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CLUBS/ORGANIZATIONS
American College of Sports Medicine
Released by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Elevance Health Foundation, the 2026 ACSM American Fitness Index indicates that the gap between America’s healthiest and least healthy cities is growing wider. The fittest cities combine lower obesity and chronic disease rates with higher physical activity, stronger active transportation, and broad access to parks and recreation infrastructure. “Where you live increasingly determines how healthy you are,” says Stella Volpe, Ph.D., ACSM-CEP, chair of the Fitness Index Advisory Board. The top fittest cities: Arlington, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Minneapolis; Seattle; Denver; San Francisco; Irvine, California; Atlanta; Madison, Wisconsin; and Boston.
American Council on Exercise
Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D., FACSM, CEO of the American Council on Exercise, was inducted into the National Fitness Hall of Fame in August 2026. With a career spanning three decades, Bryant is a researcher, the author of more than 400 articles and 40 textbooks, and a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. He also has served in numerous advisory and leadership roles, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Active People, Healthy Nation initiative, the World Health Organization’s Global Action Plan on Physical Activity, and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Obesity Solutions Roundtable, among many others.
International Sports Sciences Association
The International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) recently published The 2026 Fitness Hiring Report: Closing the Readiness Gap: A New Era for Fitness Careers. Drawing on data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, ISSA’s nationwide gym partner survey, and the inaugural ISSA Global Summit, the report indicates that gym operators face difficulty finding candidates who are equipped to contribute to business operations from day one. Technical fitness knowledge is no longer the sole benchmark for commercial success; rather, today’s industry demands professionals who blend technical competency with client-facing business acumen, behavioral intelligence, and retention strategies.
National Academy of Sports Medicine
The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) recently announced a new Interview Guarantee Program with Life Time, offering a guaranteed interview track for Certified Personal Trainers (NASM-CPTs) seeking employment at Life Time locations. The program applies to open, entry-level personal trainer positions across Life Time’s 195 premier athletic country clubs in the US and Canada. Candidates apply through the Life Time Careers website and note their accredited NASM certification status. “By ensuring our newly certified trainers have a platform to showcase their skills, we are helping passionate professionals build sustainable, rewarding careers,” says Mehul Patel, CEO of NASM.
EQUIPMENT
EGYM
A new integration enables Wattbike products to connect directly with the EGYM ecosystem and an individual’s EGYM Cardio BioAge score. Health and performance metrics captured on Wattbikes, including a VO2 max result, calories burned, and virtual distance, feed directly into the EGYM platform. This means that operators can incorporate VO2 max testing into onboarding journeys, quarterly reassessments, and personalized member programming to enhance member engagement, drive deeper personalization, and foster greater motivation. “This partnership reinforces our commitment to building the industry’s most connected ecosystem for fitness and well-being,” says Tino Tsolakis, vice president of partner relations at EGYM.
FITBENCH
FITBENCH has launched FITRACK, a multi-person, multifunctional training system that transforms underutilized gym space into a small group training area. FITRACK combines six integrated training stations that combine strength, striking, conditioning, landmine training, and wall ball work with premium equipment storage into a single compact footprint that supports up to 12 users simultaneously. Available as a freestanding or bolt-down configuration, FITRACK can also be customized to suit different layouts and programming needs. “Operators can deliver small group training, personal training, and independent workouts from one footprint, keeping the floor organized and efficient,” says Tyler Danen, founder of FITBENCH.
Hyperwear
Hyperwear has named Kristen M. Beavers, Ph.D., MPH, RD, its first science advisor to support the company’s evidence-informed product development and education around loaded movement, weighted vests, rucking, nutrition, aging, and the company’s metabolic strength mission. Dr. Beavers is a research professor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. “Interest in weighted vests, rucking, and loaded movement is growing quickly,” says Dirk Buikema, founder and CEO of Hyperwear. “Dr. Beavers’ guidance will help us build a stronger science foundation while staying clear about what research does and doesn’t show.”
Matrix Fitness
Matrix Fitness named five recipients of its 2025/2026 Project COURAGE scholarships, which provide students and professionals from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with access to industry conferences, professional development opportunities, and networking experiences to support careers in recreation, wellness, and fitness. They are Carmell Sanders at Texas Southern University, Chaz Mackey and Wesley Davis at Delaware State University, Jared Raysor at North Carolina A&T State University, and Zeta N. Phillips at Lincoln University of Pennsylvania. “These recipients demonstrate a strong commitment to leadership and professional growth,” says Rebecca Peoples, collegiate recreation east region director at Matrix Fitness.
Merrithew
As a milestone in its global growth strategy, Merrithew has formed a new partnership with Active Lifestyle (China) Ltd. to distribute Merrithew and Align-Pilates equipment across mainland China, with localized sales, service, installation, and customer support. Active Lifestyle has more than two decades of experience delivering integrated fitness solutions in more than 20 cities. “China continues to be one of the most dynamic and important growth markets for Pilates worldwide,” says Jim Heidenreich, CEO of Merrithew. “Together, we’ll help more facilities confidently invest in Pilates solutions that support sustainable business growth while delivering outstanding movement experiences to their clients.”
Rep Fitness
Rep Fitness LLC (REP) has formed a new digital strength division to make strength training more accessible and data-driven. “This new division reflects a deliberate shift in how we connect with our community and beyond—and supports progress for trainers,” says Ryan McGrotty, co-CEO of REP. “For the home strength buyer, this turns equipment into a tool for improvement, and for the health club operator, it means measurable results delivered at scale.” The new division will be one layer across multiple categories at REP that will extend to existing equipment offerings like racks, cable machines, cardio, and more.
