Fitt Insider

March 17, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: American College of Sports Medicine updates resistance training guidelines for first time in 17 years, emphasizing consistency over perfect programming Peloton introduces Commercial Series bike and treadmill for gyms, pairing Precor-engineered hardware with instructor-led classes shipping late 2026 Costco partners with Sesame and IVI RMA to offer fertility care with up to 80% savings on medications, addressing one in six Americans facing infertility Today's episode is brought to you by AIIR — a modern communications and experiential agency for health, wellness, fitness, and performance brands. From earned media to events and creator-led campaigns, AIIR helps companies sharpen their story, earn attention, and build trust that compounds. Visit https://aiir.agency to learn more. More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → insider@fitt.co

Today, I'm joined by Rachel Blank, founder & CEO of Allara Health.   Allara Health delivers in-network virtual care to women, specializing in underserved chronic conditions like PCOS, endometriosis, and hypothyroidism.   In this episode, we discuss closing the gender care gap.   We also cover:   Building the largest women's health dataset PCOS and endometriosis treatment blind spots Point solution fatigue and consolidation   Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast  Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe  Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider    Website: www.allarahealth.com  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allarahealth/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@allarahealth    -   The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com  to learn more about its smart fitness ecosystem for fitness and health facilities.   Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/  Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/  Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/    Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:13) Allara's mission (03:25) Inadequate visits for complex conditions (05:26) No FDA-approved PCOS medication (06:25) Innovation in access (07:30) Building research datasets (08:00) Care delivery (10:00) Filling care gaps in the traditional system (11:05) Symbiosis with fertility clinics (12:14) Consumer-first growth strategy (13:05) Combating misinformation (16:02) Branding and marketing (18:30) Point solution fatigue emerging (20:01) Patient-first vs. use case-first (21:25) Consolidation wave coming (22:25) Expansion roadmap (23:22) 50% US commercial coverage today (24:00) The path to profitability (25:00) AI enabling doctors (27:20) Building vs. buying AI solutions (28:20) 2026 priorities (29:50) Conclusion

March 13, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Sword Health expands beyond MSK into GLP-1 support, mental health, and women's midlife care using AI and acquisitions to build broader specialty platform Withings launches Sleep Care Solution linking users to sleep specialists through app, addressing 30M U.S. adults with sleep apnea and 80% undiagnosed Maven Clinic returns to direct-to-consumer telehealth with hormone and GLP-1 support across 30+ specialties after reaching 28M patients through employer benefits Today's episode is brought to you by AIIR — a modern communications and experiential agency for health, wellness, fitness, and performance brands. From earned media to events and creator-led campaigns, AIIR helps companies sharpen their story, earn attention, and build trust that compounds. Visit https://aiir.agency to learn more. More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → insider@fitt.co

March 12, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Nike brings back After Dark Tour for 2026, expanding women-focused nighttime race series to seven global cities after drawing 50K+ participants Microsoft reports handling 50M+ daily health questions across Bing and Copilot, with 40% focused on symptoms and 1 in 5 involving personal health management Health Innovation Lab returns to West Palm Beach in November 2026, expanding to 250 attendees with dedicated HIL day ahead of Eudimonia Summit. Learn more at https://joinhil.com Today's episode is brought to you by AIIR — a modern communications and experiential agency for health, wellness, fitness, and performance brands. From earned media to events and creator-led campaigns, AIIR helps companies sharpen their story, earn attention, and build trust that compounds. Visit https://aiir.agency to learn more. More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → insider@fitt.co

March 11, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Bank of America data shows Gen Z gym memberships up 9% while binge drinking among 21-34 year-olds falls 10% over past decade Mintel reports consumers shifting to science-backed skincare with "clinically proven" claims up 45% and biohacking interest rising 35% year-over-year Universal Health Services acquires Talkspace for $835M, gaining access to 6,000 clinicians and 200M+ covered lives to build full behavioral health stack Today's episode is brought to you by AIIR — a modern communications and experiential agency for health, wellness, fitness, and performance brands. From earned media to events and creator-led campaigns, AIIR helps companies sharpen their story, earn attention, and build trust that compounds. Visit https://aiir.agency to learn more. More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → insider@fitt.co  

