Euromonitor International has published its annual Top 10 Global Consumer Trends forecast report, highlighting an expected boom in consumers' desire for preventative healthcare via digital devices – given the current popularity of fitness and dieting apps.

As the industry gathers apace, wearable technology will come to represent a new form of power dressing for business leaders next year, in the same way that shoulder pads dominated 1980s wardrobes.

Sports Direct Fitness will offer gym memberships from as little as £5 a month. Jak Phillips asks an expert panel for their thoughts on the implications for the rest of the sector

A small trial suggests wellness interventions, including exercise, can help reverse memory loss in Alzheimer’s patients

The vice president of Downsize Fitness in the US talks to Kate Cracknell about transforming the lives of an overweight population

MD Chris Johnson explains why Pulse is about so much more than just equipment

Health and fitness software provider Virtuagym has launched a new app enabling personal trainers (PTs) to set interactive nutrition plans for clients, which automatically update according to activity levels.

Games firm Nintendo is moving into the hardware market with a specific focus on sleep tracking, following the company’s return to profitability after a period of heavy losses.

What will the digital health club of the future look like? We ask the experts for their thoughts

Health clubs rise and fall on the strength of their financial control and keeping the confidence of stakeholders, says Katherine Selby

Just weeks after being the subject of intense speculation over its entry to the wearable tech market, Microsoft has duly proven that there’s no smoke without fire by unveiling the Microsoft Band.

Health Club Management recently revealed how online gym pass provider PayasUgym will soon begin testing Bitcoin, potentially paving the way for the cryptocurrency to become an accepted form of payment across more than 2,000 UK gyms in the PayasUgym network.

Black Eyed Peas superstar will.i.am is poised to make a surprise assault on the burgeoning wearable tech market with a “smart cuff” featuring fitness tracking software.

Microsoft is reportedly weeks away from launching its own smartwatch with fitness tracking features, expected to challenge existing offerings from rivals Samsung and Apple.

The number of people who own wearable tech in the UK is set to double in 2015 – from 6 to 13 per cent – as products make the leap from niche to mainstream.

PayasUgym, the online gym pass provider, has teamed up with British Military Fitness (BMF) as part of a concerted push into the outdoor training market.

As the economy improves, will fitness operators eye new markets or consolidate their existing bases?

CEO of ukactive David Stalker looks ahead to this year’s ukactive National Summit

Even so-called hard to reach groups have to use our streets, so that’s where we should start getting them active, says Kate Cracknell

Kath Hudson offers an overview of the groups and schemes pitching to help tackle the UK’s obesity crisis

Plans are afoot for the release of a wearable smart-heated base layer to keep sports enthusiasts, outdoor workers and the general public warm during the winter months.

Apple has finally pulled back the curtain on its long-awaited Apple Watch at a special launch event at the Flint Center in California, US, with the new device featuring a whole host of health and fitness-related functions.

A growing body of research shows how gut health can impact anything from our immunity to our mood

The CEO of corporate wellness specialist High Five Health Promotion talks to Kate Cracknell about entering the UK market and about pan-European growth plans

What can health clubs and leisure centres do to improve their weight management offering?

When planning a new schedule for your facility, remember to apply the ‘four Cs’, says Everyone Active’s James Bowden

Nicky Jobson looks ahead to the highlights in store for visitors to this year’s Leisure Industry Week

A new piece of wearable kit has been developed to stop people from overeating, with the Bite Counter looking to provide a remedy to the developed world’s obesity crisis.

Batteries may soon be a thing of the past for low-power wearable technology devices, with the potential for energy to be generated from body heat and movement, plus ambient energy from the environment.

Be it sleeping in or skipping the gym, everyone wishes they could kick those bad habits that hurt productivity and prevent physical activity. Now, a new wearable is bidding to not just track activity, but use pain and shame to ensure users have no choice but to reach their goals.