10th Annual IHRSA Summit for a Healthier America

May 1-2, 2012 | Washington, DC | Top of the Hill Conference Center

Working Together for a Healthier America

Our nation needs you to exercise your rights and lobby Congress for a healthier America and a prosperous fitness industry. IHRSA and fitness professionals from across the country just concluded a two-day event in our nation's capital, at the only national lobbying event for the fitness industry. The 2012 Summit was sponsored by the companies noted below, and we gratefully acknowledge their support:



You need to be visible to get lawmakers to focus on your issues. What I have found, in my 25+ years in Washington, is that legislators truly want your information, and they want you to explain the issues to them. They want to be responsive and they come here to get things done. So come talk to them!
- Mary Matalin , Political Commentator & Previous Keynote Speaker


Event Overview

When you read about the obesity epidemic, rising health care costs, and preventable chronic diseases . . . do you wish that our nation's policymakers could hear about the impact your club is having on your community?  Do you wish they knew about the lives that are being transformed at your facility? You have a powerful story to tell, and this is the time to tell it.

  • Come together with other club operators and industry professionals to explore the opportunities for your club, your community and the country as we present the fitness industry as part of a broad community dedicated to healthy lifestyles and primary prevention.
  • Be present at the start of a powerful grassroots movement which aims to save lives, encourage increased individual responsibility, increase worker productivity, and lower spiraling health care costs. 
  • Bring our message and vision to legislators about the vital solution YOU provide for one the greatest problems facing the country.


What IHRSA Supports

IHRSA and the fitness industry support Senate Resolution 97 and the following bills, all of which would generate tangible health benefits for all Americans by way of primary prevention and healthy lifestyle promotion.

Bills to Promote Healthy Living for Kids & Families

  • The Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act: The PHIT Act allows for expenditures for physical fitness programs and exercise equipment to be payable out of certain pre-tax health investment accounts. Consumers with these spending and savings accounts can currently pay for prescription drugs and doctor visits with pre-tax dollars. This would be a positive step towards covering the costs of preventative measures as well.
  • 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.

Bill 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.

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 of this year, the Senate unanimously approved Senate Resolution 97. This relolution 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 in March 2011. 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 the entire industry can get behind.


Testimonials

You're in a great business at the right time. A sedentary lifestyle is a recipe for failing. You've got to be physically active to experience all of the joys of life. The WHIP Act is designed to encourage people to exercise and lead healthier lifestyles by offering them financial incentives to do so. It makes economic sense because Medicare costs would go down, Medicaid costs would go down, and workplace productivity would increase.
- Congressman Zach Wamp (R-TN), Leading WHIP Act Supporter

I believe we in the fitness industry have a responsibility to provide leadership in the fight against obesity and other lifestyle related diseases. It is incumbent upon us to trumpet that message of wellness to all those whose decisions impact the lives of our fellow citizens.
 - Roland Brown, CEO of Concierge Fitness

What we should be doing is providing real encouragement-financial incentives-so that Americans will take better care of themselves. A lot of people know that they need to be healthy, but require a little push. The WHIP Act would give them the chance to enjoy the benefits of belonging to a health club, which is in the best interest of both the employee and the employer.
- Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee