members
The HVLP operator closes 2025 with more than two million members, a 20 percent footprint expansion, a major Southern California acquisition, and continued investment in amenities and community initiatives.

Technogym Named Official Supplier for Milano Cortina 2026
Technogym secures its tenth Olympic and Paralympic Games partnership, equipping athlete training centers across six host locations for the 2026 Winter Games.

EGYM and seca Introduce Integrated Fitness Hub
The two companies launch a combined onboarding and medical-grade body composition assessment station, signaling continued convergence between digital fitness ecosystems and clinical measurement.

Hims & Hers Expands Weight Loss Offerings
The telehealth platform adds a compounded oral semaglutide option, expanding delivery formats for GLP-1–based weight loss under licensed provider oversight.

Dogtopia and YogaSix Partner on Routine-Based Wellness
The brands launch Paws and Poses, a February initiative designed to help pet parents maintain consistent wellness routines by pairing yoga with dog daycare.

Stay fit, stay informed, and keep you fitness business in shape.
#fitnessbusiness #fitnessindustry #gymbusiness

GLP 1s aren’t new but their impact inside gyms is accelerating.

In this episode, Dave Appel, Chief Health and Fitness Officer at KORB Health Group, joins the podcast to unpack how the continued rise of GLP 1 use is changing the way gyms coach, program, and support members.

We talk through how GLP 1 members often differ from traditional populations, why business as usual programming can fall short, and where gyms have a real opportunity to improve outcomes without compromising coaching culture. Dave also shares how medical support, telehealth, and fitness can work together to help members preserve muscle, stay engaged, and achieve results that previously felt out of reach.

This is a practical conversation for gym owners and executives navigating the next phase of GLP 1 adoption focused on retention, staff education, and long term member value.
Stay fit, stay informed, and keep your fitness business in shape.

Welcome to This Week in Fitness, where ATFW host Krissy Vann crunches the latest fitness and wellness business headlines—all in under five minutes.

This week, we start with Burn Boot Camp making a bold move by bringing Kevin Hart into the business as an equity partner, franchisee, and executive leader—not a spokesperson. We also cover McFIT launching international franchising for the first time, signaling a new phase of European brand expansion.

Plus, Hims & Hers Health returns to the Big Game with a provocative message on healthcare inequality, Lindora appoints new leadership as it scales its metabolic health franchise model, the Global Wellness Summit releases its 2026 wellness outlook, and Starbucks doubles down on protein and functional nutrition.

If you’re a fitness or wellness operator tracking growth, franchising, leadership, and where consumer health expectations are headed next—this week’s episode is for you.

Stories This Week

• Burn Boot Camp x Kevin Hart
  Burn Boot Camp brings Kevin Hart in as an owner and executive partner, signaling a shift toward celebrity involvement rooted in equity, operations, and long-term brand growth.
• McFIT Launches International Franchising
  The European gym giant opens franchising for the first time, targeting new global markets while preserving its company-owned model at home.
• Lindora Names Andrew Marlow President
  The 55-year-old medical weight loss brand sharpens its muscle-first metabolic health strategy and prepares to launch franchise sales nationwide.
• Hims & Hers Returns to the Big Game
  The telehealth platform tackles healthcare inequality head-on with its “Rich People Live Longer” campaign, reframing prevention and longevity as access issues.
• Global Wellness Summit Releases 2026 Outlook
  The annual Future of Wellness report highlights an over-optimization backlash, rising focus on women’s health, neurowellness, and more human-centered wellness experiences.
• Starbucks Expands Protein and Functional Nutrition
  Starbucks leans further into protein, matcha, and energy-forward offerings—another signal that daily nutrition expectations are shifting well beyond gyms.

That’s it for This Week in Fitness.
Stay fit, stay informed, and keep your fitness business in shape.

#fitnessbusiness #fitnessindustry #fitness 

How do you scale a fitness business without losing focus?

