Health and Fitness Club Industry News
Thursday, January 22nd, 2026
Recipients of Two 2019 IHRSA Institute Scholarships Announced
Posted: June 25, 2019 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - The IHRSA Institute has been a foundation for developing business leaders in the health club industry for more than 30 years. IHRSA is pleased to announce the recipients of two scholarships to attend the 2019 event this summer: Maureen Eggers, Health & Fitness Manager for Washington Athletic Club in Seattle, WA, is the recipient of The John McCarthy Scholarship. Jason Stokes, General Manager and Managing Partner of Sportsplex-New Windsor in New Windsor, NY, is the recipient of The Curt & Jane Beusman Scholarship. Read More...
Pure Barre Announces Partnership With Palladin Consumer Retail Partners To Rapidly Expand Within New York’s Tri-State Region
Posted: June 24, 2019 in Chains
IRVINE, CA - Pure Barre, the largest barre concept in North America, has partnered with Palladin Consumer Retail Partners, a Boston-based private investment firm, to acquire 28 Pure Barre studios in New York's tri-state region. In addition to taking over Pure Barre's 13 existing studios in the region, the partnership will lead to the development and opening of 15 new studios in the area over the next three years. Read More...
ACSM Presents Prestigious Honor and Citation Awards
Posted: June 24, 2019 in Suppliers
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) announced several award winners during its 66th Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida. One Honor and four Citation Awards were presented. Both awards recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to sports medicine and the exercise sciences. Read More...
Jazzercise, Inc. Founder & CEO Judi Sheppard Missett Launches Book “Building a Business With a Beat”
Posted: June 20, 2019 in Chains
SAN DIEGO, CA - This year, Jazzercise, Inc., the company that pioneered aerobic dance fitness and became a global phenomenon, is the first-ever dance fitness brand to celebrate the 50-year mark. In honor of the milestone, Founder and CEO, Judi Sheppard Missett is launching a book entitled, Building a Business with a Beat: Leadership Lessons from Jazzercise – an Empire Built on Passion, Purpose and Heart, filled with the lessons she's learned after five decades of industry success. The book will be published June 25, 2019, by McGraw-Hill. Read More...
Planet Fitness Corporate Employees Log More than 430 Hours During Company’s Second Annual “Flexing for Good” Volunteer Week
Posted: June 19, 2019 in Chains
HAMPTON, N.H. - As part of its ongoing commitment to giving back to the community, Planet Fitness hosted its second annual ‘Flexing for Good’ volunteer week, which involved more than 100 employees at the company’s corporate office headquartered in Hampton, N.H. Over the course of four days, employees logged more than 430 hours volunteering with neighboring nonprofit organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club of Manchester, NH; the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence, MA; the New England SCPA in Stratham, NH; and Lydia’s House of Hope in Somersworth, NH. The inaugural ‘Flexing for Good’ volunteer week took place in 2018 and it was immediately determined that it would become an annual company tradition. Since then, employees have logged nearly 1,000 volunteer hours. Read More...
Blink Fitness and Three-Time NBA Champion Draymond Green Bring The Feel Good Experience To First Michigan Location
Posted: June 19, 2019 in Chains
WARREN, MI - Blink Fitness, the premium quality, affordable fitness brand is excited to announce the grand opening of its first franchise location in Michigan, and first location co-owned by three-time NBA Champion Draymond Green. To celebrate the newest location, Blink Fitness is hosting a community celebration in partnership with Detroit Police Athletic League (PAL), an organization dedicated to positively impacting the lives of more than 14,000 local Detroit children by creating a safe and supportive place for kids to have fun and be active. The community celebration will feature a three-point competition, prizing, food trucks, entertainment and more. Blink Warren will also donate 50 one-year memberships worth over $10,000 to Detroit PAL. Read More...
GOJO Launches the PURELL SOLUTION for Athletic Facilities
Posted: June 19, 2019 in Suppliers
ORLANDO, FL - GOJO, the inventor of PURELL hand sanitizer and a global leader in hand hygiene solutions, launched the PURELL SOLUTION for Athletic Facilities at the upcoming National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) conference in Orlando and the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) 70th Clinical Symposia & AT Expo in Las Vegas. Read More...
United PF Partners Acquires 26 Planet Fitness Clubs in Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi, and Illinois
Posted: June 18, 2019 in Chains
AUSTIN, TX - United PF Partners (United PF), the largest Planet Fitness (NYSE: PLNT) franchisee, has acquired 26 Planet Fitness locations and certain development rights in the Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi and Illinois markets from PF Arkansas, LLC. This acquisition increases United PF's operating club count to 152 clubs across 14 states, spanning the West, Southwest, Midwest, South and Mid-Atlantic regions. Read More...
SiriusXM And SoulCycle Team Up To Launch ‘SoulCycle Radio’
Posted: June 18, 2019 in Chains
NEW YORK, N.Y. - SoulCycle, a leading lifestyle brand redefining health and happiness, has teamed up with SiriusXM for the launch of an exclusive full-time SoulCycle music channel featuring the inspiring, motivating and transformative music heard in their famed studios. Read More...
Xponential Fitness Signs Large-Scale, Multi-Brand Master Franchise Agreement in Saudi Arabia
Posted: June 18, 2019 in Chains
IRVINE, CA - In its first-ever, multi-brand international agreement, Xponential Fitness, the largest curator of boutique fitness brands in the world, will now have an extensive presence in the Middle East. The company announced the signing of a Master Franchise Agreement for Saudi Arabia, a development which will bring more than 50 Xponential Fitness studios to the country over the next three years. Brands included in the development agreement are Club Pilates, Pure Barre, CycleBar, YogaSix and AKT. Read More...
