All Things Fitness and Wellness

Why National Fitness Days Matter & Latest Canadian Policy Insights for Operators with Erin Phelan

• Krissy Vann

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On this episode of The ATFW Podcast, Krissy Vann connects with Erin Phelan from the Fitness Industry Council of Canada to explore why national health and fitness initiatives matter to operators across North America—and what Canadian policy developments could signal for the broader industry.

We’re covering:

How national fitness days like Canada’s National Health & Fitness Day can boost member engagement and brand positioning
Why these initiatives go beyond PR—they’re real opportunities to align your club or wellness brand with community health
Insights on the latest policy shifts in Canada—including the election of fitness industry leader Gabriel Hardy to Parliament—and what it could mean for advocacy and cross-border trends
Key takeaways for C-suite leaders, club owners, and wellness operators looking to future-proof their businesses
Subscribe for more B2B fitness insights, trends, and expert interviews for decision-makers across North America.

Stay fit, stay informed, and keep your fitness business in shape.

Connect with The Fitness Industry Council of Canada

www.ficdn.ca

https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinphelan/

Unknown:

What the research showed for a long time is that that fitness was a non negotiable. We used to see that someone who goes to the gym would would not compromise right, like they would be more likely to cancel their Netflix than to cancel their gym membership. We don't have up to date research about that, but we can see anecdotally, we're not growing in the same way that the United States

Krissy Vann:

is this is all things fitness and wellness, uniting industry thought leaders and fit fluencers on the mission to inspire innovation and encourage people to live a life fit and well. On this episode of the atfw podcast, we're joined by Aaron Phelan of the Fitness Industry Council of Canada on the episode, we'll explore how national initiatives can influence the fitness industry, using Canada's national health and fitness day as a case study. Before we get to the episode, be sure to hit like and subscribe. We have new podcast episodes weekly featuring industry thought leaders and influencers. I'm your host, Krissy Vann, and this is ATF W Aaron Phelan, no stranger to the atfw podcast. Welcome back.

Unknown:

Thanks, Krissy, so happy to be here

Krissy Vann:

one I'm extra happy because I know there's an occasion that's been keeping you very busy, but hopefully we'll get Canadians from coast to coast moving, and that is national health and fitness day. Obviously, we have a B to B audience here. So why should operators care? And what's the business case for getting behind these types of public initiatives?

Unknown:

You know what? I just wrote an article for fitness weekly about this, which was, quite simply, this, a fitness business is going to give out guest passes. Anyways, it is a standard marketing tool, right? You want to give out a free trial, a free class, a free week, something like that, to get people in your doors. What better opportunity than a day that is designed to inspire, engage and motivate Canadians to get fit and healthy, the National Health and Fitness day? So this day was actually passed into Senate in 2010 right after the Vancouver Olympics, there was a huge energy in Vancouver. You're from Vancouver, Krissy. People were Canadians. Were motivated. They were inspired by these snowboarders and these skaters and and so Senator Mary Deacon said, you know, we need, we need a day that celebrates health and fitness for Canadians. So it's officially been a day since 2014 so last year was our 10 year anniversary of it, and it's the first Saturday of June every single year. And I say to gyms, I say to businesses, use this. Use this as a day to throw an event, to throw a special class, just to open your doors. The fic the fitness industry. Council of Canada, we have revived our campaign last year, which is, be a positive influencer. So we've created all these marketing assets that anyone can use. They can send it out on their social media. We're telling them, get your members to bring their friends that day, right? You know, we know the research shows that someone who's brought to the gym by a friend or a family member is going to be more likely to stay than someone who just walks in on the street by themselves. So use it. Use this. This is a great business tool for owners and operators,

Krissy Vann:

without question, and obviously on the note of operators and owners the Fitness Industry Council of Canada, you are on the pulse of what their current challenges are. So I'm curious in the landscape of Canadian fitness businesses right now, especially post election, because for our US viewers, you probably heard over here in Canada, we've just done the whole election thing as well. So what are the top concerns and priorities at the moment? I

