Health and Fitness Club Industry News: HFA
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2026
IHRSA Releases Toolkit for Clubs on Forming a State Alliance
Posted: September 17, 2020 in HFA
BOSTON, MA - Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, IHRSA, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, worked with industry leaders in states across the country providing them with tools and resources to strengthen their voices and expand their reach at the state level. IHRSA has worked diligently to pull these valuable assets together in a toolkit to share with the entire industry. To lobby individual governors and local lawmakers more directly, many IHRSA members are forming regional alliances of operators within their state. IHRSA’s newest toolkit, How to Run a Fitness Industry Alliance in Your State, is a compilation of resources to help club owners and operators create, manage, and run a state or regional alliance. Read More...
Medical Experts Speak Out to Show Gyms Are Safe and Essential
Posted: September 14, 2020 in HFA
BOSTON, MA - As negative public perceptions persist, the fitness industry is looking to further prove that health clubs are safe and vital for overall health. To do so, IHRSA, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, is engaging with medical experts to get their professional opinion on the safety and efficacy of clubs. Fitness facilities have been ramping up their cleaning guidelines and safety procedures since the beginning of the pandemic, and data shows that clubs are not guilty of spreading COVID-19. Now, even doctors are perplexed as to why lawmakers aren’t seeing the positive impact that fitness facilities bring to the public—especially in a time when physical activity can help mitigate the worst of COVID-19 symptoms and cases. It’s profoundly clear that those with pre-existing conditions, such as obesity, are at high-risk of contracting severe coronavirus and have the most to gain from health clubs. Read More...
Brent Darden Sets a New Course for IHRSA as Interim CEO
Posted: September 3, 2020 in HFA
BOSTON, MA - Over the past several months, the world as we knew it has undergone changes many of us could never have imagined. The fitness industry was especially hard hit by the pandemic that the world has struggled to contain, resulting in an economic downturn, government restrictions on clubs and shaky consumer confidence. These challenges were also deeply felt at IHRSA, and the Board of Directors deemed that a new tact was needed to best serve the industry during this time. On August 21, they announced the appointment of Brent Darden as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Darden replaced Joe Moore, who served as IHRSA’s President & CEO since 2006. The IHRSA Board of Directors chose Darden for this role in large part due to his extensive leadership experience in the industry. Under Darden’s leadership, the IHRSA staff, working closely with the Board, will revisit "virtually everything." Read More...
National Study Confirms It’s Safe To Work Out At The Gym: Current Data Shows No Evidence of COVID-19 Spread in Gyms
Posted: September 2, 2020 in HFA
BOSTON, MA - After analyzing millions of member's check-in data across 2,873 gyms, sports clubs and boutique fitness centers over the course of three months, The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) and MXM, a technology and knowledge transfer company specializing in member tracking within the fitness industry, conclusively found that fitness facilities are safe and are not contributing to the spread of COVID-19. Read More...
The Fitness Industry Demands Deal to Protect Workers
Posted: September 2, 2020 in HFA
WASHINGTON, D.C. - On September 2, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, while testifying before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, pledged to call Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to ask her to restart talks on a new COVID-19 relief package. In response, Brent Darden of the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) released the following statement... Read More...
IHRSA Introduces Interim President & CEO Brent Darden
Posted: September 1, 2020 in HFA
BOSTON, MA - On August 21, the IHRSA Board of Directors announced the appointment of Brent Darden as interim president and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Darden is a well-known advocate and leader in the fitness industry and has a vast background of experience. Although the role was not taken lightly, Darden has made it clear that he does not intend to serve as IHRSA president & CEO on a permanent basis. Speaking on behalf of IHRSA’s future, Darden feels confident that evolution is necessary for the association to achieve sustainable success. Read More...
IHRSA Releases 2020 Health Club Consumer Report: Executive Summary
Posted: August 31, 2020 in HFA
BOSTON, MA - The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) has released the 2020 Health Club Consumer Report: Executive Summary. This annual publication, based on a nationwide sample of 18,000 interviews, is an overview of health club usage, participation and demographics over the past decade. Early findings from the 2020 Physical Activity Council (PAC) survey shed light on activity during shutdowns and attitudes regarding health clubs reopening. Read More...
Brent Darden Named Interim President and CEO of IHRSA
Posted: August 21, 2020 in HFA
BOSTON, MA - The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) announced that the Board of Directors has appointed Mr. Brent Darden as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Brent’s background in fitness industry leadership roles is extensive. From 2010 through 2015, Brent served on the IHRSA Board of Directors, as Nominations Committee Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Chairperson of the Board, and Ex-Officio. Since that time he has advised a number of fitness brands and delivered keynote presentations around the world on leadership, employee engagement, customer experience, strategy and brand frameworks, among other topics. Joe Moore's departure as President and CEO was announced by the IHRSA Board of Directors on Tuesday, August 18. Joe had been President and CEO since 2006. Read More...
Joe Moore Departing as President and CEO of IHRSA
Posted: August 19, 2020 in HFA
BOSTON, MA - The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) President and CEO, Joe Moore, has been in the health and fitness industry for over 45 years, starting in 1972 when he opened his first commercial facility that grew from a single club to a health club chain with 20 locations in three states. Moore sold the company in 2004. He served as Chairman of the IHRSA Board during the 2005 – 2006 fiscal year prior to being named President and CEO. Moore became President and CEO in 2006 after the retirement of then Executive Director Emeritus John McCarthy. During his tenure at IHRSA, Moore had many accomplishments and played a prominent role in coalition building for the industry. Today, IHRSA’s Board of Directors has announced that Joe Moore will be departing as the organization’s President and CEO, effective immediately. The IHRSA Board of Directors will be forming a CEO search committee to begin the process of identifying Moore’s replacement. Read More...
What the Situation in Washington D.C. Means for Health and Fitness Clubs
Posted: August 17, 2020 in HFA
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Keeping track of what’s happening in Washington can be a lot, so here's a brief update on the situation in D.C. and what it means for the fitness industry. Negotiations between the White House and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi broke down during the week of August 10. President Trump signed executive orders seeking to address unemployment insurance and payroll taxes. It is unclear what, if any, practical effect these executive orders will have. At this time, substantive talks around a new COVID-19 relief bill have not resumed, and senators have left Washington D.C., subject to recall to vote if a bill should come together. Read More...
Jason Reinhardt Resigns as Chair of the IHRSA Board
Posted: August 13, 2020 in HFA
BOSTON, MA - Jason Reinhardt, Chair of the IHRSA Board of Directors, has announced that effective immediately, he would be stepping down as Chair and as a Board Member. In a Board of Directors Meeting on Wednesday, August 12, Reinhardt announced that he has decided to resign as the Chair of the IHRSA Board after serving in this role for the last 14 months. The Nominations Committee of the Board is discussing options to fill the officer position of the Chair and will make a thoughtful, informed recommendation to the full Board in the near future. Until a decision is made, Vice-Chair Carrie Kepple of Styles Studio Fitness will assume the duties of the Chair. Read More...
