The Fitness Technology Summit took place October 23-25, 2023 in Alexandria, Virginia. The theme of the invitation-only networking event for technology, operations and marketing executives was “The Convergence of Health Care and Health Club.” The goal of the event was to help attendees walk away with a clear understanding of what the industry needs to do to shape the future and partnership with the health care industry.
Below are some of the top takeaways from the 2023 event.
Top tips for converging health care and health clubs.
- Panelists agreed directing financial incentives and opening up opportunities for more participation are key to overcoming the chief obstacle of converging fitness and healthcare.
- The PHIT Act is a potential game-changer for the health and fitness industry, allowing clubs to get involved in preventive care and expand their services.
- The fitness industry has been largely ignored as a contributing factor to lowering mortality rates during the pandemic, despite promoting preventative health and mental wellness aspects of physical activity. To be viewed as part of the solution in the future, the industry can unify and promote its own voice on Capitol Hill.
- Building lasting success in a partnership with healthcare providers takes time due to their size, bureaucracy and regulation. The panel recommended understanding the goals of both parties in a partnership and starting with a minimum viable product.
- Health clubs can provide coaching programs and digital apps to corporate clients to improve employee health and wellness, while also reducing absenteeism and presenteeism.
The workforce has changed.
- The post-pandemic world has seen increased employment issues, including quiet quitting and higher employee turnover. Nearly six out of 10 employees are in the category of quiet quitting, which is the majority of employees.
- Employees are not engaged or actively disengaged from work, with 80% of employers and employees not engaged. Disengaged employees have a cost associated with them, estimated to be around 30% of their salary.
- Stress is at a record high, with 44% of employees experiencing a lot of stress. Stress can be beneficial in small amounts, but too much stress can lead to anxiety, panic and burnout.
Gen Z is the demographic to watch.
- Gen Zers were born from 1997 to 2012 — ages 11 to 26. They are a digitally-native generation.
- Gen Z are represented twice the normal rate in the Hispanic community and African American community and in every other ethnicity grouping with the exception of white Caucasian. That number has actually gone down.
- Gen Z makes up 30% of online influencers.
- They are more active on social issues, political activism and environmental issues. However, on the other side of the equation, they grapple more with mental health, so they see more therapists than any other generation. In a survey conducted by ABC Fitness, about 61% of them said they felt anxious or on edge in the past two weeks.
- They are the largest generation with about 70 million people falling into this demographic. Currently 38% of this population make less than $50,000 a year. However, they are at the start of their lives. Being able to build a brand identity with them now will only help your business in the future.
Diversifying memberships through health care partnerships.
- Currently health clubs are only servicing 20% of the population and the industry is looking for ways on how to tap into the other 80%. Panelists agreed the 80% is where you can have the most impact because this population struggles with a lot of chronic issues.
- The biggest and most powerful thing to do is guide individuals who have chronic conditions and who are new in the fitness space through the process. Make them feel welcome, show them some things they can do and check in on them from time to time. Intimidation is a big factor for people. They feel scared to show up at gyms, they feel like they don’t belong and they’re not very internally motivated to do so either.
- It’s critical to forge relationships with primary care providers in your community. An expensive marketing campaign won’t convince someone who’s never made their health a priority to step foot into a gym, but their physician may be able to.
- When trying to form a partnership with the medical community, the importance of accurate testing and evaluation in a medical setting — such as body composition — is critical. It’s important to assess clients’ health needs, including blood work and lab tests, to identify underlying issues and develop personalized fitness plans.
- The biggest drawback for doctors in forming these relationships is they don’t have facilities they trust with their patients who provide ongoing motivation and support, particularly for exercise and dietary programs.
- When it comes to engaging older adults in fitness programs, the panel recommended focusing on simplicity and ease of use.
- Fitness professionals and healthcare professionals must work together to guide individuals in navigating the fitness space and healthcare space for better outcomes.
Now’s the time to integrate mental health and well-being in the industry.
- Boomers and millennials are twice as lonely as they were in 2019, with mental wellness becoming a top motivator for exercise.
- Movement helps reduce inflammation and chronic pain, taking control of health and well-being.
- Exercise is found to be as effective as Zoloft in treating depression, with studies showing it’s better for anxiety than meditation.
- Vigorous exercise is shown to be most beneficial for mental health.
- Shinrin Yoku, walking, and laughter yoga are unconventional ways to improve mental and physical well-being.
- Integrating mind-body practices into fitness programs was highlighted — with examples of companies like Adidas and Fitness First offering mind-body classes — and the need for mental well-being to become mainstream in fitness.
- Don’t just think about your members. Offer staff wellness programs — including meditation and hypnotherapy — to improve mental health and well-being.
These are just some of the many takeaways from the 2023 Fitness Technology Summit. To learn more about other topics discussed and a list of panelists, visit thefitnesstechsummit.com.
