Orangetheory Fitness is a chain of boutique gyms known for their one-hour, full-body, and heart rate-based workouts integrating both cardio and strength training. The effectiveness of these workouts has been certified by many, including the chain’s own creator, Ellen Latham. Based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this 67-year-old co-founder and creator offers a unique insight into this fitness phenomenon.
Ellen Latham started Orangetheory Fitness with a distinctive belief in the power of expert coaches guiding the correct execution of the movements, which she accredits as a key to long-term success. She has a deep-rooted love for fitness that began in her youth and remains strong well into her sixties.
Taking us on a journey into her fitness career, Latham explains that she was fortunate enough to spend nearly 50 years in the fitness industry. Her early inspiration was her P.E. teacher and football coach father, whose positive influence on many lives ignited Latham’s passion.
After earning her bachelor’s degree in physical education and a master’s degree in exercise science, she found her passion for group fitness while working as an instructor. For Latham, group fitness isn’t only about the physical challenge, but about creating an environment where people are encouraged, supported, and held accountable, all in the span of an hour.
At 54 years old, Latham used her knowledge and ambition to create Orangetheory Fitness, establishing a new category of group fitness. The brand she co-founded alongside Dave Long and Jerome Kern has succeeded in empowering millions, regardless of fitness level, to improve their cardiovascular health and strength through their scientifically backed workouts. Her accomplishments include the creation of this brand, now thriving with several gyms across the United States.
To Latham, exercise is the most effective longevity medicine you can take. It’s unsurprising then that she adheres to a comprehensive and challenging workout routine.
The fitness veteran’s routine incorporates both strength training and cardio intervals. She typically does her cardio intervals on a treadmill, stationary bike, or rower. Her strength routine focuses on multi-joint exercises, which are excellent for building functional strength. Latham shares that completing some of her favorite strength moves is part of her exercise tactics.
Her routine includes a squat to overhead press, a forward and backward lunge to bicep curl, a single-arm row to triceps extension, and burpees. The variety ensures all parts of her body get a workout, from her legs and glutes to her core and shoulders.
Latham’s routine does not stop at powerful workouts. She also adheres to a regimen of recovery, saying she performs a cold plunge and uses a red-light bed twice weekly, adding an infrared sauna to her routine four times a week. It is the perfect combo of high-intensity activities and recovery techniques that keep her robust and help maintain overall well-being.
She also emphasizes the importance of core strength, reiterating that balance is a key factor in strengthening the core. Latham integrates different exercises such as planks on a vibration plate, V-sits, back extensions, oblique rotation crunches on a stability ball, and exercises on a balance trainer board to enhance her core strength.
Latham advises that staying in shape as one ages is about consistency, variety, and ensuring that your activities truly benefit your overall health. She prioritizes cardiovascular health and strongly believes in the power of interval training. Building and maintaining functional strength through multi-joint exercises can also keep the body strong and resilient.
Above all, she believes in finding joy in your workouts. Whether it’s through group fitness classes or a simple outdoor walk, choose activities that you love and that motivate you to keep moving. This emphasis on enjoyment combined with effectiveness is a primary reason behind the success of Orangetheory Fitness.