Unknown:

think, I think the cost of living is is something that is is worrying many of us right as well as the ongoing conflicts and the ongoing tariff wars south of the border. So we are hearing a lot of nervousness about spending, nervousness about about getting new members to come in. You know when you're debating whether or not you can pay rent or actually join the gym. What the research showed for a long time is that that fitness was a non negotiable. We used to see that that someone who goes to the gym would would not compromise, right, like they would be more likely to cancel their Netflix than to cancel their gym membership. We don't have up to date research about that, but we can see anecdotally, we're not growing in the same way that the United States is. We're not growing in the same capacity that Europe is. Right? You and I, you're you've just come back from fibo. You and I were both in HFA together, and I, as the communications director of the fic is sitting there and saying, Okay, once we get our new Executive Director, we are going to have to start diving in and doing a little bit of research about what is going on here. We know in the pandemic that a lot of people found alternatives to the gym. You know, a lot of people hybrid fitness is is going to be with us forever. A lot of people found a. They created home gyms. They they bought the equipment at home. They don't feel the need to go back to the gym. So what we're seeing with with the owners and the operators is the challenges of of pivoting that message right? Because our gyms are busy. They're busier than they've ever been. We, we have, we have rebounded from 2021 to now, but are we seeing the same growth? It's a little bit slower, but it is coming. It's coming. And gyms that are as you and I both know gyms are investing heavily in strength, heavily in strength, because you can't get the same strength training workout at home that you can get in a facility. Gyms are a necessity, right for community, for accountability, for classes. You I know you're a massive fan of group fitness classes, and really for the kind of equipment and the kind of workouts that you can't get at home. So we're seeing a lot of owners and operators who are really leaning into this and having a lot of success. So I think it with with most things, like when you see the trends in the US, when you see the trends in in Australia, New Zealand and Europe, Canada's always been a little bit slower, but it's

Krissy Vann:

coming. I have full no without question. And also, I think like, on top of the strength that they're training or getting into their doors, recovery is another big one that even HVLP models are starting to invest in. And to your point, in some capacity, is happening a little bit faster stateside on that adoption, but that adoption is moving rapidly, and that's often not something people can get from the at home experience. So the value adds continue, but we want to see policy that adds a value add. And there's been some big news on stateside. They just had their health and fitness Association fly in earlier this month. So at time of recording, we're in may fit just made it into a house tax package. So I'm just curious. On our frontier, I know there's a little dance. Lots of people were doing that little dance there. It is a big deal. But is there any parallel momentum in Canada, because we know there is that tax line that we're working on. So for those that aren't aware, what is it and where are we at?

Unknown:

So for close to a decade, and we've been pushing really hard since the pandemic, so since Sarah Hodson became, well, even before that one, Scott was the president. So the last four or five years, there's a line in our taxes, which is line 33099, so in on that line, you are allowed to submit receipts to the government when you are following filing your T fours, when you're filing your taxes for medical expenses. So you are, if you are someone who is low in B 12, for example, I always like to use these two ones. If and you get B 12 injections, you are allowed to submit those receipts on your taxes as a medical expense. If you are someone who fell like if you have a parent who's a senior, and you understand that, and they have railings and hand assists in their bathrooms, you can submit the installation and those hand assists as a medical expense, there is a box that says gym memberships, and it is not eligible. So our argument has continued and will continue to be made until it is passed that why should a Canadian who goes to the gym and is costing the federal government less money in terms of chronic health conditions, in terms of mental health, they are less likely to have a heart attack, they're less likely to have cancer. They're the actual ROI of allowing Canadians to claim their gym membership on their taxes. One, will incentivize Canadians. We've had, we have data that supports that. And two, in the long run, it is, it is going to cost the Canadian government billions less in health care costs. So we are continuing what I loved. I just heard this stat was that it took HFA something like nine years. So we've been working hard at it for about four or five and I truly believe that this is going to happen. And I also believe this is going to happen because we had the best news in the election, which I'm sure you are going to ask me about next Yes,

Krissy Vann:

exactly. We did have some. I mean, this is I'm so curious how this shakes up, because I know that that means some shifts at the fic as well. So Gabriel Hardy, we have had on executive director at the Fitness Industry Council of Canada. Well now he's going to be sitting in the House of Commons. So this is a big shift. You have a clear fitness advocate who is actually participating on the front lines of the conversation. So tell me a little bit about his thoughts that you know going in. I mean, obviously, for the fic, this is going to mean some changes ahead, but talk to me through it.

