Gympass Adds MyFitnessPal as Employees Demand More Wellness Options

According to Gympass, 83% of employees believe that their well-being is just as important as their salary

Corporate wellness unicorn Gympass has added MyFitnessPal as one of its 50,000 partners after receiving numerous requests from users and clients to collaborate with the popular nutrition and food-tracking app.

MyFitnessPal, which has empowered 200 million users since launching in 2005, will bring its capabilities to the Gympass platform. As a result of the collaboration, over 20 million employees at over 10,000 organizations across the globe will now have access to MyFitnessPal’s food-logging tools, exercise activity tracker and wellness habits log.

As Gympass points out, wellness initiatives have become essential for employees, putting pressure on employers to provide their staff with access to physical fitness, mental health and nutritional resources. 

Gympass has been fulfilling a need, reporting that its wellness platform has grown ten times faster than it did in its first nine years. The Brazilian company recently announced it received over 250 million check-ins to its network of partners, who provide physical and mental health resources. It was valued at $2.2 billion in 2021.

The rise in employee demand for well-being puts pressure on employers to prove they are just as committed to overall wellness as their employees.  

According to Gympass’s 2022 State of Work-Life Wellness Report, 83% of employees believe that their well-being is just as important as their salary, with 77% saying they would consider leaving a job that didn’t prioritize health and wellness.

Employees having access to well-being programs impacts more than just retention, productivity and happiness, says Gympass. It also aids in the reduction of absenteeism and healthcare costs. Gympass points to a Harvard study on the ROI of wellness programs that found businesses save $3.27 for every dollar spent on healthcare costs.

Organizations that use Gympass can achieve 43% higher retention rates and up to 25% lower annual employee healthcare costs than those that do not, the platform says.

The addition of MyFitnessPal comes as Gympass previously announced key partnerships with other organizations such as Thrive Global, Headspace, Sleep Cycle, 24 Hour Fitness, Orangetheory Fitness and CorePower Yoga, which it says helps keep the platform as flexible and adaptable for all employees as possible.

“We’re in a crisis of well-being, and it’s crucial for employers to take proactive steps to address this issue – bare minimum health benefits will no longer cut it,” said Cesar Carvalho, CEO and co-founder of Gympass. 

“At Gympass, we believe in providing employees with the necessary resources to enhance all aspects of their health in a way that suits their individual needs,” Carvalho continued. “This approach not only creates a healthier and happier workforce but also reduces healthcare costs by prioritizing preventative health measures. Our goal is to develop the world’s most comprehensive well-being platform, and we’re thrilled to introduce MyFitnessPal.” 

Gympass emerged strong from the pandemic,  receiving $220 million in funding in 2021 from Softbank, General Atlantic, Moore Strategic Ventures, Kaszek and Valor Capital Group. The funding was intended to support the platform’s expansion in the U.S. and reach new categories.