Publications

The Community Issue

This issue is dedicated to the emergence of fitness facilities as community hubs, both by fostering connections between members and by building alliances with local businesses and civic institutions. With 50% of adults reporting feelings of loneliness, according to a recent US government report, the need to bring people together has never been more urgent.

How Fitness Centers Can Help Solve the Loneliness Crisis: “Third places,” public and commercial spaces where social connections are made outside of work and home, gained importance after the isolation of the pandemic years. Here’s how operators are answering the call to provide these welcoming and safe spaces to their local populations.

Healthworks Community Fitness: Inside the Mission: The Boston-based nonprofit is redefining the role of gyms in fostering individual empowerment and community transformation.

Why Obesity Is a National Security Crisis: The Armed Forces are having difficulty finding recruits who qualify for the physical demands of serving. Enter the fitness industry, which is stepping up to help solve the problem within their communities.

The HFA Foundation’s Mission to Connect Fitness Centers With Local Communities: With a new board and ambitious agenda, the HFA Foundation will direct its resources to help fitness centers to serve as community hubs.

HFA Insider: The HFA Fly-In and Advocacy Summit on May 5-7 drew a record-breaking turnout.

Global Voices: The 2025 ChinaFit/HFA China Management Forum makes an early appearance in Beijing; New federations in Turkey and North Macedonia join the HFA’s global coalition.

From the Editor: Ties that bind

Letter from Liz: Focused on the long game

Membership: The annual World Wellness Weekend returns this September, and you are invited; PureGym, one of the global industry’s leading brands, officially joins HFA.

Advocacy: HFA asks the Trump administration to exclude fitness equipment from its tariff agenda.

Research: An important new study from HFA partners finds that supervised exercise therapy can save billions in healthcare costs; The HFA Research Team plans more groundbreaking projects for the remainder of 2025.

Q&A With Luke Carlson: The CEO of Discovery Strength and incoming HFA chair challenges the industry to prioritize evidence-based practices over market fads.

Best Practices: How to enhance employee engagement.

Partner News: The latest news from top suppliers.

Spotlight: The latest offering from a trusted HFA partner.