The Fitness Industry Is Missing Out on the Digital Health Boom
Last month I attended the Australian Digital Health Festival and it hit me — the fitness industry is being left out of the health conversation.
In this digital world, there’s never been a better opportunity for fitness and health to connect and we’re missing in action or missing out on the action!
Here are 3 big wake-up calls:
- We’re not part of the data and digital health discussions around our members.
- Exercise still isn’t recognised as preventative medicine by most.
- Only 8% of workplace wellness budgets go to physical health — 92% goes to mental health.
This is a huge missed opportunity.
I chatted with the CSIRO and asked if their Wellbeing Diet was being used by any gyms – no. I met with VALD performance testing and what an amazing product and they are possibly the greatest secret weapon to you increasing your yield from your members and helping them ‘see’ their results.
If we want to be taken seriously in health, we don’t need to wait for a national strategy from AUSActive. It starts locally. Educate your GPs, physios, and allied health pros. Show them how your gym improves lives – physically and mentally!
Don’t get left behind, start conversations and invite medical and health professionals to your gym for them to ‘see’ you’re not a big scary place! The change in perception and building of trust will take time but with 1 in 5 Australians aged between 60 and 84 by 2030, we have to start now as these people will need to be healthy!
Justin is the Managing Director of Active Management, which he began January 2004. He offers coaching to businesses worldwide in everything from start up and design to marketing and sales systems. Justin also facilitates four Australian and New Zealand ‘fitness industry roundtables’ events, which allows him to see a huge cross section of business models.