Health and Fitness Club Industry News: IHRSA
Friday, October 31st, 2025
2025 HFA European Congress Draws Fitness Leaders from 30 Countries
Posted: October 9, 2025 in IHRSA
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The 22nd Annual HFA European Congress brought together more than 300 fitness industry leaders from 30 countries for deep learning, dynamic networking and global collaboration. Held October 2 - 4 at the historic Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam, the Congress marked a return to one of Europe’s most iconic venues and delivered a powerful experience under the theme Shaping the Future: Uniting Fitness, Health and Wellness. Read More...
HFA Releases 2025 Fitness Industry Benchmarking Report
Posted: October 1, 2025 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) has released the 2025 Fitness Industry Benchmarking Report, the most comprehensive analysis of financial and operational performance in the fitness sector. This publication marks HFA’s first in-depth benchmarking study since 2019, building on the long-standing Profiles of Success series and expanding it into a more detailed resource. The 2025 report is backed by data from 175 companies representing more than 17,000 fitness facilities across 27 countries, which were surveyed between April and June 2025. Read More...
Health & Fitness Association Announces Strategic Reorganization to Drive Industry Growth
Posted: September 15, 2025 in IHRSA
WASHINGTON, DC - The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) announces a strategic reorganization that reflects the Association’s successful growth and strengthened position as the voice of the industry. Building on recent momentum, HFA is expanding its leadership team and investing in organizational capacity to sharpen its focus on advocacy, research and education. Read More...
Health & Fitness Association Launches The HFA Show 2026 Registration and Announces First Keynote Speaker
Posted: September 10, 2025 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - Registration is now open for The HFA Show 2026, to be held March 16 - 18 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California, where entrepreneur Jesse Itzler will headline as one of three keynote speakers. The full education agenda, along with the names of the additional two keynote speakers, will be released in the coming weeks. More than 400 exhibitors are expected, and a list of 2026 exhibitors will be made available soon. Read More...
Statement from the Health & Fitness Association on the Passing of Rick Caro
Posted: September 1, 2025 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - It is with profound sadness that the Health & Fitness Association shares the news of the passing of Rick Caro, a true pioneer of our industry and one of our association’s founding leaders. Rick passed away on August 30, after spending the day at the United States Open Tennis Championship enjoying a game he loved. Read More...
The Fitness Industry’s Global Momentum Continued in 2024, New Report Shows
Posted: August 11, 2025 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) releases the 2025 HFA Global Report, the comprehensive annual resource on the state of the global health and fitness industry. The report captures strong consumer demand, record membership levels in key markets and increasing alignment between fitness, healthcare and public policy. This year’s edition features insights from nearly 30 countries and includes a robust increase in partner contributions and survey participation from 2024, reflecting the growing influence and engagement of the global fitness community. Read More...
Leila Timergaleeva Returns to HFA as International Ambassador
Posted: August 3, 2025 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) announces the return of Leila Timergaleeva to its global leadership team as Ambassador for the Caucasus region for HFA’s international events, including ChinaFit (which occurred July 19 - 21), the HFA European Congress (October 2 - 4 in Amsterdam) and MeFit Pro (October 9 - 11 in Dubai). Her appointment bolsters the HFA’s international reach even further after the appointment in June of Hans Muench as an ambassador for the HFA European Congress. Read More...
Health & Fitness Association Hires Director of Strategic Partnerships
Posted: July 29, 2025 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) has expanded its business development team with the hiring of Winston Moore Jr. as Director of Strategic Partnerships. In this role, Moore will establish and maintain strategic relationships with corporations, foundations, government entities and nonprofits to build high-impact alliances that support HFA’s policy, programming and growth objectives. Read More...
Statement from the Health & Fitness Association on the Eighth Circuit Vacating the FTC’s ‘Click-to-Cancel’ Rule
Posted: July 9, 2025 in IHRSA
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) applauds the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit for vacating the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) “Click-to-Cancel” Rule. The court’s decision affirms what HFA and its partners have long maintained: the FTC exceeded its legal authority, failed to follow required procedures and imposed a sweeping, one-size-fits-all mandate that ignored the operational realities of fitness businesses. Read More...
Health & Fitness Association New Board Term Begins
Posted: July 5, 2025 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) begins a new Board term today, ushering in a fresh chapter of leadership for the global trade association. The new term marks the official start of CEO of Discover Strength, Luke Carlson’s service as Chairman of the Board, along with three other recently elected officers and five new Board Members. Read More...
HFA Partners With Maxwell Productions for Fitness Industry Event in Mexico
Posted: June 11, 2025 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - Latin America is set to be the home of the next evolution of the wellness, fitness and health industry thanks to a partnership between the Health & Fitness Association (HFA) and Maxwell Productions on Wellness & Fitness LATAM, November 20 - 21, 2025. Read More...
