Issue No. 353 of Fitt Insider zeroed in on a fast-rising corner of wellness: communal bathing. Saunas, cold plunges, hot springs, and hydrotherapy circuits are reshaping modern routines, and the issue framed the shift as a move toward a gentler, more social kind of self-care. Per Fitt Insider, the thermal springs market is outpacing the wider wellness economy on its way to a projected $97.6B by 2028, citing the Global Wellness Institute.
The interesting part for fitness operators isn't the water. It's the reason people keep coming back: community. When wellness becomes something you do with other people, attendance stops depending on willpower. That's the exact lever Cadoo is built to pull.
Recovery is becoming a social ritual
The issue showed a category racing to build shared, repeatable experiences rather than one-off treatments:
- WorldSprings opened a natural hot-springs destination in Utah, part of a wave of thermal-resort development, per Fitt Insider.
- Toronto-born Othership is adding new "bathing wings" on the back of fresh funding, per the issue, scaling its social sauna-and-plunge format.
- Boutique studios are leaning into culture and community too: per the issue, [solidcore] tapped comedian Ego Nwodim for a new campaign, while Pvolve extended into women's recovery supplements.
The through-line is that self-care is turning into a group activity with a standing time slot — and standing time slots are what gyms and studios fight to protect.
The catch: social intent still leaks between visits
Communal wellness works when people actually show up together. But the gap between visits is where habits and memberships quietly die. A member who books a Sunday plunge with friends is engaged; the same member three unbooked weeks later is a churn risk. Operators from boutique studios to award-winning clubs like GymNation — recognized in the issue with Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice honors for hospitality — live and die on that rhythm of return.
Recovery culture proves the demand for social accountability is real. The missing piece for most brands is a mechanism that keeps the group engaged between sessions, not just during them.
Cadoo turns intent into a standing habit
Cadoo Games gives fitness and wellness brands that mechanism. Members bet money with friends on reaching fitness goals, so they keep coming back — not out of discipline, but because friends and stakes are on the line. Recurring challenges fill the dead space between visits, keeping members consistent when a studio isn't in front of them.
It's verifiable and measurable, too. Cadoo-verified workouts confirm real effort: the camera counts reps only. Steps and distance come from Apple Health or Google Health Connect, giving operators genuine engagement data instead of a swipe at the desk. And every finished challenge can produce a skinned, shareable video, so members market your brand while they build their habit — the same word-of-mouth flywheel a great sauna circuit runs on.
Making membership social by design
A member locked into a friendly, money-backed challenge with three friends has a reason to return that has nothing to do with a discount. That's how social self-care becomes retention: consistent between visits, socially anchored, and actively promoting your brand.
On our roadmap — not live yet — winnings could convert into credit or perks at your studio or club, tying wins directly back to your bottom line. See how it works for operators at cadoo.games/brands, or reach the team at Tim@cadoo.io.
Frequently asked questions
How does Cadoo help wellness clubs and studios keep members?
Cadoo runs recurring, social challenges members stake money on with friends, giving them a live reason to return between visits. That sustained, friend-anchored activity is what turns a first-time booking into a repeat member, the same social pull that makes communal recovery sticky.
Does Cadoo work for recovery and low-intensity wellness, not just hard workouts?
Yes. Challenges can be built around consistency and movement goals, with steps and distance pulled from Apple Health or Google Health Connect, and camera-verified reps for supported strength movements. The point is a shared, recurring commitment, not maximum intensity.
How does Cadoo keep a studio's challenges honest?
The camera counts reps only for supported movements, and steps and distance come from Apple Health or Google Health Connect. That verification gives operators trustworthy engagement data and keeps friendly competition fair.
Can members redeem their winnings at my studio?
Redeeming winnings for credit or perks at a partner brand is on our roadmap and not live yet. Today, Cadoo's value is higher visit frequency, lower churn, and shareable branded content members create for you.
