Gale Landers Selected for HFA Hall of Fame Induction in March 2026

Gale Landers, founder and CEO of Fitness Formula Clubs (FFC) in Chicago, has been selected as an inductee for 2026 to the Health & Fitness Hall of Fame. Landers will be inducted as part of the HFA Hall of Fame’s second class during a ceremony on March 15, 2026, in San Diego, held in conjunction with The HFA Show.

Landers’ selection is due to his decades-long advocacy on behalf of the fitness industry, his leadership within HFA, and his and his visionary leadership in developing an award-winning network of 10 premium health and wellness clubs serving both residential and employment markets across Chicagoland.

He joins Les Mills founder Phillip Mills and fitness icons Jack and Elaine LaLanne in the 2026 class. Additional inductees will be announced in the coming weeks.

“Gale Landers has been a driving force behind some of the most impactful advocacy efforts in our industry,” said HFA President and CEO Liz Clark. “From leading the HFA board to chairing the National Health & Fitness Alliance (NHFA), Gale has consistently stepped up to serve, guide, and elevate the fitness industry. His tireless work—from shaping national policy to mentoring state coalitions—has left an indelible mark. We’re proud to induct him into the HFA Hall of Fame in recognition of his extraordinary leadership, vision, and unwavering commitment to our mission.”

Landers has served on the HFA board twice, including a term as board president in 2000. He helped steer the association toward a stronger advocacy focus and guided Clark during her early tenure.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he co-founded the Illinois Fitness Alliance to support local club operators and shared the group’s strategic playbook with leaders of other state alliances. He worked closely with US Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) and US Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) to introduce the GYMS Act, aimed at supporting fitness businesses in the wake of pandemic-related closures.

Landers remains a regular participant in HFA’s annual Fly-In and Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC, where industry leaders gather to meet with federal legislators to advocate for legislation friendly to the industry, such as the PHIT Act.

In 2023, Landers was named HFA Advocate of the Year.

Reflecting on the honor, Landers said, “From the beginning, my vision for Fitness Formula Clubs was to inspire people to live stronger, healthier, and more connected lives. This recognition reflects the incredible commitment of the FFC team and the communities we’ve built together. I’m humbled and inspired—and optimistic about the bright future of our industry.”

Landers’ impact extends beyond HFA. He is a board member of the 11-1-02 Foundation and a past board member of the Chicago Sports Commission and he has been inducted into the Chicago Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame. He is a member of the 1974 Hall of Fame baseball team at Western Illinois University.  Landers was also part of the undefeated 1970 football team at Ottawa High School (IL), which was inducted into the school’s hall of fame a few years ago.  In 2024 he founded the FFC Cares Foundation.

At FFC, Landers pioneered a “hub and spoke” strategy beginning in 1994, launching the first location in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood. From there, he expanded into the downtown ‘Loop’ and built a network of clubs that follows the transit lines around the business district and extend into the suburbs.

The HFA Hall of Fame honors individuals who have elevated the association and the industry, set new standards for leadership, and advanced the mission of improving physical and mental health through fitness. The inaugural class, inducted in 2025, included Dr. Kenneth Cooper, Rick Caro, Red Lerille, Julie Main, John McCarthy, and Augie Nieto.

Tickets to the induction ceremony are $250 and can be added during registration for The HFA Show. Proceeds benefit the HFA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charity supporting health through exercise.

For more information or to register, visit healthandfitness.org/show.