“Move your body and eat well” will always be sound health advice — and it has been since the dawn of coaching and fitness. From Hippocrates prescribing exercise in 500BC, to renaissance era recommendations like The Castle of Health (1537) calling for balanced nutrition and exercise, these seem to be the two unchanging pillars in a world that’s rapidly changing before our eyes.

But the way we enhance, complement, and keep things interesting and engaging? That’s where we get to have fun. A key example of this is the recent call for holistic wellness alongside more “traditional” or standard offerings. Treadmills, dumbbells, and yoga classes are great — but you can enhance the member experience and their health results with this competitive differentiation.

Let’s talk about these modalities — from sound baths to ice baths — and how to bring them into your club to address this shift in member expectations.

Integrating Alternative Modalities in a “Traditional” Health Club

Your traditional model is probably fantastic (and working just fine!) — so why make changes?

Put simply: today’s members are looking for more. This smart-for-business adaptation helps your club evolve with the times, stay “cutting edge,” keep members engaged and attracted, and can ultimately improve their overall health.

You don’t need to overcomplicate anything or chase trends; just align with what members are already signaling they want, like infrared therapies, breathwork, and a 360 approach to mind-body wellness.

Modalities to Explore

Let’s take a closer look at a few of the top holistic wellness practices, and what they can do for your clients (with the science to back it up).

Sound Baths

When it comes to mental health, sound bath practices are supported by peer-reviewed research: a 2016 study found that singing bowl sound meditation significantly reduced tension, anger, fatigue, and depressed mood among participants, while increasing feelings of well-being. This can be seen in both EEG activity and HRV.

Cold Plunges

Cold water immersion is one of the most studied recovery methods, helping to alleviate muscle soreness, reduce fatigue, and decrease exercise-induced muscle damage.

Infrared Therapy

More recent research is indicating that regular use of infrared sauna — after training sessions — could enhance neuromuscular performance and reduce muscle soreness.

Breathwork Coaching

It might sound silly to say “we don’t know how to breathe,” but often we’re not breathing in a way that can regulate our nervous system. Helping clients do some slow, paced breathing has been shown to enhance relaxation, improve emotional regulation, and support stress management through measurable effects on the nervous system.

Cost-Effective Rollout & Member Engagement Tips

Buying new equipment (or even building a cold plunge pool) can sound intimidating and expensive — but there are ways to make this work.

Start Small: Pilot Programs

Before investing in big-ticket equipment or renovating your gym, test the demand (and your formatting) with low-cost or temporary setups. For instance, when it comes to cold plunge offerings, clubs can start with portable tubs and bagged ice instead of custom-built pools. For sound baths, trial one-off sessions led by a local practitioner to gauge member response.

Partner with Practitioners

Bring in specialists rather than building in-house from day one. A specialized practitioner can run sound bath sessions without requiring your club to hire or train full-time staff. Similarly, infrared or breathwork sessions can be offered through collaborations with wellness coaches or recovery service partners.

Repurpose Existing Space

Don’t worry, you don’t need to hire an architect for a full-blown remodel; you might have some underutilized space already! Even a small room or studio space can host sound baths or breathwork workshops during slower time slots. Recovery rooms, converted treatment areas, office spaces, or segments of a locker room could potentially accommodate one or two infrared sauna units, keeping the footprint (and cost) minimal.

Tiered Pricing / Add-On Memberships

You can cover the additional expenses by positioning these offerings as “premium” add-ons. This way, you can test ROI without overhauling your entire membership structure. Cold plunges, infrared, or guided breathwork sessions could be bundled into a recovery package or add-on tier. This allows early adopters to cover costs while you measure the uptake before scaling.

Low-Cost Intro Workshops Before Investing Fully

Workshops could be a clever entry point: breath coaching or group sound baths can be introduced as special events at a low cost. If attendance and feedback are strong, you’ll have real data to justify building out more permanent offerings.