Technogym
This summer, Technogym opened two pop-up stores in two of the Mediterranean region’s most exclusive lifestyle destinations: Porto Cervo, Italy, and Ibiza, Spain. Guests at the Porto Cervo location in Sardinia can train in outdoor classes in the morning or evening with Technogym Master Trainers or schedule private sessions. Visitors to the Ibiza site on the Balearic Islands in Playa d’en Bossa can test a curated selection of the Biostrength line, the Run Artis and Bike Artis, the classic multifunctional Unica strength station, and the Kinesis Personal. They can also book a complimentary personalized fitness assessment.
RECOVERY/WELLNESS
Wellhub
Wellhub unveiled its first major brand campaign created specifically for the US market, starring actor, entrepreneur, and wellness advocate Terry Crews, who is shown moving through a range of wellness experiences. Produced by Surreal Hotel Arts and directed by filmmaker Carlão Busato, the campaign highlights Wellhub’s vision of workplace wellness through a dynamic film and integrated visual campaign centered on movement, well-being, and human connection. “The brief was to create a genuinely humanistic campaign connected to the world of wellness,” Busato says. “Terry Crews represents a powerful figure who is also deeply connected to values of health, positivity, and human connection.”
TECHNOLOGY/PROGRAMMING
ABC Fitness
As ABC Fitness continues expanding into more than 100 countries, the company has appointed Jodi Searl as chief experience officer, leading the global Customer Success team. Previously, Searl was chief client experience officer at Medallia, Inc., where she led a rebuild of global client success, renewal operations, and executive advisory and research services. Prior to Medallia, she spent nearly a decade at Harley-Davidson Motor Company, transforming the global dealer training division and leading Latin American product compliance. “Jodi has spent her career building high-performing teams and driving customer-centric strategies at scale,” says Bill Davis, CEO of ABC Fitness.
ClassPass
ClassPass has formed a new collaboration with EBG, an entertainment and travel commerce platform that connects brands to high-value experiential offerings and new benefits. Users can now book admission to a curated selection of theme parks, zoos, aquariums, and other attractions. Among them: Bay Area Discovery Museum, Georgia Aquarium, Kennedy Space Center, LEGOLAND Florida, and SeaWorld San Diego. Credits can be redeemed for bundles of one, two, or four tickets. “Our mission has always been to give users one flexible way to access wellness, however they define it,” says Fritz Lanman, CEO of Playlist, the parent company of ClassPass.
Garmin
Garmin recently introduced the CIRQA Smart Band, its first screen-free wearable that tracks advanced fitness and wellness features without a subscription. With up to 10 days of battery life, it provides around-the-clock monitoring with data that is instantly accessible through the Garmin Connect app. The comfortable fabric band automatically records a variety of activities, provides advanced performance metrics like VO2 max and HRV, and can be worn on the wrist or arm. “With its discreet design, this smart band complements our smartwatches and wellness monitors,” says Susan Lyman, the vice president of consumer sales and marketing at Garmin.
InBody
InBody has become the Official Body Composition and Performance Measurement Partner of HYROX North America. The partnership integrates InBody's measurement technology, performance assessment programs, and education resources across the HYROX community to give athletes, coaches, and affiliates data on how race results connect to body composition, strength, recovery, and overall health. They can also access InBody University to build deeper expertise in interpreting body composition, strength, and recovery data, then use it to design more individualized programming for their athletes. "Anyone can measure performance; expertise is in understanding it,” says Dan Park, vice president of Sales at InBody.
Les Mills
The new LES MILLS REFORMER provides gyms with a turnkey Pilates solution backed by Les Mills’ science, expert coaching, and decades of group training expertise. It combines the precise movement of Pilates with the energy and motivation of music. All classes are pre-choreographed, with seamless transitions and a structured, full-body workout for beginners to experienced participants. The program enables clubs to scale their Reformer offering quickly, without the complexity often associated with traditional Pilates delivery. “This product helps clubs democratize Reformer Pilates and reach far more members with this training,” says Summer Bradley, co-creator of LES MILLS REFORMER.
Myzone
Myzone has expanded its MoTech (Motivation Technology) platform by integrating Myzone Go with Garmin. With access already available to Apple and Android users, this latest integration opens seamless access to Myzone’s ecosystem for millions more people. Garmin users, who are typically runners, cyclists, and endurance-focused athletes, can now participate in Myzone challenges, earn Myzone Effort Points (MEPs), or engage with in-club leaderboards. Operators do not have to purchase additional hardware, as Garmin users can connect directly to Myzone Go, with workouts syncing automatically. “Operators now can extend their community,” says Vahid B. Zadeh, chief technology officer at Myzone.
Playlist
Playlist, the parent company of Mindbody, ClassPass, Booker, EGYM, and Kite, has launched AI Concierge as a 24/7 virtual front-desk assistant, answering missed calls, responding to client inquiries, and booking appointments automatically. By seamlessly integrating into operators’ systems, AI Concierge is ready from day one with real-time schedules, pricing, and client activity already in place, without requiring any technical skills to manage. It is launching first for Mindbody customers. “We obsess over helping our customers grow, and that means putting world-class, customized AI in the hands of operators of all sizes,” says Fritz Lanman, CEO and co-founder of Playlist.
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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