This page was updated April, 2024.
One of the great things about the fitness industry is its continual pace of change.
Running any business these days is tough and with the ‘fitness industry’ continuing to have growth spurts in many sectors, it’s more crucial than ever to have the knowledge to deliver the right solutions to club members or clients.
The What’s New in Fitness website is a resource built to support and extend the reach of the digital magazine by the same name. After the launch of the first printed edition of the What’s New in Fitness magazine in Spring 2012, the platform thrived and a great deal of activity eventuated. With invitations to product launches and reviews for products and services flying through the door, WNiF appeared to fill a void that existed in the industry.
Over the next 8 years, the WNiF platform grew to become a heavy hitter in the Australian fitness industry scene. With its weekly news feed, monthly newsletter, and 26 editions of a digital magazine, What’s New in Fitness had become a trusted resource for fitness industry professionals.
As with the rest of the fitness industry, the global pandemic that started in 2020 brought WNiF to a halt. The WNiF team moved on with other career challenges and the platform sat quietly, waiting for someone to restart the engine.
Fast forward to 2023 and the WNiF website sparked the interest of a digital marketing consultant keen to take on a new challenge. A new team was carefully assembled and What’s New in Fitness was slowly and lovingly brought back to life.
WNiF: The Next Generation.
Sarah
With more than 8 years of experience in website design, search engine optimisation, and online marketing, Sarah knows how to get products and services in front of the right audience.
Sarah has spent over 20 years as a full-time first responder in both police and firefighting roles and has a long-held passion for fitness and wellness. She loves connecting with industry experts to combine her digital marketing knowledge with their fitness industry expertise.
She believes mental fitness is closely aligned with physical well-being and values collaboration over competition.
Ness
Happiest with a ball at her feet or sand between her toes, this chick brings an element of fun to everything we do. Ness is our resident content editor and the first to put her hand up to check out a new facility or piece of fitness equipment.
Stay tuned for our updated 2024 WNiF Supplier Guide. For those fitness suppliers who get on board, you’ll likely be connecting Ness along the way.
Tony
WNiF is lucky to have Tony Zonato on board to interview industry professionals, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders for our YouTube channel. Tony’s sultry tones haven’t yet been picked up by a world class meditation app, but you may recognise his voice from his own GROUPEX podcast.
After gaining experience on the ground as a fitness instructor and group exercise manager, Tony worked with Body Bike Australia for several years before stepping into his current position at CoverMe App.
Mike
Mike Dorrington is a seasoned entrepreneur and passionate advocate for the fusion of fitness and artistry. As the proud owner of Dance NRG, and a qualified PT, Mike brings a wealth of experience to the fitness industry. With years of hands-on knowledge in managing a successful dance business, he understands the intricacies of creating engaging, effective fitness programs that inspire and motivate.
Mike’s expertise extends beyond the studio, making him a valuable addition to the “What’s New in Fitness” team.
Talia
Oscar
Oscar Collins is the fitness editor at Modded, where he writes about workout trends, nutrition and similar topics. He’s written for publications like Primal Wear, Amplified Soccer Athlete and Outside Pursuits. He currently lives in New York City with his cat and just started a new cardio routine. Follow him on X for frequent updates on his work.
Other Contributors:
Jen Dugard
Jen was one of the first fitness professionals in Australia to understand the need for partnerships with pelvic health physiotherapists to ensure best practices. She developed and launched her pre and postnatal trainer certification ‘Safe Return to Exercise’ in 2016. Safe Return to Exercise has been delivered to thousands of exercise professionals in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan & Bermuda.
Vanessa Emilio
Vanessa is a contributor to FlyingSolo.com.au, Australia’s solo and micro business community. Vanessa is the CEO, Founder and Practice Director of www.Legal123.com.au, which specialises in providing legal agreements, forms and templates to everyday Australians. Vanessa set up her business after seeing friends, family and colleagues avoid lawyers because they were too expensive, too time consuming or too intimidating.
Dr. Joanna McMillan
Joanna believes food is more than the nutrients it contains. Instead, it is part of our social connection, our culture and one of life’s great pleasures. Dr Joanna’s goal is to help you to create quick, healthy, delicious meals – easily. Learn more about Joanna at www.drjoanna.com.au
Justin Tamsett
JT is the world’s number one comfort zone challenger. He challenges leaders in how they run their company or business. He challenges individual departments operationally in companies. He even challenges individuals on how to create work/life balance. Justin understands first-hand the importance of work/life balance.
Brad Sheppard
Brad is the Owner of Brisbane’s largest and most successful personal training team. In 2006 he was named Queensland’s Fitness Professional of the Year. Contact Brad via www.createptwealth.com.au.
What's New in Fitness 2.0: What's changed?
The WNiF website will be undergoing a major renovation in 2023. You might notice a newer, fresher appearance, improved navigation around the site and as with all renovations, potentially some pages under construction. Bear with us as we redesign a platform that is both visually appealing and easy to find the information that you’re after.
The weekly news feed and monthly e-newsletter are coming back, so keep an eye out if you’re already on our mailing list. If you’ve changed email addresses in recent years or you’re new to the business, jump on our subscriber list so we can keep you in the loop!
The return of the WNiF quarterly magazine is in the pipeline, but we aren’t there yet. We hope to relaunch the digital publication in 2024.
If the global pandemic showed us anything, it’s the importance of mental fitness, as well as physical exercise. We plan to highlight mental health as a part of overall well-being as well as shine a light on the growing number of recovery modalities that are available. We hope you find value in both information you can share with members and staff as well as new ways to attract people through your doors.
What hasn't changed?
WNiF maintains the mission to provide fitness industry professionals with the knowledge that allows more informed commercial decisions to be made to benefit their business.
Our priority is to produce quality content that delivers real value to both our readers as well as offering a professional and trustworthy conduit for suppliers to connect with fitness industry professionals.
A note from the publisher...
When the previous owner of WNiF entrusted me to take the brand forward, he looked me earnestly in the eye and said, “This was always meant to be for the industry, by the industry”.
I intend to keep with that ethos, but it does pose one problem and that is because I’m not traditionally from “the industry”. I haven’t spent decades working alongside and building rapport with other fitness industry professionals. I have no idea of the stress and uncertainty faced by many of you during the last few years of the pandemic and the restrictions that ensued.
What I do know is how to help promote businesses online, and how to produce meaningful and valuable content. That’s where I need your help – in order to create the best possible experience for our readers, I need to know what you want.
Are you looking for innovative ways to attract new members to your facility? I can help you with that.
Looking for informational resources you can share with clients to add more value to what you can offer them? No worries.
Got a new product or service that you want people to know about? Would you like more tools to help you streamline your operations? Unsure about legal or financial questions that involve running your business?
You tell me what you want to know and we will get the expertise on board to help you.
I look forward to getting to know new faces and learning from your experience. Please reach out and introduce yourself…I’m excited about the new relationships that lie ahead!
Sarah.
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