January 23, 2025 • 18 mins
It’s an exciting time for the fitness industry, with broad trends coalescing around topics like longevity, wellness, preventive care and others that are particularly resonant for fitness over 50.
So what does the new year hold for all of this?
Well, I’m lucky today to share a conversation about all of this with one of the people behind the Connected Health & Fitness Summit, which is planned for February in Los Angeles.
The event’s website says its mission is to “redefine healthcare by placing fitness, wellness, and technology at its core. We’re driving the next wave of innovation by bringing together 450+ C-Suite leaders to shape how we move, recover, and live healthier lives.”
It’s interesting stuff, and I know you’ll enjoy this look head.
Resources
Connected Health & Fitness Summit 2025
Cara Fautley on LinkedIn
Discount Code to Summit: PODCAST10 for 10% off individual admission
Prime Fit Content
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's an exciting time for the fitness industry, with
broad trends around topics likelongevity, wellness, preventive
care and others that areparticularly resonant for
fitness over 50.
I'm lucky today to share aconversation about all of this
with one of the folks behind theConnected Health and Fitness
(00:22):
Summit, which is planned forFebruary in Los Angeles.
Welcome to Optimal Aging, theshow about fitness, health and
well-being for people over 50,with a special emphasis on
content and communications.
I'm your host, jay Croft, ofPrimeFit Content.
Which gyms and studios use intheir marketing to reach more
(00:43):
people over 50.
Which gyms and studios use intheir marketing to reach more
people over 50.
Now my guest is Cara Faultley ofCasaco Research, and she and I
discuss the evolving landscapeof fitness and how this summit
aims to inform top-level leadersabout what's coming and to help
them form fruitful partnershipsto bring better services to the
(01:05):
public.
The event's website says itsmission is, to quote redefine
health care by placing fitness,wellness and technology at its
core.
We're driving the next wave ofinnovation by bringing together
450-plus C-suite leaders toshape how we move, recover and
live healthier lives.
(01:25):
It's interesting stuff and Iknow you'll enjoy this look
ahead.
Here's my chat with Cara,starting with her explaining
what makes the Connected Healthand Fitness Summit different
from so many other fitnessconferences.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
I think what we try and do, maybe a little bit
differently, is we are verycarefully curated and so I would
say, you know, not only curatedin content and the program and
the topics that we're talkingabout they all come from, you
know, a very intensive researchphase but also carefully curated
in who we have in the room.
So we aren't huge.
(02:03):
We're quite an intimate event.
You're looking at about 400 to450 leaders in the space, but
it's very much the c-suite theceos, the decision makers from
those big names and brandsacross fitness and health and,
of course, big gyms and studiosand and hotels and heads of
welders from hotels andwearables and you know the guys
you probably would hope to seeat a fitness event but very much
(02:25):
the c-suite from those guys butalso the brands like your
adidas is your gymshark night,apple, google, meta you know we
do have a connected and ai viewacross the event and
digitalization and fitness andhealth was a focus for us.
So, yeah, I think that's whatthat's.
What we very much focus on isbeing maybe carefully bringing
in a specific group of leadersand it's not like a broadcasted
(02:49):
marketing approach or oranything like that.
It's very carefully curated isdefinitely how I would put it
and that's obviously a part ofit is learning what's coming
into 2025, being ahead of trends, but also is actually in terms
of implementing some of those,you know, new patterns.
That the fitness and healthbrands are expected to provide
for consumers is connectingpartners and I think you know,
(03:11):
by us bringing in the decisionmakers, that just means those
partnerships can happen quicker.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
What trends are you identifying that are related
specifically to the over 50demographic?
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Yeah, absolutely.
One of our biggest themes,which I imagine a lot of people
talk to you about or just talkabout in general in the industry
, is longevity.
That's something that everyonehas top of mind and it is
something that we're talkingabout a lot in the program and I
think that covers a lot ofdifferent aspects.
We're talking a lot aboutrecovery.
We have a lot of recoverypartners.
(03:42):
We're talking a lot aboutnutrition and nutrition partners
and mindfulness and you know,different approaches to working
out that is, for living a longerand better life and what that
looks like for the differentdemographics of people.
