Fitness + Technology

For episode 12 we're continuing our featured series, LIVE from CES 2017 bringing the top speakers and brands from Las Vegas right to your audio player.

Our first guest is Dr. Steven Leboeuf from Valencell. You won't want to miss our second featured guest, Joni Kettunen, CEO of Firstbeat, and pioneer in physiological analytics and their applications for fitness. His vision for incorporating heartbeat analytics and wearable technology has placed Firstbeat at the cutting edge of the industry.

About Dr. Steven

As co-founder and President of Valencell, Inc., Dr. LeBoeuf has developed ongoing strategic partnerships between Valencell and leaders in industry and academia. He has raised more than $10M in funding for Valencell and is the inventor/co-inventor of more than 50 granted patents, including dozens of foundational patents in the field of accurate wearable sensors. Prior to Valencell, LeBoeuf led the optoelectronic biosensor program at GE Global Research, where he managed the development and productization of biosensor systems and developed cutting-edge nanosensor technology. Before joining GE, LeBoeuf developed optoelectronic solid-state materials and devices while researching at North Carolina State University. Dr. LeBoeuf holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from N.C. State and a B.S. in Mathematics and Electrical Engineering from Louisiana Tech University.

With fitness wearables, apps, and devices of the rise, Dr. Steven is talking with us about a flourishing segment in our industry called, "hearables." These are connected devices worn at the ear, typically functioning as an audio earbud, biometric monitor, and can also be used as an augmented hearing device.

The hearables segment is projected to have a compound growth rate of over 170% in the next 4 years, and Dr. Steven's insight and expertise on how this tech will impact the fitness industry will uncover the changes we're seeing in the way fitness professionals will collect heart rate, blood pressure, perform health and fitness assessments and much more.

• What are hearables?
• Growth of hearables as a segment in wearables
• Why there are over 330 million aftermarket headphones now in the marketplace
• Why track biometrics at the ear? (effective due to arterioles and blood flow)
• The science of tracking blood pressure and other biometrics at the ear
• Discover how in 2006 Valencell's technology lead to the rise of the wearables market
• Why one of the biggest hurdles with sensor technology is predicting the future (for investors)
• Making sensor tech seamless? Exploring augmented hearing and voice user input
• The confluence of combining wearables biometrics with AI for Voice Plus
• Why use case validation is not done well currently, and what needs to be done for the future
• Why everything Dr. Steven does is about making people's lives better

• The hearables segment is projected to have a compound growth rate of over 170% in the next 4 years. This technology will impact the future of how fitness professionals will collect heart rate, blood pressure, perform health and fitness assessments and much more.
• Hearables are poised for tremendous growth, being driven by several orthogonal market forces, however, before mass-market adoption (10 M+ users) can be realized, a few technical challenges remain.
• The technical hurdles that stand between niche markets and mass consumer adoption are proving stable, seamless Bluetooth and wireless connectivity balanced with advanced features of size, comfort, and power management for long-term comfort and extended wear use cases.

"At Valencell, we want you live your life well, with whatever wearable you like, and we'll help collect the data you generate to uniquely guide you in your lifestyle to better health." - Dr. Steven LeBoeuf on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"We're seeing that sensor use case validation is often not done well. What companies must do now is work together to test out these cutting edge technologies to meet the demands for seamless functionality and accuracy during real life situations." - Dr. Steven LeBoeuf on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

• Valencell Website
• CES 2017: Optical Sensor Measures Blood Pressure
• Dr. Steven LaBouef on LinkedIn
• Catapult sports training
• Nick Hunn - Industry reviewer
• Photoplethysmography: a volumetric measurement of an organ. A PPG is often obtained by using a pulse oximeter which illuminates the skin and measures changes in light absorption.
• Emerging SUUNTO watches powered by Valencell technology
• Firstbeat Technology

Mr. Joni Kettunen, PhD, is a pioneer in physiological analytics and its applications. He is leading Firstbeat at the cutting edge of heartbeat analytics for wearables, fitness devices, wellbeing services and professional sports. As of today, Firstbeat analytics is used by hundreds of elite sports teams, thousands of corporations, and millions of consumers to improve their performance and wellbeing.

Before founding Firstbeat in 2002, Joni has done and published research in the areas of psychophysiology, behavioral medicine, autonomic nervous system function and stress quantification. Joni received his PhD from the Department of Psychology at the University of Helsinki in 1999.

His vision for incorporating heartbeat analytics and wearable technology has placed Firstbeat at the cutting edge of the industry. On this show, you'll learn about how coaches and trainers are using Firstbeat's technology to train clients with precision heart rate variability, otherwise known as HRV. Joni is going to share with us how GARMIN is using this technology combined with virtual coaching for athletes and everyday fitness users to support wellbeing and superior performance by tracking much deeper than just steps and sweat.

