The HFA Show 2025 is almost upon us.

Set for March 12-14 in Las Vegas, this year’s show will mark the first event held under the new Health & Fitness Association name, featuring an expanded conference lineup, a robust trade show floor and keynote speakers including Alex Rodriguez and Anytime Fitness founder Chuck Runyon. 

To get you primed and ready for this year’s HFA Show, Athletech News breaks down some of the key trends shaping the fitness and wellness industry in 2025, and previews how these topics will feature in the panel discussions, floor exhibits and networking conversations you’re sure to experience during your three days in Vegas. 

What’s the Fitness Industry’s Future in Washington, DC?

Say what you will about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement, but the fitness industry has something going for it that it hasn’t for a long time, if ever: a voice in Washington, D.C., that’s receptive to the power of exercise in driving healthcare reform. 

Speaking during the ATN CEO Summit in January, HFA leaders Mike Goscinski and Jeff Solsby discussed how the fitness industry’s top trade association was preparing for the administration of President Trump. 

“We’re super excited because we’re facing an administration (where) for the first time … we see a receptive voice to understanding the benefits of physical activity and the intervention that’s needed from the federal government to allow more people to have access to it,” Goscinski said. 

What could MAHA mean for the fitness industry? It might lead to more support for legislation like the PHIT Act, a bill that would amend the IRS tax code to allow Americans to spend tax-free healthcare dollars from health savings accounts (HSA) and flexible spending accounts (FSA) on fitness-related purchases like gym memberships and equipment.

In the absence of legislation like PHIT, major fitness brands including Orangetheory, F45 Training and ABC Fitness are taking matters into their own hands, partnering with telehealth platforms designed to simplify the currently time-consuming process of using HSA and FSA funds on fitness purchases.  

What To See at HFA Show 2025:

The fitness industry’s opportunity under the Make America Healthy Again movement is sure to be a hot topic of conversation at this year’s HFA Show. 

During a special panel discussion called “The Role of Advocacy in Advancing & Protecting the Industry,” Goscinski and other industry leaders, including ATN founder and CEO Edward Hertzman, will take the stage to discuss the fitness industry’s ongoing advocacy efforts in DC and with state lawmakers. 

Longevity Makes Its Way Inside Clubs & Studios

The business of longevity is booming – and gyms, clubs and studios are getting in on the action. 

Luxury brands like Life Time and Equinox now offer their members access to services including weight-loss support, biomarker blood testing and personalized health plans (for an extra fee), pushing us closer to a reality where the gym replaces – or at least competes with – the doctor’s office. 

High-value, low-price (HVLP) gym brands including Crunch Fitness, Chuze Fitness and EōS Fitness are getting in on the action too, adding everything from infrared saunas to massage guns to body-scanning technology. 

Another big trend in the longevity movement: strength training. Fitness brands are increasingly touting the benefits of lifting weights for longevity, and for good reason. Studies continue to show that preserving muscle mass as we get older is one of the best ways to maintain independence into old age. 

What To See at HFA Show 2025:

Longevity will take center stage at this year’s HFA Show, where Technogym will lead an education session called “Strength for Life: Building a Personalized Resistance Training Plan for Longevity.”

Brands to look for on the trade show floor include Evolt, which raised $20 million last fall. The Australia-based company makes an advanced body-composition scanner that can distinguish between fat and muscle and measures 40 body health parameters. Evolt has notably partnered with top fitness brands including Anytime Fitness. 

InBody, whose body-composition analyzers are found inside top clubs including Life Time, will showcase innovations including its InBody Touch – an interactive touchscreen kiosk that seamlessly integrates with InBody products – and the InGrip, a handheld dynamometer that measures handgrip strength. 

AI-Powered Personalized Fitness Is (Finally) Here

Artificial intelligence has long been touted as the key to creating personalized fitness routines and changing the look and feel of the gym floor. Many experts believe the future of in-person fitness will be forever changed by AI and tech. 

“I think in the next 5, 10, years in the U.S., you’re going to see transformative changes within gyms, where technology and AI – and personalization of training programs – is going to take place,” Marc Magliacano, a managing partner at private equity firm L Catterton, said during ATN’s DISRUPT video series earlier this year.

What might these changes look like? The HFA Show 2025 might give us a glimpse.

What To See at HFA Show 2025:

Fresh off a $200 million funding round, EGYM will showcase tools including EGYM Genius, an AI-powered system that creates personalized workout routines for users and connects the entire gym floor. The Munich-based fit tech giant will also showcase new tools such as its M20 Smart Strength Squat and “Squat Flexibility Test,” which assess people’s mobility, strength and balance during the squat movement.

Not to be outdone, Technogym just launched “healthness,” its new vision for the convergence of personalized fitness, wellness and healthcare. At this year’s HFA Show, the Italian fitness equipment and tech giant will showcase innovations like Biostrength, a machine circuit designed to take the guesswork out of strength training by providing AI-powered, personalized workout routines.

Biostrength complements tools like Technogym Checkup, which uses AI to give users their “wellness age” based on factors including body composition and analyzing strength performances, balance, mobility and cognitive abilities. 

Education sessions at HFA Show 2025 induce, “AI Unleashed: Transforming the Health and Fitness Experience,” a panel where industry leaders including ALTA Technology Group’s Al Noshirvani explore how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the fitness industry. 

Equipment Makers Go All-In on Strength

No HFA Show would be complete without a vibrant trade show floor. This year, traditional equipment makers are planning to showcase exciting launches that offer new takes on old fitness favorites.

In line with industry trends, expect to see a heavy dose of strength training at HFA Show 2025. 

What To See at HFA Show 2025:

Matrix Fitness has teased that it’ll be unveiling ten new additions to the brand’s Magnum series of Plate-loaded strength machines at at year’s show. The Johnson Health Tech-owned brand will also showcase its Matrix Stretch Platform, an elevated stretching set-up that’s designed to provide a more comfortable and effective stretching experience than the floor. 

Life Fitness is also going all-in on strength. The Illinois-based equipment giant will debut three new additions to its famous Hammer Strength plate-loaded line: the Pendulum-X Squat, the Super Fly and the Multi-Squat. 

Life Fitness will also offer HFA attendees a first look at its new inclusive cable system, a functional cable training set-up that the brand says engages every muscle group in the body. Life Fitness will also showcase its new Symbio cardio line and digital products including Facility Enhance on the trade show floor in Vegas.

Torque Fitness, a Minnesota-based maker of home and commercial gym equipment, will showcase its all-new Tank M3, a reimagined take on the traditional push sled. Torque also plans to present additions to its X-Create functional training line including hip thrust, back extension, hip abductor and cable machines, along with new dumbbells and Olympic lifting platforms.

On the cardio front, Torque will unveil the Stealth Air Rower, which the brand says is more durable and offers a wider range of resistance settings than other rowing machines on the market.

The post HFA Show 2025 Preview: Fitness & Wellness Storylines To Watch appeared first on Athletech News.

The Fitness Technology Summit is expanding to Europe, heading to London this summer thanks to a partnership between event organizer ALTA Technology Group and LeisureLabs, a U.K.-based digital agency for fitness and wellness brands. 

The Fitness Technology Summit Europe 2025 will be held June 24-25 in London at Stamford Bridge, the stadium of Premier League soccer club Chelsea FC. It marks the first event staged outside of North America for The Fitness Technology Summit, an annual event that’s centered around the intersection of fitness and technology.