So, yeah, that's probablysomething that I think is
definitely top of mind andprobably seen that in a lot of
(04:03):
the kind of, I guess, trendscoming from us but also just
from the industry.
I know Les Mills has done likea kind of new workout program
they've released which is around, I guess, longevity Not just
for the older demographic butwith everyone in mind.
That's more, you know, maybelower intensity but is, in ways,
looking to build strength andresilience, which is something
(04:24):
that is obviously very importantfor that.
And I know there's been a lotof partnerships, such as Crunch,
who I know have redesigned someof their gyms to bring in more
of a recovery and rest zone toit.
So, yeah, I think you'restarting to see these elements
not just be conversational butcome through in the operators
and what they're doing in thespace.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
What about preventive care?
You know, when the pandemic hitfive years ago, there was a lot
of enthusiasm for connectingfitness as part of healthcare,
because we learned quickly thatpeople in better shape were less
likely to get sick or severelysick.
So what are you seeing now asfar as all that is concerned,
with medical care and insurance?
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Yeah, for sure.
I mean, I think we have morekind of incorporation from the
pharma side in our event thisyear.
We previously not really hadthat, in honesty, and that's
something that we get moreinterest from going into 2025.
And one of the trends that Iguess has come from some of the
research, some of theconversations we've been having
and predictions for this yearand what we might see more of is
, I guess, like in clinics, ingyms, and what that might look
(05:29):
like.
I think we've started to see itwith some like body scanning
partners that are doing, youknow, full body scans in the gym
and it gives you a better ideaof body composition and things
like that.
I think that's a starting point.
But is there, further down theline, an aspect of actually gyms
having more insight intomedical history and and that can
also lean into thepersonalization of fitness and
and?
Um, I know we were looking intosome of the research that the
(05:54):
american I'm gonna get my wordsmixed up here but the american
college of sports medicine putout and they were talking about
the top themes for this year andand they were talking about in
that top 20 there was fitnessfitness as medicine was one of
them and then also fitness assupport for mental health.
(06:15):
So it's looking at actually,what else can fitness do in the
alignment with the health andhealth care side.
We've had um more partnersworking with us.
That's in.
I guess this is slightlydifferent, but in the same.
I guess the same ballpark inlike HSA and FSA payments and
that is obviously using, youknow, maybe like a gym
(06:35):
membership as an option ofhealthcare and the different
payment plans that can link thetwo and be used the two and it
just makes you know itaccessible.
In honesty, fitness is almostthen used as if you're paying
for a healthcare plan.
You can use a gym membership inthat way, same with.
I know they work with lots ofwearables, so having the the
past like data tracking onvarious aspects from fitness to
(07:00):
obviously sleep and recovery andthings and elements like that.
So I think that's one areawhere we're going to see a lot
more happening and a lot morepartnerships happening with HSA
and FSA payments to connect thetwo and use fitness as a driver
for preventative healthcare andimproved holistic health.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Since the pandemic, some of the most intense
conversations have been aroundOzempic and Wagovi and these
other weight loss drugs and howthey might play a role in
fitness and health care, and soI'm wondering what do you think?
Are we going to see any mergeshere between fitness and health
care and the health, theinsurance industries, or is that
(07:42):
just wishful thinking on mypart?
Speaker 2 (07:44):
I think.
I think it will come intofruition.
We we have a, a debate it'svery much a debate on our
program around GLP-1.
And and that is very much withdifferent people with different
views, and I know it's a verycontroversial topic at the
moment.
Is it, you know, an entry to abetter, you know better health
and better fitness for people,or is actually a distraction
(08:07):
from what fitness and healthshould be about?
And I think, as more gyms andoperators are incorporating
GLP-1 or working with thesetypes of offerings, there needs
to be that type of supportaround.
What does that look like?
It has to be in alignment witha nutrition plan.
It has to be in alignment witha nutrition plan.
It has to be in line with afitness program.
We have to know who needs to beon.
(08:28):
You know needs needs to be onthat type of program it is.
It can't be just for everyone.
It needs to be very specificand and when to stop and just
then lean into fitness andhealth alone and nutrition and
gym workouts alone.
So I think all of that needs tobe properly, you know, backed
and and very much driven fromthe insurance side in a lot of
(08:49):
ways to make sure that peoplearen't just kind of taking the
GLP-1 and not doing it in theright way.