March 10, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Novo Nordisk drops patent case against Hims & Hers as companies reach agreement for Hims to offer FDA-approved Ozempic and Wegovy at standard pricing Whoop introduces hormone biomarker testing for 11 hormonal markers combined with wearable data and AI-driven insights as women become fastest-growing user segment Fitt Insider releases Scouting Report highlighting 50 early-stage startups shaping wellness across mental, physical, social, environmental, and existential health Today's episode is brought to you by AIIR — a modern communications and experiential agency for health, wellness, fitness, and performance brands. From earned media to events and creator-led campaigns, AIIR helps companies sharpen their story, earn attention, and build trust that compounds. Visit aiir.agency to learn more. More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → insider@fitt.co

Today, I'm joined by Zack Isaacs, founder & CEO of Movemint.   Movemint is an athletic events platform connecting participants, organizers, and brands through registrations, training integrations, and sponsorship marketplace.   In this episode, we discuss modernizing the event registration experience.   We also cover:   Events driving high-intent spending cycles Growing through Strava and Meta integrations Providing race sponsors with data and analytics   Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast  Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe  Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider    Movemint's Website: www.movemint.cc  For Brands: https://www.movemint.cc/brands  For Organizers: https://www.movemint.cc/why_movemint    -   The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart fitness ecosystem for fitness and health facilities.   Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/  Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/  Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/    Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:08) Zack's background (02:10) Movemint's atomic unit (03:21) Legacy platform gaps and opportunities (04:30) High-intent spending cycles (05:12) Prioritizing organizers and brands (07:00) Movemint for Brands launch (08:05) Strava's community playbook (09:40) Small to large organizer evolution (11:15) NYC Marathon vs. tech-enabled events (12:01) Building community on other platforms first (13:20) Strava and Meta integrations (14:10) Training data driving event signups (15:10) Run club boom and COVID tailwinds (16:10) Design and UX differentiation (18:05) Olia Birulia: Strava Routes designer (19:25) Speed vs. quality (21:15) Hiring from network (23:25) Endurance athletes as employees (24:47) Movement for Brands (26:00) Brand sponsorship data and analytics (28:10) Race photography and brand tracking (29:10) Sponsorship marketplace mechanics (30:05) Gravel and road running focus (31:11) High Rocks and triathlon growth (32:00) $3.2M raised across pre-seed and seed (33:15) Strava's co-founder on board (34:00) Building profitable and enduring business (34:36) Conclusion  

March 6, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Amazon Web Services launches Amazon Connect Health, AI-powered system automating healthcare admin work and reducing abandoned calls by 30% UBS projects global longevity spending will reach $8 trillion annually by 2030, with GLP-1 drugs alone surpassing $200B in sales this decade Oura acquires Finnish startup Doublepoint to bring biometric gesture controls to wearable ecosystem, supporting vision of "cloud of wearables" More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → insider@fitt.co

March 5, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: CrossFit CEO Don Faul steps down March 6 as company explores sale with Moelis & Company advising potential buyers Equinox opens luxury resort at Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast with 128 rooms and 20,000-sq-ft fitness club, planning 30+ hotels over next decade Whoop plans to increase workforce by 75% adding 600+ roles ahead of potential IPO, with international markets now 60% of sales More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → insider@fitt.co

March 4, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Quest Diagnostics unveils AI chatbot in MyQuest portal analyzing five years of lab data powered by Google's Gemini models Subco launches independent supplement certification program anonymously purchasing retail supplements and verifying ingredients in independent labs Eight Sleep raises funding at $1.5B valuation, shifting from reactive sleep optimization to predictive AI agent and pursuing FDA clearance for sleep apnea detection More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → insider@fitt.co

