Health and Fitness Club Industry News: HFA
Thursday, May 14th, 2026
Happy 80th Birthday to Fitness Industry Legend John McCarthy
Posted: December 23, 2016 in HFA
By IHRSA's Kristen Walsh - December 23, 2016 is a special day for our industry. Believe it or not, John McCarthy turns 80 years young today! John is, of course, the former Executive Director of IHRSA. He was one of a group of individuals that contributed to the launching of IHRSA in 1981. A former tennis club Owner and Director of the New England Indoor Tennis Association, John was named the first Executive Director of IHRSA and served in that position until 2006. During his 25 years of leadership, he was responsible for establishing IHRSA as the largest trade association in the global health club industry. Since his retirement, John has remained very active in the industry, most notably with Augie's Quest, the initiative to raise money in the fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Read More...
A Happy Holiday Message From Your Friends at IHRSA
Posted: December 22, 2016 in HFA
Happy Holidays! 2016 has been a whirlwind of a year, and we at IHRSA couldn’t be more glad to have spent it with all of you, growing the fitness industry and helping to make the world a more active, healthy place! In this spirit of our mission to grow, protect, and promote the industry, IHRSA has created several opportunities for members to get involved and give back. Your generous contributions can be made easily online, and to the causes that are closest to the heart of your club. Read More...
IHRSA Releases 2016 Profiles of Success
Posted: November 2, 2016 in HFA
BOSTON, MA - The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) released its annual Industry Data Survey (IDS) results and the accompanying publication, IHRSA Profiles of Success. The report provides a detailed analysis of the annual performance of leading health and fitness clubs, including results in key metrics such as revenue, membership growth and retention, traffic, payroll, non-dues revenue and EBITDA. Club reinvestment and profit center analysis as well as income statement and balance sheet data are also provided. Read More...
Keynote Speakers, Agenda Announced for IHRSA 2017 Convention & Trade Show
Posted: October 20, 2016 in HFA
At this year’s event, convention attendees can look forward to the 2-day IHRSA trade show, and four days of outstanding keynote presentations, multiple receptions and networking events, and more than 150 educational sessions, workshops and tutorials presented by industry experts and leading business professionals. And, the IHRSA 2017 Convention will once again include special events like the IHRSA Financial Panel; the Women’s Leadership Summit; the 12th annual Bash for Augie’s Quest, and the Industry Leadership Council Summit. Read More...
Meet the IHRSA Advocate: Your New Guide to Health Club Industry Advocacy
Posted: October 8, 2016 in HFA
BOSTON, MA - Keeping up with the latest industry advocacy information can be challenging. The legislative process can sometimes move quickly and bill revisions can be easily missed. That is why the IHRSA Public Policy Team created the IHRSA Advocate, to allow you to continue effectively managing your business without missing a beat. Read More...
Inaugural IHRSA Get Active Leadership Award Presented on Capitol Hill
Posted: October 3, 2016 in HFA
WASHINGTON, D.C. - On September 21, IHRSA launched its first annual IHRSA Get Active Leadership Award created to honor members of Congress that have led pro-physical activity legislation and initiatives. The award presentations were conducted as part of a Lobby Day hosted by the PHIT Coalition, a group championing the PHIT bill. Read More...
IHRSA on Capitol Hill Promoting PHIT, Honoring Get Active Leadership Award Recipients
Posted: September 20, 2016 in HFA
BOSTON, MA - Members and staff from IHRSA, The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, along with members of the PHIT Coalition are on Capitol Hill today, conducting a Lobby Day to generate additional support for the PHIT Act. Members of the PHIT Coalition, co-chaired by IHRSA and the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), are meeting with Members of the House and the Senate, asking them to co-sponsor the PHIT Act. Currently, PHIT has 101 bipartisan sponsors, with 88 from the House and 13 from the Senate. Read More...
IHRSA Releases 2016 Health Club Consumer Report: U.S. Health Club Membership Reached High of 55.3 Million in 2015
Posted: September 7, 2016 in HFA
BOSTON, MA - The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) released the 2016 Health Club Consumer Report. This annual publication, based on a nationwide sample of more than 32,000 interviews, provides demographics and health, sports and fitness participation data on American health club consumers. Read More...
IHRSA 2016 Convention Videos Now Available
Posted: August 24, 2016 in HFA
BOSTON, MA - Videos from 70 IHRSA 2016 convention sessions are now available on the IHRSA Store. Choose from titles such as: Raising Capital in the New World of Crowdfunding; Future-Proofing Your Club: Innovation of Technology and Your Business; Grow Your Business With Small Group Training; Recruiting, Career Tracking, and Retaining Top Personal Trainers; Keys to Successful Nutrition Programming in the Health Club Setting; And dozens more. Read More...
Intense, Exhilarating Four Days at IHRSA Institute
Posted: August 19, 2016 in HFA
BOSTON, MA - On August 2-5, nearly 100 health club professionals descended on the picturesque University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill campus for the IHRSA Institute, Executive Education for Club Professionals, sponsored by Core Health & Fitness, MINDBODY, NASM and SPRI. With the aim of encouraging in-depth high-level conversations and fostering long-term networking among participants and faculty, The Institute immersed attendees in the skills necessary to run a club successfully. Participants and faculty were able to deep-dive on topics from sales to finance, network during meals and cocktail hours, share business experiences and strategies during roundtable discussions, and bond during daily early-morning workouts. Read More...
