UPDATES FROM OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS
SPONSORED CONTENT Spotlight: Budderfly
Upgrade Your Clubs—Keep Your Capital.
Rising energy costs and aging HVAC and lighting are forcing fitness operators to make a tough decision: Repair or replace or absorb the cost or pass it on. Budderfly offers a different answer: partnership.
Through its Energy as a Service (EaaS) model, Budderfly funds, installs, and maintains high-efficiency LED lighting, HVAC upgrades, and smart controls at no upfront cost, so operators can recover their investment through measured energy savings. Operators get modernized facilities, real-time monitoring, and ongoing maintenance, plus energy management moves off their plate.
Multi-site operators across brands like Planet Fitness, Orangetheory, and HealthTrax are scaling the model, preserving capital while modernizing HVAC and lighting across dozens of locations.
Learn More With Budderfly’s Webinar, Hosted by HFA
Join Budderfly's October webinar, “From Headache to Hands-Off: A Conversation on Energy Strategy with Multi-Site Fitness Operators,” on October 15 at 2 p.m. EST. Hosted by HFA, the webinar will feature a candid conversation with a multi-site club operator on how they evaluated their energy options with Budderfly, what convinced them to move forward, and what's changed since.
Partner News
CLUBS/ORGANIZATIONS
American Council on Exercise
The American Council on Exercise (ACE) recently launched CoreFit Cycle powered by Schwinn, a continuing education online course in partnership with CoreFit Collective. A redesigned version of the Schwinn Indoor Cycling Instructor Training program, it covers setting up bikes, designing structured classes, and strengthening rider engagement. The course also explains how to use metrics such as power, rotations per minute, heart rate, and rate of perceived exertion to guide effort and progression. “ACE is proud to help exercise professionals meet members where they are,” says Lauren Provenzano, M.S., MBA, VP of product and innovation at ACE.
National Academy of Sports Medicine
The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) has partnered with After-School All-Stars (ASAS), the nonprofit founded by Arnold Schwarzenegger to give its mentors fitness and wellness knowledge and tools to help young people build health, confidence, and resilience. ASAS mentors nationwide will complete the NASM Youth Exercise Specialization to learn how to lead youth exercise and wellness programming safely and effectively. “Through our partnership, we can equip mentors with the training and confidence to support the students they work with every day, honoring everything Arnold Schwarzenegger has built with this organization,” says Mehul Patel, CEO of NASM.
Sports & Fitness Industry Association
Sports and fitness participation in the United States has reached a new record high, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) in its 2026 First Half Game Plan: Key Moves in Sports Participation Report. For the 12 months ending June 2026, 81.3% of Americans ages six and older participated in at least one of the 126 sports and fitness activities SFIA tracks, while inactivity fell to a record low of 18.7%. Team participation, including in basketball, flag football, and baseball, also increased. “There is a lot to be encouraged about,” says Alex Kerman, senior director, head of research at SFIA.
EQUIPMENT
HUR
HUR has launched VOA Fitness, a new brand that brings the company’s pneumatic resistance equipment from medical and rehabilitation settings to commercial gyms, wellness facilities, and other fitness operators. Using technology developed over more than three decades, VOA includes 17 strength machines and a digital ecosystem that connects equipment, coaches, and members through personalized training data and assessments. The platform is a technology-enabled alternative to traditional strength equipment, with features including digitally adjustable resistance, connected coaching tools, and a compact footprint. Industry veterans from Life Fitness and TRX are helping lead the commercial expansion of VOA Fitness.
Matrix Fitness
In a three-year collaboration, Matrix Fitness has been named the Official Fitness Partner of Dutch football club PSV and will provide PSV 1, the PSV Academy, and PSV Vitality with fitness equipment to support the club’s sporting objectives. PSV Vitality and Matrix are also jointly developing a new in-house corporate gym concept with a PSV signature, which is aimed at companies that want to integrate vitality and health into their organization. “PSV has a strong vision on performance and development, and that aligns perfectly with what Matrix stands for,” says Marco Vonk, managing director of Matrix Fitness Benelux.
Merrithew
Merrithew has a new distribution partnership with Fitness For Life Caribbean to expand access to its premium Pilates equipment across the Caribbean. Based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the company will provide customers in the region with Merrithew’s professional Pilates equipment portfolio and localized sales support and service. Fitness For Life Caribbean serves hotels, residential developments, studios, corporate fitness spaces, and government gyms. “As demand for Pilates continues growing, strong partners like Fitness For Life Caribbean on the ground are essential to delivering the level of service and support our customers expect,” says Jim Heidenreich, CEO of Merrithew.
Power Plate
Performance Health Systems, manufacturer of Power Plate, has introduced an improved Power Plate my5 whole-body vibration platform. New features include a 5″ LCD touchscreen display, a lower control console with an integrated repeat button for easier operation, and an extended nine-minute countdown timer for longer guided sessions. Among other enhancements: a redesigned remote control, four built-in training programs—Flexibility, Core, Strength, and Massage—and a refined user interface that simplifies navigation and offers greater workout customization. “These enhancements reflect years of feedback from customers and partners across fitness, healthcare, and wellness,” says Will Febbo, CEO of Performance Health Systems.