Unknown:

Yeah, it's been a little bit of it's been very, very chaotic the last few months because he was approached by the Conservative government to run for monmarsier Charlevoix, which is just outside of Quebec City, where he runs his very successful gym tonic. And obviously they knew him as a successful entrepreneur and as someone who was a very solid, powerful voice for the Quebec and Canadian fitness industry. And in a nail biter. He actually won. He beat the bloc Quebecois Member of Parliament. And I know without a doubt that Gabriel is going to hold a fire to the feet of the now Secretary of sport and Adam Vann COVID In I know he is going to push very hard to have like when he was approached by the Conservative government, he was unequivocal in saying, this is important to me. We are going to put line 33099, through. We are going to put it. It might take some time, but I don't know. In Gabriel, I don't think it will take much time, right? Because we have, we have compiled the evidence and the data over many, many years. It's irrefutable. It is irrefutable. And we know also from HFA example and from examples all around the world that the healthiest countries in the world, Sweden, Singapore, right, they put into place measures at the government level that allowed for these changes to actually influence the population. This is now not just a, wouldn't it be nice? This is now a. We have to do this now, right? We actually have to do this. And I we are. We always get the argument. Krissy always get the argument. Wow, there was the children's physical activity tax credit that was then canceled because what we found was that upper and middle class Canadians were the only ones accessing it. So here's what I'm going to say to that point. Number one, why should a middle or upper class Canadian be penalized if they're going to the gym to take care of their health? Right? If they're really rich enough, they're probably not going to be submitting those receipts anyways, they might not care, or maybe they will. But who's it for us to say that they shouldn't be allowed to if they are going to the gym to take care of their health. And number two, we have enough barriers to health and wellness. We have enough barriers to exercise that are in place. Why would we not want to reduce an economic barrier for those right people right now who are debating whether or not they can actually make rent this month? Right there we were at that point where you didn't really cancel your your gym membership, if, if money was tight. Now, in this economic climate, I don't know. I don't know what we're going to see on that front and it's certainly not getting any better right now. The cost of living is not becoming more affordable, so we have to do everything we can to take that population that is inactive and pave the way for them to come to our gyms and to our facilities.

Krissy Vann:

I know I find it so funny in this particular situation in Canada too, that if this wasn't on the table, why is there a box? Why is there even a box at all that says gym membership. Somebody put that box in there at some point, to your point earlier, too. And I wish that I could remember the study, because it was done in Canada as well. But it was about incentivizing fitness. I think it was through an app called carrot app at the time, so they could get discounts to things, and yet irrefutably their evidence it worked, and not just that, the incentive itself worked, but when they pulled it, so no longer was that behavior given a reward. The habit had been built, and it was a generous percentage that continued even after incentives ended. So there are and that's definitely not the only study on the matter. So we know this, but we'll have to see how things go, and the way things can move is having more voices in the arena. So what roles could Canadian fitness operators play in shaping public policy? Because it's one thing. People hear this, but then they're like, Well, what difference can I actually make to move the needle?

Unknown:

