Fitt Insider

October 13, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes.

Today's top stories:

• Sava raises $36M Series B led by Ascensia Diabetes Care to bring a microneedle continuous glucose monitor to market
• Google Health partners with Flo Health to sync cycle tracking with Fitbit data for 80M+ monthly users starting next year
• NFL invests in flag football as high school girls' participation jumps 48% to 100,000+ ahead of its 2028 Olympic debut

More from Fitt:

Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital.

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Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/

Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/

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Today, I'm joined by Keith Barlow, founder & CEO of XENOM.

A two-day, 10-event competition testing gymnastics, strength, and metabolic conditioning, XENOM is positioned as the mass-participation alternative to elite-only fitness competitions.

In this episode, we discuss building the "decathlon of fitness."

We also cover:

• Partnering with CrossFit and HYROX
• Competitive fitness as a cultural phenomenon
• The business model behind large-scale fitness events

Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast

Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe

Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider

XENOM's Website: https://www.xenom.global/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xenomglobal/

Keith on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keith.barlow1/

Keith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-barlow-31490947/

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The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart fitness ecosystem for fitness and health facilities.

Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/

Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/

Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:01) Keith's background

(01:28) Founding story

(02:03) HYROX founders partnership

(05:02) CrossFit consumer vs. HYROX consumer

(06:50) Event for everyday athletes

(09:55) Partnership strategies

(14:00) Venture pitch

(18:51) Events, sponsorship, tickets

(21:45) Event execution

(25:45) Participation tiers and accessibility

(28:30) Scoring system

(31:19) Programming for affiliates, not just elite

(34:00) 3–5-year vision

(36:00) Where to find and follow XENOM

(36:45) Conclusion

October 9, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes.

Today's top stories:

• Wally raises $25M Series A to grow from 15 to 100 dental locations, charging $249 a year for unlimited cleanings without insurance
• Outro Health raises $7M to scale its deprescribing platform, building personalized tapering plans for antidepressants and other long-term medications
• PepsiCo cuts its full-year earnings outlook as North American volume slips, even as it leans into protein, fiber, and zero-sugar products

Today's episode is brought to you by AIIR — a modern communications and experiential agency for health, wellness, fitness, and performance brands. From earned media to events and creator-led campaigns, AIIR helps companies sharpen their story, earn attention, and build trust that compounds. Visit https://aiir.agency to learn more.

More from Fitt:

Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital.

Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe

Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/

Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/

Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider

Reach out → [email protected]

October 8, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes.

Today's top stories:

• HYROX founders join XENOM as investors and board members, forming a partnership between two hybrid fitness competition brands
• Study of 1,000+ Australians links childhood cardiorespiratory fitness to a lower risk of adult depression, with a 20% lower rate among women
• Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk data show GLP-1 patients had biological ages two to three years lower than placebo, pushing the drugs into the longevity race

Today's episode is brought to you by AIIR — a modern communications and experiential agency for health, wellness, fitness, and performance brands. From earned media to events and creator-led campaigns, AIIR helps companies sharpen their story, earn attention, and build trust that compounds. Visit https://aiir.agency to learn more.

More from Fitt:

Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital.

Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe

Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/

Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/

Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider

Reach out → [email protected]

October 7, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes.

Today's top stories:

• TJ Parker's General Medicine raises $120M to build a consumer layer for healthcare, treating care like ecommerce in a $5T market only 4% digitally penetrated
• Altro Health raises $7M to help fitness operators and medspas offer peptides, GLP-1s, and hormone therapy in-house, working with 500 businesses already
• True Food Kitchen files Chapter 11 and closes 12 restaurants, putting the wellness chain up for sale while 34 locations keep operating

Today's episode is brought to you by AIIR — a modern communications and experiential agency for health, wellness, fitness, and performance brands. From earned media to events and creator-led campaigns, AIIR helps companies sharpen their story, earn attention, and build trust that compounds. Visit https://aiir.agency to learn more.