• What is Firstbeat?
• How Firstbeat models HRV with 20+ phases of heart rate data for actionable use from coaches and trainers
• How to provide actionable and individual feedback for stress or fitness training or sleep recovery
• How to model heart rate variability and stress in real life
• Why using HRV gives a "direct view" into the parasympathetic vagal system, which is strongly related to the recovery systems in the body
• HRV for coaches in person and virtually
• GARMIN HRV devices using training
• Why Firstbeat has grown to 90 people on staff with 20 exercise physiologists alone
• Understanding the GARMIN Fenix 3
• Understanding the Jabra Elite Sport Headphones
• The challenges for the sensor technology
• How HRV and 24/7 digital systems in corporate wellness systems are being used to optimize wellness

• Joni believes it's no longer enough to simply capture and measure data. Whatever you are doing, the wearable needs to provide accurate, consistent, and meaningful feedback that is actually useful. It is now understood by the technology sector that serves the fitness, wellness, and corporate wellness settings that collaborating together to do better is paramount.
• Firstbeat's accurate heart rate variability (HRV) based measurement and personal diary provide a window to a client's well-being. This real personalization via HRV and biometric data is allowing greater coaching and lifestyle modification along the wellness journey.
• Based on decades of research and work with professional athletes, Firstbeat has created a professional grade coaching tool that helps their clients manage stress, enhance recovery and exercise based off of data that matters.

"At any given time there are 15 to 20 different processes in our body that influence our heart rate. We detect those, and out of that we can compose a model of the physiology itself. Once we know what's happening in the body, we can provide much more actionable and insightful feedback for stress, training, fitness level, or sleep recovery." - Joni Kettunen on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"It's no longer enough to simply capture and measure data. Whatever you are doing with the wearable needs to provide accurate, consistent, and meaningful feedback that is actually useful. It is now understood by our peers that in the fitness, wellness, and corporate wellness settings we must come together to do better." - Joni Kettunen on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

• Firstbeat Technology
• Stress and recovery analysis method based on 24 hour HRV
• Whitepaper: Firstbeat method, subjective stress was directly associated with objective stress and inversely with objective recovery
• GARMIN Fenix 3
• Jabra Elite Sport True-Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Earbuds
• Wellness Professionals one professionals that use 24/7 dashboards
• Firstbeat is powering over 70 consumer devices to produce meaningful insights for training + wellbeing
• Firstbeat on twitter
• Firstbeat on facebook
• Firstbeat on Youtube

• Leave a 5 star review on iTunes
• Share this episode with someone you care about
• Contact FIT-C for podcast sponsorship and partnership opportunities
• Download the 2017 Tech Trends report

• Bryan O'Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere Ventures, Integerus Advisors, and many more. If you are looking for unmatched guidance, capital, insights or a great speaker or facilitator, Bryan and his partners are the go to resource for your organization. To learn more visit bryankorourke.com

• The Fitness Industry Technology Council, your non-profit resource for reliable technology information supported by forward looking brands who are seeking to drive increased technology adoption in the fitness industry. Make a difference and join FIT-C at fittechcouncil.org today

• Check out Bryan and his partner Robert Dyer's recent book "9 Partnership Principles: A Story of Life Lessons" which is available now on Amazon.com

We're excited to bring you some of the most cutting edge information in fitness technology right from the 2017 CES show floor that directly relates to your fitness business. First up on today's show is Amy McDonough from Fitbit.

Amy McDonough is the VP of Group Health at Fitbit. She works with employers, health plans and others in the corporate wellness space who are passionate about creating a culture of health within an organization or community. Amy oversees new and creative ways to bring consumer wearable technology into the corporate sphere with a goal of supporting as many individual's as possible in their journey towards optimal health.

Since 2008 Amy has been an integral part of Fitbit's growth alongside the founders, and her deep insights about using these devices will give both operators and trainers a valuable perspective on how this will impact the fitness business in the new year.

Fitbit met with us LIVE at CES to discuss the new landscape of corporate and large group health programs, the data around wearables, and their ecosystems that drive social connection and much more.

• Exploring the benefits of wearables: increased productivity, decreased absenteeism, lower A1c levels and supporting medication free lifestyles for diabetics
• How Fitbit is impacting both the fitness and wellness industries in 2017
• The growth of Fitbit: how Group Health is designed to meet the rising wellness needs of companies everywhere
• How Target, SAP, Bank of America are incorporating Fitbit Group Health in their wellness solutions
• How to approach the mindset of those resistant to using technology for behavior change as part of a team strategy
• How wearable technology is positively impacting select Fortune 500 companies
• Fitbit's new interactive features including a new community section of the website and specifically a feed where inspirational moments can be shared to increase physical activity among members
• Why Fitbit is combining large amounts of collected data create new, intuitive products, and more personalized devices to support the health consumers of today and the future
• What opportunities exist for large fitness clubs with Fitbit Group Health

• Amy believes there is no "one size fits all" wearable device or even approach to supporting a fitness enthusiast or club member's journey towards using increased accountability through technology. Looking deeper, it is the intrinsic and/or extrinsic motivation that is unique to all that really moves the needle.
• The data is proving that increased accountability through wearable devices for select companies is yielding a 24% - 46% decrease in anticipated health care costs after a 3 year look back period.
• The combination of integrating workplace group health initiatives using social, self motivation, and financial rewards programs tied to wearable technology is proving to be successful for both employees and insurance companies.

"What keeps me motivated every day is that Fitbit is in a very unique position to really look at consumers as individuals and help them on a personalized and guided journey to their health." - Amy McDonough on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"While health can be serious business, we feel it doesn't have to be. We believe you're more likely to reach your goals if you're encouraged to have fun, smile, and feel empowered along the way." - Amy McDonough the Fitness + Technology Podcast

• Fitbit Group Health
• Amy McDonough on LinkedIn
• Fitbit announced a partnership with UnitedHealthcare MotionTM wellness program, powered by Qualcomm Life using the Charge 2, This is Fitbit's first-ever custom feature for a Fitbit device, enabling Motion program members to earn up to $1,500 in annual rewards for achieving daily activity goals.
• Fitbit Now Integrates with Innovative Brands Habit, Peloton and VirZOOM
• Fitbit Launches Redesigned Fitstar Personal Trainer App to Help You Work Out Smarter with Recommended Workouts Based on Fitbit Activity
• FITSTAR - Fitbit's personal trainer mobile application platform
• Wellness Force Radio - Gretchen Rubin

We're excited to be bringing you some of the most cutting edge information in fitness technology right from the CES show floor, that directly relates to your fitness business. Place your dial above at 22:33 to hear the feature with Tom.