Well, one, I believe that every single fitness operator in the in the country, should join the fic, because we're, we're more powerful when we're united voices. And we have some of the biggest players in the fic, right? We've got, you know, we've got fitness world, we've got Chris Evans, we've got, you know, the purpose, purpose driven brands. We've got all of the big ones. We've got the planet fitnesses. They're on board with what we are doing as a mission. We are more powerful, and we're strong, and we're united and galvanize your members, right? If this is something, if you're listening to this podcast, and this is something that you're passionate, reach out to me, right? Like fic has a website, right? It's very easy to get in touch with the fitness industry. Council. If you're like, I want to say something. I want to come to Ottawa. I want to we need to do a fly in, right? We need to come on parliament. Gabriel and I are already talking about that. I'm like, great. You're in Ottawa now. Let's do it, right? So we are going to organize something of the equivalent, most likely in the fall. We were hoping to do it around national health and fitness day, but I'm like, that's a short notice. Gabe, you were sworn in on Wednesday. We might not be getting there for June 7, but, you know, we're going to have a busy summer. All of us, let's, let's regroup in the fall, right? If there are talks about there being a fall budget, right? Because the you know, Mark Carney didn't put a budget through this spring. So if there's going to be a fall. All budget. Would this not be the best time for every single fitness operator to come together and say, we want this, right? Our members want this. You you survey any gym member, and you've done this for me, Krissy, right? When we've had these conversations, you've had your mic and you've, like, been like, what do you think about this? And everyone's like, Yes, right? Like you get a millennial, you get a Gen Z, who were going to say to them, You know what? Like, $500 like, we've, we've had this debate within fic, within the fitness industry, Council of Canada, about there not being a cap on it, right? That it should be, it should be a percentage of your medical expenses. But my argument is like, Okay, so let's say it was $500 per Canadian, right? The amount of Canadians who, like, that's their full membership covered, right? The hvlps, that's their full membership covered, right? Why? Why on earth, even if it was$250 it's more than what we have now, right? Like, like, like, every government hates the term tax credit. I don't even really like it too much. People get very itchy about it, but it's a fitness is a medical expense, yeah,

Krissy Vann:

one Vaughn especially. I mean, there's irrefutable evidence on what it saves in the healthcare system, like, it is a preventative healthcare measure. Lastly, because I know that obviously you're in touch with the board at fic I'm just curious when the news did come out of the states and the work that the HFA did, what were the sentiments? Did it? Did it change? Kind of the fire within all of you, or what did that look like? It's, you

Unknown:

know, what it's it's just been, because we have been working so closely with HFA, it's just, it's, it's going to be a cobblestone on the path for us right, like it's now we can sit there and go right this. This has happened. It is our time now, right that. And we are working with the HFA to have them help us along the way with this. I think Mike has done an incredible job. I think Anton has done an incredible job. You know, they they understand that, that politicians and policy makers, they respond to data, right? And it's important for us to have collective data from all around the world on the example of physical activity, changing lives and reducing health care costs. So for those of us within on the executive and on the board, it was more, yeah, like now we need a new executive director who is going to pick up the ball where Gabriel and I have been running with it, and I'm going to help this new Executive Director along and run it over the finish line, right? Like I just said to someone else in another podcast, like I feel as though, you know, my purpose in life is to inspire and help people embrace healthier, active lifestyles. I have my own business that I do that. I do that for matrix. I do it for fic. I feel as though, when I'm 80, if I look back and this has happened, I will have felt like I really did something to change. You know, the course of Canada, and that is really what matters to me. And something else, I will say that all of the business operators who are Canadian, not the US ones, because it's not your national health and fitness day. You know, Krissy will put my communications email in the show notes. We have assets, we have press releases, we have social media assets. You don't have to create it yourself, right? But get media there. Get your government there. You've got two weeks. Everyone's like, well, for marketing purposes, open your damn doors. Get one of your kids to do a sign that says we are open this day. It's free. It's National Health and Fitness day. It tell all of your members in a newsletter next week, right, that it's going to be free that day. It doesn't have to be as complicated as a massive marketing plan, right? As a massive thing. It has to be something that is going to inspire. I want to ask everyone listening here, if you got

Krissy Vann:

one new member that

Unknown:

day, would it be worth it? You know, if you got five new members that day, would it be worth it? If you got no new members that day, but someone came to your gym and had a good experience and maybe joined another gym or joined a community center, and because of that experience in your gym, it turned on the light in them. Would it be worth it? Of course, right? Of course, absolutely.

Krissy Vann:

Well, Aaron, I'll make sure all the details are in the show notes there. Thank you so much for coming on to atfw. We appreciate you.

Unknown:

Yay. Thanks for having me. You've

Krissy Vann:

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