Fitt Insider

March 24, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: CivicScience finds health and wellness only category where Americans plan to increase spending, while Gallup reports one in three cutting essentials to cover healthcare costs Nutrafol grows 23% in 2025 pushing sales close to $1B, with 80%+ revenue from repeat purchasers and expansion into men's 50-plus products Danone acquires Huel for $1B+, adding plant-based meal-replacement brand to portfolio following Kate Farms acquisition as Big Food chases wellness 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 Josh Whelan, co-founder and CEO of Joi + Blokes.   A modern health optimization platform, Joi + Blokes offers online consultations and diagnostics for hormonal balance, energy, libido, metabolic issues, menopause, longevity, and more.   In this episode, we discuss delivering personalized care for both sexes.   We also cover:   The evolving peptide landscape Building a 503A compounding pharmacy Research and vertical integration as differentiators   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.joiandblokes.com  Instagram (Women): https://www.instagram.com/joiwomenswellness/  Instagram (Men): https://www.instagram.com/getblokes/    -   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 (01:37) Background and founding story (02:44) Personal health crisis (04:36) Patient experience (06:38) Differentiation (07:40) AI as co-pilot (09:49) Diagnostic with solution mandate (11:15) Energy and fatigue (12:43) Fundamentals over innovation (14:32) Personal TRT journey (16:54) Peptide compounding regulation (18:25) Regulatory rollercoaster (19:49) Building a 503A compounding pharmacy (23:23) Land grab & retention race (24:40) Community-driven product expansion (26:17) AI apps & traditional clinician care (27:50) Vertical integration priorities (28:30) Research focus (29:33) Where to learn more (30:12) Conclusion

March 20, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Service-based tenants account for 50%+ of U.S. retail leasing for first time, with gyms making up 30% as fitness and wellness drive retail growth Celsius hits $2.5B revenue in 2025, up from $75M seven years ago, as energy drinks expand beyond one-off boost into meals and social settings Sweetgreen pushes higher-protein items and Function Health partnership, with CEO aiming to build "Spotify for food" recommending meals based on health data 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 19, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Lifesum research finds 92% of Americans believe ultra-processed foods are engineered to be addictive, with 49% backing tobacco-style regulation L Catterton reportedly seeking to sell Thorne for up to $4B after taking it private in 2023 for $680M, signaling premium health brands drawing serious buyer attention Oura hires Apple senior director Brian Lynch as SVP of hardware engineering, adding to leadership team including former Apple health executive and designer 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 18, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: F45 launches PEAK500 with Red Bull, a 30-minute in-studio competition with global leaderboard as brand creates its own fitness racing format Bain report finds 113 insurgent wellness brands drove 36% of CPG growth, with 44% promoting better-for-you claims and growing 10x faster than category average Dick's Sporting Goods doubles down on $40B youth sports market where average family spending rose 46% to $1K+ annually since 2019 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 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

February 17, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: YC-backed Fort opens pre-orders for strength-specific wearable that auto-detects exercises, reps, sets, and fatigue without manual logging Stanford-born Clair develops wrist-worn device using 10 biosensors and AI to estimate real-time hormone levels including estrogen and progesterone, shipping in November Matrix Bio claims to have built five-minute, $5 multi-marker hormone test requiring no lab or blood draw, pending clinical regulatory validation 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  

Today, I'm joined by Sam Browne, CEO and co-founder of Let's Do This.   A platform for mass-participation sports events, Let's Do This partners with marathons, triathlons, and cycling events to help people discover life-changing athletic experiences.   In this episode, we discuss building tech to get people together offline.   We also cover:   The company's mission to create shared experiences Current problems with the experience economy Expanding to 18 international markets 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.letsdothis.com  Let's Do This on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letsdothis.com_/?hl=en  Sam's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-browne-a86268b0/   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 (01:03) Background and mission (02:13) Offline connection (02:41) Origin story (04:30) Identifying market gap (05:23) Discovery, technology, and payments problems (06:45) Layering growth S-curves (09:00) The ultimate growth channel (11:30) The supply side (13:45) Technology infrastructure (16:00) COVID impact (18:30) Post-pandemic surge (21:00) Isolated, distracted, or connected (23:15) Why experiences beat things (25:30) Bringing people together (27:00) The choice (29:08) Expansion strategy (30:15) Geographic rollout (31:15) Future verticals (32:00) Supply problems (33:09) Lifetime partnerships (34:18) Serving event organizers (34:48) Where to discover your next challenge (35:32) Conclusion    

February 13, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Erewhon partners with Ject to offer lip flips and brow lifts at exclusive LA event, marking second move into med spa space Harvard study of 100K+ Americans over 30 years finds exercise variety predicts lifespan better than single modality, with 19% lower all-cause mortality Nike Strength rolls out equipment across 25 Everlast Gyms in UK and Ireland, expanding commercial partnerships beyond consumer training gear 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 12, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Amazon One Medical launches Health Insights powered by Lifeforce, analyzing 50+ biomarkers with AI-driven lifestyle coaching for Prime members Cambiotics raises $5M seed round to commercialize probiotic removing PFAS "forever chemicals" from the body, targeting firefighters in U.S. clinical trials Hinge Health reports Q4 revenue up 46% to $171M with full-year revenue climbing 51% to $588M, serving 25M individuals across 2,800 clients 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 11, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Solace Health raises $130M Series C at $1B+ valuation, connecting patients with nurse advocates to navigate care and insurance Weight Watchers partners with Pvolve to bring streaming strength workouts into medically guided weight loss and menopause care Function Health sues Superpower over "100-plus biomarkers" claims, highlighting pressure on diagnostic platforms to define measured versus inferred data 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 10, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Apple scraps AI-powered health coach project after delays, concluding it wasn't keeping pace with competitors like Oura, Whoop, and Ultrahuman Oura files patent for AR smart glasses displaying real-time health data controlled through ring-based gestures, positioning itself at center of ambient health tracking Hims & Hers pulls compounded oral GLP-1 pill amid regulatory pressure from HHS and FDA, with Novo Nordisk suing for patent infringement 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 Geoff Cook, CEO of Noom.   Evolved from behavior change app to clinical health platform, Noom combines personalized coaching with medications like GLP-1s to forge health habits and drive long-term health outcomes. In this episode, we discuss using medication as a catalyst for behavior change. We also cover:   Shifting revenue from medicated plans Microdosing GLP-1s Building the "Duolingo of Health"   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.noom.com  Programs for weight loss and proactive health available   -   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 (01:30) What's changed at Noom (02:00) Revenue shift (03:25) GLP-1s as catalyst  (04:20) Food noise silence (05:35) Discontinuation rates (06:35) Medication to maintenance (07:00) Microdosing GLP-1s (08:35) Challenges and strategies (09:50) Self-experimentation & preventative health (12:20) Other supplements (14:05) Stacking habits (15:35) What belongs in clinical care? (16:20) Litmus test (17:20) Research investment and peer-reviewed studies (18:25) Largest microdose dataset in the world (19:30) Virtuous loop (20:30) Cue, micro-habit, reward framework (21:25) Gamification (22:32) Behavior change foundation  (24:00) Condition advantage over competitors (26:00) Women's health, blood testing, & category expansion (26:35) Behavior, diagnostics, and clinical care (28:15) Blood testing for proactive health (29:20) Care stacks and vertical integration trends (31:10) IPO timeline and public market readiness (32:35) 2026 goals (33:40) Conclusion

