All Things Fitness and Wellness

Welcome to This Week in Fitness by ATFW your five-minute rundown of the biggest developments shaping the global fitness industry.

Hosted by Krissy Vann, this week’s episode covers expansion moves, training behavior insights, hybrid performance science, GLP-1 trends, and new global health policy.

In this episode:

• Panobianco Academia brings former Planet Fitness CEO Chris Rondeau onto its board as the Brazilian franchisor targets 600 clubs in 2026.
• Tonal releases its State of Strength Report, highlighting shorter sessions, adaptive training, and surprising generational performance gaps.
• HYROX publishes its first Sports Science Advisory Council Report, breaking down pacing, technique, fatigue, and hybrid performance demands.
• ClassPass reveals 2025 movement trends including Pilates growth, midday workouts, racquet-sport surges, and a 121% spike in refueling orders.
• Equinox x Function deepen their partnership with clinical-grade testing and women’s health support through EQX ARC.
• Shed reports extreme generational weight-loss behaviors and shifting GLP-1 influence channels.
• Strava shows Gen Z driving global community-based fitness, hybrid training growth, and increased wearable investment.
• Ro finds GLP-1 normalization is happening through personal relationships, not advertising.
• The World Health Organization releases its first global guideline on GLP-1 therapies for obesity.

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

Every January, gyms see the same trend. A surge of motivated joiners followed by a sharp drop-off only weeks later. In this episode, Krissy Vann speaks with Myzone’s Dr Heather McKee, a leading behaviour change specialist, to examine what behaviour science reveals about the January member retention problem and what gym owners can do differently.

Dr McKee breaks down where gyms lose the most members in the first 30 to 60 days, the early behavioural signals that predict disengagement, and how data or wearable feedback loops can help operators intervene before a member drifts. The conversation explores why belonging drives long-term adherence, how micro-communities can anchor new members, and what a behaviour-enabled environment looks like for operators focused on stronger member retention.

As gym owners shape their 2026 strategies, Dr McKee highlights the single behaviour-first initiative with the greatest potential to reduce the annual January drop-off and strengthen long-term retention.

A practical conversation for gyms and operators committed to improving member retention and driving lasting engagement.

#fitnessbusiness #gymowners #podcast 

On this episode of This Week In Fitness, host Krissy Vann delivers a fast, news-driven breakdown of the major developments shaping the global fitness and wellness sector. Designed for industry leaders, operators and decision-makers, this week’s roundup covers equipment innovation, franchising disruption, community engagement, hospitality investment and the future of wellness travel.

In today’s headlines:

• Matrix Fitness responds to record strength-training demand with a new Magnum Plate-Loaded Range
• Pickleball Kingdom brings competition and franchising to reality TV with the launch of Paddle Battle
• Dubai-based elegant hoopoe enters the UK with an AI-governed franchise model designed to replace traditional manuals
• Planet Fitness supports Boys and Girls Clubs of America through a recent GivingTuesday match
• New York’s The AC demonstrates the scale and stickiness of social fitness with a 500-person community event
• Condé Nast outlines the top wellness travel trends for 2026 as the sector approaches 1.4 trillion dollars
• Equinox Hotel returns to the spotlight through a major real estate acquisition at 35 Hudson Yards
• The global gummy supplements market surges toward a projected 66.79 billion dollars by 2031

A concise, authoritative look at the shifts influencing fitness, wellness and consumer behavior — all in under five minutes.

What advocacy priorities will shape the fitness industry in 2026?

In this episode of All Things Fitness and Wellness, host Krissy Vann sits down with Zach Weston, Executive Director of the Fitness Industry Council of Canada (FIC), the national nonprofit representing roughly 7,000 facilities and seven million members across the country. While today’s conversation spotlights Canada, the themes reflect the globalpressures facing every operator, policymaker, and industry leader.

From preventive health legislation to affordability barriers and consolidation across North America, this episode breaks down the key advocacy questions defining the path to 2026.