REP Fitness, LLC
REP Fitness, LLC (REP), recently launched the Strive Curved Treadmill, a self-powered, motorless unit for commercial or home use that transitions from a free runner to a resistance sled on-the-fly. Eight levels of magnetic flywheel resistance load the belt so it works like a sled—light enough at the low end to simulate an uphill walk, and heavy enough at the top for intense strength work. Users can choose a flat deck or a 3% grade, and the 5″ × 8″ backlit console tracks distance, speed, time, power, and calories, with a second console at foot level.
Spirit Fitness
The new Spirit Trimodal Treadmill incorporates three modes to accommodate different users and goals. Standard mode delivers a traditional motorized running experience, with an incline up to 20% for warm-up walks to high-intensity hill climbs. Free mode engages an unpowered belt, driven entirely by the user's own effort, with an unlimited speed range and a 6% incline lock. And in Sled mode, the machine becomes a resistance-based pushing platform with 15 load levels. The treadmill includes a slat belt that absorbs impact, three grip positions, and a 21.5" LED console that features speed, incline, and resistance controls.
SportsArt
POWR-ZONE Columbus is the first SportsArt-sponsored fitness and well-being experience. Designed for the commercial fitness community and open to consumers, it is meant for testing and refining programming, creating educational content, and developing applications for gym floors. Owned by new wellness and fitness entity WellXM, POWER-ZONE Columbus includes SportsArt’s ECO-POWR cardio and strength machines and serves as SportsArt’s Midwest showroom. POWR-ZONE is the company’s proprietary small-group training program. “This is an experience center, think tank, and event space that inspires people to pursue their fitness goals,” says Craig Lerner, the founder of Involve and Involve Ventures, which owns WellXM.
RECOVERY/WELLNESS
Vital AED + CPR Training
Vital AED + CPR Training, a nationwide provider of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), AED program management, and CPR training, announced its membership in the Health & Fitness Association as the company expands its focus on helping health clubs, fitness centers, gyms, studios, and wellness organizations strengthen their emergency preparedness and protect the communities they serve. Building on a mission that began in 2006, the company brings more than 18 years of experience in the automated external defibrillator industry. “Our goal is to make AED preparedness simple. We help facilities not only purchase the right equipment, but also understand how to maintain it, train their teams, and remain prepared long after the AED is installed,” says Christine Shale, owner of Vital AED + CPR Training.
TECHNOLOGY/PROGRAMMING
ABC Fitness
ABC Fitness has acquired Replify, an agentic AI platform that automates member and prospect communications through virtual AI agents. Replify helps fitness businesses manage high-volume communications across voice, text, email, and chat, including AI reception, lead capture and qualification, tour booking, class scheduling support, missed-call follow-up, and outbound engagement. The platform supports approximately 35 languages across voice and 100+ across text and chat. This addition to ABC’s AI-powered operating infrastructure can help operators respond faster to demand, reduce repetitive front-desk work, and enable teams to focus more on the relationships that drive member engagement, retention, and growth.
Fit4Travel
Fit4Travel, which plans, markets, and hosts wellness retreats, is celebrating its seven-year anniversary, helping thousands of retreat leaders and travelers bring their communities to destinations in 30 countries and six continents. The wellness retreat segment is projected to grow from $180.5 billion in 2022 to $363.9 billion by 2032, a 7.4% compound annual growth rate, according to Allied Market Research’s Wellness Retreat Market Report. Fit4Travel supports hosts with digital marketing assets, website development, automated payment integration, and curated itineraries with negotiated wholesale rates—along with concierge, airfare, and travel insurance support and pre-trip touchpoints for their travelers.
Les Mills
Les Mills International has appointed Jason Paris as its new CEO, assuming operational leadership from managing director Phillip Mills on October 6. Experienced in leading large customer-centric companies through growth across telecommunications, digital services, and media, Paris has helped shape some of New Zealand’s popular brands, such as TVNZ OnDemand. “With the business on a strong footing and well-positioned for further expansion, now is the right time for me to hand over leadership to an energetic new CEO who can take us into our next chapter,” says Mills, who will move to a founder and director role.
Playlist
Playlist, the parent company behind Mindbody, ClassPass, Booker, EGYM, and Kite, has debuted Customized Websites, its second AI-powered service. Operators get a professional, SEO-optimized, and mobile-friendly website tailored to their brand and services, ready to use within days; full integration with Mindbody or Booker, automatically syncing pricing and schedules so clients can book directly from the site; automatic bundling of Attentive, a personalized SMS and email marketing integration, and AI Concierge for operators on Mindbody Ultimate plans; and ongoing maintenance and updates from Playlist. To date, Playlist has launched hundreds of websites for customers during a service pilot.
Xplor Technologies
The Fitness Industry Growth Report 2027 from Xplor Technologies found that 74% of gym operators reported strong or moderate growth over the last three years, with 68% opening a new location. Of those who opened a new site, 87% built a new club from scratch. The top barriers to opening new sites were finding the right location (59%) and recruiting qualified staff (56%). Memberships continue to be the fastest-growing revenue stream for many operators, driven by both volume growth and price increases. Only 2% of the 180 fitness operators across 19 countries surveyed reported a decline in growth.
Health & Fitness Business is a publication of
Health & Fitness Business (HFB) is the leading health and fitness industry publication. Published monthly by the Health & Fitness Association (HFA) and distributed free to the industry, HFB offers analysis of the opportunities, challenges, issues, and news that impact the industry.
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