February 6, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Hims launches compounded GLP-1 pill starting at $49/month as needle-free alternative, but Novo Nordisk threatens legal action over what it calls illegal compounding Women's Health, Sports, and Performance Medical Institute launches with $50M+ to fund injury prevention research for female athletes Peloton reports Q2 revenue of $656.5M missing expectations with paid subscribers down 7% year-over-year, while Brooks reports revenue up 16% marking ninth straight year of growth 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 5, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Club Pilates launches Circuit, its first new national format in seven years, blending strength and cardio as women take up more athletic workouts Puma creates standalone Training business unit separate from Running, following growth in functional training and fitness racing like HYROX partnerships Carbon Health files Chapter 11 bankruptcy after raising $600M+, as clinic-heavy model with high fixed costs proves unsustainable despite $3.3B peak valuation CAVU closes $325M fund exceeding target to back culture-led wellness brands, signaling continued investor confidence in trustworthy consumer products 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 4, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Lotus Health AI raises $41M to scale free primary care platform monetized through sponsorships, using doctor-in-the-loop model as AI becomes front door to care Midi Health raises $100M Series D at $1B+ valuation, expanding beyond menopause into metabolic and musculoskeletal care while treating 25K+ patients weekly Fitbit co-founders unveil Luffu, an "intelligent family care system" organizing health info across kids, parents, and pets to reduce caregiver mental load 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 3, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Unbound opens preventative health club in London blending diagnostics with coffee shop, listening bar, and community events — positioning longevity as shared practice, not tracked metrics Nike relaunches ACG as standalone outdoor-performance brand with trail footwear, elite athletes, and first retail location in Beijing as trail running explodes Peloton cuts 11% of workforce concentrated in engineering and enterprise teams following slow AI-powered hardware sales and $100M cost-cutting plan Sekra, backed by Uber founder Travis Kalanick, raises $12.5M to build tech-enabled rental housing with wellness features targeting trillion-dollar wellness real estate market 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 Michelle Larivee, founder & CEO of WTHN. With five NYC clinics and a recent Ulta Beauty launch, WTHN is modernizing acupuncture — offering personalized TCM treatment plans and tools to address bodily dysfunction at its root. In this episode, we discuss taking ancient healing practices mainstream. We also cover: Ulta and Canyon Ranch partnerships The healthcare-meets-wellness studio model Breaking down barriers like myths, access, and education   Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast  Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe  Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider    WTHN's Website: www.wthn.com  Discount Code: FITTINSIDER25 for 25% off products Visit studios in New York or shop products nationwide Michelle's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-larivee-35640012/  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 (01:17) WTHN's mission (02:02) Personal healing journey (03:35) Why acupuncture is inaccessible (05:30) Barriers to entry (07:00) Progress in New York (08:22) Education as the key (09:21) Following yoga and meditation's path to accessibility (10:32) Omnichannel strategy (12:00) Core of the business (14:15) Physical expansion strategy (15:15) Why New York (16:33) Operational challenges (19:43) Consumer trends (21:00) The original longevity tool (22:15) Healthspan over wellness (23:30) Balancing medical legitimacy with accessibility (24:24) Membership model (26:15) 2026 priorities (27:00) Ulta and Canyon Ranch partnerships (27:30) Corporate wellness and hospitality convergence (29:43) Breaking down barriers between practitioners (30:30) Where to try WTHN (31:32) Conclusion   Keywords: Fitt Insider, Joe Vennare, Michelle Larivee, WTHN, Acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wellness, Longevity, Preventative Healthcare, Pain Management, Fertility, Stress Management, Nervous System, Studio Model, Omnichannel, Corporate Wellness, Health Span, Business, Entrepreneurship, Fitt Insider Podcast  

January 30, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Hims & Hers airs Super Bowl spot titled "Rich People Live Longer," framing consumer health as response to structural inequity in preventive care access Climatic raises $10M seed round to launch first daily lung health system backed by Mount Sinai research, creating new wellness category AG1 announces Hugh Jackman as global ambassador as Bryan Johnson publicly criticizes the brand, sparking debate over clinical evidence and supplement credibility 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  

January 29, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Sword Health acquires Kaia Health for $285M, expanding AI Care platform into Germany's 70M+ person reimbursement system Flo Health and Mayo Clinic study finds U.S. women lag behind UK, Canada, and Australia in recognizing perimenopause symptoms Life Biosciences receives FDA clearance for first human trial of partial cellular reprogramming, targeting glaucoma using gene therapy 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