We explore:
• Top advocacy wins from 2025 and what they signal moving forward
• How Canada is approaching preventive health policy and why it matters globally
• The push to reach inactive and underserved populations through policy
• Tax incentives, affordability, and the impact of legislation like the PHIT Act
• Where healthcare–fitness integration is gaining traction
• How consolidation may reshape the sector in 2026
• What operators across the U.S. and Canada can align on to strengthen fitness as essential infrastructure
• And the doors opened by having a fitness-sector advocate in Parliament

With a multidisciplinary background in kinesiology, business, and health system administration, Zach offers a rare, strategic view of the advocacy landscape as the fitness sector enters a defining year.

If you’re an operator, executive, policymaker, or part of the broader wellness ecosystem, this episode is your 2026 advocacy briefing.

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

Connect with The Fitness Industry Council of Canada: https://ficdn.ca/en/home/

Connect with Krissy Vann: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krissyvann/

Connect with Zach Weston: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zweston/

This Week In Fitness delivers your executive-level briefing on the biggest moves shaping the global fitness industry — all in under five minutes. Each episode breaks down the trends, company strategies, policy shifts and innovation stories influencing operators, investors, and decision-makers across the sector.

This week’s roundup covers major developments across performance training, connected fitness, wellness, policy, and women’s health technology — with notable updates from HYROX, Orangetheory Fitness, Peloton, GNC, EGYM, 24 Hour Fitness, and more.

• Orangetheory Fitness partners with HYROX
• Orangetheory launches a new holiday + New Year campaign
• GNC releases its first Anti Trend Report
• Peloton teams up with the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
• JETSET Pilates deepens its premium real estate strategy
• EGYM’s “Strength Shift” report reveals how Gen Z and Millennials are reshaping gym behavior
• Trump Administration introduces a proposed Medicare GLP-1 demonstration model
• IdentifyHer launches Peri
• 24 Hour Fitness launches Reformer24

Watch the latest episode of This Week In Fitness now — and make smarter decisions for 2026.

Welcome to This Week In Fitness, where host Krissy Vann breaks down the biggest fitness business headlines all in under five minutes. Each week, we cover the stories shaping the global fitness and wellness industry, from earnings and expansions to innovation and tech. Designed for executives, operators, and decision-makers, This Week In Fitness delivers quick, credible, and data-driven insights to keep your fitness business in shape.

In this episode:
-Peloton Recall
-Planet Fitness Price Move
-VASA Fitness Reinvestment
-Southern California Shake-Up: EōS and Gold’s Gym 
-Technogym x World Athletics
-TRX x The Picklr

Listen for: concise business reporting, executive-level insights, and the latest growth trends across fitness, wellness, and active lifestyle sectors.

#fitnessbusiness #gym #gymowners #fitnessindustry

The fitness industry is changing fast. AI adoption, automation, data integration, new CRM capabilities, and member engagement platforms are evolving daily. The biggest risk is not choosing the wrong technology. The biggest risk is indecision.

In this MarketFit by ATFW episode presented by Americaneagle.com, host Krissy Vann sits down in Chicago ahead of The Fitness Technology Summit with two industry leaders:

Tony Stehn https://www.americaneagle.com
Ron Benamor https://dxfactor.com

Together, they break down the 2026 Fitness Tech Stack Playbook and reveal what operators must build now to stay competitive next year.

What You Will Learn
-How AI will reshape member engagement and retention in 2026
-The difference between buying more tools and building the right tech stack
-Where operators are wasting money due to lack of decision making
-How to evaluate new platforms without creating operational chaos
-What data you should prioritize to drive revenue and conversions
-How to integrate tech across CRM, marketing automation, and on-site systems

Key Takeaway
“More is lost by indecision than by wrong decision.”
Doing nothing is the most expensive line item on your P&L in 2026.

