Wellness Center Trends
An Interview with Mark Kovacs, Founder of the Kovacs Institute
Navigating today’s fitness landscape means understanding the nuances of every market - and Wellness Centers are evolving rapidly. That’s why we connected with Mark Kovacs, Founder of the Kovacs Institute, a leader in performance science and wellness.
In this edition, Mark shares his expert take on where Wellness Centers are headed, what operators need to consider, and why this segment is gaining strategic importance across the industry. If wellness is part of your growth strategy, this is a conversation worth your time.
LF/HS: Hi Mark, and welcome! We're excited to have you here. To kick things off, what do our readers need to know about current trends in the Wellness Center space?
MK: Thanks—great to be here. First off, "Wellness Center" is a broad term, and that's part of the beauty. You’ll find them everywhere—from private and country clubs to professional sports facilities. But no matter the setting, every Wellness Center breaks down into key functional areas. You always start with the active spaces—cardio, strength, functional training zones, and open areas for classes. Designing flow and structure in these zones is essential.
Today’s Wellness Centers, though, go far beyond that. Over the last 15 years, we've seen the rise of recovery areas—think hydrotherapy, hot and cold plunge tubs, or high-tech tools like red-light beds and muscle stimulators. There's also a growing inclusion of med-spa spaces offering services like IV infusions and sweat diagnostics. And depending on footprint and audience, some centers also maintain a traditional spa zone with massage services and locker room amenities.
Some facilities include all four zones; others may focus on just two or three. Ultimately, your design depends on space, usage, and most importantly: who you’re building it for.
LF/HS: Why is the user demographic the key question?
MK: Because it drives everything—space allocation, priorities, and investment. For example, a country club serving an older population may emphasize spa and recovery areas. The layout can be more open and relaxed. But an urban facility targeting busy professionals needs to be highly structured. Smaller square footage and higher real estate costs demand precision—every inch matters. In suburban environments with larger footprints, there’s more flexibility to build out broader offerings.
LF/HS: How does that shape your approach to planning?
MK: My job is to help operators plan not just for now, but for what’s next. I walk them through configuring the right layout for their audience, then match them with the vendors, products, and technologies that make sense today. But equally important is future-proofing. The tech, equipment, and benefits will all shift—likely within five years. So planning for adaptability is critical. That’s where the strategic top-down approach comes in: identifying which of the four functional zones are essential, how they interact, and how they'll evolve with user needs, real estate realities, and industry innovation.
LF/HS: You mentioned this movement started about 15 years ago. What kicked it off?
MK: Back then, fitness centers and spas were completely separate. One was about exertion, the other about relaxation. What changed? Elite sports. In pro environments, athletes were training for hours each day and getting maybe an hour of recovery. Over time, that balance shifted as research revealed recovery’s massive impact on performance and longevity. Now, the best athletes spend as much—or more—time on recovery as they do on training.
LF/HS: And that change filtered into your work directly?
MK: Definitely. I was part of a project with the U.S. Tennis Association that helped publish one of the first frameworks around recovery for athletes. We showed that if you’re training 30–40 hours a week, you need 20–40 hours of recovery just to reset. Over time, the research kept coming. Eventually, even everyday exercisers started seeing the value. And in the last 5–6 years, the conversation has shifted to longevity—improving health span, not just lifespan. Wellness is no longer just about training hard. It's about blending activity and recovery to live healthier, longer lives. That’s where Wellness Centers are headed—and why they need to evolve with the science.
There’s More to Come from Mark
We loved hearing Mark’s insights on how Wellness Centers are evolving from trend to long-term strategy. In future editions of Super Sets, we’ll dive deeper into his perspective on planning pitfalls, wearables, tech integrations, and more. Stay tuned!
About Mark Kovacs
An executive with a diverse background in sports, health, wellness, & hospitality with unique experience in leadership, financial and people management, technology, human performance, nutrition, longevity, hydration and sport science. A performance physiologist, sport and wellness technology expert/advisor, high performance director, sport scientist, researcher, professor, author, speaker and coach with an extensive background in leadership roles with some of the largest sports governing bodies and global companies. Experience as Fortune 50 executive, Director of the Gatorade Sport Science Institute, Director of Research and Development for Pepsico, Directed Coaching Education and Sport Science for the United States Tennis Association, Sr. Director of Sport Science & Health for an NBA Franchise, Sport Science Advisor for the NCAA as well as a diverse background as an All-American and NCAA champion tennis athlete, a distinguished coach, sports administrator and scientist. Dr. Kovacs brings a unique perspective to major projects in the area of optimizing human potential, longevity, sports administration, executive coaching, facility development and product innovation.
Dr. Kovacs has been a consultant for the United States Tennis Association, Seattle Mariners, US Soccer, NCAA, ATP, WTA, ITF, IMG Academy, Harvard University, Princeton University, LSU, UNC, ASU, Ga Tech, Clemson, Baylor, USC and has advised and consulted with over 20 NCAA Division I Athletic Departments on many aspects of sport science, facility design, developing high performance teams and reducing injuries. He is also an advisor for a number of nutrition and hydration companies, human technology, medical device & innovation companies as well as health, longevity and wellness organizations.