March 3, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Temple raises $54M for temple-worn wearable continuously measuring brain blood flow to quantify focus, fatigue, and cognitive resilience in real time MyFitnessPal acquires AI-native Cal AI with $40M+ in sales, deepening push into digital nutrition tracking across 280M registered members HHS plans to reclassify 14 peptides including BPC-157 and CJC-1295 back to Category 1, enabling licensed compounding pharmacies to produce them with prescription More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → insider@fitt.co

Today, I'm joined by Kat Cole, CEO of AG1.   Evolving from a $160M single-SKU brand to $500M+ revenue, AG1's in hypergrowth mode — adding flavors and sleep aid AGZ, entering Costco, and investing $30M in clinical research.   In this episode, we discuss building foundational capabilities before scaling complexity.   We also cover:   Handling criticism and competition Insights from early operational mishaps Strategies for retail expansion and packaging redesign   Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast  Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe  Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider    AG1's Website: www.drinkag1.com  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkag1  Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drinkag1  X (Twitter): https://x.com/drink_AG1  The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart fitness ecosystem for fitness and health facilities. Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/  Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/  Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/  Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:50) Kat stepping into CEO role (02:30) Multi-product, multi-channel evolution (03:05) US blending capacity expansion (04:00) First flavors after 10+ years (04:45) AGZ launch: consolidating sleep stack (07:01) Operating gaps despite hypergrowth (09:00) New Zealand supply chain dependency (10:30) Leaky shaker bottles insight (13:00) Real growth at scale (14:20) Delaying retail expansion (16:00) Packaging redesign for shelf (18:20) NSF certification delays (20:10) D2C relationship advantages (22:05) $30M research commitment (23:15) Double-blind trials and skepticism (25:20) Larger studies: 100 vs. 30 participants (27:00) Why competitors don't invest in research (28:20) Handling criticism and competitors (30:00) Apple, Lululemon comparison (32:00) Using critique to improve (33:30) Marketing science strategy (35:00) Scientific advisory council (36:21) Podcast marketing reality (38:25) Referral and gifting conversion (40:00) Multi-channel integration (41:20) Retail as billboard (42:20) Costco untapped awareness (43:20) Slow operational work pays off (44:02) Future retail expansion (45:00) Stacking products customers request (45:39) Conclusion

February 27, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: YOU(th) Health Tech raises $4.5M to expand smartphone-based health screening platform detecting 50+ digital biomarkers in under two minutes UFC Gym partners with NexGen MD Scientific to launch in-gym longevity clinics offering GLP-1s, peptides, and hormone replacement therapy XENOM raises $15M seed funding to launch "Decathlon of Fitness" with 10 standardized events, debuting at Dallas Cowboys facility in June More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → insider@fitt.co

February 26, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Gallup survey finds 73% of Americans turn to doctors first for health advice, with just 16% using AI tools and social media Alcohol industry erases $830B in market value since 2021 as GLP-1 drugs and structural demand shift drive U.S. drinking rates to lowest since 1939 Two-thirds of exercisers have tried AI fitness platforms, but only 10% would choose AI-only coaching as platforms shift to hybrid models More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → insider@fitt.co

February 25, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Kim Kardashian joins UPDATE as co-founder ahead of relaunch and Walmart rollout, positioning jitter-free energy drink in $16B category Oura launches first custom AI coaching model for women's health, integrating biometric data with clinical research across menstruation to menopause Budget gyms including Planet Fitness, Crunch, and Snap Fitness upgrade amenities with boutique classes, contrast therapy, and smart strength equipment Fitt announces strategic partnership with AIIR, expanding ecosystem into communications and experiential services for health and wellness brands More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → insider@fitt.co

February 23, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Meta plans smartwatch launch later this year with health tracking and AI features, potentially integrating with Ray-Ban glasses ecosystem Grail's $949 Galleri blood test fails to show statistically significant reduction in late-stage cancer diagnoses in major U.K. trial, stock falls sharply Equinox's $40K/year Optimize membership hits 1,000+ person waitlist, including biomarker testing, training, and health concierge More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → insider@fitt.co