HFA Engages Hans Muench as Ambassador for the 2025 HFA European Congress
Posted: June 5, 2025 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) has signed an agreement with Hans Muench, former Europe Director for HFA, to serve as Ambassador for the 2025 HFA European Congress, which will occur October 2 - 4 in Amsterdam. Muench will use his connections with health club operators and suppliers gained during the past 30 years in the fitness industry to help secure sponsorships and attendees to the Congress, particularly from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. Read More...
HFA Expands Its Global Reach With New Fitness Federation Partnerships in Turkey and North Macedonia
Posted: June 2, 2025 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) is expanding its global reach by strengthening partnerships with fitness federations worldwide in an effort to promote that exercise is preventive medicine. Collaboration with regional federations representing health club and studio operators plays a crucial role in achieving this goal. In May, HFA formalized agreements with two key federations: the Turkish Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (TVGFBF) and North Macedonia Active. Read More...
Liz Clark Named Among Washingtonian’s 500 Most Influential People of 2025
Posted: May 19, 2025 in IHRSA
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Health & Fitness Association (HFA) President and CEO, Liz Clark, has once again been named to Washingtonian Magazine’s prestigious list of “Washington, DC’s 500 Most Influential People of 2025.” This marks the third time Clark has earned this distinction, underscoring her unwavering commitment to advancing health and fitness policy nationwide. Members on this list are selected through a rigorous process and must meet three key criteria: possess deep subject-matter expertise with an understanding of how to effectively drive action in Washington; grasp nuances and complexities of specific policy areas; and display expertise in fields believed to be particularly significant to the current slate of elected officials. Since joining HFA, Clark has led a transformation of the association’s advocacy efforts, significantly expanding its reach and effectiveness. Read More...
Industry Leaders Join HFA for the 2025 Fly-In and Advocacy Summit
Posted: May 15, 2025 in IHRSA
WASHINGTON, D.C. - More than 125 fitness industry leaders participated in 130 meetings with policymakers and one group held a meeting with White House staff at the HFA Fly-In and Advocacy Summit, May 5 - 7, in Washington, D.C. In the May 7 meetings, operators from health clubs, studios and industry suppliers asked for support of the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act. Read More...
Fitness Industry Leaders Heading to Washington to Champion Preventive Health
Posted: May 2, 2025 in IHRSA
WASHINGTON, D.C. - More than 125 senior executives from across the health and fitness industry will convene in Washington, DC, this week for the Health & Fitness Association’s (HFA) 2025 Fly-In and Advocacy Summit, bringing a powerful message to lawmakers: It’s time to prioritize prevention and pass the PHIT Act. Fly-in participants will hold more than 100 meetings with congressional offices, urging members of Congress to co-sponsor the PHIT Act and support policies that improve health through physical activity. The summit also aligns with Physical Activity Month and the Congressional Physical Activity Challenge, reinforcing the importance of movement in national prevention strategies. Read More...
HFA’s 2025 Fitness Industry Census Needs Your Input
Posted: May 1, 2025 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - There’s still time to participate in the HFA 2025 Fitness Industry Census, a reinvigorated version of one of the industry's most valued benchmarking studies, formerly known as Profiles of Success.
This global survey collects confidential data from fitness facility operators across all segments of the industry, including gyms, studios, and multi-site fitness brands. The result will be a comprehensive, data-driven report providing actionable benchmarks on key operational and financial metrics. Read More...
U.S. Health Club and Studio Memberships Increase to Record 77 Million
Posted: April 7, 2025 in IHRSA
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A record 77 million Americans, or 25% of people aged six and older, were members of a gym, studio or other fitness facility in 2024, according to new data released by the Health & Fitness Association (HFA). When including non-member users, total fitness facility customers reached nearly 96 million, representing close to one in three Americans (31%). The rise in gym and studio participation signals growing interest in structured fitness, as the number of facility members increased by 20% between 2019 and 2024. Read More...
HFA Board Elects New Chair, Welcomes Five Leaders
Posted: March 27, 2025 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - At its March 11 meeting, the HFA Board of Directors elected five new members and a new Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and Secretary with terms starting July 1. Luke Carlson, Founder and CEO of Discover Strength, was elected to serve as the next Chair. Read More...
Congress Reintroduces Game-Changing Bill to Lower Healthcare Costs Through Fitness
Posted: March 26, 2025 in IHRSA
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A bipartisan group of lawmakers reintroduced the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act, a commonsense, cost-saving solution to empower more Americans to invest in their health through physical activity. As Congress works through the ongoing budget reconciliation process, PHIT offers a timely and fiscally responsible opportunity to address rising healthcare costs and improve nationwide access to preventive health solutions. Read More...
