Global Alliance Forms to Foster Health & Fitness Worldwide

SOURCE: International Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA)

The Global Health & Fitness Alliance strives to promote the industry’s vital contributions to overall health, promote regulations that support health and fitness businesses, and more.

BOSTON, MA—February 4, 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:

• Position the health and fitness industry as a key contributor in the preventive healthcare continuum.
• Promote the industry’s vital contributions to the health, wellbeing, and prosperity of societies.
• Facilitate credible third-party evidence-based research on the health benefits and economic contributions of the health and fitness industry.
• Promote policies, standards, and regulations that support health and fitness business operations.

As the leading voice for the global health and fitness industry, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) formed the GHFA to create universal policies and initiatives for health and fitness. To support the GHFA and its mission, IHRSA is committed to:

• Allocate staff resources to support the alliance, including facilitating meetings as needed.
• Establish and administer a dedicated fund for any monies raised by the GHFA to fund its initiatives.
• Establish regular communication for the GHFA and act as a clearinghouse for collaboration and sharing of resources.

"Whether it's uniting the industry behind the Active and Safe Commitment, or bringing the best minds together to confront industry challenges, the establishment of the GHFA is another example of demonstrated global leadership by IHRSA," said Greg Oliver, CEO and managing director of Fitness & Lifestyle Group.

The GHFA has four objectives for the next year:

1. Contribute towards the achievements of the World Health Organization’s Global Action Plan on Physical Activity (GAPPA), and ensure that health clubs are a key driver to the solution.
2. Identify research objectives, resources, and partners needed to achieve research outcomes and other initiatives.
3. Secure funding to carry out initiatives.
4. Complement IHRSA and the fitness industry’s cooperative efforts to work with national and local alliances, industry coalitions, and other industry stakeholders.

More than 80 health clubs, suppliers, national industry associations, and other fitness industry stakeholders across North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific have volunteered to participate. View the entire list of volunteers. To learn more about the GHFA, contact ghfa@ihrsa.org.

About IHRSA

IHRSA, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, is a not-for-profit trade association representing the global fitness industry of over 200,000 health and fitness facilities and their suppliers.

IHRSA maintains a leadership role in advancing physical activity, which is critical to peak health and fight the battle against obesity and chronic lifestyle disease. As one of the world's leading authorities on the commercial health club industry, IHRSA’s mission is to grow, promote, and protect the health and fitness industry, while providing its members with benefits and resources. IHRSA and its members are devoted to making the world happier, healthier, and more prosperous through regular exercise and activity promotion.