FIT Report – Aug

The latest updates and news stories happening in the fitness and wellness industry in the Asia-Pacific region.
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READ THIS MONTH’S HEADLINES

  • Xponential Fitness, a curator of leading brands across every vertical in the boutique fitness, lists on NYSE
  • China celebrated its 13th national fitness, a tradition to call on citizens to engage in fitness activities as part of the country’s campaign to promote health – a tradition that was started in 2008 when China hosted the Summer Olympics.
  • Beijing announced its 14th five-year plan with a mass fitness program. The plan includes growing the Chinese sports industry to a 5-trillion-yuan ($772.75B) sector
  • CW Group celebrates 26 years since opening its 1st Club by Loni Wang, who is still the CEO and current IHRSA Board Member
  • Wexer shares that fitness snacking continues to be the top choice of on-demand classes – 3 of the top 5 popular on-demand workouts are short workouts (15 minutes or less)
  • IBH, a leader in digital health services, acquires Uprise, a digital health platform delivering highly-personalized care through self-guided modules, live coaching, and in-person therapy
  • Hyatt has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Apple Leisure Group, expanding global brand for $2.7 billion. The transaction is anticipated to close in the fourth quarter of 2021
  • The Global Health and Fitness Alliance (GHFA) has commissioned Deloitte to produce a major new report, The Economic Impact of the Health and Fitness Industry, with the support of IHRSA and the goal of securing a seat at the table in terms of World Health Organization policy development
  • Google Fit – a fitness-tracking app that monitors your health and activity. You don’t need a smartwatch to use Google Fit. It’ll add workouts to the app automatically if you do.
  • The Chinese Central Government has just announced by 2025, the national fitness public service system will be improved, and to increase those who regularly participate in physical exercise reaches 38.5%.
  • Local governments will draw up five-year action plans to implement projects to building and improve current fitness facilities for all reaching 5 Trillion RMB. Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is one of the special zones for development.
  • More than 2,000 sports parks, national fitness centers and public parks will be built or renovated and improve the hardware of current facilities of stadiums and gymnasiums. They will support the holding of various sports events for the disabled and carry out sports and fitness activities that integrate the disabled with the disabled.
  • They will improve the physical education teaching mode in schools and ensure that students have one hour of physical activity each day in and out of school, integrate youth sports events at all levels and of various types, and improve the system of youth sports events divided by grades and across regions.
  • They will intensify efforts to build high-quality sports teams in schools with traditional sports characteristics, sports schools of all types and at all levels, and colleges and universities, and vigorously train physical education teachers and coaches. Will standardize the development of social organizations for youth sports, and encourage and support the development of youth sports clubs to promote the integration of sports and health.
  • Will strengthen incentives to encourage the whole nation to keep fit, explore the establishment of a unified national “sports bank” system and individual sports codes, develop a scientific sports scoring system with unified standards, issue certificates to those who meet the national physical exercise standards and sports level standards, and encourage the issuance of sports vouchers to the masses.
  • Exciting news ….and will also add in physical education standard into the annual ‘Gaoko’ exams which are the major examinations for 16yr olds.
  • Technogym AU Experience Centre is opening in Sydney. Over 800 sqm with 4 different areas representing Technogym solutions & a dedicated education room
  • Planet Fitness has announced that it will open a new club in South Brisbane following a 10-year lease agreement for an 1800 metre² tenancy, which recently completed a $20 million refurbishment
  • International Fitness Academy (IFA) has partnered with Precision Nutrition to deliver leading Nutrition and Change Psychology Courses, Certifications, and Software to Asia-Pacific Countries
  • LSKD is a fitness apparel provider in Queensland that has created its own fitness facility to future test a new range of products they will launch that’s savvy commitment
  • CrankIt Fitness has donated more than $120,000AUD in functional training courses to support 400 personal trainers during widespread lockdowns in Australia and Asia.