So, yeah, I mean it's, maybe Imay be in.
Yeah, it's a big ask when youthink of it in in the reality of
things, but I think, as we areincorporating GLB1s more into
gyms and operators, then it is away that it's going to be best
(09:10):
managed because it has to bevery carefully brought in.
You know it goes back to I thinkit's.
You know, just under 80% ofAmericans are completely
inactive, right, and probably achunk of that is, like you said,
maybe not, you know, consciousof going into the gym, of where
they are at the moment in theirphysical body image.
But also there are some peoplethat you know if you are
(09:31):
overweight and you're walkingdown the street is difficult for
you, then going into a gym anddoing a real physical workout is
going to be, you know,something that you can't you
can't be doing at this stage.
You know something that youcan't you can't be doing at this
stage.
So that could be an entry forthose people to get into a
position where they then canjoin more fitness programs
easily and it's more accessiblefor them.
But it just has to be done verycarefully and, like I said, I
(09:53):
think the the key part is wehave to be very careful about
who we offer it to.
It can't be a you know you wantto lose weight here's g-op.
Well, that't be.
It has to be very specific inwho needs it and who requires it
to get them into a fitnessprogram.
It needs to be a debate, but italso needs to be educational,
and people need to share whatthey know and what they've
(10:14):
studied and what they've learnedwith their work within GLP-1s.
So hopefully a bit of educationas we go down the line will
settle some very strong opinionson it as well.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Longe a bit of a buzzword.
Do you think that reflects achange in how we look at active,
healthy, aging?
I?
Speaker 2 (10:33):
think potentially last year we were starting to
talk more about longevity.
That was really when people'sinterest was peaked and I would
say this year it's more aboutactually understanding what
different elements withinlongevity are and what that
looks like.
And you know that is looking atelements of holistic health
like sleep, you know, likenutrition, rest and recovery,
(10:55):
but it's also looking at thedifferent types of fitness
programs that maybe aresupportive of longevity and for
different people.
So I think this year is justabout digging a bit deeper into
what that actually means, andespecially for us.
You know, like I said at thestart, we are all about
partnerships and drivingpartnerships.
So when we were doing this,profiling right of our attendees
(11:15):
and what they their toppriorities are and maybe what
their challenges are, a lot ofthe gyms and operators are maybe
conscious that they need tobecome more all-encompassing.
They need to be focusing onnutrition.
They need to focus, they needto start having recovery zones.
There needs to be more.
I know everyone is talkingabout hyper personalization, but
that's also, for me, is a big,big part of longevity and
(11:38):
understanding differentdemographics and where different
people are in their fitnessjourney and what support there
can be for that.
So, yeah, I would say thedifference that we found is last
year it was more of maybe ablanket term and this year
people are really digging deeperinto what the different
elements are.
We have set conversationsaround sleep, we have single
conversations focused onhydration and we have
(11:58):
conversations around nutrition.
So it's just digging a bitdeeper into the different layers
within longevity as an umbrella, I think.
Maybe five not even five yearsago, but maybe pre-covid the
fitness influences and andpeople like that, they were very
much.
A lot of them were like sevendays a week, hardcore workouts,
different training, and nowthey're very much pushing.
(12:20):
Take a recovery day, maybe,take a slower day here.
This could just be a day forwalking, have a day for
stretching.
So even that shift from likethe fitness influences that you
see, this is where that mindshift.
You know that, you can see itand I think that's trickling
down for workouts as well and,and especially for a lot of the,
the apps and the platforms thatpeople use fitness apps that
(12:41):
they use on their phone and thatare doing more personalized
programs.
That is a right.
Maybe if you're doing anintense workout on monday, then
take a stretching on Tuesday,maybe.
Do mindfulness on Wednesday, doyoga on Friday.
So the way we work out and theway we link physical health with
mental health is also different, and I think that all comes
under longevity again.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
We can't really call fitness over 50 a niche market
because you know there's justsuch a range of ability and
comfort level and goals amongthis huge swath of the
population.
Do you see this kind ofawareness evolving among
executives and other leaders,and is it trickling down to mom
(13:22):
and pop gyms too?
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Yeah, I think, yeah, I agree with you.
I think it's very easy toblanket older fitness programs.