“We are thrilled to partner with the LeisureLabs team to bring The Fitness Technology Summit to the U.K. Europe has a dynamic and fast-growing fitness technology sector, and LeisureLabs are leading the way in this market,” said ALTA managing partner Al Noshirvani. “We are confident this event will provide an invaluable opportunity for networking, knowledge-sharing and innovation.“

First held in 2012 (then called the Motionsoft Technology Summit), The Fitness Technology Summit brings together industry leaders, entrepreneurs and key decision-makers for a day of high-level discussions on pressing topics and trends, along with networking opportunities. Every year, the Summit also supports a charitable cause. Past partners include the Wounded Warrior Project and Back on My Feet, among others.

Last year’s event, staged at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, was held in concert with Augie’s Quest BASH, an ALS fundraiser in honor of Augie Nieto, the late founder of Life Fitness. During the event, 24 Hour Fitness founder Mark Mastrov was honored with the first-ever Augie Nieto Fitness Legacy Award.

In line with previous events, The Fitness Technology Summit Europe 2025 will be invite-only, according to organizers. The London event’s advisory panel includes PureGym’s Andy Caddy, Third Space’s Steven Dick, David Lloyd Clubs’ Mark Williams, The Gym Group’s Milan Juza and The Retention Guru’s Dr. Paul Bedford. 

“We’ve long been supporters and fans of The Fitness Technology Summit, and we believe that there is a clear need in the European market to create an environment where fitness and technology leaders can connect, collaborate and drive the future of the industry together,” said LeisureLabs founder Alex Peacock. “We’re delighted to be working with the team at ALTA to make this a reality, and we can’t wait to welcome the industry’s brightest minds to London.”

The U.K.’s fitness market is growing fast, valued at £5.9 billion ($7.6 billion) in 2024, according to a recent report. There are over 10 million gym memberships in the U.K. as high-value, low-price (HVLP) operators like PureGym see success, but also premium, boutique fitness brands like 1Rebel. 

Following June’s event in London, The Fitness Technology Summit will host its 2025 North American event in Chicago this fall, set for October 13-15 at the InterContinental Hotel.

Excited to attend more fitness and wellness events? Register here for the ATN Innovation Summit 2025, a can’t-miss two-day event to be held on June 17th and 18th in New York City featuring the biggest names, brands and ideas across fitness, health and wellness.

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The hospitality industry is undergoing a fundamental shift as longevity and wellness take center stage in consumer preferences. From biohacking and personalized health programs to recovery-focused fitness amenities and medical-grade wellness treatments, hotels and resorts are expanding their offerings to meet the growing demand for longevity-focused experiences.

Several key factors are fueling this transformation. First, the global wellness economy was valued at $5.6 trillion in 2022, with wellness tourism projected to reach $1 trillion by the end of this year. Travelers today are prioritizing proactive health measures, pushing hotels beyond traditional spa services to incorporate longevity-driven experiences, including IV therapy, full-body diagnostics and performance recovery tools.

At the same time, the aging global population is reshaping travel habits. In the United States alone, the percentage of individuals aged 65 and older has doubled from 8% in 1950 to 16.9% in 2020. Consumers over 50 — collectively known as the Longevity Economy – contributed $45 trillion to the global GDP in 2020, highlighting their significant spending power.

Further, this travel is not limited to seniors. Younger generations are increasingly integrating trends such as biohacking, cryotherapy and hyper-personalized nutrition into their lifestyles and seeking it on the road.

All told, this presents an enormous opportunity for hospitality brands to cater to a new era of travelers. Recognizing this shift, FIBO is launching its first-ever Longevity and Hospitality Summit as part of its annual conference in April.

Athletech News spoke with Judith Cartwright, a leading expert in this space and a key speaker at the summit, to explore how hotels and resorts can successfully integrate longevity into their offerings.

The Need for a Strategic Approach

“Longevity is not just a trend, it is here to stay, and hoteliers and developers need to have a strategic plan for how this gets incorporated,” says Cartwright.

This integration, she explains, needs to go beyond guest services and begin internally. 

“This starts with the hardware of a hotel and continues throughout the offering — not only for the guests but also for employees, creating awareness and solutions for their day-to-day workplace environment.”

Despite growing demand, many hotels and resorts still struggle with the positioning of wellness and fitness services.

“The challenge hotels and resorts across all star ratings have is that often their gyms, spas and wellness facilities are not seen as profit centers,” Cartwright explains. “They are treated as amenities rather than business units, leading to missed opportunities. Additionally, often the head of wellness and fitness is brought in just weeks before opening, rather than being involved from the start to help shape offerings.”

Another major issue is outdated brand standards.

“For example, the standard of a 60-square-meter gym for every 100 hotel rooms is simply not sufficient anymore,” she says. “Again, getting the right experts involved early in the architectural design phase allows hotels to create facilities that set them apart from competitors.”

Moving Beyond the Spa Model

Cartwright emphasizes that hotels must move past traditional concepts and recognize how wellness has evolved.

“The biggest hurdle is understanding that wellness has transformed beyond spas and fitness centers. Cost versus profitability is a major factor, but developing a concept that integrates wellness fundamentally throughout design, operations, marketing, customer service and the guest experience is the necessary approach. It’s about storytelling and ‘story-doing’ and educating the team beyond the wellness department before guests even arrive.”

She notes that there are significant opportunities in making this shift. “Industry leaders can move beyond the traditional spa model and incorporate a 360-degree approach. Understanding the customer base, identifying what guests are looking for and building financial models around those needs is key.”

The end goal is to meet consumer expectations for a longer, healthier life —  even when traveling.

“Sleep and nutrition are two of the most overlooked aspects of hotel wellness,” Cartwright says. “Hotels invest in pillow menus and room scents, yet guests still deal with bright alarm clocks, blinking fire detectors, and poorly designed blackout curtains. And children’s menus? They’re still full of pizza, pasta and chicken nuggets instead of balanced, nutritious options.”

The Opportunity for Hospitality Brands

Hotels and resorts have a major opportunity to develop and offer meaningful longevity-focused services.

“The investment can be made at any scale,” Cartwright explains. “It depends on your customer base. Don’t create something just because it’s trendy —  understand what your guests are looking for and develop from there. Thorough benchmarking and gap analysis are crucial.”

According to Cartwright, several brands are already excelling in this space. “Equinox, SIRO, Lanserhof, Chenot, Clinique La Prairie and SHA Wellness Clinic are all approaching longevity in different ways, but they share a common focus: providing guests with meaningful, transformative experiences that go beyond standard hospitality.”

As longevity continues to shape the future of travel, hotels and resorts must position themselves at the forefront of this movement. It’s no longer just about offering a luxurious stay —  it’s about providing a transformative experience that enhances health, well-being and longevity.

For those looking to stay ahead of this movement, FIBO’s Longevity and Hospitality Summit will bring together thought leaders, industry pioneers and hospitality executives to explore the opportunities ahead. With expert insights, innovative solutions and actionable strategies, this event is set to redefine the future of wellness-driven hospitality.

Learn more about the summit and register today.

The post The Longevity Economy: Why Wellness-Driven Hospitality is the Future appeared first on Athletech News.

When Christian Toetzke founded Hyrox back in 2017, he sought to create the “marathon of fitness,” a series of mass-participation events that would bring gym-goers together in the same way marathons and triathlons attract endurance athletes from across the globe. 

Eight years later, Hyrox is well on its way to making Toetzke’s dream a reality. The brand currently stages competitive fitness races in countries around the world as its popularity surges (online searches for the term “Hyrox” have increased 233% year-on-year, outpacing just about any fitness trend, while attendance numbers have grown 100% per year with over 600,000 athletes set to participate in Hyrox this season).

