Physiologist, wellbeing expert and co-founder of Future Practice and Pillar Wellbeing, Oliver Patrick, gives his view on the five biggest trends for the next year

Polar has launched a durable, “urban-ready” sports watch offering training and recovery features and long-lasting battery life at a more affordable price point.

Kath Hudson asks the experts what approaches in elite sports recovery could be successfully brought to the gym floor

Wearables brand, Amazfit, has newly launched the Active Max smartwatch, which tracks more than 160 sports and activities, offers AI-powered training plans and analytics to track progress.

A new vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) device, Yōjō has been launched which provides biofeedback, expert support and personalised guidance to help people calm their bodies and minds.

Former NHS leader, Jane Ollis, has launched an AI-powered vagus nerve stimulator to address the stress and burnout problem she witnessed during her medical career.

A driver of mental and physical health, vagus nerve protocols have huge potential to support health club members, as Kath Hudson discovers

A look at the results of the 2025 ACSM survey.

CEO of Trouble Global and industry provocateur, Emma Barry, gives her annual review of the current – somewhat contradictory – trends and gives advice to operators about how to futureproof their businesses.

HCM Handbook editorial director, Liz Terry and Kath Hudson predict key trends, influences and opportunities set to shape the sector, including vagus nerve resets, diagnostics and social prescribing.

Testosterone shots, GLP-1s and wellness – HCM talks to industry leaders about their plans for 2025 and examines current opportunites, threats and trends

Wearable technology is once again top of the trends according to the American College of Sports Medicine’s annual survey, followed by mobile exercise apps and exercise programmes for older adults.

Moonbird is a tactile breathing coach, which provides real-time biofeedback, measuring heart rate and heart rate variability. Studies show it can reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality.

Samsung has unveiled a smart ring, packed with innovative technologies to aid health and wellbeing, which will be available later this year.

How can trainers balance strain with recovery to achieve the best health outcomes for members? Kath Hudson talks to the experts

Movano Health showcased the Evie Ring, which is designed solely for women, at CES 2023 last week, ahead of launching into the consumer market this year.

Oura for Business has officially launched, providing staff with Oura Ring health insights and employers with a raft of services to support employees’ health and performance.

Mobility app Pliability has integrated with digital health and fitness tracker Whoop to create a smart, personalised tool that helps users recover quicker and maintain optimal health based on their body data.

Strava and Oura have teamed up to provide users with a more integrated service between the two systems. Oura members can now seamlessly import Strava data into their Oura account and can also automatically share Oura activities into their private or public Strava feed.

Connected performance wearable company Whoop has launched Whoop Unite for businesses.

The CEO and founder of Soneva explains the luxury resort operator’s new Soneva Soul concept – a pioneering approach to ‘lifestyle evolution’, and its mantra of rest, recovery and regeneration

The co-founders of PT consultancy and training company, Future Practice, see an opportunity for fitness professionals to become stress management experts

Whoop has raised US$200m in a Series F funding round, resulting in the tech start-up being valued at US$3.6bn.

Fitbit is introducing stress management tools to millions of its users by bringing them to its activity trackers for the first time.

US Army paratroopers will be fitted with data-collecting wearables for six months, as part of a project to measure stress levels and examine the resiliency of soldiers operating in Arctic environments.

Passive relaxation improves heart rate variability. This study shows active interventions can have the same effect

The founder explains why this wearable tells you when not to train, and how it can detect illness before you feel unwell

Check out the most innovative new products in health and fitness from Keepme, RecoveRing, Jordan, Firstbeat and Shapewatch

The benefits of recovery and its importance in maximising the impact of exercise need to be communicated to the general public by the fitness industry. However, the introduction of various recovery-focused technologies will serve to give the fitness sector tools to rely upon in delivering more effective recovery concepts.

So much emphasis is given to hard workouts, we sometimes forget that gains are made during recovery. Do your members understand the importance of resting well? Kath Hudson reports