"Wellness" - The Next Big Thing in The Fitness Industry

If you attended my recent IHRSA webinar on the changing bricks and mortar fitness industry you'll recall how I mentioned that a big opportunity for fitness facilities will be wellness.

Most fitness facilities and traditional gyms are not in the wellness business. These businesses and organizations generally provide recreation and fitness opportunities without offering proven means for achieving health outcomes . Initial health assessments, behavioral counseling and lifestyle monitoring combine to change the way people live and greatly impact their health. Often times, as research has shown, these programs can reverse diseases like diabetes. Check out this deck on the changing fitness industry to learn more.

The increasing availability of inexpensive technologies that enable the monitoring of activity are creating more opportunities for fitness facilities to realize the potential of wellness. The recent release of new technologies like Wahoo shown above are becoming quite mainstream. This combined with the surge of smart phone devices is creating the chance for fitness businesses to become wellness coaching businesses, thus changing the business models and the true role the fitness industry can play in impacting the health care crisis.

Reach out to me, Bryan O'Rourke, and let me know - "what do you think" about the fitness industry morphing into more of a wellness industry.