Tom Cortese is the COO and co-founder of Peloton - Tom has built a career managing effective, hard-working teams. and has deep roots in product development and user interface design and recently co-founded and sold the award winning PROUST.

• How Tom went from triathlon and working for Revolution Health group to co-found Peloton
• Why Peloton decided to enter the fitness space and their future plans
• The mindset of larger fitness organizations towards Peloton in the early years
• How Peloton built an incredible community with unique personalities in your virtual and digital instructors
• Fast Company's feature of Peloton's commercial-grade bike launch that will brings the cycling experience to hotels, office buildings, universities, and recently started manufacturing bikes for gyms across the country in 2017.
• What group exercise trainers and health clubs can expect in the next 12 months from Peloton for the blending of meaningful data and advanced fitness technology
• Major difference between Peloton and Soul Cycle, Zwift, WEXER virtual, and the others in our space

"We didn't set out to reshape a piece of fitness equipment. We set out to bring you a totally different experience. To bring that engaging, fun, exciting group fitness workout to the comfort and convenience of your home." - Tom Cortese on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

• Peloton Cycling
• Peloton on Facebook
• "Changing The View" John Foley at CES
• Peloton CEO John Foley at CES 2017
• Tony Wang on the Recode podcast in 2016 discussing the swell of energy behind the indoor cycling world
• INC Magazine - The "Netflix of fitness"
• Men's Health - The Best Cardio Machine On The Planet"

• Leave a 5 star review on iTunes
• Share this episode with someone you care about
• Contact FIT-C for podcast sponsorship and partnership opportunities
• Download the 2017 Tech Trends report

• Bryan O'Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere Ventures, Integerus Advisors, Moon Mission Mediaand many more. If you are looking for unmatched guidance, capital, insights or a great speaker or facilitator, Bryan and his partners are the go to resource for your organization. To learn more visit bryankorourke.com

• The Fitness Industry Technology Council, your non-profit resource for reliable technology information supported by forward looking brands who are seeking to drive increased technology adoption in the fitness industry. Make a difference and join FIT-C at fittechcouncil.org today

• Check out Bryan and his partner Robert Dyer's recent book "9 Partnership Principles: A Story of Life Lessons" which is available now on Amazon.com

Robert Dyer is the principle at Integrus, LLC, and a global ambassador with more than 30 years of operating health clubs, consulting to and advising fitness facility owners, global suppliers, and developing organizations. Robert and his partners have advised brands around the world. His fitness career began in the early 80's when he founded and served as CEO of the Fort Worth Fit For Life health club chain, and in 2006, he became CEO and founder of Fitmarc.

Sometimes you'll hear the phrase "people person" and think of someone you know who fits this description. You know the ones: those folks who just seem magnetic to everyone around them. Robert Dyer is most certainly a people person. It's reflected in his approach to business, whether he's working with someone in the fitness industry or from an outside field. Colleagues refer to him as "the genuine article," and "committed to improving the lives and circumstances of all those around him" without hesitation. People also observe that he seems to go out of his way to get to the heart of an interaction, bringing integrity, fun, and authenticity to large presentations and small collaborations alike.

Robert's philanthropic efforts have focused on helping and coaching people who can benefit from his experience and forward-looking insights. Robert's reputation of building relationships that matter and humanizing the health and fitness industry are well known to the people he has worked with over the years.

• Bridging the gap between "old school" traditional club operations vs. "new school" technology focused operations
• What best practices Robert put into place to support Les Mills in managing over 800 facilities with 5,000 fitness professionals
• Real life on the ground vs. the perception of what clubs "should be doing" online
• Robert's featured contribution in the 2017 FIT-C Tech Trends Report
• Team training: how new technology and customer service trainings need to be taught as technology grows on the fitness floor and in the back office
• The one thing that hasn't changed in fitness: It's a "people" business
• The club operator is busy with day to day operations, how do they create the time and inspiration to shift culture towards new technology in the club?
• How to know who to trust for quality information in a busy digital world
• Why Robert believes that focusing on educating staff, management, and club leaders to get 360 degree "buy in" is the most important first step of any map for technology integration and operational change
• What holds club operators back from using technology to create the time gaps for proactive team meetings that will foster productivity and connection.
• Does a specific road map for change with fundamentals for integrating new technology in clubs?
• The mindset of club operators and fitness pros that will bring them all the success they desire
• What separates the real, trustable relationships in the fitness industry from all the rest

• Some of the best input a club operator can ever receive from trainers and staff comes from an environment of transparency that is demonstrated from the top down. For any and all successful new technology integrations to work in a club, the enrollment conversation must happen from a place of collective feedback, not strong arm tactics.
• When it comes to new programs, operational policies, and technology systems to be effective and sustainable, all leadership must truly lead by their own example. Clear communication about the benefits to both staff and customers from any technology program initiatives must be demonstrated from all levels for success.
• In a sometimes noisy digital world, Robert believes it is important to take the time to create meaningful, personal, and authentic relationships beyond just digital. Technology is growing exponentially in our space, and with that, the opportunity to create those trusted connections are now more open than ever before.

