"Wellness" - The Next Big Thing in The Fitness Industry
Monday, October 18, 2010 
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.
Reader Comments (7)
Maybe the transformation from fitness to wellness is more about the programming offered and the way it is delivered to the community. We have had a preview of how wellness physical activity can be provided through a network. Knowing how to design and build a wellness resource network is the key.
http://clubindustry.com/stepbystep/clubs/improve-competitiveness-with-market-segmentation-20090310/
I think every human being should care about his health and fitness. I like your Blog because it is very helpful for this purpose and it is very fine effort from your end, very thanks.
online fitness courses
Bryan,
I completely agree that the fitness club industry has a great opportunity to morph into "Allied Healthcare". Preventive care is key to increasing membership and key to business growth in a service sector that hasn't even begun to take off as of yet. The aging U.S. population coupled with the national obesity epidemic has created a sense of urgency and amazing opportunity in the areas of basic food education, Personal Training, Lifestyle Coaching, Nutrition, Software Development and personal fitness monitoring devices such as Polar Heart Rate Monitors, oximeters and Omron BMI Analyzers. As a club owner in an area where the demographic is predominately over 50, our business is focusing much more on aiding in successful health outcomes of members with preventable and reversible chronic conditions as well as the general fitness level of all of our members.
-Avril Coakley
Co-Owner Ruidoso Athletic Club
www.ruidosoathleticclub.com
Bryan, I completely agree with the importance of the fitness industry to focus on wellness. Focusing on an individual plan and improving the individuals overall health and sense of wellbeing instead of an exclusive physical transformation will have positive benefits for not only the industry but overall health.
Hi, Brian,
I agree that fitness centers can (and hopefully will) become wellness centers. But they need to be more than a clinical place for people to come and get their blood pressure and see a nutritionist about eating more apples. And, they need to be more than just a place with machines and mirrors where people work out so they can flex more. There needs to be a combination of the two, blending the need for health, and the desire for beauty and preservation of youth.
Thanks Luci - you are right !