I mean, I can tell you myselffrom the gym that I go to some
of the you know the older peoplewithin my gym classes.
I'm I like a gym class god,much fitter than me.
I mean, they're there every dayand you know they all do
different forms of workout and Ithink that alone is proof that
(13:45):
you can't blanket statement.
You know these are catered tothe older demographic because
they are all in different placesin their their journey.
I think it's starting to comethrough.
Um, you know a lot of those.
Maybe, I would say a lot of themaybe smaller, more independent
gyms tend to follow the trendsfrom some of the bigger guys, so
that's why you tend to see itthere to start with.
But it's definitely somethingnow where I don't think there's
(14:06):
I would like to think there's nogyms or no operator that is not
hasn't got this top of mind.
I think that you, you knoweveryone talks about it all the
time at the moment, it's achallenge for everyone and
within the fit kind oftraditional fitness space.
So I don't think there's a gymout there that isn't considering
the best approach for differentdemographics and people within
those demographics.
Potentially, thepersonalization piece within
(14:28):
demographics is still somethingthat we need to lean into and
that's where you know the use ofwearables and the different
integrations with those types ofpartners.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Um is really beneficial and useful for that
kind of data and understandingwhere everyone is so we've
talked about longevity andpreventive care and recovery,
and these are all buzzy topics,and I wonder what other trends
or topics you can share with usthat are on your agenda heading
into next month.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Yeah, absolutely so.
A big one is community andsocial wellness.
So there's obviously, you know,been a rise in social workouts
and I think that's in many ways.
You know, people are morepeople are going sober at the
moment, you know people are kindof leaning away from drinking
and big nights out more thanever.
(15:15):
You know a lot of nightclubs aswell have been shutting down
post-COVID, so it's almost likethe gym and classes is almost
now a way for socialising and Iknow even at the classes that I
go to you see the same faces,you get to know everyone and
they even organize like a summerparty and a Christmas party now
, and everyone on a Saturdayafter the class goes for a
(15:37):
coffee.
So, you know, you can reallyfeel that sense of community and
I think that's something thatis a big, big focus and I think,
even going into further intothe year, there's going to be
more sports and recreation focus.
Going from France for a game oftennis is obviously huge now,
which is seemed to come out ofnowhere, but I think it comes
back to the idea of, you know,working out not just being for,
(16:00):
you know, physical body image,but actually just for fun, just
for competition.
You know, bring competitioninto workouts, and so, yes,
community and social wellness isa big focus for us, and then we
always talk about diversity andwomen's health and inclusion,
and that's something that'salways a focus, I think, going
into 2025, something we'll seemore of, with that
(16:20):
personalization piece in mind,is leaning into women's wellness
and hormone tracking, so kindof.
If we're doing personalizedworkouts, it's understanding
women's cycles and also, youknow, considering things like
premenopause and how that canaffect working out.
So I think that's somethingthat there's not been enough
focus or research intopreviously.
But if we're leaning into thisidea of hyper-personalization in
(16:43):
health and fitness, that'ssomething that I think will
become more of a focus goingfurther into this year.
That's one of my predictions.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
Beautiful.
Thank you, I want to wish youthe best of luck in putting this
together and, of course,everyone is hoping for the best
for the people of Los Angeles.
Tell people where they can goto learn more about your
organization or the research orthe event.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Yeah, absolutely so.
Our website Connected Healthand Fitness Summit.
You can obviously subscribe tosee all of our mailings and what
we're putting out there, alsoto see about the event and the
agenda.
And you know, if you were keeneveryone was keen to join, to
register, and what I think wewill be doing, jay, is I think
our marketing lead will share adiscount code with you.
I believe that maybe we canshare with this episode, but if
(17:27):
you also want to share my emailor link my linkedin, then I'm
happy to speak to anyoneanswering any questions if
anyone wants to find out more.
So, yeah, happy to give directdetails to link into when this
post goes out so people can cometo me if they need anything.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
I'll put all of that information in the show notes
along with the link.
Thanks so much for joining metoday.
It's been a pleasure.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Thanks very much.
Thanks, Jane.
Speak soon joining me today.
It's been a pleasure.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
Thanks very much Thanks, jane.
Speak soon.
Thank you for listening toOptimal Aging.
