Do you consider yourself an athlete? What about an everyday athlete? Hmmmmm.
Everyday athlete is a relatively new term but trust me, it is on the mind of all the decision makers in the business of fitness. To be an everyday athlete, really, is just a mindset thing around how you choose to move your body. I’ve put together a checklist so you can see if you fit the bill. Do you:
✔ exercise with a goal in mind
✔️ generally think of food as fuel that will help you reach said goal
✔️ track your progress to some degree
✔️ consider how your body needs to recovery between sessions
✔️ plan your days around your workouts
I’d say, if you checked yes for 4/5 of the above, you are an everyday athlete!
Fitness, body aesthetics and performance aren’t reserved for a select few anymore. So many of the brands that are covered in this newsletter are marketing to the “everyday athlete”. It’s a huge cultural shift where fitness is less a hobby, more a lifestyle.
Case in point too is fitness media like Glow Report - this would have been so niche and there probably wouldn’t have been enough content to cover just a few years ago.
Either way, I like where fitness is headed. Happy Sunday.
Culture and Controversy ★
Ladder calls out MyFitnessPal… their new campaign calls out MyFitnessPal with lines like “yourfitnesspal isn’t working out.” Their point? Tracking alone won’t make you stronger. Ladder’s betting on structure, coaching, and training as the stuff that actually moves the needle for everyday ;) athletes. It also seems likely that Ladder is launch a tracking feature of some sort on the app tomorrow.
This isn’t the first savage Ladder campaign, btw. Check out this one where they called out Peloton for copying their UX.
Credit: Consumer Report
Soooo apparently… there is led in our protein powder. A new Consumer Reports investigation found heavy metals like lead and cadmium in several popular protein brands, including Huel, Naked Nutrition, and even some “clean” plant based powders.
In fact, nearly half of all tested products exceeded California’s safety limits, with plant-based and chocolate flavors showing the highest contamination. Can this please be a wake up call for the wellness world: tracking macros means nothing if what you’re putting in your body isn’t clean to begin with.
Industry Moves ★
Plunge partners with the Medical University of South Carolina to conduct comprehensive studies on the physiological and neurological benefits of cold plunging and contrast therapy.
Life Time debuts its first “urban athletic country club” at Boston’s Prudential Center, mixing luxury fitness, recovery and coworking spaces into a single all-day wellness hub.
Peloton partners with the Hospital for Special Surgery to launch an injury prevention and recovery education series, bringing clinical expertise directly to its member community.
Strava just dropped its lawsuit against Garmin (three weeks after filing it). The case is complex but stems from tension over Garmin’s new branding requirements and alleged use of Strava’s patented route-matching tech. Read about it here.
Gymshark is making its first wholesale move in the U.S. by partnering with DICK’S Sporting Goods! Gymshark apparel and accessories will be stocked exclusively in 12 DICK’S House of Sport stores across the U.S.
Nike just unveiled Project Amplify, a motorized sneaker system created with robotics company Dephy that uses powered assistance to enhance walking and running.
Women’s Health ★
Women’s urinal company PEEQUAL raised £925k in their recent funding round. Founded by two University of Bristol grads after too much waiting for the loo during marathons, PEEQUAL’s urinals are six times faster to use and splash free.
Creator Economy ★
Instead of telling you all the reasons that I loved this episode of Well with Arielle Lorre with guest Joe Holder, I’m just leaving some of the comments below. It was such an enlightening take on health and I highly recommend giving it a listen.
Drops ★
Quest launches Protein Donuts with 14g of protein per serving
Hertility launches GYN-AI, a new diagnostic tool trained on over one million health assessments that can identify 18 women’s health conditions
Superpower launches a Female Fertility & Hormone Panel, a $159 blood test measuring key markers like AMH, FSH, and thyroid levels to give women clearer insight into their reproductive health.
Momentous launches Creatine Chews, with 5g per serving
Noom introduces “Future Me,” an AI-driven feature in the Noom app that shows you visually how your current habits could shape your future self (good or bad)