What’s actually driving growth in the fitness business right now?

In this special edition of All Things Fitness and Wellness, recorded live on the show floor at the HFA Show 2026, Krissy Vann sits down with three industry leaders operating at scale to unpack where momentum is coming from and what operators should be paying attention to.

Adam Sedlack, CEO of UFC Gym, breaks down the brand’s global expansion, including international growth markets and how UFC Gym is building momentum beyond the U.S.

Emma Barry shares how operators should be thinking abou...

This Week in Fitness is your weekly breakdown of the biggest stories shaping the global fitness, wellness, and health club industry—all in under 5 minutes. 

From major M&A deals and leadership changes to GLP-1 developments, wearable tech, and operator insights, we cover what fitness business owners, executives, and industry professionals need to know.

This week we cover:
-HFA Announces Leadership Transition as Liz Clark Steps Down
-Global Coalition Calls for Integrated Approach to GLP-1 Care
-Hims & Hers Expands Access to GLP-1 Medications
-Playlist and EGYM Close $7.5B Merger
-ClassPass Rep...

What actually stood out at HFA this year… and what does it mean for the fitness industry heading into 2026?

In this special edition of the All Things Fitness and Wellness podcast, Krissy Vann is joined by Liz Clark, President and CEO of the Health & Fitness Association, and Mike Goscinski to break down the biggest takeaways from the HFA Show.

From the industry stepping into the “big leagues” to the growing role of alignment across operators, suppliers, and partners, this conversation unpacks what’s real, what’s changing, and where opportunities are emerging.
If you were at HF...

We crunch the latest fitness business headlines all in under 5 minutes.

This week, the industry steps into the big leagues at the HFA Show. GLP-1 medications continue to reshape the fitness industry. Novo Nordisk raises the bar with higher-dose Wegovy, while Daxko introduces a model for gyms to participate in medical weight loss without taking on clinical risk.

We also cover Xponential Fitness’ FTC settlement, the Les Mills and Life Fitness partnership, Myzone’s expansion beyond cardio, new resistance training guidance from ACSM, the rise of recovery tech, and a new premium health club concept in L...

What actually defines a great gym experience today?
In this episode of the All Things Fitness and Wellness podcast, Krissy Vann sits down with Ivy Wu, Vice President of Global Growth at ClassPass, to unpack the results of the 2025 Best of ClassPass Awards and what the data reveals about changing consumer preferences in fitness.

The awards highlight standout gyms, studios, instructors and wellness businesses across 24 countries, based on real reservation data and member feedback. The results offer a unique look at where consumers are actually spending their time and money.

Krissy and Ivy explore...

Welcome to This Week In Fitness, where we crunch the latest fitness business headlines in under 5 minutes. Each episode delivers a quick breakdown of the stories shaping the global fitness industry, from technology and investment to club expansion and leadership moves.

In this episode:

-EGYM to Debut Smart Strength Series 3 at the HFA Show
Connected fitness technology company EGYM plans to introduce its newest generation of smart strength equipment alongside a platform designed to connect training data, member onboarding and club operations.

-WHOOP Plans to Hire 600 Employees in 2026
Wearable performance company...

HYROX has evolved into one of the fastest growing competitive fitness sports in the world and its impact inside gyms is becoming harder to ignore.

In this episode of All Things Fitness and Wellness, Krissy Vann sits down with Douglas Gremmen, Chief Growth Officer at HYROX, to explore how the sport has moved beyond race day and into structured partnerships with gyms across North America and globally.

They discuss how HYROX is breaking down community barriers inside clubs, creating a flywheel effect that brings members in specifically to train for competition, and increasing engagement with...

What happens when GLP-1 adoption accelerates inside high value gyms?
Are longevity clinics the next evolution of premium fitness?
And how embedded is biometric tracking becoming at the Olympic level?

In this episode of This Week In Fitness, Krissy Vann breaks down the biggest business stories shaping the fitness and wellness industry right now. This weekly series delivers a concise, enterprise-level overview of the headlines operators, executives, and investors should be watching.

This week’s stories include:

• Planet Fitness closes 2025 with strong growth and positions itself around the GLP-1 opportunity
• UFC GY...

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

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

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

For gym owners, operators, and fitness executives planning...

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

Stories Covered This Week:

Planet Fitness Expands in Mexico
Planet Fitness signs a new franchise agreement to open additional clubs in Tijuana and Mexicali. With gy...

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

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

If you’re a gym owner, executive, investor, or fitness operator planning to atte...