“We’re realizing that fitness is truly universal,” Douglas Gremmen, Hyrox’s chief operations officer, tells Athletech News “The language of fitness is probably one of the only sports that resonates in every country of the world: the way Americans consume fitness is similar to how the Chinese perceive fitness.”

In a Hyrox race, participants run a one-kilometer lap, followed by a functional exercise station like sled pushes, SkiErgs or kettlebell farmers carries, repeated eight times. Races are run for time, and the format stays the same across the globe, allowing participants to compete in global leaderboards and, if they’re good enough, at the season-ending World Championships event.

This May, Hyrox will stage its second annual outdoor race in New York City, a follow-up to last year’s event that effectively marked the German brand’s arrival onto the American fitness scene and set the stage for global growth. 

Ahead of this year’s New York race, Gremmen sat down with ATN to discuss the event, chronicle Hyrox’s rise to prominence and outline the brand’s goal to make fitness a worldwide sport. 

Betting Big on the Big Apple

Hyrox has been popular in Europe since its founding, staging races in cities from London to Berlin. But the brand had some trouble gaining critical mass in the United States in its early years, challenges that were exacerbated by pandemic lockdowns.

That all changed eight months ago, when Hyrox took over New York City for a weekend in early June, transforming Manhattan’s Pier 76 on the Hudson River into a custom racing track. The two-day event marked Hyrox’s first-ever outdoor race (events are usually staged in indoor exhibition halls). It was also the brand’s most-attended event in the U.S. to date, drawing around 5,500 athletes. 

“To get Americans to take notice, we had to take a massive risk,” Gremmen says, noting that Hyrox viewed NYC as the key to unlocking the wider American fitness market. 

“Christian’s motto was, ‘Go big or go home,’” Gremmen adds. “I had the opposite vision in terms of the execution part, which was to go local, knock on gym doors, and instigate conversations with anybody meaningful in New York around the sport of fitness to start working on our grassroots awareness.”

Those grassroots efforts quickly paid off. Hyrox sold out the New York event ahead of time in March, gaining some timely mainstream media coverage from outlets like the New York Times in the process. 

“That created a buzz and FOMO,” Gremmen recalls. “Celebrities started calling us saying, ‘Hey, I didn’t get a ticket.’ The media was starting to get involved and before we knew it, we not only had 5,000 athletes but the social impact it created during that weekend was massive. People from Lance Armstrong to the stars of Peloton and other notorious fitness influencers participated, completely organically.”

The exposure Hyrox gained from New York 2024 led to accelerated sales for upcoming races across America, including Chicago and Dallas. 

“Before we knew it, we’d sold out every event in 2024 on the back of New York,” Gremmen says. 

US, Global Expansion Plans

This spring, Hyrox will return to the Big Apple for F45 Hyrox New York, a three-day event to be held on the weekend of May 30 – June 1, again at Pier 76. Around 15,000 athletes are expected to attend this year’s race, which would set a new record as Hyrox’s biggest-ever event in America.

“I want 15,000 people to have the best experience ever and convince five or six of their best friends to do it the year after,” Gremmen says of his hopes for the event, noting that based on current growth trends, Hyrox can foresee as many as 25,000 to 35,000 athletes participating in 2026 in New York. 

Beyond New York, Hyrox aims to eventually stage 15 races per year in the 15 largest cities in America, and many more across the globe.  

During the 2024-25 season, the brand will host races in places like Brisbane, Johannesburg and Shanghai. Demand is strong: Hyrox sold 5,000 tickets in one day for Hyrox Bangkok this May, and has done similar numbers in Mexico, Gremmen reports.

“We want to be in every major city in the world,” he adds. “If you look at the world map, that’s probably between 100 and 150 cities. If every event has at least 10,000 – numbers we’re already at now – we’re talking about 1.5 million people participating (in Hyrox). If we can get to 25,000 to 35,000 people per event, we’re talking about a global movement of three to five million participants.”

Blue-Chip Brands Take Notice

Hyrox isn’t just an events company, though. Through Hyrox365, the brand delivers digital fitness content, training and education resources to gyms around the world, enabling them to train their members for Hyrox events. 

More than 5,000 affiliate gyms are signed up as Hyrox Training Clubs, from mom-and-pop fitness studios to large chains like F45 Training. In the U.S. alone, there are around 1,200 Hyrox-affiliated gyms. 

The end goal, according to Gremmen, is to make Hyrox classes a staple in gyms around the world. 

“We believe the sport of Hyrox can be trained inside every fitness facility around the world in the same way you go to yoga or HIIT class,” he says. 

Hyrox isn’t hurting on the sponsorships side, either. Last year, the brand signed Chris Hemsworth’s Centr as its official race-day equipment supplier. It also signed sportswear giant Puma as its official apparel and footwear partner for all races from 2024 to 2027. Puma now sells Hyrox-branded gear along with a special Hyrox-themed edition of its Deviate Nitro 3 running shoe. The fitness race also counts energy drink giant Red Bull as one of its sponsors.

“I think we’re a bridge to the (entire) fitness community, which is why some of the bigger brands like Puma and Red Bull see Hyrox as a credible way to associate themselves with fitness more holistically rather than saying, ‘Pilates is my sport.’ or ‘CrossFit is my sport,’” Gremmen says.

While Hyrox has several irons in the fire, the brand assures it’s focused on keeping the main thing the main thing as it chases global growth. 

“We’ve got to make sure our events business is the biggest driver of what we do,” Gremmen says. “We’ve got to keep impressing, innovating and delivering a best-in-class experience so that people are wowed every time they come.”

The post How Hyrox Took Over New York – and the Rest of the Fitness World appeared first on Athletech News.

Being a great leader requires more than intelligence, the ability to work long work hours or great people skills. 

Those things are important, but true success requires what James Schor, an executive consultant and life coach who works with top athletes and CEOs, calls “leading from the inside out.”

At the 2025 ATN CEO Summit, Schor gave some of the biggest names in fitness and wellness a sneak peek into one of his sessions, sharing three lessons that anyone can implement to achieve business and personal success.

Kaizen: Become 1% Better Every Day

Schor is a big proponent of Kaizen, the Japanese business philosophy that encourages continuous, small improvements involving employees at all levels of a company. 

“Kaizen involves everybody in the company,” Schor explained. “It’s a philosophy of continuous improvement, becoming 1% better every day.”

To illustrate the power of Kaizen in action, Schor gave the example of the Great Britain Cycling Team, which went from an afterthought to a global powerhouse under performance director Sir David Brailsford by implementing what Brailsford termed the “marginal gains” approach. 

Under Brailsford, Great Britain Cycling focused on making small, continuous improvements not just in physical performance, but in every aspect, including removing dust from bikes, implementing better hand-washing techniques to reduce the probability of riders falling ill and washing uniforms in skin-friendly detergent to minimize discomfort on race day. 

These things may sound trivial, but taken together and compounded over months and years, they can lead to incredible results, Schor pointed out.

“Think about what you can do in your company that will make your business 1% better,” Schor told the fitness and wellness executives in the room at the CEO Summit. “Now, let’s find a few of those things, and let’s implement them and let’s start getting better and better.”

The Thing Isn’t the Thing

Schor’s second message for executives: perception is everything. 

“The thing isn’t the thing,” he said. “How I am relating to the thing, that’s the thing.”

To take this idea out of the abstract, Schor cited research suggesting that how we perceive stress has a bigger impact on our health than experiencing stress itself.  Put another way, people who believe stress is good for them are more likely to experience positive health effects from stress; people who view stress in a negative light are more likely to experience deleterious health effects.