January 28, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Anta Sports buys 29% stake in Puma for $1.8B, becoming largest shareholder and positioning as global challenger to Nike Top tennis players told to remove Whoop devices at Australian Open as Grand Slams debate fairness of real-time data access Kevin Hart joins Burn Boot Camp as equity partner and franchisee, opening own location as part of growing wellness portfolio Ulta Beauty pilots Wellness by Ulta Beauty concept, expanding into supplements, sexual wellness, and recovery with in-store educators 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  

January 27, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: P&G acquires Wonderbelly, the digestive wellness brand with distribution at CVS and Target, moving to reposition digestive health as wellness  Once Upon a Farm kicks off IPO roadshow targeting $200M+ raise at $760M valuation, testing whether premium mission-driven food brands can sustain consumer trust and growth Life Time reports preliminary Q4 & FY25 earnings, with revenue up 14% as revenue per member jumps double digits, planning to open 12-14 large-format clubs in 2026 New racket sport Typti launches with backing from 80+ athletes including Drew Brees, targeting tennis players on pickleball courts as participation sports spawn new ecosystems 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 Dr. Muthu Alagappan, founder & CEO of Counsel Health.   Counsel Health is an AI-native virtual care platform combining medical AI with human doctors to provide accessible, high-quality guidance at a fraction of traditional costs.   In this episode, we discuss building the new front door to care.   We also cover:   AI-native primary care via messaging AI vs. human roles in clinical decisions Redefining cost and access for personalized medicine   Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast  Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe  Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider    Counsel Health's Website: https://www.counselhealth.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 (01:09) Muthu's background (01:40) What is Counsel Health (03:08) Patient interaction and care modules (04:27) From AI to human doctors (05:38) The clinician side (06:45) The clinician cockpit (07:47) The AI healthcare landscape (09:16) Medical information vs. medical care (10:38) Re-aggregating fragmented primary care (12:00) The 10x doctor (13:45) AI autonomy (15:00) Will AI replace doctors entirely? (16:45) Cognitive aspects of primary care  (18:59) Recent AI healthcare product releases (20:30) Integration challenges (22:00) Clinical use cases  (23:15) Patient adherence challenges (25:45) Series A fundraising  (27:15) Scarcity and value in the AI healthcare era (28:15) Business model challenges (30:15) Improving quality, lowering cost, and improving access (31:00) Prevention vs. primary care (33:00) Wearables and lab data (34:00) Full-stack convergence vs. singular focus (35:45) What's next (36:58) Conclusion  

January 23, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Amazon launches Health AI for One Medical members, using LLMs to reference medical records and coordinate care as AI shifts from informational tools to embedded care coordination Lululemon pauses online sales of Get Low leggings after complaints they weren't "squat proof," marking latest quality issue amid leadership uncertainty and founder Chip Wilson's criticism New study finds sleeping fewer than seven hours per night impacts lifespan more than poor diet, inactivity, or loneliness — second only to smoking — yet only 7% of U.S. adults report feeling well-rested 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  

January 22, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: AO Ventures invests in Padel Haus as the New York-based club operator expects U.S. padel players to double by 2030 Ammortal adds seven athletes including Mike Trout and Freddie Freeman as ambassadors and investors, with recovery chambers now installed across NFL and MLB teams NOBULL raises $50M at $1B valuation with Tom Brady shutting down TB12 to launch NOBULL Nutrition, expanding beyond apparel into grass-fed protein and electrolytes Ultra raises $11M led by Left Lane Capital to scale nicotine-free performance pouches delivering energy and focus as functional substitutes gain traction 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  

January 21, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Eventbrite reports 79% of Gen Z and millennials plan to attend more in-person events in 2026, gravitating toward spontaneous formats like run clubs and sauna raves over curated programming Meta puts Supernatural VR fitness app into maintenance mode, ending new content after layoffs and strategic shift toward AI, signaling broader risk for VR fitness category Merge Labs, co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, raises $252M to develop brain-computer interfaces starting with medical applications before expanding to consumer use Cream Co. Meats raises $8M to connect consumers with regenerative ranchers as concern over pesticides drives shift toward nutrient-dense animal protein and transparency 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  