"I don't like to ask someone to do something I'm not willing to do myself. Obviously, as we grow we can't be everywhere at the same time, but keeping this in mind makes you think about whether something is really that important." - Robert Dyer on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"It's important to understand that it's not a competition between old and new or human vs. technology. It's seeing what the best answers are for our customers and their needs. There is no doubt in my mind that the fitness industry, either new or old school, are both going to have to adopt technology as we move forward." - Robert Dyer on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

• Connect with Robert on LinkedIn
• Connect with Robert on Twitter
• Robert's Website
• Integerus Website
• Les Mills Group Fitness
• WEXER Virtual Fitness
• ECOFIT Fitness Equipment Intelligence
• Emotional Intelligence in the fitness industry
• How to build leadership skill-set around getting staff to buy into new technology
• The 2017 Group Fitness Landscape
• Les Mills International Acquires South Central Territory from Fitmarc
• Robert's Slideshares

• Leave a 5 star review on iTunes
• Share this episode with someone you care about
• Contact FIT-C for podcast sponsorship and partnership opportunities
• Download the 2017 Tech Trends report

• Bryan O'Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere Ventures, Integerus Advisors, Moon Mission Mediaand many more. If you are looking for unmatched guidance, capital, insights or a great speaker or facilitator, Bryan and his partners are the go to resource for your organization. To learn more visit bryankorourke.com

• The Fitness Industry Technology Council, your non-profit resource for reliable technology information supported by forward looking brands who are seeking to drive increased technology adoption in the fitness industry. Make a difference and join FIT-C at fittechcouncil.org today

• Check out Bryan and his partner Robert Dyer's recent book "9 Partnership Principles: A Story of Life Lessons" which is available now on Amazon.com

Graham Melstrand develops opportunities and relationships that advance ACE health policy positions and fitness industry standards. He assesses legislative positions at all levels of government that align with the ACE mission, and he monitors existing and emerging legislation and regulatory policy, informing ACE of the potential impact they have on the exercise professional, the public, and other stakeholders. He creates relationships with key policymakers and collaborative organizations and serves in an advisory capacity on a number of boards and committees including: president of the board for the Coalition for the Registration of Exercise Professionals, within the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs and other regulatory agencies.

Melstrand holds a bachelor's degree in physical education/athletic training from California State University, Long Beach. As a competitive cyclist, he participated in the U.S. Olympic Trials (1984, 1988) and was a member of the U.S. National Team Development Program (1983 – 1990).

• Why 72% of clients are asking for advice and feedback from activity trackers
• Why the exercise professional is moving into health coaching space to manage large groups
• Group Exercise Programming: Growing diversity and opportunities in the space
• Program offerings around the health coaching space
• Understanding the programmatic based delivery models for personal training vs. session-based delivery model
• What national programs are moving health progress forward by blending the activity data and prevention programs with and without government reimbursement
• Why programmatic based delivery service models reach more members than session based delivery models (3-5%)
• How the perception of the public health community about the fitness professional is now changing
• Community health: How new wearable activity technology is being used to geo-target for ROI in infrastructures for walkable communities
• Health literacy: Do average people know if they are or are not meeting activity guidelines?
• Correlations between physical activity and disease in affluent countries
• Life insurance: How will this industry give discounts for activity tracked through wearables?
• Understanding Intensive Behavioral Therapy: Received a grade B recommendation from the US preventative services task force now covered by medicare/medicaid (Behavioral physical activity nutritional intervention that targets individuals that are at risk for cardiovascular disease and have an additional risk factor - an estimated 90 million Americans would be open to receive this type of lifestyle counseling and would benefit, but only 8 million individuals have had access to it.
• How the YMCA's are a core portion of the delivery for the CDC's diabetes prevention program, which was just approved for reimbursement through medicare/medicaid (to the resistance of big pharma)
• Graham's featured contribution in the 2017 FIT-C Tech Trends Report

• The data is showing from ACE and other Industry reports that health coaching is emerging in our space where the non-member programs are becoming a lot more common. People are moving from early adopters and into the next group of facilities that want to build on the success that their peers have had.
• In 2017, technology and devices are not the competition for the fitness professional, they are a tool that can be leveraged to help manage a larger client base, stay in contact with clients, and to manage a group of individuals towards better health.
• The perception of the public health community about the role of fitness professionals is now changing via the use of accreditation and new technology that taps into the potential of aggregate data that can be used to increase population health.

"Technology devices are not competition for the exercise professional, they are a tool that can be leveraged to help manage a larger client base, stay in contact with clients, and to manage a group of individuals towards better health." - Graham Melstrand on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"We believe that health coaching is rapidly emerging in the health and fitness space while the non-member programs are becoming a lot more common. People are moving from early adopters and into the next group of facilities that want to build on the success that their peers have had." - Graham Melstrand on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

• Leveraging Tech to Help Create Active, Walking Communities (Recorded Webinar)
• Surgeon General's Activity Guidelines
• John Hancock Vitality Program
• ACAC - P.R.E.P Program
• ACE Fitness Professionals
• GENEVIX, New England
• CDC physical activity guidelines
• Coalition for the registration of exercise professionals: USREPS accredited organization for trainers
• ACE: increased focus for the use of technology for the fitness professional
• Workplace wellness programs
• Intensive behavioral therapy - Grade B (US preventative services task force)
• Carmichael Training Systems - Endurance coaching
• Insurance companies providing incentives for wearable activity tracking
• Enhance Fitness - Seattle Senior Services

• Leave a 5 star review on iTunes
• Share this episode with someone you care about
• Contact FIT-C for sponsorship and partnership opportunities
• Download the 2017 Tech Trends report

For over 20 years, Ted Vickey has immersed himself in fitness technology. Starting as the Executive Director of the White House Athletic Center through his fitness consulting company, FitWell, and continuing with his latest project as a Ph.D. researcher on Social Networking and Exercise at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Ted has proven to be an early adopter and advocate in technical systems and their applicability to fitness.