“The research is unequivocal,” Schor said. “How we relate to stress is the thing that affects us; it’s not the actual stress.”

Run Your Stories – Don’t Let Them Run You

Schor also pointed to the role internal storytelling plays in helping us identify and remove harmful unconscious thought patterns. 

To illustrate this point, Schor cited the Pot Roast Principle, a parable that tells the story of a little girl who questioned why her mother always cut off the ends from put roast before baking it in the oven.

Schor explained it like this: 

“There’s a little five-year-old girl … and she sees her mom cut off the ends of the roast before she puts the roast into the oven. She says, ‘Mommy, how come you cut off the ends of the roast?’ ‘Well, that’s how grandma always did it. Let’s go ask her,’ (the mother responded).

So they go to grandma: ‘Grandma, how come you always cut the ends off the roast?’ (The grandmother responded as follows): ‘I don’t know, that’s how great grandma always did it.’ And they go to great grandma, who’s still with us, and she says: ‘Well, back when I was cooking, the pan wasn’t big enough to fit in the oven with the full roast, so we had to cut the roast.”

The Pot Roast Principle serves as a rather harmless example of a powerful idea: we shouldn’t blindly respect tradition for tradition’s sake. Instead, we should always investigate and seek to understand reality for what it is. The girl’s family had wasted a lot of pot roast over the years by observing what they thought was a venerated family tradition but turned out to be just a practical consideration of her great-grandmother’s lack of kitchen space.

“How we deal and work with those unconscious patterns and blocks is how we move forward in the world without letting our stories run us,” Schor said. “We get to run our stories.”

Be on the lookout for more information on the ATN Innovation Summit, a can’t-miss two-day event to be held on June 17th and 18th in New York City featuring the biggest names, brands, and ideas across fitness, health, and wellness.

The post An Executive Coach’s Lessons for Becoming a Better Business Leader appeared first on Athletech News.

Dr. Frank Lipman of Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York City was clear about the importance of foundational habits for increased longevity during the 2025 ATN CEO Summit.

“You can’t get away from the basics,” said Lipman. “You can try all the peptides, supplements, and tech in the world, but if you’re not sleeping well, eating right, and managing stress, it’s not going to help you live a healthier, longer life.” You could take all the supplements in the world, but if you’re eating poorly and not sleeping, you’re not going to age well.”

Lipman shared his journey with brain health, driven by his genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s. “I’m obsessed with brain optimization,” he admitted. “It’s not just about preventing cognitive decline; it’s about keeping your mind sharp and focused as you age.”

He highlighted the role of mitochondrial function in cognitive health. “Cognitive decline is tied to mitochondrial dysfunction,” Lipman explained. “Optimizing your mitochondria—through temperature extremes, exercise, and targeted supplements—can make a huge difference.”

Among his go-to strategies were ketones, nootropics, and supplements like methylene blue. “Every morning, I start with black coffee and ketones,” he said. “It’s a simple routine, but it’s incredibly effective for brain health.”

It’s no secret that stress undermines health. “We live in an age of overstimulation and low-grade anxiety,” Dr. Lipman noted. While meditation remains a gold standard, he acknowledged that it’s not feasible for everyone.

“There are other tools available now,” he said, listing vagus nerve stimulators, magnesium, and newer supplements like THP from magnolia leaf. “You don’t have to spend $10,000 on a chair like Shiftwave that sends pressure waves through your body to relax—although it works. There are simpler options like vagus nerve stimulators, which cost a few hundred dollars.”

The Dangers of Chronic Stress

Lipman also emphasized the importance of addressing stress for longevity: “Low-grade stress affects our DNA and accelerates aging. This is an area most people overlook, but it’s crucial to manage for overall health.”

When asked about high-tech interventions, Lipman offered a wish list that included a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, a sauna and a cold plunge. He also expressed enthusiasm for GLP-1 receptor agonists, commonly used for weight loss but increasingly explored for their longevity benefits.

“I use low-dose GLP-1s not for weight loss, but for anti-aging,” he said. “They’re neuroprotective, cardioprotective, and anti-inflammatory. When used responsibly, they’re magical.”

Lipman also addressed the disparities in women’s healthcare, particularly during perimenopause and menopause. “Women get shafted in medicine,” he said bluntly. “Hormone optimization is critical, but it’s often ignored or dismissed by doctors.”

He advocated for responsible hormone replacement therapy, starting with progesterone and testosterone. “Testosterone isn’t just a male hormone. Women love their testosterone, and it makes a huge difference in quality of life.”

At the end of the session, Lipman cautioned against the proliferation of unproven health products. “There’s a lot of snake oil out there,” he warned, citing IV NAD as an example. “It’s expensive, and the benefits are short-lived. Focus on interventions with proven, lasting effects.”

Be on the lookout for more information on the ATN Innovation Summit, a can’t-miss two-day event to be held on June 17th and 18th in New York City featuring the biggest names, brands, and ideas across fitness, health, and wellness.

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In an era featuring virtual trainers, AI-designed wellness plans and equipment manufactured for at-home usage, brick-and-mortar continues to stand the test of time. It’s not dragging its feet either. Fitness real estate remains a surging element within the industry, where wellness real estate even embodies the fastest-growing market in its economy prior to the pandemic. 

At the 2025 ATN CEO Summit, Sabre Co-Founder and CEO Jay Siano, Sabre Principle Douglas Jerum, Solidcore President and CEO Bryan Myers, Asana Partners Managing Partner Terry Brown and Athletic News Founder and CEO Edward Hertzman, sat down to explain how operators can successfully drop in on this real estate wave and ride it for years to come. 

While properties with spacious floors and ample opportunity for diversified offerings have a magnetic pull for those involved in fitness real estate, the panel began by applying a bit of caution, arguing operators must first value their core goals and motives in this increasingly saturated market. 

“You can’t be everything to everybody,” said Siano. “We see a lot of concepts that have a little too much square footage and they decide to throw in a cold plunge or a sauna because they now want to get in the recovery business. I will tell you that if Solidcore chose to do that, they would not be Solidcore.”

With ample brands dedicating themselves to specific modalities, you don’t want to steer away from your own, and in some cases, test a market for someone else to eventually take over. 

“By throwing in that recovery, hot and cold thing, chances are you do it for a few hot minutes, and then all of a sudden, Jamie Weeks is going to open a Swthz on your doorstep, and that business is probably going to go away,” Siano added. “You’re going to take your eye off the ball and be less great at what you’re supposed to be great at.”

The bright lights of big cities represent another snare ambitious franchisors often fall into. While many see New York or Los Angeles as their first step toward success, experts agree it should be one of their last.  

“If you can make it here, you may not make it anywhere else,” said Jerum of the Big Apple. “People are totally enamored with having a successful concept here, but this is unlike any other market in the country.” 

Jerum instead advised opening in a second-tier market, where there’s no unlimited supply of customers, requiring brands to establish a disciplined staff and capital expenditures. This gives brands a more legitimate test to ensure they’re ready to take those riskier steps. 

“I’m much more comfortable putting money into a business that is successful in Columbus, Ohio, because then if you go to New York, you’re gonna probably totally crush it,” Jerum added.

Myers agreed from a big picture standpoint. Making it clear to investors you can succeed in secondary or tertiary markets reduces risk, which remains the largest roadblock between brands and acquiring additional investments.  

“What you ultimately are able to do by showing that the model works in multiple different types of markets is actually taking risk off the table for them,” said Myers. “If you are overexposed to just the coastal cities, the New Yorks, the LAs, and then something happens in those cities, economic environment changes happen and those cities are the last to reopen, they want to try to minimize that exposure, that concentration risk. That is huge, as they are thinking about sitting in front of their investment committee and advocating.” 

