Fitness Industry Roundup: Fantastic News All-round

We’re seeing record sales numbers, significant professional partnerships, extensive research related to exercise’s impact on mental health, health clubs pushing the importance of overall wellness, and so much more.

Man, there’s so much I can say about the upbeat news related to the industry’s comeback and things that are taking off, but I’ll save you the rambling. Let’s just get right into this one.

Blink Fitness Records Strongest Month in 11-Year History

Consumers are returning to Blink Fitness, an IHRSA member, in record numbers, reported Yahoo!. Following its best February sales performance over any other February in the company’s history, Blink Fitness recorded its strongest sales month ever in March. "We are thrilled to see the trend that was undoubtedly coming—people getting back to the gym in record numbers," said Blink Fitness CEO Todd Magazine. "As the country rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic, people are ready to return to their fitness routines or start a new health habit.” Check-ins are also proving members’ and consumers’ urge to commit to physically active lifestyles as 2022 March levels were up double digits compared to March 2019.

Read more.

FlexIt Slides Exclusive Wellness Content Into NHL Arena

Elite National Hockey League franchise, the Florida Panthers, signed FlexIt, an IHRSA member, as its official virtual fitness partner. With the partnership, Club Industry highlights that offerings will include in-person activations—such as fitness classes—in-game promotions, and ongoing access to FlexIt’s premier fitness resources. "We are thrilled to work with the Florida Panthers; it makes perfect sense," said Austin Cohen, founder and CEO of FlexIt. "The Panthers are an incredibly run organization and one of the best teams in the NHL, sitting near the very top of the league-wide standings, and FlexIt is the leader in personalized virtual fitness and wellness.” Fans will also be able to get in on the action with the all-new “FlexIt Flexcam,” workouts held outside of the arena, and various wellness engagements on the FlexIt platform.

Find out more.

15 Minutes: The Magic Number to Boost Mental Health

An ASICS experiment reveals that just 15 minutes and nine seconds of physical activity is enough to boost mental health and mood. As reported in Business Wire, the experiment, Mind Race, originally focused on the impact of inactivity over one week—findings dictate that cognitive and emotional well-being are impacted similarly to a week of interrupted sleep. One week without exercise caused a drop in:

• confidence (20%),

• optimism (16%),

• energy levels (23%),

• the ability to deal with stress (22%), and

• overall mood (18%).

Optimistically, after participants returned to their regular exercise regimens, the negative effects of inactivity were quickly reversed with immediate mood improvements in just 15 minutes.

Check out the study.

EoS Extends Overall Wellness Solution to Members

Nutritional guidance, personalized coaching, and 24/7 support are now available to all EoS Fitness members, thanks to a partnership with Betr Health. Yahoo! Finance states that in addition to EoS gyms and personal training, members will have access to Betr Health’s mobile app and online community for nutritional guidance, accountability, and encouragement with meal delivery options for on-the-go lifestyles. William Ferro, founder and CEO of Betr Health, said, "Betr Health's partnership with EoS introduces healthy nutrition as lifestyle medicine to gymgoers who have already taken steps to add exercise to their wellness routines and are ready to take their overall wellness to the next level by adding a focus on nutrition."

Read more.

Michigan Tech Fitness Program Earns Exercise is Medicine Honor

Michigan Tech University (MTU) in Houghton, MI, created Up and Moving, an exercise program, to keep staff, students, and the community as active as possible during the pandemic. Exercise is Medicine (EIM) recognized MTU for its commitment to create a culture of wellness. Robyn Stuhr, vice president of EIM, said these campus programs are important in “making physical activity assessment and promotion a standard in health care.” Since the EIM recognition program launched in 2014, only 156 universities worldwide have received the honor, notes The Mining Journal. “Moving forward, the ‘Up and Moving’ program at Michigan Tech aims to partner with local healthcare providers to establish physical activity as a health vital sign,” said Issac Lennox, MTU student.

Learn more about Up and Moving and Exercise is Medicine.

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.