Medley takes the fitness industry to the next level – Launches new training concept based on biometric data

With an ageing population, Sweden is facing several public health challenges. Investments in life science and technological development help reduce healthcare costs, but according to the National Board of Health and Welfare and the Public Health Agency, preventive and health-promoting initiatives are also required.

– “Increased physical activity and an active lifestyle, together with diet, are among the most effective ways to prevent many of our lifestyle-related diseases and the public health issues caused by inactivity,” explains Daniel Almgren, CEO of Medley.

– “Despite broad awareness of the importance of prevention, statistics show that only three percent of the healthcare resources allocated to keeping people healthy are spent on proactive measures. This requires a major shift.”

According to Almgren, an important step is to bridge the gap between the fitness industry, healthcare, and life science, since the fitness industry has historically struggled with a poor reputation in public health matters.

– “Our industry has traditionally focused heavily on appearance and on catering to people who are already physically active, which explains why the sector hasn’t been perceived as part of the solution.

– Certainly, there are still poor examples in the industry, but at Medley we work with evidence-based and research-driven methodologies to get more people moving.”

With the opening of a new facility on Lidingö in 2025, Medley will operate 36 aquatic centers, the majority of which also offer gym and group training.

– “Thanks to the gentle conditions of water, pool-based activity is in many cases both the first and last form of exercise people can do. We offer a variety of aquatic training and see strong synergies in being able to combine this with other types of exercise in the same facility.

– Audiences previously mainly interested in water exercise have, through this, discovered gym training and dared to take the step.”

GoCo – a pioneer

Across the country’s aquatic centers, people of all ages, body types, and socioeconomic backgrounds meet for health-promoting activities. But the future of many ageing facilities is uncertain, as far from all municipalities can afford major renovations or new builds.

– “Here we see opportunities for commercial collaborations to ensure that local communities have access to swimming, aquatic fitness, and gym training. One solution could be for a private operator to build a facility with a swimming pool, rehabilitation and teaching pools, and a gym, which we then lease and operate.

– GoCo Active Lab in Mölndal, now nearing completion, is our first project not preceded by a municipal concession or PPP tender.”

GoCo Active Lab – where research on new drugs and therapies will be combined with new working methods to accelerate the development of preventive healthcare – is being built at GoCo Health Innovation City in Mölndal, intended to give Sweden a world-leading position in life science.

– “GoCo Active Lab will include two pools, a multi-purpose arena, a gym, and a 400-square-meter elite training center, where we will operate parts of the facility set to open in 2026. We have signed a similar agreement with a private facility in Malmö opening in 2027 and are actively looking for more opportunities like this.”

New unique training concept

To provide individualized training, particularly for those without prior exercise experience, every Medley membership begins with an assessment of the individual’s conditions, motivation, and training history. The training program is then followed up and adjusted several times during the member’s first year. At the upcoming year-end, ahead of the opening of GoCo Active Lab, Medley will launch a unique and innovative training concept based on biometric data.

– “The fitness industry has previously been criticized for lacking data. At Medley, we are making a unique investment where, instead of relying on self-reporting, we actually measure strength, endurance, and mobility.

Medley’s training concept thus shifts from self-assessment to data-driven, evidence-based analysis.”

– “No other operator is doing this at this scale, and it will be extremely exciting to follow this initiative. Over time, we will have data from thousands of people that can be analyzed for even better preventive and health-promoting interventions.

– This is the kind of legitimacy the fitness industry has been missing. We are now moving from showing statistics on how many gym memberships we sell to being able to demonstrate actual data and outcomes,” says Daniel Almgren.