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Federal Activity To Grow and Promote the Fitness Industry

 

IHRSA's Vision for a Healthier, More Prosperous America:

IHRSA and our members believe that any effort to rebuild America’s health and redesign the health system must include physical activity as a central and constant component. Regular physical activity, as a core component of prevention and health promotion will lead to a healthier, happier and more productive America, while reigning in sky rocketing health care costs. 

Changing the course of America’s health, requires the commitment of the government, employers, medical and public health professionals, insurance providers, schools, and each of us individually. Together, we must work together to create a culture and environment of wellness and to encourage Americans of all ages and physical conditions to exercise regularly as part of a healthy lifestyle. Read IHRSA's Vision for a Healthier America.

 

IHRSA Supports:

IHRSA and the fitness industry support the following bills, all of which would generate tangible health benefits for all Americans by way of primary prevention and healthy lifestyle promotion.

The WHIP Act to Improve Employee Health

  • The Workforce Health Improvement Program (WHIP) Act: The goal of the WHIP Act is to create a benefits system that offers the same benefit to employees who go to a fitness club as to those that work out at their office gym. The WHIP Act recognizes the important role fitness facilities play and will help increase memberships by eliminating tax and paperwork burdens.
  • Update: 10.4.11: IHRSA is pleased to announce that the Workforce Health Improvement Plan Act (WHIP Act) was introduced on October 4, 2011 in the Senate by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Tom Harkin (D-IA). “The WHIP Act is an important step in reversing the largely preventable health crisis that our country is facing through the promotion of physical activity and disease prevention,” said Sen. Cornyn. 

Bills to Promote Healthy Living for Kids & Families

  • The Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act: The PHIT Act allows individuals to pay for various physical activities, such as health club memberships, fitness programs and exercise equipment with pre-tax dollars from a tax-favored account. Consumers with these accounts can currently pay for prescription drugs and doctor visits. This would be a positive step towards covering the costs of preventative measures as well.
  • Update: 7.26.11: IHRSA is proud to announce that Congressman Kevin Brady (R-TX) introduced PHIT in the US house of Representatives. 
  • The PEP Act: PEP is a competitive grant program managed by the U.S. Department of Education.  PEP grants are awarded to schools and community based organizations that provide quality physical education/physical activity programs for America's youth. This funding is a top priority in order to provide quality physical education through schools and community based organizations.
  • Fit Kids Act: The Fitness Integrated with Teaching Kids Act (FIT Kids Act) supports quality physical education and activity for all public school children through grade 12 and ensures they receive important health and nutritional information.


A Bill to Update Physical Activity Guidelines

  • Consider the importance of setting goals and targets that help people and government policies to change. This country set National Physical Activity Guidelines several years ago to provide information and guidance on the types and amounts of physical activity that provide substantial health benefits for all Americans. We support measures that would require the government to revisit and update those guidelines on a regular basis.

A Resolution on the Importance of Physical Activity

  • In March, 2011, the Senate unanimously approved Senate Resolution 97. This resolution puts the goals and objectives on primary prevention in front of Congress and the American people. The Vision for a Healthier, More Prosperous America developed out of Senate Resolution 97, which was introduced and passed in the US Senate by unanimous consent. Galvanized by the support the US Senate is showing towards primary prevention and exercise, we have taken the resolution and simplified it into a unified game plan for the entire industry to get behind.

 

IHRSA Urges Congress to Uphold Disease Prevention 

Update: 1.13.11:  IHRSA, The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, is urging the new Congress to make disease prevention a major tenet of future health care legislation. Effective health care legislation that removes barriers to healthy lifestyle choices and supports the medical and business communities in efforts to engage individuals in health-promoting practices are the most cost-effective solutions for stemming the tide of obesity and chronic disease that consume the bulk of our nation’s health care spending.

Read the full press release here.