Communication is Key

If members don’t understand what these offerings are — and what they actually do — you’ll never see adoption. When it comes to marketing and communication, ensure staff can confidently explain how each modality supports recovery, stress management, or performance. Share member testimonials and success stories when you can (few things are as impactful as real results), and present these offerings as core to recovery and mental wellness, not optional extras or fluff.

Real Examples: How It’s Working in Our Community

We spoke with Bianca Sengos, CEO and Founder of Rainbow Sounds, to get an inside look at how these types of modalities are being integrated into clubs, and communicated to members.

Speaking to sound baths specifically: “Just as strength training builds the body to be stronger, sound baths work to restore the body and mind,” says Sengos. It all helps to reduce tension, while improving focus and mental health over time, she adds. “[Sound baths] complement fitness by balancing high-intensity workouts with deep relaxation, improving sleep, and boosting overall recovery.”

As for communicating that to members and staff? Sengos suggests the following: “Adding sound baths as a service gives members a complete performance cycle: train hard, then recover deeper for faster gains and resilience.” The key, Sengos points out, is that this story isn’t new; recovery sessions aren’t reinventing the wheel. The difference is the introduction of a new method.

For members who are confused about the verbiage or concept, you can borrow from Sengos’ description — one that’s working for Rainbow Sounds:

“In a sound bath, you simply lie back and let the sound waves do the work. Physically, you may feel your body loosen, heart rate slow, and muscles deeply relax. You may stop feeling your body completely. Mentally, many people report a quieting of racing thoughts — a shift from ‘Busy Beta Brain’ to ‘Relaxed Alpha Brain’ or even Theta — and a sense of mental clarity for hours after a session. Emotionally, it can bring feelings of calm, release, or even joy, as your body starts to make serotonin and other happy hormones.”

Bringing it Full Circle

Not only are these offerings beneficial to the overall wellbeing of your clientele, but they’re helping your business stay current, fresh, and innovative — positioning you and your club as an authoritative and trustworthy expert source. As Sengos told us, recovery now extends beyond the muscles… Does your programming do the same?

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Industry Happenings:

Upcoming Events:

1. European Congress Powered by Health & Fitness, October 2-4, 2025, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2. Midwest Mania®, October 3-5, 2025, Chicago, Illinois
3. ICAA Conference and Expo, October 13-15, 2025, Anaheim, California
4. Mental Health America Conference, October 16-17, 2025, Washington, D.C.
5. Athletic Business Show, November 5-8, 2025, San Diego, California
6. Boston Mania®, November 14-16, 2025, Danvers, Massachusetts

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Upcoming Workshops in September & October:

1. 20+ workshops from Peak Pilates
2. 20+ workshops from Spinning®
3. 20+ workshops from TRX®
4. 18 workshops from Oxygen Advantage
5. 13 workshops from Exos
6. 7 workshops from Gray Institute
7. 3 workshops from CFSC
8. 2 workshops from Eleiko
9. 2 workshops from Nordic Flow Academy
10. 2 workshops from Power Plate
11. 1 workshop from Athleticum
12. 1 workshop from U-Jam Fitness

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Industry News:

• Gallup data shows a well-being lag in North America, Western Europe and Australia and New Zealand.
• Hyperice announced the next generation of contrast therapy innovation, Hyperice X 2 Knee and Hyperice X 2 Shoulder.
• LES MILLS YOGA launches to help clubs win booming wellness category.
• Consumers are spending more on fitness & wellness than ever before.
• A new AI-powered personal health coach is coming to Fitbit.
• ACSM and NCSF partner to expand educational access for exercise professionals.

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Thanks for Reading!

This newsletter was brought to you by Kathie Davis, Peter Davis, Ravi Sharma, Dominique Astorino, and the Inspire360 team.

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A Note from Peter & Kathie

The industry is changing rapidly and we are here to help you sift through all the noise and get to the good stuff. Every month, we'll bring you trending topics and the inside scoop that we believe is paramount for fitness professionals to know.

Keep Inspiring,

Peter & Kathie Davis

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