INTERVIEW PHILIPP ROESCH SCHLANDERER
For how long has this been your agenda? EGYM has been working towards this vision for over a decade, long before ‘ecosystems’ became a buzzword. From the beginning, our view was simple: if tness remains hardware-led, impact will never become scalable. Disconnected products and solutions can only deliver results to a point. Before long, progress plateaus and complexity compounds. This is why we systematically developed the layered structure of the ecosystem, rst with connectivity, then integration and, now, intelligence. Connectivity was the rst major leap: machines that know the user, guide the workout and capture data. Integration was second, connecting onboarding, assessment, training plans, apps and engagement into a coherent member journey. The third leap is intelligence. With enough data and repeated interactions, you can move from static to adaptive programming, which is what we’re doing with EGYM Genius AI. Our training programmes evolve continuously based on actual behaviour and performance, not assumptions, enabling true hyper-personalisation at scale. In turn, personalisation drives visible progress. We’re now entering the next phase: fully integrated ecosystems in which hardware is no longer an entry point into the system, but already part of it by default. In an integrated ecosystem, several layers converge: connected equipment, cloud platforms, data infrastructure and AI. EGYM’s new Smart Strength Series 3 line is the rst visible hardware expression of this operating system.
The real shift here is not connectivity, which is now expected, but orchestration: systems that go beyond documenting the training experience to actively manage it. This is what we mean by a tness and wellbeing operating system – and the pace is accelerating. What was innovative a few years ago is quickly becoming standard. The next frontier is intelligent, integrated systems that continuously improve outcomes. What are we seeing in UK gyms? The UK is leading the way in one important aspect: operators are no longer asking ‘what equipment do I need to buy?’ but ‘what kind of business do I want to run, what outcomes do I want to deliver and which system enables this at scale?’ These are much more strategic questions and they naturally lead to ecosystems: you see operators placing much more emphasis on structured member journeys, digital onboarding and data-driven retention. Increasingly, they are understanding that adopting technology is not about replacing people, but about making quality more consistent and scalable. Operators are also becoming more sophisticated commercially. The conversation is no longer just about equipment cost but about retention, yield per member, operational ef ciency and long-term differentiation. Meanwhile, platforms such as Hussle – the UK arm of the EGYM Wellpass employee wellness bene t – show how tness is starting to move beyond membership models towards broader health access.
How do ecosystems support the evolution of tness?
Ecosystems are helping the sector become more outcome-driven. They enable us to measure what’s happening and deliver tangible, long-term results rather than short-term gains. They help us move from a space-based model – providing access to equipment – to a service and outcomes model. They allow for personalisation of the experience, with systems such as EGYM Genius AI continuously adapting to the individual. The key is that it feels effortless to the member: the system knows what to do next, so the member can focus on training.
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STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2026
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