I hope you enjoyed it and Ihope you'll subscribe, tell a
friend and write a review.
All of that helps me grow myaudience.
You can learn more about me andmy content business at
(18:15):
primefitcontentcom.
You can send me an email at jayat primefitcontentcom.
That's jay j-a-y atprimefitcontentcom.
I'm also on Facebook, linkedinand Instagram so you can find me
anywhere you like and be intouch.
And again, thanks for listening.
Join me next time.
It's an exciting time for the fitness industry, with
broad trends around topics likelongevity, wellness, preventive
care and others that areparticularly resonant for
fitness over 50.
I'm lucky today to share aconversation about all of this
with one of the folks behind theConnected Health and Fitness
(00:22):
Summit, which is planned forFebruary in Los Angeles.
Welcome to Optimal Aging, theshow about fitness, health and
well-being for people over 50,with a special emphasis on
content and communications.
I'm your host, jay Croft, ofPrimeFit Content.
Which gyms and studios use intheir marketing to reach more
(00:43):
people over 50.
Which gyms and studios use intheir marketing to reach more
people over 50.
Now my guest is Cara Faultley ofCasaco Research, and she and I
discuss the evolving landscapeof fitness and how this summit
aims to inform top-level leadersabout what's coming and to help
them form fruitful partnershipsto bring better services to the
(01:05):
public.
The event's website says itsmission is, to quote redefine
health care by placing fitness,wellness and technology at its
core.
We're driving the next wave ofinnovation by bringing together
450-plus C-suite leaders toshape how we move, recover and
live healthier lives.
(01:25):
It's interesting stuff and Iknow you'll enjoy this look
ahead.
Here's my chat with Cara,starting with her explaining
what makes the Connected Healthand Fitness Summit different
from so many other fitnessconferences.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
I think what we try and do, maybe a little bit
differently, is we are verycarefully curated and so I would
say, you know, not only curatedin content and the program and
the topics that we're talkingabout they all come from, you
know, a very intensive researchphase but also carefully curated
in who we have in the room.
So we aren't huge.
(02:03):
We're quite an intimate event.
You're looking at about 400 to450 leaders in the space, but
it's very much the c-suite theceos, the decision makers from
those big names and brandsacross fitness and health and,
of course, big gyms and studiosand and hotels and heads of
welders from hotels andwearables and you know the guys
you probably would hope to seeat a fitness event but very much
(02:25):
the c-suite from those guys butalso the brands like your
adidas is your gymshark night,apple, google, meta you know we
do have a connected and ai viewacross the event and
digitalization and fitness andhealth was a focus for us.
So, yeah, I think that's whatthat's.
What we very much focus on isbeing maybe carefully bringing
in a specific group of leadersand it's not like a broadcasted
(02:49):
marketing approach or oranything like that.
It's very carefully curated isdefinitely how I would put it
and that's obviously a part ofit is learning what's coming
into 2025, being ahead of trends, but also is actually in terms
of implementing some of those,you know, new patterns.
That the fitness and healthbrands are expected to provide
for consumers is connectingpartners and I think you know,
(03:11):
by us bringing in the decisionmakers, that just means those
partnerships can happen quicker.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
What trends are you identifying that are related
specifically to the over 50demographic?
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Yeah, absolutely.
One of our biggest themes,which I imagine a lot of people
talk to you about or just talkabout in general in the industry
, is longevity.
That's something that everyonehas top of mind and it is
something that we're talkingabout a lot in the program and I
think that covers a lot ofdifferent aspects.
We're talking a lot aboutrecovery.
We have a lot of recoverypartners.
(03:42):
We're talking a lot aboutnutrition and nutrition partners
and mindfulness and you know,different approaches to working
out that is, for living a longerand better life and what that
looks like for the differentdemographics of people.
So, yeah, that's probablysomething that I think is
definitely top of mind andprobably seen that in a lot of
(04:03):
the kind of, I guess, trendscoming from us but also just
from the industry.
I know Les Mills has done likea kind of new workout program
they've released which is around, I guess, longevity Not just
for the older demographic butwith everyone in mind.
That's more, you know, maybelower intensity but is, in ways,
looking to build strength andresilience, which is something
(04:24):
that is obviously very importantfor that.