No business transactions today take place without influential data behind them either. Solidcore, having grown to 110 locations by now, is no different. Before purchasing real estate, the brand looks beyond who their customer is, but who their customer has been to understand how they might evolve, allowing them to better serve them in the future. That includes looking at what a region’s GDP drivers are or if there’s a net inflow or outflow from a population standpoint.

“We want to know that when are signing a lease with an amazing landlord partner like Asana, and we’re saying, we’re committed to this site for at least 10 years, that we’re not just signing that site knowing that the business can be great today, but that we also know that this is going to be great five or 10 years from now,” Myers explained.

Be on the lookout for more information on the ATN Innovation Summit, a can’t-miss two-day event to be held on June 17th and 18th in New York City featuring the biggest names, brands and ideas across fitness, health and wellness.

The post 5 Experts Explain Where to Start and Go in Fitness Real Estate Market appeared first on Athletech News.

Gathering insights regarding your metabolic or mental health once took hours and sometimes days of scheduling, testing and processing. Today, it’s as easy as looking at your wrist — literally. Nearly half of U.S. households own and use wearable fitness devices and there’s been no shortage of wearable brands receiving investments as well. 

Tom Hale, the CEO of Oura, argues they’re just scratching the surface, however. At the 2025 ATN CEO Summit he joined Athletech News Found and CEO Edward Hertzman on stage to discuss wearables, how they’re disrupting health care for the better and how he’s positioned his brand for future success. 

Oura recently raised over $200 million in series D, bringing its valuation to $5.2 billion. The brand also did $500 million in revenue this past year. Hale revealed that a large percentage of Oura’s total addressable market includes individuals who are not physically active and simply intend to age gracefully. That wider net compared to those of other fitness businesses has been vital to Oura’s growth, according to Hale. 

“It’s actually to keep them from not stretching themselves too far,” he said. “So I think of our total addressable market, it’s fitness plus sleep, plus women’s health, plus heart health, plus longevity. It’s a much, much larger number. I think it’s been fundamental to our growth.”

“The most important thing you can have is a big total addressable market,” he added. “So think about it. Don’t limit yourself.”

Hale went on to explain Oura’s mission to transform healthcare, citing that new capital as necessary fuel for the research and development needed to accomplish that goal. Oura believes it’ll all be worth it, citing their ability to help individuals dodge at least a large portion of the healthcare system and its snares with its focus on preventative care. 

“We think of ourselves as arming the rebels,” said Hale. “We’re delivering the value to the end user, to the consumer. What healthcare is oriented around is sick care. We know that the pharmaceutical industry has an incentive to get you sick. Why? Because they want you to buy their medicines. That’s the incentive of the industry, and I think we all in this room are focused on what is effectively some kind of preventative care, whether it’s for longevity, for health or for well being. So our view is that we can drive preventative care, and we can do that through a device.”

Hale added that 11% of Oura users are physicians, illustrating an understanding from those working in unison with healthcare of its benefits. He also reported that those aged 18-24 years old are the brand’s fastest growing demographic. 

These continued efforts hinge on Oura’s usage of artificial intelligence (AI). While AI has been at the top of everyone’s mind for a handful of years now, Oura began using machine learning roughly a decade ago. What’s new, however, is how Oura is using the tech generative capabilities, specifically the large language models, to help users live better. 

Oura believes this new level of machine learning needs to know its end user intimately, have a point of view or perspective and eventually provide advice. 

“It remembers things about you,” Hale said. “Users are allowed to select where they want to be, if they want an aggressive coach who’s going to push them or they want someone who’s going to provide them lots of support. What it really does is it’s trying to build a pathway for you to change behavior.”

Data has already proved these efforts effective, as Hale went on to report that 90% of Oura users in a survey said they’ve changed their health after six months of usage. 

Be on the lookout for more information on the ATN Innovation Summit, a can’t-miss two-day event to be held on June 17th and 18th in New York City featuring the biggest names, brands and ideas across fitness, health and wellness.

The post Oura’s $5.2 Billion Vision: CEO Tom Hale on Disrupting Healthcare appeared first on Athletech News.

Do you know your customer? It’s a straightforward question with profound implications for fitness and wellness brands.

At the 2025 ATN CEO Summit in New York City, Sports Innovation Lab co-founder and CEO Josh Walker shared a bold message for fitness industry executives: they probably don’t, or at least not as well as they should. 

“I know more about your customers than you do,” Walker said during an eye-opening presentation “I do because my team focuses on this every day of the week. For the last seven years, we’ve been studying the consumer and what they spend their money on.”

An insights, analytics and data company that works with the biggest brands in sports, media and entertainment, Sports Innovation Lab tracks consumer spending patterns based on credit card data, with a database of over 200,000 customers who’ve spent over $220 million and made over 2.6 million purchases. 

“It may not be exhaustive, but it absolutely is indicative of a large portion of the market,” Walker said. 

The Case for Customer Spending Data 

Walker says customer spending data is critical information for fitness and wellness brands looking to implement an effective marketing strategy in 2025. 

“This is information that this industry needs, and it’s information that this industry wants,” he said. “If you’re doing any direct-to-consumer marketing today, you’re probably doing it in a way that predicts what a customer is doing based on what they search for and what they click on.” 

“That’s old school,” he added. “You want to do it on what they buy.”

Walker also noted that Sports Innovation Lab’s data can help brands unearth insights into their consumers, like determining whether or not they’ve switched to a competitor after canceling their subscription. 

“They stopped paying for your wearable? Did they start paying for another one, or did they just stop wearing the wearable?” he said. “Those are the things that our data can show that’s really, really compelling.”

A Deep Dive Into Boutique Fitness Consumers

Last year, Sports Innovation Lab partnered with Athletech News to create specialized data and insights for the fitness industry. Together, ATN and SIL will develop in-depth consumer profiles of fitness and health enthusiasts. Known as “fitness communities,” these profiles span four categories: Class Curators, Luxury Lifters, Gym Goers and Deal-Driven Fitness Fans. 

During his presentation, Walker shared some insights into the spending patterns of Class Curators, a group that tends to frequent boutique fitness brands like Orangetheory Fitness, Barry’s, F45 Training and others. 

“We know because they’re a class curator that they’re nine times more likely to wear (a fitness wearable)– a Whoop, an Oura, a Garmin, a Polar strap, whatever it is,” Walker noted. “We also know that they’re seven times more likely to go skiing .. and that they’re six times more likely to attend events” like concerts and sports games. 

Sports Innovation Lab’s customer spending data can also help brands understand membership trends over time. Walker shared data showing that consumers are spending around $2 million more per quarter on Club Pilates than they were a year and a half ago, growth that far outpaces industry averages for boutique fitness brands over the same period. 

Walker wanted to drive home one point in particular for CEOs and founders in the audience: they have access to more data than they might think.  

“Your consumer is somebody we can help you identify, and this data is accessible to (the industry),’ he said. “I’m not here to sell to you. I’m here to let you know that it’s available.”

Be on the lookout for more information on the ATN Innovation Summit, a can’t-miss two-day event to be held on June 17th and 18th in New York City featuring the biggest names, brands, and ideas across fitness, health, and wellness.

The post Why Consumer Spending Data Is Key for Fitness Brands appeared first on Athletech News.

The fitness and wellness industry stands at a crossroads of opportunity and innovation, according to Marc Magliacano, managing partner of L Catterton’s Flagship Fund.

