This Week in Fitness: Leadership Shifts at Planet Fitness & Xponential,, GoodLife’s Role at REGYMEN, and Barry’s Expansion

Welcome to This Week in Fitness, where we bring you the latest updates and insights shaping the fitness industry. In this episode, we cover leadership changes, major expansions, and new rankings that highlight the evolving fitness business landscape.

Stories Covered:

1. GoodLife’s New Role with REGYMEN Fitness
   David “Patch” Patchell-Evans, founder of GoodLife Fitness, becomes the majority owner of REGYMEN Fitness, aiming to drive significant expansion.
2. Barry’s Secures Strategic Investment for Expansion
   Barry’s announces a partnership with Princeton Equity Group to support its growth in the UK and Canada.
3. Xponential Fitness Strengthens Leadership Team
   Xponential adds four executives to key roles to enhance operational growth, franchise development, and technology integration.
4. Planet Fitness Expands Executive Leadership
   Planet Fitness appoints new Chief Development and Chief Marketing Officers to support strategic growth initiatives in 2025.
5. After-Hours Searches Create Opportunity for Fitness Operators
   A study by Keepme reveals a high percentage of gym-related searches happen outside traditional business hours, urging operators to adopt 24/7 engagement strategies.

Stay tuned for all the details, and don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more updates from the fitness industry.

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 0:14 Planet Fitness Expands Executive Leadership
• 0:40 Xponential Fitness Strengthens Leadership Team
• 1:02 GoodLife’s New Role with REGYMEN Fitness
• 1:28 Barry’s Secures Strategic Investment for Expansion
• 1:48 New Wellbeing and GLP-1 Certification
• 2:14 Study on Membership Inquiries

Transcript

0:04

welcome to This Week in fitness where we crunch the latest fitness business headlines all in under 5 minutes I'm your host Chrissy Van and here's what's making news this week several major fitness brands have announced leadership changes to strengthen their operations and growth strategies Planet Fitness has appointed Chip Olson as chief development officer and Brian Pavanelli as chief marketing officer effective early 2025 these additions come after a year of growth that saw the company reach 19.7 million members and open 150 new clubs bringing the total to 2,722 locations worldwide Exponential Fitness is adding four new executives in January 2025 John Kawaja as president of North America Tim Wiederhoft as chief operating officer Kevin Beiji as chief technology officer and Eric Simon as chief development officer these appointments seem to enhance the company's focus on operational growth franchise development and technology integration Regimen Fitness is preparing for significant expansion under its new majority owner David Patch Patchel Evans the founder of Goodlife Fitness Patchel Evans has worked with regimen over the past five years integrating the boutique studio model into 12 Goodlife Fitness locations in Canada Regiment currently operates 23 studios offering high intensity programs like burn and build and his position for growth across North America and internationally Berry's is also focusing on expansion with a strategic partnership with Princeton Equity Group the investment will support Berry's growth into new markets including the UK and Canada while maintaining its established boutique fitness model the company currently operates 89 studios and reported over 7 million visits in 2024 The American Council on exercise has introduced two new certifications to meet the changing demands of the fitness industry the Mental Well Being certification provides fitness professionals with strategies to support clients through exercise nutrition mindfulness and social connection meanwhile a second certification focuses on designing fitness programs for clients using G L P1 medications to address challenges like muscle loss and promote sustainable outcomes a new study from keep me has identified after hours gym inquiries as a significant opportunity for fitness operators the study found that a large share of gym related searches occur outside traditional operating hours with 52% of searches in Canada happening after eight PM and 66% in urban US centers like New York taking place overnight to address this operators are encouraged to adopt tools like AI driven lead engagement to respond to inquiries in real time and optimize websites for late night and early morning visitors adjusting engagement strategies to match these consumer behaviors can help gyms capture high intent leads and remain competitive that's all for this week in fitness until next time stay fit stay informed and keep your fitness business in shape