Who This Episode Is For
Multi-unit fitness operators
Boutique fitness owners
Health club executives
Digital transformation leaders
Anyone planning their 2026 growth strategy

If you are asking questions like:
“Which tech does my club actually need”
“How do I integrate AI without overwhelming my team”
“Where should I invest for 2026”
This episode answers them.

 Connect With the Guests
Tony Stehn-  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonystehn/
Ron Benamor- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronbenamor/
Krissy Vann (Host)- https://www.linkedin.com/in/krissyvann/

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#fitnessbusiness #fitnessindustry #gym #gymowners #fittech #fitnesstechnology #ai

This week’s episode takes us from bold marketing in Dubai to major moves in fitness tech and fresh insights on GLP-1 medications. From one-tonne billboards to billion-dollar data plays, here’s what’s shaping the business of fitness right now.

• GymNation makes heavy lifting a marketing strategy with a one-tonne billboard promoting its new Strongman class.
• lululemon × NFL debut their first-ever licensed apparel collection across all 32 teams.
• Anytime Fitness launches in Dubai, expanding its global footprint with Technogym’s connected ecosystem.
• Iron House Design brings Swarovski-embellished equipment to the U.S. luxury wellness market.
• Daxko acquires Exercise.com, strengthening its presence in boutique and hybrid fitness.
• HFA FIT Tracker reports record-high U.S. gym visits, up 4 % year-over-year.
• ClassPass enters hospitality through its first hotel partnership at The Manner SoHo in New York.
• Walla raises $5 million to scale its AI-powered Studio Performance Software.
• Lifesum survey reveals GLP-1 users are resisting ultra-processed foods as medications reshape nutrition habits.

This Week In Fitness is where we crunch the latest fitness business headlines in under 5 minutes. Hosted by Krissy Vann.

Longevity might be the industry’s favorite buzzword right now, but what does it actually mean for fitness operators?

This week’s ATFW Podcast is another Soundbite Session, recorded live at Beyond Activ in Dallas, where we unpack the real business implications of the longevity movement.

Joining the conversation are:
• Jeff Zwiefel, JZ Consulting | Former President & COO, Life Time
• Bob Thomas, Founder & CEO, NEXGEN Scientific
• Eric Durak, President & Founder, Medical Health and Fitness

Together, they share what’s next as fitness, medicine, and science converge  from the rise of GLP-1s and peptide therapies, to the role of cognitive health and AI-driven personalization in shaping the next generation of member experiences.
You’ll hear how operators can turn longevity from a talking point into a business strategy one built on outcomes, retention, and new revenue opportunities.
This is All Things Fitness & Wellness where industry leaders share insights that help you stay ahead of what’s next.

This Week in Fitness is a weekly news show hosted by Krissy Vann, delivering the latest headlines shaping the fitness business in under five minutes. Produced by All Things Fitness & Wellness, it keeps industry leaders informed on innovation, investment, and insight driving the global fitness economy.

Krissy Vann crunches the latest fitness business headlines in under 5 minutes. Here is what is making news this week:

• Hims & Hers Health launches a new specialty for perimenopause and menopause care, expanding access to affordable, personalized treatment plans guided by licensed providers.

• Kohler Health turns bathroom routines into data-driven wellness insights with its first smart device, blending design, discretion, and digital health innovation.

• ResearchAndMarkets.com report projects the global anti-obesity drugs market to surge from $19.6B in 2025 to $104.9B by 2035, signaling a new era for metabolic health.

• Gale Landers, founder of Fitness Formula Clubs, will be inducted into the Health & Fitness Association Hall of Fame for his decades of advocacy and leadership.

• Reebok and F45 Training announce a multi-year global partnership spanning footwear, apparel, and wearable tech — uniting performance innovation with community fitness.

• ABC Fitness Wellness Watch Report 2025 shows that 57% of consumers join fitness communities for connection, with Gen Z and Millennials driving new growth across gyms and studios.

• LinkedIn’s Top Startups 2025 reveals that telehealth and better-for-you food brands dominate the list, proving wellness remains one of the most resilient sectors for growth and talent.

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