Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal host a special remote edition of the LIFTS Podcast — recorded across three continents — with Liz Clark and Anton Severin of the Health & Fitness Association (formerly IHRSA) to unpack the findings of the 2024–2025 Global Fitness Report.
The conversation spans the industry's expanding role in preventative healthcare, the influence of wearables and AI on how clubs operate, the future of legislative momentum around fitness access, and the generational shift in why people exercise — moving from aesthetics toward mental health and longevity.
What This Episode Covers
The 2025 Global Fitness Report is the Health & Fitness Association's comprehensive annual analysis of the global fitness market — covering consumer behavior, market growth, emerging technology, workforce trends, and the evolving relationship between fitness and healthcare systems. It serves as a benchmark document for operators, policymakers, and investors tracking the industry's trajectory.
Liz Clark and Anton Severin represent the Health & Fitness Association, formerly known as IHRSA, which is the leading global trade association for the fitness and wellness industry. The organization advocates for policy changes — including the FIT Act — that would formally recognize exercise as preventative healthcare, opening pathways for expanded reimbursement and public investment.
LIFTS, hosted by Matthew Januszek and Mo Iqbal, regularly brings in the researchers, association leaders, and policymakers who are shaping the industry's direction. This episode reflects the show's commitment to grounding fitness business decisions in credible data, and connects directly to the work Matthew is leading at Escape Fitness USA as the brand expands its North American footprint.
Key Moments from the Conversation
- A new scientific definition of obesity carries significant implications for how the fitness industry positions itself as a public health resource and how it engages with medical and insurance systems.
- Fitness must be formally recognized as preventative healthcare — a case the HFA is actively making through policy advocacy, including support for the FIT Act and related legislative efforts globally.
- The global fitness market is growing, with the report documenting emerging trends across both mature and developing markets that signal sustained consumer demand for health and wellness services.
- Recovery and wellness programming have become primary retention drivers for gyms, shifting from ancillary offerings to core identity anchors that members expect as standard.
- Wearables and AI are generating unprecedented volumes of behavioral health data, but the industry lacks standardized frameworks to aggregate and interpret that data at scale.
- Bridging the credibility gap between fitness and healthcare requires rigorous, peer-reviewed evidence — a challenge the HFA is working to address through research partnerships and advocacy.
- Recruiting and retaining qualified fitness professionals remains a structural challenge, with education, certification pathways, and compensation standards all in need of industry-wide attention.
- A generational shift is underway: younger consumers are increasingly motivated by mental health, community, and longevity rather than aesthetic goals, reshaping how clubs design programming and communicate value.
Why This Conversation Matters
The Global Fitness Report is not just a data snapshot — it is the industry's clearest argument for its own relevance in a healthcare landscape that is under pressure to prevent disease rather than simply treat it. For operators making long-term programming and investment decisions, understanding the trends documented in this report is foundational.
Matthew Januszek's work at Escape Fitness USA and the conversations he and Mo Iqbal curate on LIFTS reflect a consistent belief that the fitness industry rises when it takes its evidence base seriously. This episode, recorded across three continents with the leading voices in global fitness advocacy, is the kind of content that earns the industry a seat at the healthcare table.
▶ Watch the full episode on YouTube
Related Episodes & Interviews
About Matthew Januszek
Matthew Januszek is the co-founder of Escape Fitness, the functional-training equipment brand he built from a UK startup into a global name supplying many of the world’s leading gyms, studios, and hotel fitness spaces. Following the separation of the UK and US businesses, Matthew’s focus today is Escape Fitness USA and the next chapter of the brand in North America. He hosted more than 300 episodes of the Escape Your Limits podcast and now co-hosts the LIFTS Podcast with SweatWorks founder Mohammed Iqbal, covering the business, science, and technology shaping the fitness industry. Explore more interviews and episodes on MatthewJanuszek.com.
About The Author