Ted believes we can take advantage of technology to not only motivate individuals across the globe to get out the door and move, but to be in closer contact with healthcare providers.

He is an emeritus member of the Board of Directors for the American Council on Exercise and has consulted with key organizations such as the Department of Commerce, the Securities and Exchange Commission, Fruit of the Loom, TSA and more. By education he is an Exercise Scientist, by experience an Entrepreneur, and by passion a Connector.

• Why major wearable technology organizations are investing in and creating digital wellness programs for 2017
• What inspired Ted's Tedx Talk "The Wireless Future of Wellness Is Now"
• Identifying new roles in fitness for trainers on and off the exercise floor
• Why the current model of personal training is broken
• Bridging the gap between wearables and digital coaching
• Identifying how health and fitness technologies can impact low income populations
• Why fitness consumers are now asking for training at the club with technology
• Understanding Data Collection Phase 1: Create the wireless fitness/wellness devices and improve data accuracy
• Understanding Data Collection Phase 2: Analyze the fitness data from a health professional
• Understanding Data Collection Phase 3: Implementing the data, personalizing it, and making it actionable
• Google AI Investments in 2016
• The results of ACE's Fitness Technology Survey Fitness Technology Among Trainers in 2016
• Ted's featured contribution in the 2017 FIT-C Tech Trends Report

• Disruptive technology is happening right now in the fitness industry. With some of the largest brands in wellness technology and digital health aiming their sights on the fitness industry, 2017 will be the year for smart club owners, operators, and trainers to dedicate time and energy towards adoption.
• This is an exciting time for all involved in the health, fitness and wellness industry. Big changes to the industry are fast approaching, and technology is leading the disruption. Those that understand and embrace technology will continue to see success and grow, those that don't may struggle to survive.
• The current healthcare model is broken. By being the bridge between doctor appointments, the certified health professional can play a critical role in the success of the overall wellness of each client. And by using the proper disruptive health technologies as a tool, this success can be even greater.

"If you are a personal trainer and you're afraid that you're going to be replaced by a piece of technology, you should be. Because if the only thing you're doing for your client is the exact same thing that a piece of technology is doing, then you're not really a personal trainer." - Ted Vickey on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"The iPhone 6 is one million times more powerful than the computer used to put the man on the moon. What I suggest is that we as the fitness industry, the health industry, and the healthcare industry realize this is our moonshot. This is how we can make a difference, and that is by using technology to make a difference in the lives of those that we have the opportunity and the privilege to serve." - Ted Vickey on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

• Ted's "The Wireless Future of Wellness Is Now" TEDx Talk
• Ted Vickey's Website
• Kevin Kelly: The Inevitable
• Gary Wolf
• Canyon Ranch Institute
• Nudge Coach App
• Wellness and fitness technology regulations for 2017
• Nir Eyal Interview: Habit Forming Products
• Fitbit 82% market share in 2016
• Smart phone usage rates in America
• Tech disruption in the fitness industry 2016 by Amanda Vogel
• Technology disrupted industries in Banking
• Point Loma University Ted Vickey, PhDc
• HealBe by GoBe
• Ace Fitness Webinar w/ Graham Melstrand: Population & Outcomes Management
• FitTechCES 2017

• Leave a 5 star review on iTunes
• Share this episode with someone you care about
• Contact Kelli Hatton for sponsorship and partnership opportunities
• Download the 2017 Tech Trends report

Dr. Michael Mantell earned his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania and his Masters at Hahnnemann Medical College, where he wrote his thesis on the psychological aspects of obesity. His career includes serving as the Chief Psychologist for Children's Hospital in San Diego, and as the founding Chief Psychologist for the San Diego Police Department. He served on the faculty of UCSD's School of Medicine, Dept. of Psychiatry, and as an Senior Executive Organizational Leadership Consultant for many top-tier companies in the US and abroad.

He is the Director of Transformational Coaching at the Premier Fitness Camp at Omni La Costa, and previously was the Senior Fitness Consultant for Behavioral Sciences at the American Council on Exercise. As a member of the Science Advisory Board of the International Council on Active Aging, Dr. Mantell is a 3x best-selling author, an international behavior science presenter and keynote speaker, and Advisor to numerous fitness-health related organizations.

After more than 40 years of diagnosing and treating individuals and couples with mental illness, he now provides advanced transformational leadership and behavior agility coaching/mentoring for sustainable strategic outcomes in mindful, values driven and positively adaptive ways to business leaders, entrepreneurs, athletes, couples, individuals, families and organizations to reach breakthrough levels of success and significance in their professional and personal lives.

