The PAA brings multiple stakeholders in the physical activity community together to be impactful in policy, systems, and environmental change. It is tempting for the health and fitness club industry to feel like lonely warriors while fighting to get the 80% of the American population who are inactive active. The reality is that a legion…
BOSTON, MA—February 3, 2021—A high-level volunteer group of strategic thought leaders banded together to establish the Global Health & Fitness Alliance (GHFA). This alliance will support the growth and provide innovative solutions for the health and fitness industry. The GHFA’s overall mission is to: As the leading voice for the global health and fitness industry,…
BOSTON, MA—February 2, 2021—The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) announced a strategic partnership with REX Roundtables for Executives on various initiatives. The partnership aims to enhance the business, leadership, and management skill set of fitness industry owners and operators to strengthen the overall industry. “REX Roundtables is known for their expertise in bringing…
BOSTON, MA—January 28, 2021—The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) partnered with ChinaFit to commission an evaluation of the Chinese fitness industry. The comprehensive study was conducted by Deloitte, a leading global provider of audit and assurance, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, tax, and related services. The 2019-2020 China Health and Fitness Market White Paper focuses…
In cooperation with FitnessConnected, this event will strengthen learning and networking opportunities for the European health and fitness industry this November. As part of a newly agreed collaboration, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), the world’s only association representing the health and fitness industry, will hold the inaugural IHRSA SMART Summit conference as a concurrent…
The vaccine is key to returning the world to business as usual, but the effect will not be immediate. We will likely be dealing with COVID-19 restrictions, protocols, and effects throughout 2021. Within weeks of the emergence of COVID-19, scientists had already begun work on developing a vaccine. By fall, both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna’s vaccines were leading the…
BOSTON, MA—December 22, 2020—With what is potentially the most chaotic lame-duck session in U.S. history, the Health and Fitness Recovery Act of 2020 (H.R.8485) continues to pull in new sponsors. Currently, the bipartisan Health and Fitness Recovery Act has 22 sponsors from 12 states and D.C. The bill’s most recent sponsors include U.S. Reps. Brendan Boyle (D-PA),…
BOSTON, MA—December 21, 2020—The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) announced today that Jim Schmaltz will become the editor-in-chief of Club Business International (CBI), the association’s flagship monthly magazine, effective with the January 2021 issue. “We are thrilled to welcome Jim in a leadership role to our editorial team,” said Jay Ablondi, IHRSA’s publisher and executive vice…
Health professionals who sign the “Medical Endorsement of Exercise & Lifestyle Medicine” letter affirm “[health] clubs provide a place for our patients to work on their physical and mental health and experience much-needed socialization in a safe, controlled environment.” Decisions about COVID-19 must be based on facts and evidence. Research and data are increasingly demonstrating…
Medical and public health experts speak on the critical need to keep gyms open. Lawmakers loosen restrictions on health and fitness clubs. From the start of the pandemic, lawmakers depicted health clubs in a negative light and the public’s perception of clubs turned dismissive. Since then, the health and fitness industry has been fiercely advocating…
BOSTON, MA—December 17, 2020—The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) has released the 2020 IHRSA Health Club Consumer Report. This year’s report, sponsored by ClubReady, discusses health club member growth and trends over the past decade, along with the impact of the pandemic on fitness consumers. Based on a nationwide sample of more than 18,000 interviews,…
IHRSA launches the Active & Safe Commitment at a time when exercise is more important than ever to global health. IHRSA has launched the Active & Safe Commitment, an initiative to reaffirm the health club industry’s unyielding dedication to safety at this time when exercise has never been more important to global health. Developed by industry…