A co-founder of IHRSA, the precursor to Health & Fitness Association, Rick Caro was part of the first class of inductees into the The HFA Hall of Fame. Caro’s career spanned more than 50 years, and until he passed away on August 30, 2025, he remained an essential force in the industry, serving as mentor…
Julie Main served as the second female board president on the HFA board of directors. She is part of the first class of inductees into the The HFA Hall of Fame. Julie Main Most people enter the fitness industry to make a difference in people’s lives. Julie Main shared that commitment even when her own life…
The co-founder of industry mainstay Life Fitness, Augie Nieto is part of the first class of inductees into the The HFA Hall of Fame. Augie Nieto Augie Nieto was only 19 years old when he took a risk that seemed like something only a young man in the folly of youth would attempt. He and…
For 25 years, John McCarthy led the growth of the trade association for commercial clubs, and, really, the entire fitness industry. He is part of the first class of inductees into the The HFA Hall of Fame. John McCarthy grew up in Chicago and was a standout basketball player for the University of Notre Dame….
For years, Shama Hyder, founder and CEO of Zen Media, has been a leader in helping business operators with their social media, B2B marketing, and the incorporation of artificial intelligence into operations. She is also a keynote speaker in high demand, having spoken in more than 24 countries for brands like NASA, Yale, and Disney….
Reducing financial barriers to fitness through public policy interventions or investments can help address the global physical inactivity crisis, according to new research from the Health & Fitness Association (HFA) and the Global Health & Fitness Alliance (GHFA), conducted in collaboration with Portas Consulting. Despite the rise of high-value, low-priced (HVLP) facilities, affordability remains a…
As 2025 begins, health and fitness are taking center stage in Americans’ New Year’s resolutions. Sixty percent of U.S. adults plan to set resolutions this year, and health, fitness, or exercise is the most popular focus, according to the 2025 Fitness Resolutions survey by the Health & Fitness Association (HFA). Approximately 96 million U.S. adults…
Alex Rodriguez, former Major League Baseball star and current chairman and CEO of A-Rod Corp, is set to deliver the last-day keynote, “Mindset of a Champion: Success Across Sectors,” at The HFA Show, taking place March 12-14 at Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas. The keynote is sponsored by ABC Fitness. Through his company A-Rod Corp,…
If there’s one constant in the global fitness industry, it’s nonstop change. While technology, product design, and other innovations continue to revitalize much of the industry’s equipment and services, consumer trends follow their own patterns, broadening participation among different demographics, while expanding the choices consumers demand when managing their own fitness and wellness. The Health…
The fitness industry in 2024 was all about momentum. It began January 4 when 100+ industry leaders, including Health & Fitness Association (HFA) President and CEO Liz Clark, rang the opening bell at Nasdaq in New York City to kick off “The Year of Fitness.” Then, throughout the year, signs kept emerging to support this optimistic…
The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) secured several protections for U.S. fitness facility operators in the Negative Option Rule, otherwise known as “click-to-cancel,” which the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) finalized on October 16. However, some challenges remain for small business operators. The rule requires businesses offering goods or services with recurring payments — such as…
Average monthly fitness facility dues in the United States rose 9% in 2023 to $65 per month, but that increase did not seem to affect U.S. memberships, which reached an all-time high of 72.9 million, according to the 2024 U.S. Health & Fitness Consumer Report. Data from the report, which was commissioned by the Health &…