At the 2025 ATN CEO Summit, January 7 in New York City, Magliacano joined Athletech News CEO and Founder Edward Hertzman for an in-depth conversation on the changing landscape of fitness and wellness investments. Magliacano’s insights shed light on the factors driving deal-making, the sectors poised for growth, and the challenges facing the industry in the coming year.

Past, Present & Future

With over two decades of investing in health and wellness, Magliacano has backed transformative brands like Solidcore, EGYM, Equinox, CorePower Yoga and Pure Barre. At L Catterton, his focus has shifted toward businesses that integrate fitness, nutrition and technology.

“The consumer wants everything from one trusted platform,” Magliacano said, highlighting the “massive convergence” reshaping the industry.

Reflecting on L Catterton’s recent majority stake in Solidcore, Magliacano praised the brand’s execution and leadership. “Solidcore delivers results through low-impact, strength-focused workouts,” he said. “Its leadership team is outstanding.” He emphasized that evolving with consumer trends will be critical to the brand’s future success.

When asked about Solidcore’s path to becoming a multi-billion-dollar brand, Magliacano pointed to its adaptability and market potential. 

“The wellness revolution is attracting interest from major players like Nike and Apple,” he said, hinting at opportunities for partnerships and global expansion.

Another significant investment for L Catterton is EGYM, a platform combining hardware, software and AI to support gym operators. “EGYM is arming club owners with tools to succeed,” Magliacano said. “It integrates technology to guide members and improve financial viability.” He also highlighted EGYM’s plans for a major U.S. expansion in 2025.

Artificial Intelligence & Personalization

Magliacano sees artificial intelligence as a game-changer for the fitness industry.

“AI will transform gyms, creating digital fitness records and enhancing member experiences,” he predicted. He also noted the importance of integrating software and hardware to deliver personalized outcomes.

Magliacano touched on trends like functional training, strength training and the rise of social fitness activities like pickleball. He also predicted continued consolidation in the fitness sector, with larger franchises acquiring smaller operators. “This is one of the true enduring growth categories in the consumer space,” he said.

For Magliacano, the future lies in convergence. “Precision nutrition meets precision fitness,” he said, stressing the importance of unified platforms that offer real-time feedback and personalized solutions. He warned investors to scrutinize AI claims, noting that not all companies deliver on their promises.

As the session concluded, Magliacano left attendees with an optimistic view of the industry’s potential. “The next 12 to 24 months will be incredibly exciting for fitness and wellness,” he said, encouraging stakeholders to embrace innovation and adaptability.

Be on the lookout for more information on the ATN Innovation Summit, a can’t-miss two-day event to be held on June 17th and 18th in New York City featuring the biggest names, brands, and ideas across fitness, health, and wellness.

The post Private Equity’s Next Moves in Fitness appeared first on Athletech News.

The fitness and wellness industry has a “huge opportunity” to become a bigger part of the American economy under new leadership in the White House, political insiders believe.

Speaking during the 2025 ATN CEO Summit, Health & Fitness Association leaders Mike Goscinski and Jeff Solsby took the stage to discuss how the fitness industry’s top trade association is preparing for the administration of President-elect Donald Trump. 

Goscinski, vice president of government affairs for the HFA, believes the fitness and wellness industry can establish itself as a bigger player in Washington D.C., especially given the healthcare-reform promises of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s pick to serve as secretary of health and human services. 

“We’re super excited because we’re facing an administration (where) for the first time … we see a receptive voice to understanding the benefits of physical activity and the intervention that’s needed from the federal government to allow more people to have access to it,” Goscinski said. 

Solsby, the HFA’s vice president of communications, notes that the incoming Trump administration has signaled a willingness to listen to “outside voices,” which should benefit the historically marginalized and minimized fitness and wellness industry.

“I don’t see that as a bad thing, especially given the fact that RFK is connected to this industry,” Solsby said, alluding to Kennedy Jr. having been seen working out in spots like Gold’s Gym and Equinox.  

Will Tariffs Harm Fitness Brands? It’s Probably Too Early To Tell

Asked about the impact Trump’s tariff proposals may have on the fitness industry, Goscinski believes it’s too early to say anything definitive. 

“This is going to be a ‘wait-until-you-see’ situation,” he said. “We’re hearing different things out of the transition (team) about what it’s going to be, where the tariffs are going to be levied, what they’re going to be used for and exactly what products will be on said list.”

The HFA and its allies are working hard behind the scenes to ensure the fitness industry is protected whatever happens regarding tariffs, Goscinski assured. 

“We’re taking a look at everything,” he said. “We’re coalescing with our partner and friend groups in town to make sure that we have a seat at the table, the industry has a seat at the table, because the one thing that we want the administration to understand is that a tariff on (fitness) equipment raises the price of equipment, which raises the price of access for every American to get and stay physically active.”

Finally a Chance for the PHIT Act?

Goscinski believes there’s still hope for the PHIT Act, a bill that would allow Americans to spend tax-free dollars from their Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA) on fitness-related purchases like gym memberships and equipment. 

While industry leaders have been unsuccessfully pushing for the PHIT Act to get passed for around two decades now, Goscinski pointed to a rare opportunity – the upcoming “Super Bowl of Tax.”

With Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act due to expire in 2025, many federal tax provisions will be reworked this year. 

“Congress does not have the choice but to act on tax bills this year,” Goscinski said, noting this presents an inroad for the PHIT Act, which is a tax bill at its heart. 

“We’ve been working tooth and nail with the powers that be to make sure it’s in a good spot to be” included as part of larger tax-reform proposals, Goscinski said of the PHIT Act. “We’ve got great confirmation and great feedback that it is, and we’re more excited than ever to hopefully get it across this year.”

Whatever the future of the PHIT Act, Goscinski is bullish on the fitness and wellness industry’s potential over the next four years with new leadership in the White House. 

“It is a huge, huge opportunity, and one that has positioned us to think big (about) the way we’re going,” he said. “It’s not just thinking about how we can get PHIT finally across the finish line. It’s about thinking, ‘Can we get Medicare and Medicaid to do direct payment for gym memberships?’ We’re thinking outside the box.”

Be on the lookout for more information on the ATN Innovation Summit, a can’t-miss two-day event to be held on June 17th and 18th in New York City featuring the biggest names, brands and ideas across fitness, health and wellness.

The post Fitness Industry Has ‘Huge Opportunity’ Under Trump, Experts Say appeared first on Athletech News.

The fitness and wellness industry’s top minds gathered at the prestigious Nasdaq headquarters in Times Square, New York City, for the 2025 ATN CEO Summit, a one-of-a-kind event blending exclusive insights, data-driven trends, and unparalleled networking opportunities. Sponsored by Zumba, Sabre, Xivic and Xplor Mariana Tek, the summit set the tone for the year ahead with a series of high-profile presentations and discussions.

Limited to just 100 companies, the invitation-only event offered attendees a deep dive into the industry’s 2025 outlook. The day culminated with a Nasdaq bell-ringing ceremony and a private cocktail reception, reinforcing the summit’s reputation as a premier platform for collaboration and innovation.

