Fitness Industry Roundup: Support, Gadgets, & Wellness

There’s a lot of cool fitness industry news in store for you this week. I’ll cover a range of topics, such as new exercise equipment to Amazon Alexa compatible health clubs, an organization that assists veterans returning to civilian life, and a 70-year-old Australian man promoting the importance of wellness.

First, we’re elated to share that the Canadian fitness industry has won a hard fought battle to gain financial relief.

Canadian Fitness Industry Succeeds in Gaining Financial Support from Government

The Canadian government recently passed Bill C-2, which will provide targeted support benefits such as wage and rent subsidies for fitness facilities—financial assistance programs that excluded the fitness industry before this announcement. This is a huge success for the Canadian fitness industry and, specifically, the Fitness Industry Council of Canada (FIC) which persistently lobbied the federal government to be recognized as a hard-hit industry. In a press release, Sara Hodson, president of FIC and CEO of LIVE WELL Exercise Clinic, said, “We are proud of our lobbying efforts and the relationships we have built with our federal and provincial governments. [This] announcement showed us that our political leaders are listening. Bill C-2 provides much-needed subsidies to help us rebound.”

Read more.

BodyEnergy Treadmill Earns Spot on TIME’s Best Inventions of 2021

IHRSA Partner, BodyEnergy, was recognized in TIME’s 100 Best Inventions of 2021. The BodyEnergy BE-A230 is a motor-free, self-propelled treadmill that works the upper and lower body for a high-intensity, full-body workout. With the addition of an arm-drive system, BodyEnergy is simple to modulate speeds up to 12 mph. TIME writer, Jesse Will, notes that the BodyEnergy Treadmill’s safety features are second to none. “While motorized treadmills may take several seconds to power down, this stops instantly once you stop running, lessening your chance of taking one of the approximately 22,500 treadmill-caused trips to the ER per year,” he said.

Learn more about the BodyEnergy Treadmill.

First Smart Health Club Concept Revealed in Saudi Arabia

B_fit, launched by Armah Sports, an IHRSA member, is the world’s first full-service smart health club to utilize Amazon Alexa technology. The club concept’s first location opened in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at the beginning of November and features a wide range of innovative tech solutions. “With the Metaverse on the horizon, there are no limits on how much experience we can create for our members,” said Fahad Alhagbani, CEO of Armah Sports. “Our mission is to make Saudi a hub for innovation in the region for the fitness industry – we believe the days of the traditional fitness club are gone, it’s time for the new generation of fitness clubs, the clubs of the future."

According to Fit Tech, the fascinating facility boasts a large gym floor, cardio zone, performance cardio zone, personal training hubs, athlete factory area, six exercise studios—catering to functional, spinning, yoga, pilates, HIIT, and boxing—a pool, indoor running track, co-working space, innovation lab, smoothie bar, and retail area. In the next 18 months, Armah Sports plans to launch 11 additional B_fit smart clubs.

Find out more.

Organization Jumps to Help Veterans Transition into Civilian Life

This Veteran’s Day, 80 Chicagoans from ages 6 to 65 jumped rope to raise money to pay for the treatment of 10 veterans for medical procedures not covered by the VA or health insurance. WGN9 reports that the “Jump for Vets” event raised funds for Rag of Honor One, a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting veterans with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) to return to civilian life. In particular, the organization finances Stellate Ganglion Block procedures that has proven to greatly reduce or—in most cases—completely eliminate severe PTSD. “I really did not realize how much it was affecting me until I had [the Stellate Ganglion Block] done,” said Melinda Linas, ARMY veteran and Chicago Police Department commander of the Community Safety Team West. “I had the shot done and I hadn’t felt this sense of calm in years.”

Watch the full story.

‘Age Doesn’t Mean Anything’ for 70-year-old Fitness Inspiration

A Queensland, Australia, retiree aims to be “the fittest 70-year-old” in the area, according to ABC Capricornia. Brian Curteis began running four years ago, and has since completed two half marathons and finished first in his age group, but just stepped into a gym for the first time this year. "I thought I'd see a lot of gym junkies just staring at the mirror," he said. "But I was quite shocked. It's mainly middle-aged people just wanting to stay fit.” Because of Curteis’s commitment to fitness and preserving his health, he has become a local inspiration and example for others. “You only get one go at life; get in and have a go,” said Curteis. “Age doesn't mean anything."

Read the rest of the story.

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.