And I know there's been a lotof partnerships, such as Crunch,
who I know have redesigned someof their gyms to bring in more
of a recovery and rest zone toit.
So, yeah, I think you'restarting to see these elements
not just be conversational butcome through in the operators
and what they're doing in thespace.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
What about preventive care?
You know, when the pandemic hitfive years ago, there was a lot
of enthusiasm for connectingfitness as part of healthcare,
because we learned quickly thatpeople in better shape were less
likely to get sick or severelysick.
So what are you seeing now asfar as all that is concerned,
with medical care and insurance?
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Yeah, for sure.
I mean, I think we have morekind of incorporation from the
pharma side in our event thisyear.
We previously not really hadthat, in honesty, and that's
something that we get moreinterest from going into 2025.
And one of the trends that Iguess has come from some of the
research, some of theconversations we've been having
and predictions for this yearand what we might see more of is
, I guess, like in clinics, ingyms, and what that might look
(05:29):
like.
I think we've started to see itwith some like body scanning
partners that are doing, youknow, full body scans in the gym
and it gives you a better ideaof body composition and things
like that.
I think that's a starting point.
But is there, further down theline, an aspect of actually gyms
having more insight intomedical history and and that can
also lean into thepersonalization of fitness and
and?
Um, I know we were looking intosome of the research that the
(05:54):
american I'm gonna get my wordsmixed up here but the american
college of sports medicine putout and they were talking about
the top themes for this year andand they were talking about in
that top 20 there was fitnessfitness as medicine was one of
them and then also fitness assupport for mental health.
(06:15):
So it's looking at actually,what else can fitness do in the
alignment with the health andhealth care side.
We've had um more partnersworking with us.
That's in.
I guess this is slightlydifferent, but in the same.
I guess the same ballpark inlike HSA and FSA payments and
that is obviously using, youknow, maybe like a gym
(06:35):
membership as an option ofhealthcare and the different
payment plans that can link thetwo and be used the two and it
just makes you know itaccessible.
In honesty, fitness is almostthen used as if you're paying
for a healthcare plan.
You can use a gym membership inthat way, same with.
I know they work with lots ofwearables, so having the the
past like data tracking onvarious aspects from fitness to
(07:00):
obviously sleep and recovery andthings and elements like that.
So I think that's one areawhere we're going to see a lot
more happening and a lot morepartnerships happening with HSA
and FSA payments to connect thetwo and use fitness as a driver
for preventative healthcare andimproved holistic health.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Since the pandemic, some of the most intense
conversations have been aroundOzempic and Wagovi and these
other weight loss drugs and howthey might play a role in
fitness and health care, and soI'm wondering what do you think?
Are we going to see any mergeshere between fitness and health
care and the health, theinsurance industries, or is that
(07:42):
just wishful thinking on mypart?
Speaker 2 (07:44):
I think.
I think it will come intofruition.
We we have a, a debate it'svery much a debate on our
program around GLP-1.
And and that is very much withdifferent people with different
views, and I know it's a verycontroversial topic at the
moment.
Is it, you know, an entry to abetter, you know better health
and better fitness for people,or is actually a distraction
(08:07):
from what fitness and healthshould be about?
And I think, as more gyms andoperators are incorporating
GLP-1 or working with thesetypes of offerings, there needs
to be that type of supportaround.
What does that look like?
It has to be in alignment witha nutrition plan.
It has to be in alignment witha nutrition plan.
It has to be in line with afitness program.
We have to know who needs to beon.
(08:28):
You know needs needs to be onthat type of program it is.
It can't be just for everyone.
It needs to be very specificand and when to stop and just
then lean into fitness andhealth alone and nutrition and
gym workouts alone.
So I think all of that needs tobe properly, you know, backed
and and very much driven fromthe insurance side in a lot of
(08:49):
ways to make sure that peoplearen't just kind of taking the
GLP-1 and not doing it in theright way.
So, yeah, I mean it's, maybe Imay be in.
Yeah, it's a big ask when youthink of it in in the reality of
things, but I think, as we areincorporating GLB1s more into
gyms and operators, then it is away that it's going to be best
(09:10):
managed because it has to bevery carefully brought in.
You know it goes back to I thinkit's.