Expert Insights on Key Industry Trends

The summit featured a robust lineup of presentations, panels and one-on-one interviews with prominent figures, including:

• Real Estate Trends: Jay Siano (Sabre), Douglas Jerum (Sabre), Bryan Myers (Solidcore), and Terry Brown (Asana Partners) explored the evolving fitness real estate landscape, offering insights into emerging cities, rent dynamics and the impact of interest rates.
• Marketing Strategies: Maggie Lower, chief marketing officer of ABC Fitness, revealed data-centric trends, highlighting the rise of Pilates, pickleball, and membership shifts, offering actionable insights for navigating the changing industry.
• Wearable Tech Innovations: Tom Hale, CEO of Oura, discussed the company’s push into metabolic health and women’s wellness, while offering a glimpse at its 2025 vision.
• Consumer Behavior: Josh Walker, CEO of Sports Innovation Lab, unveiled findings from the Sports Data Cloud, showcasing behavioral trends and opportunities for fitness brands to better connect with their audiences.

Tackling Industry Challenges

The summit also addressed pivotal issues such as:

• Government Policies: Experts from the Health & Fitness Association analyzed how political shifts, including proposed tariffs and regulatory changes, could reshape the industry.
• Diversity in Leadership: A panel of female executives, led by Brynn Scarborough of Alchemy Leadership Lab, discussed actionable steps to drive inclusivity and leverage diverse leadership for competitive advantage. Sadie Lincoln’s Barre3, Mary Cannon of CityPickle, and Pvolve’s leader Julie Cartwright shared incomparable insights.
• Investment Outlook: Marc Magliacano of L Catterton provided an insider perspective on the fitness and wellness sectors poised for growth in 2025.
• Pinpointing Pain Points: RJ Hottovy, CFA, Placer.ai exploresd data-driven insights into the evolving fitness industry, highlighting how chains are fostering greater visitor frequency, attracting a more resilient member base, and evolving to withstand economic volatility.

A Collaborative Vision for the Future

From longevity strategies with Dr. Frank Lipman to internal leadership systems presented by James Schor, the ATN CEO Summit underscored the importance of holistic, data-driven approaches to industry resilience and growth.

Attendees walked away inspired, equipped with insights to steer their organizations through a transformative year. As the Nasdaq bell signaled the summit’s conclusion, the message was clear: collaboration and innovation will define 2025 in fitness and wellness.

Be on the lookout for more information on the ATN Innovation Summit, a can’t-miss two-day event to be held on June 17th and 18th in New York City featuring the biggest names, brands and ideas across fitness, health and wellness.

The post Inside the 2025 ATN CEO Summit: Data, Innovation & Collaboration appeared first on Athletech News.

You’d have trouble finding an executive who’s a better fit for their job than Scott DeRue, the new CEO of The Ironman Group. 

An ultramarathon runner and mountaineer before he joined Ironman, DuRue has a long-standing connection to endurance sports. He also served as the president of luxury fitness brand Equinox and was once dean of the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, giving him a powerful combination of personal and professional qualifications. 

DeRue was named CEO of The Ironman Group in January, taking over the brand’s famous triathlon events along with its trail running, road running and cycling competitions across the globe.

In his first 9-plus months on the job, DeRue has dived head-first into all things Ironman, even competing in his first triathlon to get a deeper personal feel for the brand. On the business side, DeRue has helped build out Ironman’s digital presence and revamped its merchandising arm. 

The goal, according to DeRue, is to turn Ironman into a “lifestyle brand” that athletes and consumers can engage with year-round rather than just on race day. 

DeRue sat down with Athletech News to discuss his early days as Ironman CEO, his personal connection to endurance sports, and why he believes Ironman is well-positioned to become an even bigger part of the global sports and fitness landscape. 

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

Athletech News: Can you tell us a bit about your background in academia and fitness, and why you decided to join Ironman?

Scott DeRue: There’s a common purpose woven throughout my career – I want to create experiences that help people unlock their potential in life. Education changed my life and I wanted to create that same transformative experience for other people, so I spent 14 years as a professor and then dean of a business school (Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan). My time at Equinox was motivated by that same sense of purpose, leveraging health and fitness to help people maximize their potential in life. 

Endurance sports have also been a big part of my life, they’re purpose-filled and bring joy to communities around the world. The Ironman Group is the best in the world at curating amazing experiences around endurance sports that help people unlock their potential.

ATN: You took over as Ironman’s CEO in January. What have your early priorities been?

SD: My first and foremost priority has been to put the athlete first in everything we do. A big part of that was beginning to experience what we do as an athlete, so I’ve jumped into pretty much every event that we have, every brand that we have, and I’ve participated as an athlete because I wanted to experience it from that perspective.

I did the Ironman 70.3 in Wilmington, North Carolina, which was my first triathlon of any distance. It was an incredible experience that filled me with joy. I really got a personal feel for why the triathlon community is so engaged and so passionate. 

ATN: What does putting the athlete first look like on a practical level for Ironman?

SD: There’s been a few areas of focus. We made a really big investment this year in what I’ll call “swag” – T-shirts, bags, medals. Our athletes care deeply about the memories of the experiences they have, and often that comes through the swag that is part of an event. The feedback from our athletes has been off the charts. What may seem small means a lot, and the only way you know that is by putting yourself in the shoes of the athletes to understand what they value.

We also made some big investments this year in digital experiences for our athletes. We rolled out our Athlete Profile, which essentially is the digital centerpiece to everything Ironman, and it becomes the central hub for connecting not only to your races but also the brands we curate, the partners we have in our ecosystem, and different products and services.

For example, like me, many of our athletes are new to triathlon, so we’ve developed a partnership with TriDot, a digital coaching platform that personalizes the experience for our athletes.  

ATN: It seems like you’re working to make Ironman into a lifestyle brand that people can engage with all year long versus just on race day or race weekend?

SD: That’s exactly right. We’re the largest organizer of participation sporting events in the world, and I’d argue we’re the best in the world at putting on world-class events in participation sports, in particular endurance sports. 

The next evolution for us as a brand is to be part of the lives of our athletes in ways that add value throughout their journey. If you’re an Ironman athlete, maybe you do a couple of events a year on average, although some do more. But everyone is going on this journey throughout the year with training and nutrition. Across all of our different brands, we want to be part of that end-to-end journey for the athlete in a way that elevates their experience, race day, race weekend and every day in between.

ATN: The Ironman World Championships just wrapped up in Nice, France (women’s) and Kona, Hawaii (men’s). Did you learn anything from those events that will inform your plans for next year’s Championships?  

SD: We’ll take a big step back and do a debrief on what we learned from Nice and Kona to think about the opportunities for continuous improvement for next year. But we’re always looking for opportunities to uplevel the experience for our athletes. For example, this year in Kona, we brought a lot of the local culture into the week of the race through different immersive, experiential moments where our community from all over the world – 85 different countries – could really open their hearts and minds to embrace Hawaiian culture, from Hula to lei-making to art. 

This isn’t just about swim, bike and run. This is about being part of something bigger than yourself. We’ve gotten a lot of great feedback, so I imagine we’ll do even more of that going forward. 

ATN: How would you assess the global demand for mass-participation sporting events like Ironman in 2024? 

SD: For participation sports broadly, I think there are a few important macro trends. One is the demand for experiences over things: people from all segments, young and old, different income levels, etc, are investing in experiences that have personal meaning more so than products or things.

There’s also a macro trend towards travel around sport that is growing exponentially right now. That’s true for spectator sports but it’s also true for participation.  The third trend is from a health and fitness perspective – the degree to which people are investing in their own health, fitness and wellness, broadly defined, is growing exponentially. 

If you put those three things together – a desire for experiences, a desire to travel for those experiences, and a deep commitment to health, fitness and wellness – participation sports benefits, so it’s no surprise that we’re seeing demand for participation sports grow globally.  We (also) benefit from a lot of those, so we’re seeing demand increase across all of our brands, at different rates. 

ATN: What’s your vision for the future of Ironman?

