A Realistic Guide to Investing in Recovery

Soapbox Readers,

Casey Conrad is a wealth of knowledge, who has spent the last 35 years helping clubs and studios turn fitness trends into sustainable revenue. With her passions and drive to help operators make practical decisions and investments for their clubs, she does a great job identifying solutions that will work for each individual operation creating a successful program that exceeds expectations.

Read this if you’re tempted by the latest recovery gadgets out there but want to avoid the learning and labor pitfalls. Casey walks you through five lens frameworks (member value, operations, finance, regulation, and brand), which shows why piloting matters and gives a no-nonsense checklist you can run before signing a PO. Casey is practical, experienced, and tactical. This is truly a realistic guide every operator should read before investing in recovery.

“The need is great and so are the opportunities to make a difference.” – Paul Newman

– John & Shannel

Before You Buy: The Smart Operator’s Guide to Choosing Recovery Modalities

By Casey Conrad

If you scroll through industry social media these days, you’ll see a familiar pattern: a proud owner standing beside a shiny new cold plunge or red-light pod, smiling for the photo and tagging a few trending hashtags. Six months later? Crickets. The tub sits empty, the light booth collects dust, and the operator quietly wonders why the “next big thing” didn’t move the needle.

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Recovery and wellness are the future of our industry—but adding them without strategy is the quickest way to burn cash and enthusiasm. Choosing the right modalities for your club isn’t about what’s trending. It’s about what fits—your members, your staff, your space, and your bottom line.

In my last two articles, we looked at why the wellness wave is happening and shared how one operator successfully transitioned his club. Now, let’s tackle the most important piece: what to add—and how to choose wisely before you buy.

The Recovery Gold Rush: Great Potential, Common Pitfalls

Wellness is booming. Major chains, boutiques, and even budget gyms are rebranding their recovery zones with everything from saunas and compression lounges to hydrogen inhalation and full-spectrum light pods. The 2024 Global Wellness Institute values the wellness economy at $5.6 trillion and climbing fast, while fitness alone accounts for a small slice of that pie.

The problem? Too many owners jump in based on what they saw at a trade show or what a staff member lobbied for instead of doing their homework. They forget the business fundamentals that make facilities successful in the first place—member need, operational feasibility, and ROI.

I’ve seen it happen countless times. Someone installs a cold plunge because “everyone’s talking about it,” only to discover that 90% of their members have zero interest in freezing themselves after a workout. Meanwhile, the unit requires water changes for cleanliness, constant temperature monitoring, extra towels, and headaches from the health department—adding labor and liability they never budgeted for.

Before you follow the herd, pause for profit. Let’s walk through how to make a smart, strategic decision.

Start with “Who,” Not “What”

Every smart operator knows that success doesn’t come from copying trends—it comes from understanding who you serve and who you want to attract next.

Adding recovery isn’t just about enhancing your current members’ experience; it’s also one of the most powerful ways to bring new demographics through your doors—people who might never join a “gym,” but will happily invest in feeling better, sleeping deeper, or recovering faster.

Take a step back and define your “whos” clearly:

• Current Members: What are their biggest complaints, pain points, or unmet needs? Are they struggling with soreness, stress, sleep, or energy? Recovery modalities can improve retention, satisfaction, and perceived value—especially if you educate and package them well.
• Prospective Members: Who lives or works near you that would never buy a traditional gym membership but would pay for a “wellness experience”? This might include older adults managing inflammation or joint pain, busy professionals craving stress relief, or health-conscious individuals seeking longevity tools rather than dumbbells.

The magic happens when your modalities bridge those two groups—helping current members recover better and attracting an entirely new audience who views your business not as a gym, but as a place to feel better.

Before spending a dime, survey both groups. Ask current members what would help them recover faster or feel more energized. Then poll your broader community—via social media, email lists, or even a focus group—to gauge what kind of recovery options would get them in the door.

You may discover that while your regulars talk about soreness, your non-members are more motivated by stress relief and better sleep. That simple distinction can change everything—from which modality you choose to how you market it.

A quick tip: Don’t let enthusiasm outpace evidence. If fewer than 20% of respondents show strong intent to use a specific modality, consider starting with something broader in appeal, like heat, compression, or light therapy. Once adoption is strong, then layer in more specialized offerings.