  • Aquababies Global launched a new innovative program PABA FIT (Parent and Baby Aquafit) – 30 min aqua-aerobic based workout for parent and child
  • Genesis Health + Fitness has announced partnership with fitness business influencer Mel Tempest. Mel will consult on key projects & share them with her 220,000 online audience of fitness enthusiasts, owners and entrepreneurs
  • Continuing its steps to harness and empower data across planning, investment and delivery amid the COVID pandemic, ActiveXchange has announced a partnership with Sport and Recreation ACT to connect and inform 20 ACT sports.
  • Luke Istomin, celebrity trainer and Co-Founder of F45 has created a new franchise, REUNION Training – webinar on Wednesday 1st September to introduce the business
  • A new boutique offering by VIVA leisure, Ground Up, debuts in Canberra – A Pilates, Yoga and Barre studio that is welcoming, awe-inspiring and mindful. The studio opened in early July, and already has classes booked to capacity.
  • Congrats to Gold’s Gym who this month started the fit-out on the 10th club in Australia, a 2,400 square metre facility in Kippa Ring.
  • v2food, an Australian plant-based meat company, raised €45M ($52.8M) in a Series B extension led by Astanor Ventures
  • Australian food tech company Fable Food secured AUD$6.5M ($4.73M) from Blackbird Ventures and others to launch its mushroom-based meat alternatives in the US
  • Indian sports media and technology company Dream Sports has formed a US$250 million corporate venture fund – initially investing in sports, gaming and fitness technology start-ups
  • India-based health & fitness platform Ultrahuman landed $18M in Series B funding from Falcon Edge’s AWI, Nexus Venture Partners, and others
  • Foodtech major Zomato reportedly bought full-stack sports platform Fitso in a cash-and-equity deal worth about 800 million rupees (US$11 million) to 1 billion rupees (US$13.7 million)
  • Over 19-26 August, Singapore’s fitness & wellness industries, alongside the SFA & SportSG, unites in a national campaign to encourage more people to refocus and reinvest in their health and wellbeing #LetsGetMovingSG
Studio and club news from Singapore now…
  • The Ring, new gym at Orchard
  • Kali Majapahit is opening a 3rd branch (east coast) this month following the new location at River Valley in July
  • The Restoration Room (Customised rehabilitative techniques / rehab / fitness / performance) opens on Neil Road
  • Team SURGE will be a proud owner of our very own gym space coming August, a new premium PT gym in the heart of Singapore’s CBD
  • Division Athletics strength and conditioning studio newly launched
  • Yoga Movement launching their POD concept (smaller studio) in Novena. Get to places they cannot serve with their larger flagship/signature studios
  • Tribody Fitness Singapore expands its workout training to 7 days a week starting Aug 2021 – Congrats at renewed demand for your services and how you accommodate this demand
  • Barre2barre turns 9! Currently having studios in Singapore, Hongkong and Amsterdam. They are hosting a Barre Around the World Free Livestream on 4th September
  • Decathlon, partners with Sports SG, just hosted their 2021 virtual sports festival – virtual run, High intensity workouts, yoga, sports challenges. Participants can win awards
  • Spartans Boxing Club launch their first international location in Arjan, Dubai
  • Wellteq partners with Lifespeak to enhance targeted wellness education and expand suite of mental health program – delivers comprehensive employee wellness support to clients in APAC market
  • Philippines launches country’s first fully integrated health & wellness mobile app. On its national wellness day, a two-day virtual telehealth & healthcare event will take place Aug 28-29 and Filipino app users can receive free online teleconsults from various medical professionals
  • BASE, Bangkok’s HIIT and strength studio and Asia’s Gym of the Year 2018 is 5 years old! Hidilyn Diaz wins Philippines’ first Olympic gold medal with weightlifting
  • ISSA welcomes one of their newest distributors Jerrican Tan from FITM Malaysia
  • A Hong Kong start-up, RaceFit, develops a suit equipped with lightweight sensors to record a fencer’s movement. The data are then analyzed & delivers information on the athlete’s strength, stamina, flexibility, coordination and balance
  • Bamboo Yoga HK hosting their first original Outdoor aerial yoga teacher training starting this month
  • Chuan Spas at The Langham and Cordis hotels around the world held their first Global Wellness Week. there are complimentary fitness activities for guests including kid-friendly tai-chi classes in HK, group night runs in Shanghai and aqua workouts in Auckland
  • At Flex Studio’s new Central location, change up your Friday night with a sunset yoga session the Flex rooftop terrace to Music, snacks and refreshing cocktails
  • Part of Pure Yoga’s #YogaForAll series, the annual Pure Playground is an afternoon of fitness fun at Central Harbourfront Event Space – community yoga classes, group fitness circuits, wellness workshops, healthy food and drinks
  • International Conference on Nutrition & Health held at Kadoya Hotel, Tokyo, Japan
  • Myzone has partnered with the Women in Fitness Association for its virtual race ‘Run the World’ campaign this October, helping to empower women in the fitness industry and raise money for charity.