Today, I'm joined by Sam O'Keefe, co-founder & CEO of Flex.   Enabling use of HSA and FSA funds at checkout, Flex unlocks tax-advantaged spending on preventative health products — from fitness and recovery to supplements and wearables.   In this episode, we discuss making "pay with HSA/FSA" as common as PayPal.    We also cover:   Confusion around HSAs & FSAs Value props for merchants and consumers Integrating with Equinox's membership flow    Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast  Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe  Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider    Flex's Website: www.withflex.com  Shop with Flex: www.withflex.com/shop  Instagram: www.instagram.com/paywithflex/  LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/withflex/  X (Twitter): https://x.com/paywithflex  Sam's Email: sam@withflex.com    -   The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart fitness ecosystem for fitness and health facilities.   Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/  Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/  Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/    Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:39) Sam's background (02:26) Why HSA/FSA funds are hard to use (04:00) Making HSA/FSA work (05:35) IRS regulations (07:05) The education problem (09:00) Merchant value proposition (10:30) Increased accessibility (11:10) API-first infrastructure (12:05) Custom integrations (14:40) Patterns across fitness, sleep, supplements, wearables (16:15) Women directing family healthcare spending (18:00) Subscription retention (19:15) Psychology of separate health spending pool (21:25) Equinox partnership (22:40) Seamless checkout integration vs reimbursement friction (24:15) Fitness language shift (25:05) Making HSA/FSA ubiquitous in every checkout (27:15) $150 billion underutilized in HSA/FSA accounts (28:40) Consumer marketplace (29:30) Growing B2C alongside B2B focus (30:30) 2026 priorities (32:33) Conclusion  

February 20, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Ergatta joins Interactive Strength portfolio alongside Wattbike, CLMBR, and FORME, continuing independent operations under CEO Tom Aulet D1 Training hires Harris Williams to explore sale, operating 170+ locations serving 100K+ scholastic athletes in $154B youth sports market Hims & Hers acquires Australian telehealth platform Eucalyptus for $1.15B, expanding globally with brands serving 775K patients across Australia, UK, and Japan I'm heading to LA this week for the Connected Health & Fitness Summit to host a fireside chat with Fritz Lanman, CEO of Playlist (parent company of Mindbody and ClassPass), on AI in fitness and the anticipated $7.5B EGYM merger. If you're attending or based in LA and want to meet up, email team@fitt.co. More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → insider@fitt.co

February 19, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Andrew Huberman calls retatrutide a potential trillion-dollar drug, showing 30% weight loss in Phase III trials with muscle preservation Lululemon launches Studio Yet. in LA, a three-week pop-up blending workouts with retail as stores become training extensions Garmin reports record Q4 revenue of $2.12B up 17%, with fitness segment climbing 42% driven by wearables demand Joe Vennare is heading to LA this week for the Connected Health & Fitness Summit to host a fireside chat with Fritz Lanman, CEO of Playlist (parent company of Mindbody and ClassPass), on AI in fitness and the anticipated $7.5B EGYM merger. If you're attending or based in LA and want to meet up, email team@fitt.co. More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → insider@fitt.co

February 18, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Americans now spend 6.3 hours daily on phones, up from 5.5 hours in early 2023, with older users driving surge Raw sugar futures fall to five-year low as GLP-1 drugs accelerate decline in sweet consumption while whey prices hit record highs Federal law caps THC in hemp products near zero in November, potentially eliminating much of $8-13B CBD market I'm heading to LA this week for the Connected Health & Fitness Summit to host a fireside chat with Fritz Lanman, CEO of Playlist (parent company of Mindbody and ClassPass), on AI in fitness and the anticipated $7.5B EGYM merger. If you're attending or based in LA and want to meet up, email team@fitt.co. More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → insider@fitt.co