Responsible for multi-million dollar budgets and managed staff in the hundreds across diverse areas including corporate research and development, wellness, longevity, sport science, coaching education, strength & conditioning, performance and data analytics, wearable technology among other areas.
In this edition, Mark shares his expert take on where Wellness Centers are headed, what operators need to consider, and why this segment is gaining strategic importance across the industry. If wellness is part of your growth strategy, this is a conversation worth your time.
LF/HS: Hi Mark, and welcome! We're excited to have you here. To kick things off, what do our readers need to know about current trends in the Wellness Center space?
MK: Thanks—great to be here. First off, "Wellness Center" is a broad term, and that's part of the beauty. You’ll find them everywhere—from private and country clubs to professional sports facilities. But no matter the setting, every Wellness Center breaks down into key functional areas. You always start with the active spaces—cardio, strength, functional training zones, and open areas for classes. Designing flow and structure in these zones is essential.
Today’s Wellness Centers, though, go far beyond that. Over the last 15 years, we've seen the rise of recovery areas—think hydrotherapy, hot and cold plunge tubs, or high-tech tools like red-light beds and muscle stimulators. There's also a growing inclusion of med-spa spaces offering services like IV infusions and sweat diagnostics. And depending on footprint and audience, some centers also maintain a traditional spa zone with massage services and locker room amenities.
Some facilities include all four zones; others may focus on just two or three. Ultimately, your design depends on space, usage, and most importantly: who you’re building it for.
LF/HS: Why is the user demographic the key question?
MK: Because it drives everything—space allocation, priorities, and investment. For example, a country club serving an older population may emphasize spa and recovery areas. The layout can be more open and relaxed. But an urban facility targeting busy professionals needs to be highly structured. Smaller square footage and higher real estate costs demand precision—every inch matters. In suburban environments with larger footprints, there’s more flexibility to build out broader offerings.
LF/HS: How does that shape your approach to planning?
MK: My job is to help operators plan not just for now, but for what’s next. I walk them through configuring the right layout for their audience, then match them with the vendors, products, and technologies that make sense today. But equally important is future-proofing. The tech, equipment, and benefits will all shift—likely within five years. So planning for adaptability is critical. That’s where the strategic top-down approach comes in: identifying which of the four functional zones are essential, how they interact, and how they'll evolve with user needs, real estate realities, and industry innovation.
LF/HS: You mentioned this movement started about 15 years ago. What kicked it off?
MK: Back then, fitness centers and spas were completely separate. One was about exertion, the other about relaxation. What changed? Elite sports. In pro environments, athletes were training for hours each day and getting maybe an hour of recovery. Over time, that balance shifted as research revealed recovery’s massive impact on performance and longevity. Now, the best athletes spend as much—or more—time on recovery as they do on training.
LF/HS: And that change filtered into your work directly?
MK: Definitely. I was part of a project with the U.S. Tennis Association that helped publish one of the first frameworks around recovery for athletes. We showed that if you’re training 30–40 hours a week, you need 20–40 hours of recovery just to reset. Over time, the research kept coming. Eventually, even everyday exercisers started seeing the value. And in the last 5–6 years, the conversation has shifted to longevity—improving health span, not just lifespan. Wellness is no longer just about training hard. It's about blending activity and recovery to live healthier, longer lives. That’s where Wellness Centers are headed—and why they need to evolve with the science.
There’s More to Come from Mark
We loved hearing Mark’s insights on how Wellness Centers are evolving from trend to long-term strategy. In future editions of Super Sets, we’ll dive deeper into his perspective on planning pitfalls, wearables, tech integrations, and more. Stay tuned!
About Mark Kovacs
An executive with a diverse background in sports, health, wellness, & hospitality with unique experience in leadership, financial and people management, technology, human performance, nutrition, longevity, hydration and sport science. A performance physiologist, sport and wellness technology expert/advisor, high performance director, sport scientist, researcher, professor, author, speaker and coach with an extensive background in leadership roles with some of the largest sports governing bodies and global companies. Experience as Fortune 50 executive, Director of the Gatorade Sport Science Institute, Director of Research and Development for Pepsico, Directed Coaching Education and Sport Science for the United States Tennis Association, Sr. Director of Sport Science & Health for an NBA Franchise, Sport Science Advisor for the NCAA as well as a diverse background as an All-American and NCAA champion tennis athlete, a distinguished coach, sports administrator and scientist. Dr. Kovacs brings a unique perspective to major projects in the area of optimizing human potential, longevity, sports administration, executive coaching, facility development and product innovation.
Dr. Kovacs has been a consultant for the United States Tennis Association, Seattle Mariners, US Soccer, NCAA, ATP, WTA, ITF, IMG Academy, Harvard University, Princeton University, LSU, UNC, ASU, Ga Tech, Clemson, Baylor, USC and has advised and consulted with over 20 NCAA Division I Athletic Departments on many aspects of sport science, facility design, developing high performance teams and reducing injuries. He is also an advisor for a number of nutrition and hydration companies, human technology, medical device & innovation companies as well as health, longevity and wellness organizations.
Responsible for multi-million dollar budgets and managed staff in the hundreds across diverse areas including corporate research and development, wellness, longevity, sport science, coaching education, strength & conditioning, performance and data analytics, wearable technology among other areas.