Issue No. 368 of Fitt Insider opened 2026 with a phrase every fitness brand should internalize: Healthy MAUs. In its 2026 Big Ideas, a16z names monthly active preventative-wellness consumers as the next high-potential customer segment — high-agency, data-informed, and willing to pay out of pocket for subscriptions.
Monthly active is the whole game. A member who signs up and disappears isn't a Healthy MAU; a member who keeps moving is. Cadoo exists to manufacture exactly that recurring activity.
Adherence — not access — is the 2026 metric
The issue's data makes the case that accountability is what actually drives results:
- Americans plan to spend $60B on health and fitness in 2026, cementing exercise as an essential expense, per HFA data the issue cites via the Health & Fitness Association.
- 86% say gyms, studios, and health clubs are critical to results — with community, coaching, and shared accountability driving adherence, per the issue.
- Only 23% would cut fitness spending if budgets tightened, trimming dining, travel, and entertainment first, per Fitt Insider.
The issue is explicit: shared accountability is a primary driver of whether members stick. That's a behavioral lever, and it's the one Cadoo pulls.
The industry is racing for the active member
The issue shows brands and investors converging on engagement and retention:
- a16z elevated Healthy MAUs to a headline 2026 idea, signaling where healthtech capital is heading, per Fitt Insider.
- Oura reached an $11B valuation as smart rings shift the battleground to coaching and outcomes, per the issue.
- Operators keep expanding — Planet Fitness acquired Madrid-area sites, and GymNation notched 3K sign-ups in 24 hours ahead of its Bahrain debut, per Fitt Insider.
These are industry references, not Cadoo partners — but they confirm the scoreboard has changed: sign-ups are cheap, sustained monthly activity is the prize.
Cadoo manufactures monthly active engagement
Cadoo turns shared accountability — the adherence driver the issue names — into a product. Members bet money with friends on reaching fitness goals, so they keep moving every month, not on willpower but because friends and stakes are on the line. Recurring challenges keep the activity going, which is precisely what converts a lapsed sign-up into a Healthy MAU.
And it's measurable. Cadoo-verified workouts confirm the effort: the camera counts reps only. Steps and distance come from Apple Health or Google Health Connect, giving brands real monthly-activity data instead of a login count — proof members are genuinely active.
Adherence you can measure, share, and monetize
Every finished challenge can produce a skinned, shareable video branded to your gym or app, so your most active members market your brand to their friends and recruit the next cohort of Healthy MAUs. Shared accountability plus money on the line is the adherence engine the whole industry is now chasing.
On our roadmap (not live yet), winnings could convert into credit or perks at your business, tying monthly activity directly to your revenue. See how brands use it at cadoo.games/brands or reach the team at Tim@cadoo.io.
Frequently asked questions
How does Cadoo grow a brand's Healthy MAUs?
Healthy MAUs are members who stay monthly active. Cadoo keeps them active with recurring, money-backed challenges they do with friends, so there's a live reason to move every month. That sustained activity is what turns a one-time sign-up into a monthly active member.
Why is shared accountability more effective than motivation alone?
This issue names shared accountability as a top driver of adherence. When friends and money are on the line, members follow through even on low-motivation days, which is exactly when solo willpower fails and members go dormant.
What monthly-activity data does Cadoo give brands?
Camera-verified reps for supported movements plus steps and distance from Apple Health or Google Health Connect. That gives operators real proof of ongoing member activity, not just a login or a door swipe.
Can members redeem their winnings at my business?
Redeeming winnings for credit or perks at a partner brand is on our roadmap and not live yet. Today, Cadoo's value is monthly active engagement and shareable branded content members create for you.
