Fitness Industry Roundup: All For One & One For All

More often than not, business owners and operators are figuring out how to gain more time to get things done. A new all-in-one CRM platform aims to give fitness professionals just that. Plus, we review two studies that show the positive health benefits of exercise, and a popular modern dance troupe expands to provide seniors mental and physical well-being.

First off, moves are underway to create a more welcoming, diverse, and inclusive health and fitness community. Here’s how ACE is creating a better industry.

ACE Urges Fitness Professionals to Take Action With Diversity & Inclusion Course

To better equip exercise professionals and health coaches to support diverse communities, ACE (the American Council on Exercise) launched an equity, diversity, and inclusion course. ACE, an IHRSA Industry Partner, recently announced the first-of-its-kind course,Taking Action with ACE: Practicing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion as an Exercise Professional, in a press release. The six-module course will help exercise professionals understand implicit bias and incorporate a person-centered approach to coaching.

“In order to make meaningful change of systemic inequities, we need to ensure everyone has equitable access to health and fitness resources,” said ACE president and chief science officer, Cedric Bryant, Ph.D. “There are clear data about the health disparities among populations who are medically underserved. We hope this new course works toward ensuring all communities have the support they need to live healthy, balanced lives.”

Read about the course.

Technology Company Offers Fitness Studios a Comprehensive CRM Platform

Plan2Play, an IHRSA Industry Partner, was featured in WRAL TechWire for launching an all-encompassing CRM for fitness studios and gyms. ARC—an acronym for attract, run, connect—was designed to offer endless possibilities for fitness facility owners to save time and run their business all in one platform. The idea to create a comprehensive CRM platform for fitness-related businesses comes from Crossfitters and lifelong wellness enthusiasts Louise Fahys, Plan2Play co-founder and CEO, and Layton Judd, a technology entrepreneur. “[ARC] allows fitness facilities to interact directly with members while also providing a space for them to communicate with each other, helping foster a sense of community,” said Fahys and Judd.

Learn more about ARC.

Weight Lifting Reduces Likeliness to Become Obese, Study Shows

Results from a new study focusing on resistance exercise and body fat finds that those who lift weights are 20% to 30% less likely to become obese over time than people who do not. The study authors note that resistance exercise should be incorporated into exercise programs for a minimum of 1-2 hours per week or at least twice weekly. Based on these results, Angelique Brellenthin, Ph.D., study lead and kinesiology professor at Iowa State, told The New York Times, “You can get a lot of benefit from even a little [weight training] ... So, my advice would be to fit in a few body weight exercises before or after your usual daily walk.” Furthermore, the study found the lowest risk of obesity is when participants engage in weight lifting and aerobic exercise.

Read more on the study.

Exercise Associated With Combating Negative Outcomes of Poor Sleep Habits

News24 reports that those who at least meet the minimum requirements of the WHO’s (World Health Organization) physical activity guidelines can reduce or eliminate the health harms of poor sleep, according to a new study. Recent research shows poor sleep may:

• cause inflammation

• increase the risk of obesity, and

• increase the risk of heart disease and premature death.

The study analyzed information from more than 385,000 participants and found that people with poor sleep had a 23% higher risk of premature death, a 39% higher risk of dying from heart disease, and a 13% higher risk of dying from cancer. The study’s authors, Bo-Huei Huang, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Sydney, and Emmanuel Stamatakis, professor of physical activity, lifestyle, and population health at the University of Sydney, said, “Our study offers a hopeful message, that even if you haven’t been able to improve your sleep, you can still offset some of the health harms by doing enough exercise.”

Find out more results.

Seniors Find Balance & Community Through Dance Troupe

Founded in 1971, Pilobolus is typically known for its ability to manipulate the human form and conquer gravity-defying stunts. However, during the pandemic, the modern dance troupe switched its focus to expand its reach and assist seniors—mentally and physically. According to CBS, Pilobolus is working with seniors to ensure they can move throughout their lives. "This is a way that people who maybe never thought they would be dancing are dancing and moving their bodies in ways that they never would have," said Emily Kent, Pilobolus education director. "This really is that power of connection to art and movement and to each other as human beings."

Learn more in the full article.

Has your health or fitness-related business been featured in the news recently? We want to know! Send a link to any news article or video that highlighted your business to pr@ihrsa.org, and we may include it in a future issue of the Fitness Industry Roundup.