Health Population Management

The year 2020 is upon us, and it will be the decade that healthcare and the fitness industry finally collaborate to overcome a multitude of health-related challenges our society is facing. We are all aware we have the highest cost of healthcare in the world, an aging population, high drug prices, increasing chronic disease and an opioid crisis to overcome. The fitness industry and club operators are primed to be the bridge to finally make the connection with the deliverable of prescriptive exercise for all.

So where and why do fitness and health club owners and operators fit in? Fitness and wellness providers have decades of knowledge in delivering programs, and being a proven and trusted platform for health management for a wide representation of our population. The past 50 years have taken the industry from providing fitness for the fit to being subject matter experts for every member through their unique lifecycle.

Fitness and wellness providers can control cost, work autonomously and be a trusted front-line solution within the healthcare chain. Without being encumbered by the regulatory environment that healthcare is mandated by, clubs can act autonomously and expeditiously to any given opportunity as a provider of what is a known positive in all cases: exercise in the right dose.

With the advent of healthcare embracing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning at a torrid pace, and the continued requirements of electronic medical records (EMR), data is central to the decade ahead. In the age of over 300,000 fitness apps compared to 30,000 fitness clubs, and a stream of wearables, where does one start? Utilization and management of data.

Physiological data points are paramount to prevention and treatment for not only the active and healthy but any chronic condition. More specifically, the utilization of data in meaningful ways guided by years of experience of applying prescriptive exercise and behavior modification that aligns with the healthcare industry is the missing link.

Evaluate the ecosystem in your facility — chances are you have the majority of capital expenditure behind you, in the way of equipment and infrastructure. Your staff and culture have all the expertise needed to harvest and manifest data, develop programs and educate the communities you serve. Contemplate targeting a population group or chronic disease to begin with.

The depth of resources for balance and mobility, cancer exercise programs or just making our aging population stronger is bountiful and easy to access. Health management is a direct adjacency to any club operator’s core competency. Seize the moment for the next decade.

Frank Arant is the director of sales and marketing at ShapeLog. To learn more about our disruptive technologies and solutions please visit our website at shapelog.com or email him at farant@shapelog.com.