You know, just under 80% ofAmericans are completely
inactive, right, and probably achunk of that is, like you said,
maybe not, you know, consciousof going into the gym, of where
they are at the moment in theirphysical body image.
But also there are some peoplethat you know if you are
(09:31):
overweight and you're walkingdown the street is difficult for
you, then going into a gym anddoing a real physical workout is
going to be, you know,something that you can't you
can't be doing at this stage.
You know something that youcan't you can't be doing at this
stage.
So that could be an entry forthose people to get into a
position where they then canjoin more fitness programs
easily and it's more accessiblefor them.
But it just has to be done verycarefully and, like I said, I
(09:53):
think the the key part is wehave to be very careful about
who we offer it to.
It can't be a you know you wantto lose weight here's g-op.
Well, that't be.
It has to be very specific inwho needs it and who requires it
to get them into a fitnessprogram.
It needs to be a debate, but italso needs to be educational,
and people need to share whatthey know and what they've
(10:14):
studied and what they've learnedwith their work within GLP-1s.
So hopefully a bit of educationas we go down the line will
settle some very strong opinionson it as well.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Longe a bit of a buzzword.
Do you think that reflects achange in how we look at active,
healthy, aging?
I?
Speaker 2 (10:33):
think potentially last year we were starting to
talk more about longevity.
That was really when people'sinterest was peaked and I would
say this year it's more aboutactually understanding what
different elements withinlongevity are and what that
looks like.
And you know that is looking atelements of holistic health
like sleep, you know, likenutrition, rest and recovery,
(10:55):
but it's also looking at thedifferent types of fitness
programs that maybe aresupportive of longevity and for
different people.
So I think this year is justabout digging a bit deeper into
what that actually means, andespecially for us.
You know, like I said at thestart, we are all about
partnerships and drivingpartnerships.
So when we were doing this,profiling right of our attendees
(11:15):
and what they their toppriorities are and maybe what
their challenges are, a lot ofthe gyms and operators are maybe
conscious that they need tobecome more all-encompassing.
They need to be focusing onnutrition.
They need to focus, they needto start having recovery zones.
There needs to be more.
I know everyone is talkingabout hyper personalization, but
that's also, for me, is a big,big part of longevity and
(11:38):
understanding differentdemographics and where different
people are in their fitnessjourney and what support there
can be for that.
So, yeah, I would say thedifference that we found is last
year it was more of maybe ablanket term and this year
people are really digging deeperinto what the different
elements are.
We have set conversationsaround sleep, we have single
conversations focused onhydration and we have
(11:58):
conversations around nutrition.
So it's just digging a bitdeeper into the different layers
within longevity as an umbrella, I think.
Maybe five not even five yearsago, but maybe pre-covid the
fitness influences and andpeople like that, they were very
much.
A lot of them were like sevendays a week, hardcore workouts,
different training, and nowthey're very much pushing.
(12:20):
Take a recovery day, maybe,take a slower day here.
This could just be a day forwalking, have a day for
stretching.
So even that shift from likethe fitness influences that you
see, this is where that mindshift.
You know that, you can see itand I think that's trickling
down for workouts as well and,and especially for a lot of the,
the apps and the platforms thatpeople use fitness apps that
(12:41):
they use on their phone and thatare doing more personalized
programs.
That is a right.
Maybe if you're doing anintense workout on monday, then
take a stretching on Tuesday,maybe.
Do mindfulness on Wednesday, doyoga on Friday.
So the way we work out and theway we link physical health with
mental health is also different, and I think that all comes
under longevity again.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
We can't really call fitness over 50 a niche market
because you know there's justsuch a range of ability and
comfort level and goals amongthis huge swath of the
population.
Do you see this kind ofawareness evolving among
executives and other leaders,and is it trickling down to mom
(13:22):
and pop gyms too?
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Yeah, I think, yeah, I agree with you.
I think it's very easy toblanket older fitness programs.
I mean, I can tell you myselffrom the gym that I go to some
of the you know the older peoplewithin my gym classes.
I'm I like a gym class god,much fitter than me.
I mean, they're there every dayand you know they all do
different forms of workout and Ithink that alone is proof that
(13:45):
you can't blanket statement.
You know these are catered tothe older demographic because
they are all in different placesin their their journey.
I think it's starting to comethrough.
Um, you know a lot of those.