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

This Week in Fitness: The Stories We’re Watching

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

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

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

We talk through how GLP 1 members often differ from traditional populations, why business as usual programming can fall short, and where gyms have a real opportunity to improve outcomes without compromising coaching culture. Dave also shares how medical support, telehealth, and fitness can work together to help me...

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

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

Plus, Hims & Hers Health returns to the Big Game with a provocative message on heal...

How do you scale a fitness business without losing focus?

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

Chris walks through how the franchise model is being developed, what the organization is looking for in franchise partners, and how operational readiness factors into long-term growth. Rather than...

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

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

• Fitness World — Announces a $50M investment...

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

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

• what GLP-1 members actually need when weight is no longer the main driver
• how reduced reliance on willpower reshapes habit formation and long-term adherence
• early behavioural signals that indicate...

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

In this episode:

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

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

-Planet Fitness is named the top-ranked fitness brand on...

As the fitness industry enters 2026, operators are navigating growth, pressure, and rapid change.

In this episode of All Things Fitness and Wellness, host Krissy Vann speaks with Liz Clark, President and CEO of the Health & Fitness Association, about what leaders need to know right now.


As the fitness industry enters 2026, operators are navigating renewed growth alongside rising expectations, policy shifts, and evolving member demands.
In this episode of All Things Fitness and Wellness, host Krissy Vann sits down with Liz Clark, President and CEO of the Health & Fitness Association, for a grounded conversation...

The final This Week In Fitness of 2025 breaks down the biggest fitness business stories shaping the industry as we head into 2026. Hosted by Krissy Vann, the episode covers how brand strategy, culture, consumer behavior, and GLP-1 medications are influencing the future of fitness.

In this episode:
-Planet Fitness returns to Times Square for its 11th New Year’s Eve sponsorship, reinforcing its mass-market strategy

-Crunch Fitness launches its music-driven “Feel More” campaign, positioning gyms as cultural and social spaces

-24 Hour Fitness introduces “Results Your Way,” emphasizing personalization, recovery, and sustainable progress

...

In this episode of All Things Fitness and Wellness, Krissy Vann sits down with Lee Robinson, VP of Sales at ABC Fitness, to break down gym membership trends, member behavior, and what the data from 2025 reveals about running a successful gym in 2026.

The conversation explores why Gen Z gym members now account for nearly half of new gym joins, how their expectations differ from previous generations, and where gym owners may be misreading what this audience values. Lee also explains why gym engagement and gym cancellations are both increasing, and how click to cancel is reshaping how...

This week on This Week in Fitness, host Krissy Vann covers the key business stories shaping the fitness and wellness industry as 2025 comes to a close, including:

-Noom expanding further into preventive health with microdose GLP-1s, behavioral coaching, and biomarker testing

-Weight Watchers launching a redesigned platform that integrates GLP-1 prescribing, nutrition, coaching, fitness content, and community

-ABC Fitness Wellness Watch Q4 2025, with new data on joins, cancellations, engagement, community, payments, and AI adoption across 40 million members

-Oura’s 2025 Year in Review, highlighting global trends in sleep, movement, stress, and ca...

In this episode of All Things Fitness and Wellness, Krissy Vann sits down with Ntiedo Etuk, Founder and CEO of FitGrid, to unpack how boutique fitness is being evaluated today and what needs to change as the industry heads into 2026.

The conversation explores the growing push for standardized, cross-platform KPIs, why fragmented data has become a challenge for operators and investors alike, and how the lack of shared benchmarks impacts valuations, diligence timelines, and strategic decision-making.

Ntiedo also shares insight from the Boutique Fitness Capital Markets Briefing, where investors representing hundreds of billions in capital...

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

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

In this episode:

• Panobianco Academia brings former Planet Fitness CEO Chris Rondeau onto its board as the Brazilian franchisor targets 600 clubs in 2026.
• Tonal releases its State of Strength Report, highlighting shorter sessions, adaptive training, and surprising generational performance gaps.
• HYROX publishes its first Sports Science Advisory Council Report...

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

Dr McKee breaks down where gyms lose the most members in the first 30 to 60 days, the early behavioural signals that predict disengagement, and how data or wearable feedback loops can help operators intervene before a member drifts. The conversation explores why be...

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

In today’s headlines:

• Matrix Fitness responds to record strength-training demand with a new Magnum Plate-Loaded Range
• Pickleball Kingdom brings competition and franchising to reality TV with the launch of Paddle Battle
• Dubai-based elegant hoopoe enters...

What advocacy priorities will shape the fitness industry in 2026?

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

From preventive health legislation to affordability barriers and consolidation across North America, this episode breaks down the ke...

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

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

This Week’s Headlines

• Orangetheory Fitness partners with HYROX
• Orangetheory l...