American Diabetes Association Celebrates 70 Years of Fun, Educational Camps for Children
Posted: June 17, 2019 in Suppliers
ARLINGTON, VA - For 70 years, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) has hosted summer camps for children and teens with type 1 diabetes. In 2019, nearly 7,000 campers, their siblings and children at-risk of type 2 diabetes, ages 4-17, will attend one of 80 camp sessions nationwide and enjoy a traditional summer camp experience in a medically-safe environment. ADA Camps create opportunities for campers to build life-long friendships, overcome feelings of isolation, and become empowered to manage their diabetes. Additionally, campers participate in physical activity and receive individualized dietary instructions. Read More...
Power Wellness and NorthBay Healthcare Form Partnership
Posted: June 13, 2019 in Suppliers
LOMBARD, IL - Power Wellness has announced that it is managing the day-to-day operations of NorthBay Healthcare’s HealthSpring Fitness in Vacaville. Since 2016, HealthSpring Fitness has supported the health and fitness needs of the Solano County community. The 56,000 square-foot, medically-integrated health and fitness center features state-of-the-art fitness equipment as well as certified and degreed fitness specialists. Read More...
ClubReady Announces Row House as the Newest Client to Optimize the Boutique Fitness Studio Member Experience
Posted: June 12, 2019 in Suppliers
ST LOUIS, MO - ClubReady has announced that Row House will be joining as their newest client, to optimize the boutique fitness studio member experience. Row House is a brand under the Xponential Fitness umbrella of brands promising to 'maximize results, minimize time.' Implementing ClubReady's performance monitoring solution, Performance IQ, Row House can deliver on that promise by strengthening the member experience with interactive performance data and power training and tracking. Read More...
Gympass Announces New Funding From SoftBank Vision Fund and SoftBank Latin America Fund to Double Down on Getting Corporate Employees Active
Posted: June 12, 2019 in Suppliers
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Gympass, a global corporate fitness platform, announced that it has partnered with SoftBank Vision Fund and SoftBank Latin America Fund. Both funds will join existing investors, General Atlantic, Atomico and Valor Capital Group, and will support Gympass to defeat inactivity worldwide. Read More...
ABC Financial and Perkville Introduce Simplified Sign-On Process
Posted: June 11, 2019 in Suppliers
SHERWOOD, AR - ABC Financial, a leading software and payment processing provider for health and fitness clubs, announced that it now offers a new single sign-on process with Perkville, a leading loyalty and rewards program in the health and fitness space. The move makes it easier for health club members to access Perkville-powered reward programs with just one log-in, their ABC Financial credentials. Read More...
Gold’s Gym Names 2019 Winners In Its Annual 12-Week Challenge
Posted: June 11, 2019 in Chains
DALLAS, TX - Gold's Gym, a trusted fitness authority, has chosen 30 national winners of the Gold's Gym Challenge, its signature 12-week body transformation challenge offered exclusively to Gold's Gym members. Gold's Gym Challenge winners received $100,000 in cash prizes for their incredible and inspiring results. The Gold's Gym Challenge is a collaboration between Gold's Gym and the Gold's Gym Franchisee Association. 2019 Gold's Gym Challenge sponsors included C4, Dymatize, Muscle Milk and Matrix Fitness. Read More...
Life Time Athletic Resort & Spa to Open at Downtown at the Gardens
Posted: June 11, 2019 in Chains
PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL - Life Time, a national premier healthy lifestyle brand, has signed a lease with ShopCore Properties to bring its high-end athletic lifestyle resort with more than 100,000 square feet of best-in-class amenities and programs, and a rooftop beach club, to Downtown at the Gardens in Palm Beach Gardens. The location is targeted to open in 2021. Read More...
$300,000 Raised in 26.2 Miles for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Posted: June 10, 2019 in Other News
MEMPHIS, TN and SEATTLE, WA - St. Jude Children's Research Hospital raised $300,000 for children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases at the 11th running of the St. Jude Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon and 1/2 Marathon. This year, 800 individuals registered as St. Jude Heroes, which means they fundraised for St. Jude while training for the marathon, half marathon and 5K. Since becoming title partner two years ago, St. Jude Heroes have raised nearly $500,000 to support the hospital's lifesaving mission: Finding cures. Saving children. Read More...
Senior Management Moves at FitnessOnDemand Spotlight Technology-Led Growth Vision
Posted: June 5, 2019 in Suppliers
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FitnessOnDemand, a leader in premium, on-demand fitness content for health clubs, hotels and commercial properties, announced two senior management changes that further spotlight the company’s vision for technology-led growth. Read More...
Warren Wertheimer Passes Away After Tragic Fall – December 6, 1933 – April 20, 2019
Posted: June 4, 2019 in Other News
Warren Wertheimer, 85, of San Rafael California, passed away on April 20, 2019. He lived a full and active life until his very last two days when he suffered a tragic fall and died peacefully after being wished farewell by many of his friends and family. Warren described himself as a father of two, grandfather of four, student of A Course In Miracles, Harvard Lawyer, millionaire former owner of a multisport family club business, psychic, firewalker, motivational speaker and consultant. Read More...
