This Week In Fitness: Wegovy HD, Xponential FTC Settlement, HFA Show, and MyZone Strength tracking

We crunch the latest fitness business headlines all in under 5 minutes.

This week, the industry steps into the big leagues at the HFA Show. GLP-1 medications continue to reshape the fitness industry. Novo Nordisk raises the bar with higher-dose Wegovy, while Daxko introduces a model for gyms to participate in medical weight loss without taking on clinical risk.

We also cover Xponential Fitness’ FTC settlement, the Les Mills and Life Fitness partnership, Myzone’s expansion beyond cardio, new resistance training guidance from ACSM, the rise of recovery tech, and a new premium health club concept in Las Vegas.

And yes, even Kraft Mac & Cheese is adapting to the protein trend.

This Week In Fitness: 
-HFA Show: Industry enters the “big leagues”
-Daxko Launches Elevate Wellness (GLP-1 integration)
-Novo Nordisk Wegovy HD approval and results
-Xponential Fitness FTC settlement
-Les Mills x Life Fitness partnership
-Myzone strength tracking + Garmin integration
-ACSM resistance training guidelines update
-Robotic Therapeutics recovery tech expansion
-Everhaus private health club concept (Las Vegas)
-Kraft PowerMac protein launch

Stay fit, stay informed, and keep your fitness business in shape.
#fitnessbusiness #gymowners #fitnessindustry

Transcript

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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 the health and fitness industry is stepping into what leaders are calling the big leagues that was the tone of the HFA show in San Diego where more than 10,000 attendees and 380 exhibitors gathered reflecting continued growth across the sector with that momentum comes higher expectations the industry is gaining visibility across healthcare policy and investment and the focus is shifting towards stronger alignment deeper collaboration and more coordinated leadership advocacy efforts are expanding research is becoming more central and new data on the intersection of GLP1 medications and physical activity is on the way the biggest shift in the industry right now continues to center around GLP1 medications and medical weight loss daxco is making a move into that category with the launch of Elevate Wellness a program that connects fitness operators with licensed telemedicine providers the structure allows gyms to participate in GLP1 and metabolic health services without taking on clinical risk keeping medical care with clinicians while clubs focus on coaching strength training and long term accountability the model also includes built in infrastructure like marketing automation referral pathways and staff training making it easier to deploy across multiple locations as adoption grows this positions the gym as the long term partner in maintaining results not just driving them at the same time the ceiling on medical weight loss continues to rise Novo Nordisk has received FDA approval for a higher dose version of Wegovy with clinical trials showing average weight loss of around 21% over 72 weeks even accounting for drop off results remained close to 19% with a significant portion of participants achieving 25% weight loss or more the higher dose also reinforces how quickly expectations are shifting as outcomes improve and more aggressive treatment options become available for operators this will likely accelerate changes in member behavior program design and retention strategies Exponential Fitness has finalized a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission the company will pay $17 million in redress to franchisees resolving previously disclosed allegations tied to past franchising practices the agreement does not include an admission of wrongdoing and clears a key overhang as the company looks to stabilize under new management with a portfolio that includes Club Pilates Stretchlab Yoga 6 Pure Bar and BFT the focus now shifts back to supporting franchisees and rebuilding momentum across its global network less Mills and Life Fitness are aligning more closely signaling where the fitness floor is heading next the two companies announced a partnership that connects programming and equipment starting with cycling where Les Mills becomes the official content partner and Life Fitness becomes the official bike partner but the bigger story is integration both companies are already pointing toward expansion into new products live experiences and connected fitness environments where programming and equipment are designed together rather than sourced separately for operators this reflects a shift toward bundled solutions that drive usage justify space and create more consistent member experiences instead of managing multiple vendors the value is increasingly in how well everything works together my zone is also expanding beyond its original category at HFA the company introduced strength tracking a garment integration and an updated wearable all tied to a broader push around engagement bringing strength training into its effort based scoring system is a meaningful shift as resistance training continues to become a central part of how members train the garment integration opens the ecosystem to users who are already invested in other wearables lowering friction and increasing accessibility the bigger focus is no longer just the device but the system around it rewarding effort across all training types to drive consistency new guidance from the American College of Sports Medicine is reinforcing a core principle for operators consistency beats complexity the updated position stand based on data from more than 30,000 participants found that moving from no resistance training to regular participation delivers the majority of results strength and power can be optimized through load and volume most advanced techniques showed limited impact for the average person and the takeaway was clear adherence remains the biggest lever and programs need to be designed around sustainability not perfection recovery is continuing to emerge as a more defined and monetizable category Robot Therapeutics has upgraded its robosculptor system expanding from lymphatic drainage into muscle tension and post workout recovery new programs now target specific use cases like leg day recovery and cardio recovery aligning more directly with how members train as recovery becomes more integrated into the fitness experience technology driven solutions are starting to fill that gap both in the UAE and increasingly in the US market at the premium end of the market a more integrated model is taking shape everhouse is set to open in Las Vegas as a private health and lifestyle club that combines clinical assessment training recovery and community into a single membership the model includes diagnostics personalized programming and access to advanced therapies like contrast infusion and hyperbaric oxygen all coordinated through a centralized system for operators this reflects continued movement toward higher touch higher value offerings that sit closer to healthcare and hospitality and finally Kraft Mac and cheese is entering the protein conversation the company has introduced a higher protein version of its classic product with 17 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber per serving it's a signal that health expectations are no longer niche they're becoming baseline even in categories that historically had nothing to do with fitness that's all for this Week in fitness I'm your host Chrissy Van and remember stay fit stay informed and keep your fitness business in shape