In short, define your “whos” before you choose your “whats.” Recovery is as much a marketing opportunity as it is a service upgrade—and when done thoughtfully, it can double your reach while deepening loyalty among those you already serve.

The Five-Lens Framework for Evaluating Modalities

After 35 years of consulting with clubs, studios, and wellness centers, I’ve developed what I call the Five-Lens Framework—a simple way to assess whether a new modality belongs in your business.

1. Member Value Lens

Ask: Does this deliver an immediate, felt benefit?

Members don’t buy features—they buy how something makes them feel. The more quickly someone experiences a positive change (less soreness, deeper relaxation, improved sleep), the faster they’ll talk about it and the more likely they’ll pay for it again.

Cold plunges, for example, give an instant rush, but only appeal to a certain subset. Infrared saunas and compression, on the other hand, are more universally tolerated and can attract a broader base.

2. Operational Lens

This is where the rubber meets the road—or, more accurately, where the water meets the drain.

• What staffing does it require?
• How long is each session, and what’s the turnover time?
• How much cleaning or maintenance is needed daily?
• Does it require plumbing, ventilation, or extra power?

Never underestimate the hidden labor of “simple” devices. One operator I know added an ice bath thinking it would be low-maintenance, only to discover their local health department required daily chemical logs—same as a public pool.

3. Financial Lens

This one’s obvious, but too often ignored. Don’t look at cost in isolation—analyze return.

• What is the total investment (equipment + installation + permitting)?
• What’s the ongoing cost (utilities, supplies, staff time)?
• How many sessions per day can it realistically handle?
• At what price point does it break-even—and when?

4. Regulatory & Liability Lens

Never assume your town or county will treat recovery devices casually. Cold plunges, hydrotherapy tubs, or anything involving water often fall under the same code as pools or spas. That means testing, signage, and certified staff.

Temperature extremes—hot or cold—come with health contraindications (cardiac issues, blood pressure, pregnancy, medications). Make sure your liability waivers, member signage, and staff training reflect that.

5. Brand & Experience Lens

Finally, does the modality fit your culture? A high-energy functional training facility might struggle to sell float tanks. Conversely, a spa-style boutique might not attract the “hardcore” plunge crowd.

Think visually and emotionally. Does the space feel cohesive? Is the experience inviting, not intimidating? The goal is to create an environment where recovery feels like a natural extension of your brand—not an afterthought.

Pilot First—Then Scale

You wouldn’t buy 20 new treadmills without testing one first. The same principle applies here.

If possible, lease or rent one unit for 30–60 days. Pre-sell founder packages (“Unlimited Recovery for $99/month for 60 days”) to test usage and pricing elasticity. Track:

• Sessions per day
• Member feedback
• Staff time per use
• Incremental revenue and referrals

If utilization is below 30% after a full month, you’ve either got the wrong modality, wrong messaging, or wrong pricing. Adjust before expanding.

Tracking ROI and Retention

Let’s be clear: recovery shouldn’t just be a “nice-to-have.” It should improve ancillary revenue, generate new prospects and, preferably, improve retention.

Across multiple clients I’ve coached, members who regularly use recovery modalities renew 10–20% more often than those who don’t. Why? Because they feel better—fewer aches, more energy, better sleep—and they associate that with your club.

Also track dwell time (how long they stay post-workout), referral rates, and secondary spend. Recovery users often become brand evangelists, bringing in friends or upgrading to higher-value services.

Create a simple dashboard:

• Weekly: Usage per modality, cancellations, no-show rates
• Monthly: Revenue, utilities, supply costs
• Quarterly: Retention comparisons, satisfaction surveys

You can’t manage what you don’t measure.

Top Mistakes to Avoid

Let’s save you some expensive lessons I’ve already seen others learn the hard way:

1. Buying Too Many Modalities at Once
2. Start with two or three that you can manage well. It’s easier to add later than to recover sunk costs.
3. Underestimating Operations
4. Even “self-serve” devices need oversight. Assign ownership—someone must maintain, clean, and log usage.
5. Ignoring Staff Education
6. If your team can’t explain how a modality works in plain English, members won’t buy. Train your people first.
7. Overpromising Results
8. Avoid medical claims. Stay in your lane—talk about improved recovery, circulation, relaxation, and energy, not “curing disease.”
9. Neglecting the Experience
10. No one wants to relax in a noisy hallway beside a dumbbell rack. Create an environment—lighting, scent, sound—that invites decompression.

