We’re on the ground at the 2025 ATN Innovation Summit, streaming live insights, product unveilings and conversations with the boldest minds shaping the future of fitness, wellness and technology
Welcome to day two of Athletech News’ live coverage of the 2025 ATN Innovation Summit, where the biggest thinkers, disruptors and decision-makers in fitness, wellness and technology are in one location to help shape what’s next. From AI-fueled advancements and connected fitness breakthroughs to new business models and the future of consumer engagement, this is where innovation meets impact.
Our Athletech News editorial team is updating this live feed in real time, bringing you key takeaways from panels, product launches, founder insights, investor perspectives and everything in between.
Scroll down for the latest—and check back often. We’re just getting started. Writers: Josh Liberatore (JL), Collin Helwig (CH), Liz Plosser (LP) and Courtney Rehfeldt (CR).
NEW: 9:57 AM | JL: What’s Next in Longevity & Healthspan Science
Dr. Frank Lipman, an author, functional medicine pioneer and founder of the Eleven Elven Wellness Center in New York, admits that a lot of the science around healthy aging “isn’t there” yet, but it’s advancing rapidly.
“Microbiome science is not particularly accurate,” he said. “These microbiome tests, they’re all bulls*** … But the microbiome is probably really, really important for most of us to stay healthy.”
Dr. Lipman is encouraged that women’s health is becoming a bigger focus in mainstream medicine, but he says a lot of work still needs to be done to overcome stigmas.
“As physicians, we don’t take women as seriously as men,” he said. “If men can’t get erections, there’s a drug, but if women have pain during sex, they’re just getting older.”
He also says younger men – in their 40s and below – should be wary about taking testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), especially if they want to have kids.
“If you’re giving hormones to young men … very common side effects are (shrinking) testicles, and that can cause infertility,” Dr. Lipman noted. “So I think it’s irresponsible to give testosterone to young guys who still want to have kids.”
Some quick hits from Dr. Lipman:
“The next 10-20 years of my life are going to be about how do we get this message (responsible longevity medicine) out in a responsible way.”
“I’m obsessed with ketones. … I think ketones are one of the next big things.”
“I love peptides…I think anyone over 50 should probably be on hormones.”
9:36 AM | LP: Liz Plosser started the day by asking about the landscape of the fitness community and what consumers are demanding.
Fitness on Demand’s Andy Peat: Mobility, stretching, strength training. Rise of pilates reformer live classes.
Lou Lentine from Echelon stated, “The same thing that’s working at the gym is working online.” Consumers want to have whatever they want at home and at the gym.
Sean Turner, CEO of Les Mills, said, “Strength increases mind/body connection.” He also noted the increase of popularity of pre- and post-workout recovery.
Liz asks how they are thinking about brick-and-mortar.
Sean said that on the operator side, everyone used to be afraid of digital. But now, “most people in the room need both.” It allows for greater flexibility and convenience.
Liz noted that the fitness industry is so saturated, so there is a low barrier to entry. So what makes content valuable?
Andy from Fitness on Demand noted that on demand previously was just a screen on the wall for convenience, but now the value proposition has to be personal. Now, people uses digital to check their form and in a more comprehensive way.
9:32 AM | JL: Anthony Geisler took the stage to kick off Day Two of the ATN Innovation Summit 2025, sharing his vision for Sequel Brands, a new fitness franchisor that officially launched last month.
“We started building this company, Sequel, about a year ago to culminate everything (we’ve) done in fitness,” Geisler said. “But this time, we want to do something bigger. We want to do something more innovative, and we want to actually go lead the industry.”
Sequel has four boutique fitness brands in its portfolio today, and it’s planning to announce a fifth soon.
We said, ‘We’re stopping at five.’ I don’t know if we’ll stop at five,” Geisler said, hinting at bigger expansion plans for Sequel.
For Geisler, Sequel is also part of a broader cultural and political mission to make movement a bigger part of American life.
Geisler shared that he’s working with the Trump Administration to create a “fitness commission” that aligns with the “Make America Healthy Again Movement,” or as Geisler calls it, the “Make America Move Again” initiative. The Sequel Brands founder urged audience members to put their political beliefs aside and embrace his mission.
“Five years ago, literally, our entire industry was illegal,” Geisler said, pointing to the “prohibition of fitness” as gyms and studios were locked down during COVID.
“This isn’t a one year plan or a two-year plan,” he said. “This is a (long-term) plan to continue to push fitness into the White House, into the mainstream.”