More from Fitt:

Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital.

Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe

Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/

Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/

Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider

Reach out → [email protected]

October 6, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes.

Today's top stories:

• Hiyo raises a $20M Series B led by Constellation Brands, pushing its nonalcoholic social tonics toward 13,000 retail doors

• Happy Health's smart ring gets FDA clearance for cuffless, calibrationless blood pressure, adding to its sleep apnea diagnosis

• Gym access is now the top lifestyle factor for Gen Z renters, with 32% willing to pay more to live near one

Today's episode is brought to you by AIIR — a modern communications and experiential agency for health, wellness, fitness, and performance brands. From earned media to events and creator-led campaigns, AIIR helps companies sharpen their story, earn attention, and build trust that compounds. Visit https://aiir.agency to learn more.

More from Fitt:

Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital.

Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe

Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/

Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/

Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider

Reach out → [email protected]

Today, I'm joined by Frank Britt, CEO of Aescape.

Aescape's AI-powered bodywork tables turn millions of anatomical data points into a new layer of health intelligence — with plans for personalized "body scores" in the future.

In this episode, we discuss repositioning from robotic massage brand to body intelligence.

We also cover:

• Biomechanical blindness
• Pivoting from licensing to ownership model
• Why recovery still gets just 2% of fitness dollars

Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast

Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe

Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider

Aescape's Website: www.aescape.com

Find a Table: https://app.aescape.com/locations

Aescape on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aescape

The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart fitness ecosystem for fitness and health facilities.

Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/

Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/

Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:42) Frank's background

(01:48) Company pivot to body intelligence

(03:15) Adaptive body therapy category

(04:30) Business model shift

(07:45) Personal health journey

(10:15) Using Aescape in recovery

(10:45) Tom Brady partnership

(15:00) Body intelligence and data

(18:00) The missing tissue data layer

(19:45) Body score and FICO comparison

(22:00) Data collection and analysis

(23:00) Recovery compounding benefits

(26:00) Supply drives demand model

(28:45) Operator flexibility and models

(31:30) Scorecarding and management

(33:00) Data ownership and sharing

(35:00) Subscription and access models

(37:15) Home use and direct-to-consumer

(40:15) Future sport-specific programs

(41:15) Try the product importance

(42:30) Conclusion

October 2, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes.

Today's top stories:

• NOBULL expands beyond training gear into footwear, apparel, nutrition, and content, with apparel up 100% as the $1B brand pushes into physical retail
• 12-week study finds adults 45-65 taking 10g of creatine daily gained 2.4 pounds of lean tissue even without exercise, broadening its appeal beyond athletes
• LA Fitness opens its 200th Pilates by LA Fitness studio in just two and a half years, bringing boutique-style Reformer classes into big-box clubs

More from Fitt:

Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital.

Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe

Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/

Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/

Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider

Reach out → [email protected]

October 1, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes.

Today's top stories:

• REVL Training makes its US debut in Florida, bringing its 13-week structured strength programming to a crowded fitness market with plans for 100+ studios by 2028
• Brodie raises $3.6M to expand its pro-style recreational basketball league, now hosting 600+ games for 50,000+ players ahead of entering Manhattan and Atlanta
• Covista analysis finds the US clinician shortage could nearly double by 2040, though 92% of the gap could be mitigated through training and AI automation

More from Fitt:

Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital.

Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe

Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/

Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/

Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider

Reach out → [email protected]

September 30, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes.

Today's top stories:

• Oura delays its IPO amid market uncertainty, despite seeking up to $2.2B at a $15B valuation, as nearly two-thirds of the offering would come from existing shareholders selling
• Tiny Health raises $33M Series B to expand its microbiome platform beyond infant care into IBD, menopause, and GLP-1 use
• RFK Jr.'s push to curb ultraprocessed foods stalls inside the White House as officials raise concerns over legal exposure and industry impact

More from Fitt:

Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital.

Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe

Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/

Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/

Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider

Reach out → [email protected]