Health and Fitness Club Industry News: IHRSA
Tuesday, November 4th, 2025
IHRSA Publishes 2016 Advocacy Impact Report
Posted: February 6, 2017 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - IHRSA, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, announced that it has released a new publication, explaining and communicating the value of IHRSA’s advocacy efforts. The report gives an overview of the activities the trade Association undertook in 2016 to grow, promote and protect the health club industry so it can continue its important work in promoting physical activity to improve America’s health and bring down the cost of preventable chronic diseases that drive up healthcare spending. The report, entitled 2016 IHRSA Advocacy Impact Report with 2017 Legislative Forecasting, also looks ahead to opportunities and challenges for 2017. Read More...
IHRSA Foundation’s ACCESS Health Initiative Programs Set to Launch as ihrsafoundation.org Debuts
Posted: February 1, 2017 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - The IHRSA Foundation announced that 2017 will see the launch of five ACCESS Health pilot programs in IHRSA clubs, from California to New York. The ACCESS Health Initiative is the IHRSA Foundation’s five-year strategic effort to remove barriers to physical activity for people with chronic conditions through participant-focused, multi-dimensional wellness programs. One such program, funded by the IHRSA Foundation and the American Council on Exercise (ACE), is a pilot to serve cancer patients in San Diego area health clubs. Read More...
IHRSA Launches 2017 Global Report Survey
Posted: January 31, 2017 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - To ensure IHRSA maintains the most up-to-date research on the global fitness club industry, IHRSA, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, has launched the 2017 Global Report Survey. Industry leaders who participate in the survey will be recognized among global leaders in the “Company Profiles” section of The IHRSA Global Report, IHRSA’s most requested research publication. Read More...
IHRSA Announces 2017 Industry Award Recipients
Posted: January 27, 2017 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - IHRSA, The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association has announced that three award recipients will be honored during IHRSA 2017, the Association’s 36th Annual International Convention & Trade Show in Los Angeles, California, March 8-11, 2017. The Woman Leader Award in honor of Julie Main will be presented on Wednesday, March 8 to Ellen Latham, MS. The Associate Member of the Year Award will be presented on Thursday, March 9 to TRX. The Outstanding Community Service Award will be presented on Friday, March 10 to FITNESS SF of Corte Madera, CA. Read More...
Happy 80th Birthday to Fitness Industry Legend John McCarthy
Posted: December 23, 2016 in IHRSA
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 IHRSA
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 IHRSA
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 IHRSA
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 IHRSA
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 IHRSA
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 IHRSA
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 IHRSA
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 IHRSA
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...
Are You Taking Full Advantage of These 14 IHRSA Resources?
Posted: July 22, 2016 in IHRSA
By: Joe Moore - Each year, when new members join our Board of Directors, one of them, invariably, will remark, “I had no idea IHRSA offered so much!” Followed by a question, “How can we make sure everyone knows about it?” The truth is, most club operators are too busy to keep track of all the products and services that IHRSA provides. They’re too busy, that is, until a need arises. Then, when some critical tool or some key bit of information is required, they instinctively turn to IHRSA. Read More...
IHRSA Releases Health Club Equipment Report: Spending, Utilization & Programming Trends
Posted: June 30, 2016 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association released the IHRSA Health Club Equipment Report: Spending, Utilization & Programming Trends, sponsored by Precor. The report provides insights on health club equipment practices, including space allocation, spending trends and utilization in training programs. Based on data gathered from more than 400 health and fitness facilities, the publication contains the most recent and complete equipment data in the club industry. Read More...
IHRSA 2016 Session Recordings Available Now for Download
Posted: June 20, 2016 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - There’s nothing worse than the dreaded commute to work—especially for fitness professionals. You’re excited to get to the club and start another day of doing what you love, but first you have to sit in traffic or deal with crowds on public transit. It’s an unavoidable waste of time. But it doesn’t have to be. All IHRSA 2016 session MP3 audio recordings are now available for download in the IHRSA Store. Read More...
Two Worthy Recipients Awarded Scholarships to the IHRSA Institute
Posted: June 6, 2016 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - IHRSA, The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association announced the recipients of two scholarships to attend the IHRSA Institute August 2 - 5 at The University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School in Chapel Hill. This year’s scholarship recipients are Azeza Tessereau, General Manager at Wellbridge Athletic Club and Spa located in Town and Country, Missouri and Brent Gallagher, Owner of Avenu Fitness & Lifestyle located in Houston, Texas. Read More...
New Federal Overtime Rules Released
Posted: May 26, 2016 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published new federal rules on overtime. The new rules, a response to President Obama’s directive to update regulations for the Fair Labor Standards Act, which were last updated in 2004, go into effect on December 1, 2016. The rules amend what is known as the White Collar Exemption for certain workers that have historically been excluded from overtime protections. These workers are described in the regulations as “Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales and Computer Employees.” Read More...
Global Fitness Industry Records Another Year of Growth
Posted: May 25, 2016 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) announced the release of The 2016 IHRSA Global Report: The State of the Health Club Industry. An IHRSA bestseller, the report provides a comprehensive overview of the health club industry worldwide. In 2015, global health club industry revenue totaled $81 billion, as 151.5 million members visited nearly 187,000 clubs. Read More...
IHRSA Report: Health Clubs Saw 5.3% Revenue Growth from 2013 to 2014
Posted: May 16, 2016 in IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - Overall, health clubs posted revenue growth of 5.3% from 2013 to 2014, according to the 2015 IHRSA Profiles of Success report. Multipurpose and independent clubs reported median retention rates of 69% and 79%, respectively. Fitness-only clubs reported a median net membership growth of 4.2%, while clubs part of a chain achieved a median net membership growth of 9.4%, the highest among all segments observed. Read More...