He is a regular contributor for many TV and radio programs and is a nationally sought after behavioral science coach for business leaders, athletes, individuals and families. He is listed in the greatest.com's 2013 "The 100 Most Influential People in Health and Fitness."

• How Behavior Change integrates with the fitness industry as part of Dr. Mantell's "Optimal Sphere of Wellness"
• How technology will help fitness trainers keep their clients more complaint when combined with behavior change
• How Dr. Mantell sees robots working along with trainers in health clubs
• Technology's role for the fitness consumer "inner-stance vs. outer circumstance"
• Why the data is showing a shift from the role of personal trainers evolving into health coaches and what this means to health clubs
• The evolution of consumers paying for a gym membership, to a medical fitness center, to the new model of optimal health centers
• Why the fitness and health systems of the future will blend medical, health care, and fitness professionals to meet the onslaught of industrialized society.
• Learn about the "10 Cognitive Distortions" and how that relates to health clubs
• Understanding the drawbacks of "all of nothing" linear thinking
• How new advances in artificial intelligence will support both the wellness and fitness industry
• The role of robots in gyms, senior fitness, and active aging fitness groups
• How robots at Harvard are diagnosing emotional disorders
• How behavior change techniques will come from AI via planned social support
• Dr. Mantell's featured contribution in the 2017 FIT-C Tech Trends Report

• For sustainable and successful behavior change using wearables, connected devices, and mobile apps, it isn't the technology, it's what the individual thinks about the technology. It's the individual's inner-stance about their digital circumstance. It is the preference and the perceived value of the device to the client that will elicit sustainable change.
• For health coaches, yesterday the gym was it. Today, it's the medical fitness center, but tomorrow, when everyone wakes up, the new model is going to be the optimal health center.
• Robots and artificial intelligence are now capable of diagnosing emotions in clients and Dr. Mantell predicts it is only a matter of time before robotics and artificial intelligence will work their way into health clubs. This modality has already been seen in active aging groups, small health groups, and in studies at Harvard.

"For health coaches, yesterday the gym was it. Today, it's the medical fitness center, but tomorrow, when everyone wakes up, the new model is going to be the optimal health center." - Dr. Michael Mantell on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"For sustainable and successful behavior change using wearables, connected devices, and mobile apps, it isn't the technology, it's what the individual thinks about the technology. It's the individual's inner-stance about their digital circumstance." - Dr. Michael Mantell on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

• AI's and Psychiatrists: Dr. Ellie and DARPA
• Steven Kotler's work with AI and PTSD
• PFC Camp at La Costa
• Cognitive Behavioral Coaching
• The power of mindful leadership - Athletic Business Conference 2016
• Google mindfulness programs for employee wellness
• Steven Kotler - Flow Genome Project
• ACE behavior change courses
• The Link Is What You Think
• Dr. Mantell's book" "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff"
• Albert Ellis - A Guide To Rational Living
• Aaron Beck - Cognitive Therapy
• Marty Sellegmen - Learned Optimism

• Leave a 5 star review on iTunes
• Share this episode with someone you care about
• Contact Kelli Hatton for sponsorship and partnership opportunities
• Download the 2017 Tech Trends report

Paul Lockington is a business development adviser to a select group of growing companies in the Sporting Goods and Fitness Industries. From over 35 years of experience, Paul has extensive hands-on technical knowledge of human locomotion and its effects on the human condition.

With an academic background in Exercise Physiology and coaching qualifications with the NSCA, Paul understands the complexity of connectivity as well as the business philosophies and customer needs in both the fitness and wellness worlds. His broad network of contacts provides him with a unique perspective into the problems of his clients and how to solve them.

• How can operators, owners, and smart trainers capitalize on new technology with a new mindset
• How to use near field technology on member key fobs to save cost on heating and power in clubs
• How sensor technology can be used to manage retention and recruitment in clubs
• What is the impact of standardizing wireless devices on fitness and in clubs
• What do the interoperability standards mean for fitness devices in 2017
• Why wireless was first adopted by the nordic skiers and cycling industry early on in history
• Why BLE (bluetooth) was invented to solve a connectivity issue in cell phones, fitness, and globally to remove wires from everyday devices
• The difference between ANT (radio protocol) and ANT+ (the alliance)
• How crowded group fitness environments can benefit from the ANT technology
• What types of sensor technology are making the largest impact for the future of fitness
• Why being able to correlate heart rate with power output via accelerated technology is optimal
• How smart band-aids and skin sensor technology is being used to track hydration for athletes
• Why heart rate accuracy measured at the wrist may or may not be optimal for coaching
• What are the roadblocks and exciting opportunities for sensor technology in fitness
• Paul's featured contribution in the 2017 FIT-C Tech Trends Report

• To the average consumer, the heart rate monitor is an innovative and exciting tool, especially when it's removed from the chest and now being used at the wrist due to technology advancement in optical sensors that has risen to be commercially viable.
• Successful club owners and operators in the next 2 years must be educated and informed to avoid being left behind the growth curve. The standardization and interoperability of wireless tech and wearables with sensors that are connected to the cloud will meet the needs for the health club members of today and the future by providing a truly seamless fitness experience.
• It comes down to a financial bottom line—if you don't invest in technology, you have very little capability of communicating with your members, and you have very little capability of communicating with the equipment that you're using in the clubs.

