Fitness Industry Roundup: Business—and Positivity—is Booming

There are so many good things to share this week! We have a fitness industry supplier that hit record growth in 2020, another supplier that recently acquired its ninth company, a gym owner that’s sending positive messages out of all the bad things the pandemic has caused, and so much more. Let’s get right into it.

FITBENCH Doubles Business Amidst Pandemic

After just five years in operation, IHRSA partner, FITBENCH, experienced record growth in 2020, with 50% of revenue coming from international sales. Founder Tyler Danen said, “Throughout COVID, we worked with new studio owners who took advantage of negotiated lease rates, and our biggest growth was from home exercisers.” FITBENCH is a versatile tool that offers four commercial units that include dumbbells, kettlebells, a slam ball, and FITBANDS. These products are available in 40 states and 25 countries worldwide through distributors, big-box retailers, studios, health clubs, vertical markets, homes, and even the U.S military.

Learn more about FITBENCH.

PF Baseline Fitness Aims to Open Surplus of 50 Locations

Due to exceeding expectations, leading Planet Fitness franchisee, PF Baseline Fitness, has its sights on doubling locations in the near future to 100. According to Star Tribune, Alex Mortensen, PF Baseline Fitness chief operating officer, said that new memberships are fueling the expansion. “It's given us confidence to get back on that development pace to plan out multiple new openings this year," he said. "We'd like to be in the high single digits to low double digits, in the 8, 9 to 12 range." Currently, the company has 300,000 members in 53 Planet Fitness gyms across Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and California.

Find out more about PF Baseline Fitness’s expansion.

Boutique Stretching Reaches New Heights During Coronavirus

Assisted stretching boutique studios are offering members and visitors a tangible experience that many are desperately longing for amid the pandemic: touch. Laura Collins of White Plains, NY, and StretchLab member, told Star Tribune, "We're being deprived of social interaction, we're being deprived of hugs and people who are familiar, and ... it's just so comfortable being there." Although services differ at each company, a boutique stretching session is done one-on-one with a practitioner that focuses on recovery by elongating the client’s muscles further than where they naturally reach while the client periodically resists—similar to physical therapy and massage.

Learn more about boutique stretching.

Xponential Fitness Acquires Boutique Boxing Brand Rumble

According to PR Newswire, the addition of Rumble to the Xponential Fitness family of fitness brands is its ninth acquisition, furthering the claim that Xponential is the largest curator of boutique fitness brands in the world. Anthony Geisler, CEO of Xponential Fitness, said, "By adding Rumble to the Xponential portfolio, we're opening up another core modality for our members to help them reach their health and fitness goals within our family of brands, as well as creating opportunity for entrepreneurs to bring this engaging workout to their market." Rumble offers full-body strength and conditioning workouts with specially designed water-filled, teardrop-style boxing bags. Xponential Fitness brands include Pure Barre, Club Pilates, CycleBar, YogaSix, StretchLab, Row House, AKT, and STRIDE.

Learn about Xponential’s acquisition of Rumble.

MI Fitness Community Brings Fitness Instructors Together

As reported in Livingston Daily, Raija Nalepa, a yoga instructor in Howell, MN, opened MI Fitness Community to provide yoga, fitness, and dance instructors with a space to train clients. The 1,200-square-foot space offers a multi-purpose yoga and workout space that 13 instructors share as well as a Reiki studio that hosts Good Vibrations Healing. Dance instructor, Allison Hoover, said, “MI Fitness Community is devoted to providing a space where others can build their own wellness as well as their business. Our space allows for each individual to expand their connection within themselves and the community around them."

Read about MI Fitness Community.

Local Businesses & Organizations Support Boxing Club’s Fitness Day

Highland Community News reports that Highlanders Boxing Club in Highland, CA, held a fitness day for the community to encourage them to exercise and maintain a healthy fitness level throughout the pandemic. Local businesses, clubs, and organizations lent a helping hand by offering nutrition information, educational booths, health education, free COVID-19 essentials, and COVID-19 testing on location. Assemblyman James Ramos said, “It’s always a pleasure to support the Highlanders Boxing Club … Anything that’s positive for our youth—especially during this time of COVID pandemic—can start to address that mental health issue and help people feel comfortable getting outside and being around one another.”

Read more about Highland Boxing Club’s Fitness Day.

Providence Fitness Instructor Twists Pandemic Woes to Positives

In an article published on GoLocalProv, Matt Espeut, owner of Providence Fit Body Boot Camp in Rhode Island and author of “Unleash Your Full Potential,” lists how you can turn bad things from the pandemic into something positive. Espeut’s gym was locked down for months and lost 40% of its membership. The good? “Now I have the time to focus on my health and fitness and spend time with my family,” said Espeut. And for the members who stuck around, he said, “Now we can pay more attention to the ones that stayed and help them get great results. We went over and beyond for our loyal following by creating extra value with our program, by offering online workouts and a bunch of fun challenges to keep them accountable and engaged.”

Check out Providence Fit Body Boot Camp.

Dick’s Sporting Goods Opens Experiential Retail Store

Dick’s Sporting Goods aims to offer customers a hands-on shopping experience and a fitness community with Dick’s House of Sports. The Detroit Free Press reports that the new store in Rochester, NY, includes an outdoor field for sporting events, a rock-climbing wall, indoor wellness spaces, and an opportunity for customers to seek advice from fitness experts. Another store is already in process for Knoxville, TN, and is expected to open in May.

Find out all that Dick’s House of Sports will offer.