From Trend to Transformation

Wellness isn’t a gadget—it’s a strategy. The goal isn’t to fill your club with shiny equipment; it’s to expand your impact and revenue by helping members feel, function, and live better.

As one of my longtime clients put it, “People used to come to us to look better. Now they come to feel better.” That’s the shift defining the future of fitness.

Done right, recovery modalities strengthen your brand, diversify your income, and future-proof your business. Done wrong, they become very expensive decorations.

So before you buy, do your homework. Start small. Pilot smart. Educate your team. Then build a system—not just a space—that delivers results your members can feel and your balance sheet can prove

That’s what separates the clubs that survive the trend… from the ones that lead it.

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Questions You Should Ask Every Job Candidate at Your Health Club

By Bill McBride

Understanding strategic thinking and developing a solid strategic plan is core to business success; however, your hiring, training, performance management, incentives and organizational objectives must align to achieve your goals. Executing on that alignment often trips club owners up.

“Most people start with the task at hand, versus going mentally to the final desired outcome and working backwards,” says Bill McBride, president and CEO of Active Wellness and BMC3. When you begin with the end in mind, You are essentially beginning with your strategic goal and then you can create the steps and roadmap to get there.

McBride espouses and teaches the importance of having a systematic approach and process to hiring great talent. “It is a crucial skill set for leaders of winning teams. Your strategic focus on hiring and developing high performers that deliver desired outcomes is paramount to an organization’s success.” 

McBride has a hiring process that will help club owners and operators increase their results and the value of their business. The use of a structured interview/hiring packet and set of consistent questions for each candidate are starting points. 

Here are 12 questions that McBride suggests asking every job candidate before hiring them:

1. What was your first/favorite/worst job?
2. What did you love about it?
3. What did you hate about it?
4. Are you lucky/fortunate?
5. If you were to have a professional business coach, what would you chose to be coached in?
6. What are you most proud?
7. What was your hardest work situation involving conflict with another person?
8. Why should we hire you?
9. What would your last supervisor say about your work performance?
10. What concerns you about the job?
11. What do you like about our company?
12. What are you famous for? 

“It’s not only about knowledge and skills, but even more important to learn about attitudes and habits.” KASH Model – Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills, Habits. People are hired for what they know (knowledge) and have done (skills), but then they leave or are terminated for who they are (attitudes/habits or values/performance).

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Innovative Solutions for Fitness and Recreation Organizations

The best teams are built in meetings, not just on the floor. We have always known that when done with intention, meetings are essential to building strong teams and organizations. At our own clubs, we leaned into different types of meetings to create connection, alignment, and momentum.

One-on-One Meetings

Early on, we learned that one-on-ones were where the real magic happened. I will never forget a simple check-in with a young staff member who, after some hesitation, suggested a small change to our check-in process. That small idea turned into a huge win for member satisfaction. These conversations built trust and gave staff the confidence to share more ideas moving forward.

Departmental Meetings

Our departmental meetings became the place where problems got solved and progress moved forward. I recall a fitness team meeting where instructors collaborated to streamline class transitions, saving time and enhancing the member experience. These sessions gave every department a voice and created stronger alignment across the club.

All-Staff Meetings

All-staff meetings were our opportunity to reinforce culture. One of the most impactful practices we introduced was dedicating a few minutes for team members to thank colleagues from other departments publicly. Hearing a welcome desk staffer recognize personal trainers for helping members stay consistent, or trainers thanking the welcome desk for assisting with scheduling, broke down silos and built mutual respect. That spirit of gratitude carried into the daily work environment and made the entire team stronger.

One thing we did to strengthen our meetings was to send out a brief effectiveness survey afterward. It gives your team a voice and helps you improve future meetings. If you would like a copy of the survey template we used, please email us and we will be happy to share it with you. Click here for more info and to contact us.

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