"Many product suppliers for health clubs are waiting for technology to stabilize, but the truth is, it's not going to stabilize. The technology and innovation curve is growing steeply and it's not going to slow down." - Paul Lockington on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"New sensor technologies for group fitness mirrors the serious understanding that group fitness is a moneymaker for clubs. If you don't have group fitness, cycling, TRX, or Orange Theory typed programs, you're missing out on what's making people money." - Paul Lockington on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

• The Apple Watch Is the Most Accurate Wrist Wearable
• Strategic Technology Investment Can Yield Cost-savings for Health Clubs
• 245 million wearable devices will be sold in 2019
• Bluetooth Low Energy
• ANT (Network)
• 2016 ANT+ Symposium
• What is ANT+?
• Nearfield Technology
• Orange Theory Fitness: New Heart Rate Technology
• HexoSkin wearable technology embedded in clothing
• DEXCOM Glucose monitoring technology
• HealBe by GoBe app and device controversy
• CALIT2 UCSD stick on sensor for glucose monitoring
• Paul Lockington & Bryan O'Rourke ANT+ and Bluetooth Webinar
• Fossil's purchase of MisFit Wearables
• BLE Forum LinkedIn
• ANT+ Forum LinkedIn
• TRX Classes

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Josh Leve is responsible for the strategic development and growth of the Association of Fitness Studios. Josh brings more than 10 years of sales, consulting, advertising, marketing, operations, and retail experience to AFS. Josh has spent more than a decade in the fitness industry. Most recently managing large scale health clubs and successfully turning around the financial performance of three different facilities, while also providing consultative services for the boutique studio market.

The idea of AFS stemmed from combining Josh's health and fitness background, with his father Chuck's 40-year expertise in developing fitness associations. Time and time again, Josh had seen first hand, trainer after trainer leave the health club environment to start their own business, yet only to return due to the inability to find the proper resources focused on the business of owning and operating a fitness studio. In 2013, the Association of Fitness Studios (AFS) was born.

You can say running an association and being in the fitness industry was inevitable for Josh. His grandfather Mort (a member of the Handball Hall of Fame) was founder of the National Court Clubs Association (NCCA) – one of the International, Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association's (IHRSA) predecessors – and executive director of the US Handball Association (USHA).

His father, Chuck Leve (a member of the Racquetball Hall of Fame) and 40-year industry veteran, was executive director of the US Racquetball Association, a founding employee of IHRSA, and developer and builder of four fitness start-ups including IHRSA.

Prior to his health club experience Josh worked with Corbett Accel – the largest healthcare communications/advertising company in the US where he launched products for major pharmaceutical companies such as Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis. Josh holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Kansas.

• Why many top trainers leave clubs and studios to open their own
• The roadblocks and opportunities exist for fitness studios in the next 2-3 years
• What is the AFS and how does it serve fitness and wellness studios?
• What separates successful studios from the pack?
• Josh's featured contribution in the 2017 FIT-C Tech Trends Report
• How to create strategy around word of mouth and referrals for new studio members
• What Crossfit means to the fitness and studio market landscape
• What technology is moving the needle in fitness studios
• Why doing market research is pivotal for new studio owners
• Why leveraging human connection with technology will lead the way in fitness
• Understanding when to lean on technology and when to leverage personal connection in business operations.
• How to use new technology to ease the stress of running a business

• The future of successful fitness studios will be the ones that do customization and personalization best. Taking all the collected customer data and making it meaningful will separate the savvy studios from the rest of the pack.
• The consumer of today expects authenticity and high touch experiences from their studio. After all, a fitness studio by nature is deeply engrained in the local community.
• Make sure your business education and skill set runs parallel of your fitness education. Attend conferences, workshops, masterminds and the like to see what else others are using from a technology stand-point to differentiate themselves and determine if it's right for you.

"In top fitness studios, it's about taking a high-touch, results driven approach and creating an experience that could never be emulated in a traditional big box facility." - Josh Leve on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"As technology improves and more data is gathered from the human body, trainers (and thus studio owners) will need to be educated in how to make sense of this data." - Josh Leve on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

• AFS Website
• The 100,000 + Fitness Studio Landscape:
  • Martial Arts 10,000
  • Personal Training 60,000
  • Pilates/Yoga 30,000
  • Dance Studios 10,000
  • Cycle/Spin 12,000
  • ($22B in annual revenue) fastest growing segment in the fitness industry
• IBIS World Public Data for Fitness Studios
• "Millennials Are Killing Gyms, Too."
• FitMama
• Orange Theory Fitness
• AFS Spotlight: Anthony Carey & Function First
• CrossFit Games
• Infusionsoft
• Fitness email marketing
• IHRSA
• 2016 Fitness Studio Operating and Financial Benchmarking Report
• ASF on the web
• ASF on Facebook
• ASF on Twitter
• SoulCycle
• ClassPass
• FitWall

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Daniel Waide has been a Fitness Operator and entrepreneur for 15 years. His fitness career began as a mobile Personal Trainer while completing a Bachelors degree in Applied Science (Human Movement) in Melbourne, Australia.

He first worked technology into his fitness career when pre-apps, he created a web based text messaging tool to help his Personal Training clients train between sessions. His implementation of technology was key to the growth and success in his roles as National Fitness Manager with Genesis Fitness in Australia and as a Fitness Director for Town Sports International in Manhattan & Brooklyn.

Now working with Wexer, Daniel is helping fitness chains in the Americas and across the globe execute successful digital strategies. With a deep understanding of fitness and technology, Daniel aims to help more people get active, one digital fitness experience at a time. Wexer Virtual started with installations in Denmark and Norway, and has now expanded to more than 40 countries.

