Fitness News

By Helen Andrews

www.healthclubmanagement.co.uk

 Anna Bjurstam, strategic advisor for Six Senses and founder of spa consultancy Raison d’Etre, told fitness and wellness professionals at the recent HCM Summit in London that delivering physical fitness is now the bare minimum requirement for gym operations.

During the HCM Summit, a one-day forum for operators and innovators in the fitness and wellness industries, Bjurstam joined a line-up of 12 top-ranking global executives to discuss lessons learned and the future of the industry.

Industry evolution

Bjurstam told delegates that facilities offering fitness need to integrate longevity medicine and holistic lifestyle-focused practices in order to stay relevant in the evolving world of wellness.

"The fitness industry is facing an identity crisis,” said Bjurstam. “Longevity, whether you like it or not, is here to stay. We're living longer but not living healthier and this needs to be addressed. The next frontier for the industry has to be health optimisation.”

She highlighted a range of factors that have led to this integration of wellness. These include a chronic disease crisis with patients looking for comprehensive care and multifaceted approaches and emerging science validating mind-body connections.

Bjurstam added: "The way people are experiencing fitness is evolving – today, people are joining gyms because they want better mental health, not just physical exercise. Your competitor isn't the gym down the street – it's Prozac and mindless scrolling. The fitness industry needs to change with this and there's a lot it can do from looking at breathwork, to biohacking and multisensory experiences to make that shift."

Business models

Bjurstam highlighted four business models for fitness operators to consider when integrating longevity. From entry-level longevity-informed clubs offering enhanced programming such as strength training for bone density and balance/mobility to integrated longevity hubs, where you have a dedicated medical clinic alongside fitness and spa.

Some interesting operators she spotlighted included Sparkd, a brain and fitness hub in Singapore based on activities that simultaneously enhance cognitive health and fitness, and Six Senses Place, a new social wellness/longevity membership club due to open at The Whitelely in London in Q2 2026.

Bjurstam also made the point that “longevity” programming can be very low-tech. Operators can offer powerful interventions by creating consistent habits among their clients without investing heavily in equipment. For example, creating daily walking programmes as part of their memberships could be a cheap way to reduce mortality; offering classes or experiences that allow clients to build strong social connections can have impacts on longevity that are equivalent to quitting smoking.

Return on investment

The importance of upskilling staff in a range of practices was also underlined by Bjurstam, especially in comparison to investing in premium equipment. Having staff who are qualified in nutrition fundamentals, mindfulness, sleep and stress coaching and zone two cardio training can benefit every member every day and is relatively cheap.

Investing in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, cryotherapy equipment and other longevity technology, by contrast, was described by Bjurstam as a secondary investment priority. These devices offer limited member access, require highly trained staff and have high maintenance costs.