Active Overwatch 023

Here’s your weekly roundup of news, trends, and stories in the health & fitness space. A list of what’s happening, new innovations, interesting finds, and more.

Weekly roundup

Nike launches grind dumbbells. They’re made from recycled footwear, which is why they have colored speckles. Every dumbbell is unique because it’s made from a different shoe. This adds to their grind equipment collection which already features bumper plates.

• While this Nike strength equipment is sold online, I don’t think it was made for that purpose. Nike has been launching new in-person studios recently, and I think they are making this equipment so everything inside is Nike branded and looks sleek. It’s a brand image play.

Strava launches athlete intelligence. An AI feature that gives you personalized feedback based on activity data. For things like data trends, activity insights, and athlete milestones. It’s currently just in beta and available for subscribers.

• This is just in beta, so I won’t be too harsh, but this feels like an out of touch move. First, the AI feedback is pretty basic and seems they just launched this because AI is a buzzword. Second, this is not what Strava users seem to want. Everything in the app is paywalled and the community features are lacking. I would fix those components first if I was Strava.

Aviron unveils gamified treadmill. Essentially a treadmill that makes the experience like a video game. With fun games, group challenges, and interactive environments that show on the screen. Aviron now has a gamified rower, bike, and treadmill.

• Connected fitness has been struggling since the pandemic ended. A lot of layoffs, consolidation, and companies missing revenue marks. But I like how Aviron is making their equipment entertaining like a video game. I tried the bike out at Jack Taylor’s fall showcase and the immersive experience makes you kinda forget you are working out. I’m not sure the stickiness of this product, but it’s certainly a unique and fun one.

Plunge launches mini sauna. A traditional sauna in a more compact, sleek design made for 2 people. Has the same build, durability, smart features, and control as their original sauna, but is now more versatile for your space.

• Plunge has been very active recently. Launching the new Plunge Pod, doing a Liquid Death collab, and now launching this mini sauna. Typically my opinion is a company should stick to a core offering/product, and for Plunge that was always the cold plunge. This year they’ve introduced more heat therapy products and it makes me wonder if this vertical is more successful because it is more mainstream, has more public data, and is mentally less taxing than doing a cold plunge.

Jack Taylor hosts fall showcase. This is their third wellness showcase to date. This time focusing on bringing a high-performance, health-conscious lifestyle into a home setting. An immersive experience diving into wellness at home.

• This felt a lot like CES (a trade show for new tech), but for fitness and wellness products. Most fitness events follow the same format where there’s an activity like a run or workout, then an expo where you sample products from event sponsors. But Jack Taylor’s showcase was different. It was basically an immersive trade show. Companies were showcasing their new products and it had a theme for "home wellness”. There aren’t really any other events like this in the space so I could see this taking off if Jack Taylor continues this format.