In this episode of All Things Fitness and Wellness, Chris Smith shares how Fitness World Canada is approaching its next phase of growth, including plans for franchising and continued corporate expansion. The conversation focuses on the structure behind the strategy, the role of the team, and what it takes to prepare a fitness business for scale.

Chris walks through how the franchise model is being developed, what the organization is looking for in franchise partners, and how operational readiness factors into long-term growth. Rather than theory, this episode offers a practical look at how a multi-club operator is thinking about expansion in today’s fitness industry.

If you’re a gym owner, operator, or executive interested in fitness franchising, business growth, or scaling with intention, this conversation provides real-world insight into the planning and execution behind expansion.

Connect with Chris Smith:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-smith-1874138/?originalSubdomain=ca
Learn more about Fitness World:  https://fitnessworld.ca 

#fitnessbusiness #gymbusiness #fitnessindustry 

This week on This Week in Fitness, we break down one of the largest technology deals in global fitness, as Playlist and EGYM announce a $7.5 billion merger. We also cover Fitness World’s $50 million expansion and franchise launch, major moves in women’s health programming, new data on menopause and GLP-1 users, and a protein-powered pizza test that shows how far wellness culture is reaching.

Stories Covered:
• Playlist × EGYM — A $7.5B merger backed by $785M in new equity aims to build a fully integrated global fitness and wellness technology platform.

• Fitness World — Announces a $50M investment to support national expansion and the launch of its first franchise program.

• Equinox — Launches EQX ARC, a women’s health initiative integrating biometric insights from ŌURA and clinical testing from Function.

• Peloton × Respin Health — New study data shows 84% of participants experienced symptom improvement during perimenopause and menopause.

• Purpose Brands — Survey data highlights shifting health priorities, generational differences in fitness engagement, and high activity levels among GLP-1 users.

• Papa Johns — Tests a one-day Protein Crust Pizza, signaling how protein-forward and wellness messaging is entering mainstream food.

Stay fit, stay informed, and keep your fitness business in shape.
#fitnessbusiness #fitnessindustry #gymowners 

How should gyms engage and retain members using GLP-1 medications in 2026? Behaviour science expert Dr. Heather McKee joins host Krissy Vann to break down what operators must understand as motivation, willpower, and progress cues shift for this growing member segment.

As Myzone’s Motivation Science Advisor, Dr. McKee brings global experience designing behaviour-driven programs for more than 100 companies. In this episode, she explains:

• what GLP-1 members actually need when weight is no longer the main driver
• how reduced reliance on willpower reshapes habit formation and long-term adherence
• early behavioural signals that indicate satisfaction or disengagement
• how gyms can create supportive environments without requiring medication disclosure
• how to redefine progress so members still feel momentum as body changes stabilise

This conversation gives fitness operators, coaches, and executives a clear, science-backed playbook for keeping GLP-1 members engaged long term.

This Week In Fitness crunches the latest fitness business headlines, all in under five minutes. Hosted by Krissy Vann, the show delivers a fast, factual snapshot of what’s shaping the fitness and wellness industry for operators, executives, and decision-makers.

In this episode:

-24 Hour Fitness brings founder Mark Mastrov back as Owner and Executive Chair following an acquisition with LongRange Capital

-OpenAI launches ChatGPT Health, a new experience designed to help users navigate health information using connected medical records and wellness data

-Planet Fitness is named the top-ranked fitness brand on USA Today’s America’s Best Customer Service list for 2026

-PVOLVE enters the New Year with a campaign focused on consistency, adherence, and long-term movement

-Zumba launches a global campaign highlighting music-driven motivation and emotional engagement

-GymNation takes experiential fitness to new heights with the world’s highest gym class in Riyadh

-StarCruises partners with Under Armour to launch a fitness-focused cruise experience

-Plus, the launch of Smittyville, a new podcast for personal trainers hosted by Fitness World CEO Chris Smith and produced by All Things Fitness and Wellness

Stay fit, stay informed, and keep your fitness business in shape.

#fitnessbusiness #fitnessindustry #gymowners