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Biohacking, Wellness & the Fitness Industry: Are We Really the Right Platform for This Movement?
On the surface, it seems like a no-brainer. The wellness and biohacking boom is exploding—with cold plunges, red light therapy, sleep tracking, wearables, GLP-1s, and recovery tech dominating headlines and Instagram feeds. And if you work in fitness, you’d think we’re perfectly placed to lead the charge. After all, we’re in the business of helping people live longer, move better, and feel more alive. So shouldn’t we be at the heart of this wellness revolution?
Now… hear me out.
Because while it sounds like a perfect fit, I’m not convinced the health and fitness industry, as it stands today, is ready—or even the right vehicle—to deliver wellness at the level it deserves.
Let’s start with the basics: we still haven’t cracked our core product.
Despite decades of growth, we’re still a minority activity. According to recent data from EuropeActive, only around 15% of people in Europe hold a gym membership—a figure that’s been stubbornly slow to shift, despite rising health awareness and billions spent on marketing. Most clubs don’t consistently track outcomes or progress, and even fewer are meaningfully engaged in helping members achieve long-term behaviour change.
We celebrate growing member numbers, better tech, improved retention—but ask yourself, how many clubs are actually delivering on the promise of better health?
And this is why I’m cautious about the fitness industry rushing to position itself as the gatekeeper of wellness.
GLP-1s: A Missed Opportunity or a Wake-Up Call?
Take the emergence of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. They’ve exploded in popularity, particularly in the US, where over 9 million prescriptions were written in 2023 alone, and the market is expected to surpass $100 billion globally by 2030. These aren’t fringe treatments anymore—they’re mainstream.
Yet most of our industry has been either silent or dismissive.
What we should have seen is this: no one pays £200 a month for a drug like this unless they’re serious about change. These are motivated, high-intent individuals looking for control over their health and physique. That’s not a threat—it’s an invitation. Fitness should be the next logical step.
Imagine if gyms had created specific onboarding programmes for GLP-1 users—focused on building muscle mass, improving metabolic health, and embedding long-term exercise habits. We should’ve been leading that charge.
But once again, we were reactive rather than proactive.
Wellness Deserves More Than a Buzzword
And here’s where my main concern lies. As wellness becomes the next buzzword in fitness, I’m seeing clubs, coaches, and influencers jumping on the trend—often without the depth, knowledge, or structure to deliver it well. It’s starting to feel like just another project we’ve added to the pile, alongside smoothie bars, mental health campaigns, and sleep workshops.
That’s not to say those things aren’t valuable. But when everything’s a priority, nothing is.
Wellness—and especially biohacking—requires scientific literacy, personalisation, and a nuanced understanding of physiology, psychology, and data. This isn’t something you can bolt onto an existing gym membership and hope it sticks.
And it’s a shame I feel this way, because the intention is good. But other than a few brilliant individuals and forward-thinking facilities, I don’t believe most of the industry is currently equipped to carry this movement forward in the way it deserves.
So What Should We Do?
We need a more mature, strategic response—one that doesn’t centre fitness at the core, but rather places it as one component of a broader ecosystem. Here’s how we could start:
1. Facilitate, Don’t Force
Rather than trying to build wellness expertise in-house, why not partner with specialists who already live and breathe it? Collaborations with nutritionists, physiologists, therapists, biohacking practitioners, and even sleep coaches could create service layers that genuinely add value—without asking gym teams to become instant experts.
2. Create High-Street Wellness Centres
The rise of EMS franchises has shown that consumers are willing to engage with boutique, science-led services—especially when they’re easy to access. Wellness and recovery centres with cryotherapy, IV drips, infrared saunas, or guided breathwork could occupy the same model: targeted, high-touch, and branded as lifestyle medicine.
3. Offer Separate Programmes, Not Add-ons
Too often, wellness becomes an awkward bolt-on to standard gym offerings. Instead, let’s treat it as its own pillar—with its own pricing, marketing, and value proposition. That might mean creating 12-week metabolic reset programmes, GLP-1 transition packages, or stress-reduction protocols that combine fitness with evidence-based behavioural change.
4. Build Wellness Hubs, Not Clubs
There’s growing interest in creating third spaces—facilities that blend training, recovery, nutrition, and wellbeing under one roof. Think the Soho House of health. If done well, this could attract a very different audience: professionals who care deeply about performance, prevention, and longevity—but wouldn’t set foot in a traditional gym.
Let’s Get Fitness Right, First
Above all, I believe we need to double down on getting our own house in order. The best contribution we can make to the wellness movement right now isn’t trying to do everything—it’s to do our thing better.
Let’s stop pretending that access equals progress. Let’s refine our client journeys. Let’s use our technology to track, measure, and improve real outcomes. Let’s train our teams in behaviour change, not just biomechanics. Because once we can prove we’re consistently helping people get fitter, stronger, and healthier—then we’ll have earned the right to claim our place in the wider wellness landscape.
This is just my opinion, and I welcome the debate. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe wellness is ours to own. But I think if we’re honest, we’ve still got work to do.
Let’s build the bridges. But let’s not pretend we’re already across the river.
Ryan Charlesworth
Black Raccoon Consulting
🌐 www.blackraccoon.org
📧 ryancharlesworth@blackraccoon.org
📞 07929369658
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