IHRSA, the international trade association for health club operators, has created two groups, the National Health & Fitness Alliance as well as the Medical, Science, and Health Advisory Council, it announced this month.
The National Health & Fitness Alliance is a reworking of the organization’s Industry Leadership Council (ILC) into what IHRSA called “a stronger, broader-based alliance that represents the entire health and fitness industry.”
The National Health & Fitness Alliance will contribute and raise funds to support and pay for the legal, lobbying and advocacy efforts of IHRSA in the United States. The group will also work with the state alliances that formed since the gym shutdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The goal of IHRSA’s Medical, Science and Health Advisory Council is “to protect public safety while improving population health and individual health risks, and advance the health and fitness industry,” IHRSA shared.
In that role, members of the council will advise and support IHRSA’s executive staff and board of directors on current research and science.
Council members will look at ways to measure the impact that exercise has on improving population health. They also will promote health safety and efficacy in a variety of ways including through media interviews, writing articles and speaking to legislators.
IHRSA is seeking qualified individuals to be members of the council with expertise in one or more of the following areas: medicine, public health, exercise science, exercise physiology, medical wellness, fitness, nutrition, behavior change, psychology and epidemiology. To suggest a potential member, email [email protected].