  • Myzone has signed a partnership deal with TRX, offering more to both communities in EMEA’s fitness and physical activity sector.
  • TRX Announces Comprehensive Corporate Wellness Solution – “TRX for Employee Wellbeing” – Combined Benefits of Functional Fitness and Suspension Training® through TRX’s New digital fitness platform
  • Physique57 launched their barre certification program with members from Singapore, Mexico, US and Chile – an 80-hour self-paced program
  • Core Health & Fitness launched its first multi-functional bench, the Throwdown FXD Bench. The product has modular attachment points to facilitate quick transitions between exercises
  • Intelivideo Announces Strategic Partnership with ABC Fitness Solutions, Global Provider of Software and Services to the Health & Fitness Industry
  • The Vitruvian native app has launched – improved, smoother performance with more options for workouts. Users can also shake their phone if they run into a bug and the reporting form will pop up.
  • Hyperice Enters the Mental Wellness Space with Acquisition of Core (meditation device and app); Creates a New Mind Technology Division to Evolve Hyperice’s Focus Beyond Physical Wellness
  • Life Fitness has announced the new ICG® (Indoor Cycling Group) Connect System, an all-in-one multimedia solution for group cycling, integrating riders’ real-time performance data with video-based programming
  • Fivelements Retreat Bali has been awarded “Best Eco-Friendly Resort (global)”, “Best Hideaway Resort in Asia”, “Best Small Hotel in Asia” & “Best Boutique Hotel in Indonesia” by the 2021 Haute Grandeur Global Excellence Awards
  • Evolution Wellness is excited to announce the start of its global expansion for its premium boutique gym brand FIRE Fitness, following the inking of several licensing deals in Australia, Singapore, and the UAE
  • Evolution Wellness has signed a three-year deal with Expansive FM. Expansive is a Computer-Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) systems vendor, which utilises a mobile-first approach
  • Therabody co-founders Benjamin Nazarian, CEO, and Dr. Jason Wersland, chief wellness officer, named EY Entrepreneur of the Year® Greater Los Angeles Winners
  • Evolt is pleased to announce the appointment of Alex Ferguson as the new CFO
  • iFIT Acquires 29029, the Premium Ultra-Endurance Event and Community, bringing the Experience of Climbing Mount Everest to its Members Around the World
  • Les Mills Asia Pacific has launched their Online Group Fitness Management education course for Club and Fitness Facility Owners and Managers, and Group Fitness Managers, which distills 50 years of industry knowledge and proven success know-how in 8 Key Plays. These practical tactics have been tried & tested with clubs from all sectors and sizes, helping them to become some of the most profitable clubs around the world, and you can reach out to Les Mill Asia Pacific to find out how you too can benefit from this online self-paced learning course.
INSPIRATION
  • CENTRED powers “An Intimate Conversation with Joe Foster, Founder of Reebok” in October. CENTRED will be making an investment of $175,000 for the winners of their pitch competition during this event. Together, they want to inspire fitness entrepreneurs to keep going despite the difficulties of the last 17 months.

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