Maybe, I would say a lot of themaybe smaller, more independent
gyms tend to follow the trendsfrom some of the bigger guys, so
that's why you tend to see itthere to start with.
But it's definitely somethingnow where I don't think there's
(14:06):
I would like to think there's nogyms or no operator that is not
hasn't got this top of mind.
I think that you, you knoweveryone talks about it all the
time at the moment, it's achallenge for everyone and
within the fit kind oftraditional fitness space.
So I don't think there's a gymout there that isn't considering
the best approach for differentdemographics and people within
those demographics.
Potentially, thepersonalization piece within
(14:28):
demographics is still somethingthat we need to lean into and
that's where you know the use ofwearables and the different
integrations with those types ofpartners.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Um is really beneficial and useful for that
kind of data and understandingwhere everyone is so we've
talked about longevity andpreventive care and recovery,
and these are all buzzy topics,and I wonder what other trends
or topics you can share with usthat are on your agenda heading
into next month.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Yeah, absolutely so.
A big one is community andsocial wellness.
So there's obviously, you know,been a rise in social workouts
and I think that's in many ways.
You know, people are morepeople are going sober at the
moment, you know people are kindof leaning away from drinking
and big nights out more thanever.
(15:15):
You know a lot of nightclubs aswell have been shutting down
post-COVID, so it's almost likethe gym and classes is almost
now a way for socialising and Iknow even at the classes that I
go to you see the same faces,you get to know everyone and
they even organize like a summerparty and a Christmas party now
, and everyone on a Saturdayafter the class goes for a
(15:37):
coffee.
So, you know, you can reallyfeel that sense of community and
I think that's something thatis a big, big focus and I think,
even going into further intothe year, there's going to be
more sports and recreation focus.
Going from France for a game oftennis is obviously huge now,
which is seemed to come out ofnowhere, but I think it comes
back to the idea of, you know,working out not just being for,
(16:00):
you know, physical body image,but actually just for fun, just
for competition.
You know, bring competitioninto workouts, and so, yes,
community and social wellness isa big focus for us, and then we
always talk about diversity andwomen's health and inclusion,
and that's something that'salways a focus, I think, going
into 2025, something we'll seemore of, with that
(16:20):
personalization piece in mind,is leaning into women's wellness
and hormone tracking, so kindof.
If we're doing personalizedworkouts, it's understanding
women's cycles and also, youknow, considering things like
premenopause and how that canaffect working out.
So I think that's somethingthat there's not been enough
focus or research intopreviously.
But if we're leaning into thisidea of hyper-personalization in
(16:43):
health and fitness, that'ssomething that I think will
become more of a focus goingfurther into this year.
That's one of my predictions.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
Beautiful.
Thank you, I want to wish youthe best of luck in putting this
together and, of course,everyone is hoping for the best
for the people of Los Angeles.
Tell people where they can goto learn more about your
organization or the research orthe event.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Yeah, absolutely so.
Our website Connected Healthand Fitness Summit.
You can obviously subscribe tosee all of our mailings and what
we're putting out there, alsoto see about the event and the
agenda.
And you know, if you were keeneveryone was keen to join, to
register, and what I think wewill be doing, jay, is I think
our marketing lead will share adiscount code with you.
I believe that maybe we canshare with this episode, but if
(17:27):
you also want to share my emailor link my linkedin, then I'm
happy to speak to anyoneanswering any questions if
anyone wants to find out more.
So, yeah, happy to give directdetails to link into when this
post goes out so people can cometo me if they need anything.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
I'll put all of that information in the show notes
along with the link.
Thanks so much for joining metoday.
It's been a pleasure.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Thanks very much.
Thanks, Jane.
Speak soon joining me today.
It's been a pleasure.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
Thanks very much Thanks, jane.
Speak soon.
Thank you for listening toOptimal Aging.
I hope you enjoyed it and Ihope you'll subscribe, tell a
friend and write a review.
All of that helps me grow myaudience.
You can learn more about me andmy content business at
(18:15):
primefitcontentcom.
You can send me an email at jayat primefitcontentcom.
That's jay j-a-y atprimefitcontentcom.
I'm also on Facebook, linkedinand Instagram so you can find me
anywhere you like and be intouch.
And again, thanks for listening.
Join me next time.
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