SD: Ironman is already a lifestyle for many people. We’re the most tattooed brand in the world. You don’t tattoo brands on your body unless it’s part of your identity. I was in Chamonix (France) a couple of months ago for our UTMB World Series Finals, which is our trail-running series, and the number of Ironman bags I saw in town there was really inspiring. 

If I look out five or 10 years from now, I think we have a real opportunity to not only be the best in the world at organizing participation sporting events and delivering these events at a world-class level, but having a collection of digital experiences that really tie together that experience. I think we have a real opportunity to elevate the Ironman brand and the sense of connection within the community to further strengthen Ironman as a lifestyle brand. 

The post CEO Corner: The Ironman Group’s Scott DeRue on Building a ‘Lifestyle Brand’ appeared first on Athletech News.

A new wellness event is coming to South Florida, and it’s got the makings of something big. 

Sean Hoess, co-founder of the popular yoga-based festival Wanderlust, is launching Eudēmonia, a health and well-being summit featuring some of the biggest names in longevity, medicine and fitness all together under one roof. 

To be held in West Palm Beach from November 1-3, Eudēmonia will feature over 200 sessions across three days, with science-based talks on health and longevity from speakers including Andrew Huberman, PhD, Mark Hyman, MD, and Gabrielle Lyon, DO.

Celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels and YouTube star Adriene Mishler will lead in-person workouts, while popular figures like Dan Harris and Bryan Johnson will present sessions on meditation and longevity, respectively. SoulCycle is set to stage several workout classes. 

In all, Eudēmonia will offer over 200 sessions across three days, with 100 wellness brands activating on-site including Function Health, AG1, Seed and Parsley Health. Among many experiences, attendees can receive on-site biometric testing from Basecamp and Function Health, and then consult experts for help decoding their results. 

“My goal is to build the South by Southwest of well-being in the heart of West Palm Beach,” Hoess tells Athletech News of his vision for Eudēmonia. 

A Different Type of Wellness Event

Eudēmonia, a Greek word that can be roughly translated as “life well lived,” gives a good overview of Hoess’ idea for the summit, which is designed around five elements: movement, nourishment, mental optimization, restoration and connection.

According to Hoess, who co-founded Wanderlust in 2009 and helped grow it into one of the world’s biggest experiential wellness brands, there’s big demand for an event that combines all the different aspects of health and wellness, from the science of longevity to meditation to working out, into one weekend.

“What I’ve noticed with events, and actually businesses in general, is that there’s sort of a Zeitgeist moment when it’s right for (them) to happen,” he says, pointing to the rise of wellness podcasters like Huberman and Peter Attia, along with Americans’ increased interest in preventive health following the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“I started to notice the interconnection between various things – the people talking about their metabolic health were the same people who were working out or who were interested in certain diets. All of this stuff started to interrelate,” Hoess adds. “I think there’s an opportunity to do something a little more high-minded that’s not just on a particular area of health or a certain fitness modality, but that actually brings it all together under the viewpoint of functional medicine or holistic health.”

Tickets for Eudēmonia have only been on sale for a few months,  but organizers are expecting over 3,000 people at next month’s event, which will be held at the Palm Beach County Convention Center and adjoining Hilton West Palm Beach hotel.

The majority of attendees will be between 40 and 60 years old, but Eudēmonia is also seeing interest from medical students and pre-med students, groups it’s recruiting through scholarship programs and other initiatives. 

Leading With Science

Eudēmonia will feature plenty of fun – Mishler, a Youtuber with over 12 million followers on her “Yoga With Adriene” channel, will perform an in-person version of her popular online workouts while guests can engage in cold plunges, sound baths and a silent disco dance. 

But Hoess is quick to point out that Eudēmonia is, above all else, a place for serious, science-based discussions on health and wellness. He envisions the weekend as an open forum where leading scientists, doctors and entrepreneurs can discuss key issues before an educated and receptive audience. 

Sessions include “Creating Good Energy: Reverse Chronic Disease by Mastering Metabolic Function,” “AI & The Future Of Personalized Medicine,” and “Immunometabolism: GroundBreaking New Research for Brain Health,” which should give some sense of the content on offer for the weekend. 

“We take the lecture part seriously; we do want people to walk away having absolutely learned something,” Hoess says. “At the same time, we want people to be able to unwind, have fun and dance, go to a sauna or check out a new machine.”

South Florida as a Wellness Capital?

Wanderlust became one of the world’s biggest wellness festivals, staging multiple events annually in countries around the globe. For the foreseeable future at least, Hoess will take a more measured approach with his new venture. 

Eudēmonia won’t be expanding to new territories anytime soon. Instead, organizers will focus on making it a can’t-miss health and well-being event, held once per year in South Florida. 

If all goes well next month, Eudēmonia will return to West Palm Beach in 2025, but on an even bigger scale. 

“I want to see an in-person experience where people have their minds blown,” Hoess says. “It’s got to be a transformational experience, where people (leave) and they’re buzzing, and they’re going back to their communities talking about it.”

For more information on Eudēmonia and to register, click here.

The post Eudemonia Launches as Star-Studded Health and Wellness Event  appeared first on Athletech News.

The fall season is just around the corner, and to celebrate, Orangetheory Fitness is kicking off the fall season with its “PSL” (Press, Squat and Lunge) workout event on Aug. 27.

Select Orangetheory studios will offer post-workout pumpkin treats, pumpkin spice lattes or limited-time offerings from RxBar and Smoothie King, such as RxBar’s Pumpkin Spice bars or samples of Smoothie King’s new Pumpkin Power Meal Smoothies.

“This PSL workout is our special one-day-only event that brings a challenging yet fun twist to our members’ fitness routines,” Orangetheory’s director of fitness design, Rachel Vaziralli, said. “It’s a fantastic way to infuse the spirit of fall into our science-backed classes, making the seasonal transition both energizing and effective.”

The heart rate-based group fitness franchisor merged with Self Esteem Brands, the parent company of Anytime Fitness, earlier this year. At the time, both sides said the deal — considered a “merger of equals” — would fuel significant international expansion.

While much has changed in the group fitness category, Orangetheory has remained dedicated to its heart-rate-based interval training and biometric feedback concept, making the brand a pioneer in the fitness tech space.

“Since day one, recognizing the power of technology within the studio has been ingrained in Orangetheory Fitness’ DNA,” Orangetheory’s chief technology officer, Ameen Kazerouni, told Athletech News in May.

Over time, Orangetheory has integrated smart equipment to enhance the workout experience, developed a proprietary maximum heart rate performance-tracking algorithm for increased personalization and rolled out the wearable OTbeat system. 

Although Orangetheory plans to continue integrating technology within its fitness studios for more tailored and hyper-personalized workouts, its coaches remain fundamental to building the community experience — which Orangetheory co-founder CEO Dave Long has noted is key to attracting the Gen Z fitness consumer.

“Our focus on expert coaching and fostering a supportive community underscores this balance, ensuring our members are motivated for consistent engagement and long-term success,” Long told ATN. 

“This approach particularly resonates with Gen Z, as seen by a 200% increase in memberships from this demographic post-pandemic, who have shown an increased desire for community fitness experiences that merge social connectivity with physical health.”

While Orangetheory pursues the wellness and fitness-obsessed Gen Z consumer, the group fitness franchisor is headed for major expansion through Bluegrass Fitness, an affiliate of Manna Capital Partners. The team had acquired 18 Orangetheory studios in Orlando and South Florida and announced it would aggressively expand the fitness franchise through new unit development and strategic acquisitions in the Sunshine State. 

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