• How virtual and streaming fitness is being used in studios with top instructors to drive member engagement
• Digital ecosystem: what is the seamless experience that makes a difference?
• The history of WEXER in the fitness industry
• What the new group fitness member really wants and how virtual creates member success stories
• Gamification: why should trainers and club operators care and how will technology support it?
• Why most clubs are losing money without virtual and streaming when the GroupX room is empty
• How to create a fitness experience outside the 4 walls of the club using technology
• The evolution of virtual fitness: using collected data, what motivates a new member for the long term?
• Daniel's featured contribution in the 2017 FIT-C Tech Trends Report
• How virtual and digital fitness tools are serving the ever-expanding omnipresence gap
• How AI will integrate into virtual fitness in the next 2-3 years
• How clubs can balance both technology and people for smarter, more intuitive touch points

• There is now an digital attack on the 4 walls of the club. Owners, trainers, and operators need to get clear on their digital strategy to compete with the reality of members being able to get both training and fitness anywhere.
• As the consumer choices become more empowered through new technologies, successful clubs will need to use virtual and streaming as a key part of their digital ecosystem to provide convenience and flexibility in their memberships.
• For both reducing attrition and increasing member satisfaction in the age of non-committal members, trainers and operators must use the applicable digital tools and apps to shine for their membership base.

"More recently we are seeing an increasing amount of club groups combining virtual with live instruction. Either to make the live class even more engaging or to free up the instructor to enhance participant interaction." - Daniel Waide on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"People want personalized programs. It's something that the fitness industry went away from as we started to direct people more towards personal training. New technology can help build these personalized programs, at scale." - Daniel Waide on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

• Turn Your Data Into Actionable Insights
• The Evolution of Fitness, article by Daniel Waide
• How Google is going from mobile-first to AI-first while competition heats up
• Behind every fitness center, is a much more complex digital fitness solution that keeps your members motivated, right?
• REI's omni-channel winning customer experience
• WEXER's new "gym floor player" coming soon
• Youtube - WEXER Digital Channel
• 002 Bryan O'Rourke - The New Era of Exponential Technology Pt 2
• 001 Bryan O'Rourke - The New Era of Exponential Technology Pt 1
• Samsung's purchase of VIV - a next-gen AI assistant built by the creators of Apple's Siri
• Digital Transformation: How Chatbots, IoT, and Artificial Intelligence are Redefining How Retailers Reach Customers
• WEXER digital website

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Greg Skloot is an entrepreneur building technology for the fitness industry. As VP of Growth at Netpulse, Greg leads sales, customer success, marketing and operations for the #1 provider of mobile apps for health clubs. He splits time between San Francisco and visiting club operators all over the world, helping them leverage mobile to grow their businesses. Prior to joining Netpulse, Greg was Co-founder and CEO of Attend.com, where he raised $3M in VC funding and led a team of 30 employees. Greg is a frequent author and speaker about marketing and digital strategy. He is the author of several ebooks, including StartupsHeartCustomers.com, a popular online guide to sales and marketing. He holds a B.S. from Northeastern University, where he sits on the Alumni Board.

• The three categories of mobile value and strategy are needed for today's fitness club market
• What new technology is driving mobile usage inside and outside the 4 walls of the health club
• Why 1 out of every 4 pizzas that Domino's sells is via mobile
• How to use "reward" points to meet the new consumer at their deepest need inside and outside the club
• Why Greg's passion for fitness and technology started when he was 14
• How to get more "eyeballs" on your channel
• Consumer evolution and trends for the Generation Z in the fitness industry
• Why most consumers look at their phone over 100 times per day
• How to meet the consumer of the next 2-3 years on their phones
• A day in the life of a Generation Z club member
• Understanding the boomer generation and their digital literacy
• Using mobile to increase club sales and lower attrition
• How mobile technology is giving the health and fitness industry the ability to reach more members than ever before

• Owners, operators, and trainers need to work together in satisfying the three categories of mobile and digital strategy:
  • Operations: checkins, schedules, sign ups, maps and amenities
  • Engagement: interact and bring value to supporting the member's fitness journey via syncing wearables, loyalty programs, and rewards inside and outside the club
  • Marketing: driving member referral, up-sells, promotions and general communication
• Apps and wearables are now the consumer norm: As clubs, the focus in 2017 needs to be on training staff to meet the technology demands of the new members.
• Successful clubs stay open to change: looking for new ways to reach members and what tools they can use to deliver added value. Digital training is changing the landscape for the fitness floor and will give trainers the ability to scale their business beyond the traditional model while opening up the door to allowing more members to get the benefits.

"We are in the midst of an incredible revolution in business models. Industries that have operated the same way for decades are being wildly disrupted by new startups that are thinking differently." - Greg Skloot on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"The savvy operator is going to understand how to use technology as a powerful accelerant to their marketing programs, to their referral strategy, and to their member retention and engagement." - Greg Skloot on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

• "Millennial are killing gyms, too" article from New York Post
• Millennials overtake Baby Boomers as America's largest generation
• Understanding the "Generation Z"
• Gen Z: What they need to make purchase decisions
• Free Download: Unlocking mobile feedback from Netpulse
• Contact Greg directly
• "The Health Club of 2020" by Bryan O'Rourke & Greg Skloot
• Top 10 Trends of Fitness Technology for 2016
• Clients of NetPulse
• NetPulse Company
• MyZONE Company

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