January 20, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Bathhouse expands with eight new locations over two years, entering Philadelphia, Chicago, Minneapolis, and more as recovery destinations blend hospitality and community Peloton and Respin Health report 84% symptom improvement in 60-day menopause program, positioning fitness platforms as legitimate care complements World Economic Forum warns global sports economy could lose $1.6T by 2050 due to declining activity and climate risk, calling for sport as preventative health infrastructure David Beckham's IM8 crosses $100M in first-year ARR, betting on simplification over more SKUs 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 Carter Barnhart, CEO and co-founder of Charlie Health.   Charlie Health provides virtual intensive outpatient treatment for serious mental health and substance use disorders — serving children, teens, and adults across 40 states.   In this episode, we discuss making life-saving behavioral healthcare accessible at scale.   We also cover:   Securing over 850 insurance contracts Proving the ROI of virtual intensive treatment Leveraging group-based connection for healing Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast  Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe  Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider    Charlie Health Website: www.charliehealth.com  Charlie Health is Hiring across all roles - reach out to join the team   -   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 (01:15) Charlie Health's mission (03:10) Proving virtual intensive treatment works (05:06) COVID as the catalyst (06:33) Building a world without suicide (07:10) The care model (08:25) Community-based referral network (09:00) Personalized matching and group-based treatment (10:15) Connection as the foundation (11:15) Long-term outcomes tracking (12:26) Insurance accessibility (13:20) Quality care at scale (14:32) Transparency (16:00) Building trust with clinicians (17:05) Core values (19:00) Bridging the gap in behavioral healthcare (20:30) Trust as the foundation of data collection (21:20) Success stories to combat stigma (22:35) Destigmatizing high-acuity mental health (24:15) Moving the needle through shared stories (26:00) AI augmenting clinician work (27:50) Charles the AI scribe (29:00) AI vs. human connection (30:15) Expansion (31:30) KPIs (32:27) Profitability and scholarships (33:10) Learn more and join the team (33:40) Conclusion  

January 16, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: EGYM merges with Playlist (Mindbody and ClassPass parent) to create $7.5B platform backed by $785M, turning fragmented fitness tools into unified OS Verdane makes largest-ever investment in Clue a women's health and period tracking app with100M+ global downloads Ultrahuman partners with Click Therapeutics to launch migraine tool integrating wearable data with digital therapeutics Cancer survival rate hits historic 70% with survivors expected to exceed 22M by 2035, creating new demand for long-term survivorship care 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

January 15, 2025: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Gallup survey finds 29% of Americans say healthcare cost is the nation's most urgent health problem, with 23% calling the U.S. system "in a state of crisis" Fullscript and Oura partner to integrate smart ring data into clinical workflows for 125,000 providers, turning wearables into everyday decision-making tools NVIDIA and Eli Lilly announce AI innovation lab with plans to invest up to $1B over five years to reinvent drug discovery and manufacturing Nike signs pro pickleballer Anna Leigh Waters as its first pickleball partnership, targeting growth at the intersection of lifestyle, performance, and community 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

January 14, 2025: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Neko Health plans to open its first U.S. location in NYC this spring, bringing its 60-minute preventative body scan to the U.S. after raising $260M and logging 300K+ global signups Tom Brady named Chief Wellness Officer of eMed's GLP-1 care platform, joining athletes like Serena Williams and Charles Barkley in endorsing weight-loss and wellness brands Pomelo Care raises $92M Series C at $1.7B valuation to expand from maternity into women's and children's care, already supporting nearly 7% of U.S. births U.S. digital health startups raised $14.2B in 2024 with fitness and wellness attracting $2B, led by Oura's $900M round as investors back platforms combining engagement, data, and recurring use 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  

January 13, 2025: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Strava prepares to go public with Goldman Sachs leading the process, as it evolves from social fitness app to Athlete OS OpenAI and Anthropic announced new healthcare and consumer health-focused features as AI shifts from answering questions to transforming care  Target announces 30% expansion of its wellness division, positioning itself as discovery and distribution engine for supplements, protein, and better-for-you food Good Culture lands majority investment from L Catterton at a $500M+ valuation, riding the protein boom and rebranding cottage cheese 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