Fitness industry leaders showed up to Washington, D.C., in bigger numbers than ever before to push for passage of the PHIT Act and speak with members of Congress on topics such as tariffs and the FTC’s upcoming “click-to-cancel” rule.
In total, 135 people attended the Health & Fitness Association’s fourth annual Fly-In and Advocacy Summit, held in Washington earlier this week. The event featured a full day of lobbying Wednesday on Capitol Hill, where fitness stakeholders including founders, C-suite executives and gym operators met with members of Congress and their staff.
The event stood as a powerful demonstration of the American fitness industry’s growing commitment to federal and state advocacy efforts, which comes as the Trump Administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement seemingly opens the door for fitness to become a bigger priority in Washington.
“We are here in our nation’s capital not as spectators – but as advocates,” HFA president and CEO Liz Clark said during the Summit’s opening remarks. “As business leaders; as employers; as health and wellness providers; as voices for millions of Americans who benefit from what this industry makes possible.”
During their meetings on the Hill, fitness industry stakeholders primarily pushed for passage of the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act.
The bill, which was re-introduced earlier this month and has bipartisan support, would amend the tax code to allow Americans to spend pre-tax healthcare dollars from health savings accounts (HSA) and flexible spending accounts (FSA) on fitness-related purchases like gym memberships and workout equipment, as well as youth sports-related purchases.
While the PHIT Act has been floating around in Congress for around two decades now, there’s a growing feeling that the bill has a chance to finally make it over the line this year. Some fitness industry leaders and political insiders believe the Trump Administration is willing to widen the conversation on what counts as preventive healthcare under the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, while the current budget reconciliation process presents an opportunity for more tax bills to get passed this year.
Clark said it’s the industry’s “best shot yet” at getting the PHIT Act over the line.
“There’s no better time to be in Washington than right now,” she said. “We are in the most pivotal moment this industry has ever had on Capitol Hill. As Congress considers tax and budget priorities, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to pass the PHIT Act – a bill that recognizes fitness as preventive health and lets Americans use pre-tax dollars to stay active.”
In their meetings with legislators, fitness executives argued that passing the PHIT Act would make fitness and youth sports more accessible to Americans, drawing the link between physical activity and preventive health.
According to HFA research, the PHIT Act could inspire up to 17 million more Americans to engage in structured fitness, and would save an estimated $12.2 billion in healthcare costs and generate up to $12.3 billion in additional consumer spending.
In total, fitness industry leaders met with more than 100 congressional offices on Wednesday; more than 20 of those meetings were with elected officials themselves. Members of HFA also met with the White House policy team to discuss the PHIT Act.
Tariffs, ‘Click-To-Cancel’ Highlighted as Key Issues
During their meetings, fitness industry stakeholders also discussed the evolving tariff situation with members of Congress and their staff, seeking to draw awareness to the negative effects President Trump’s plan could have on equipment suppliers, operators and American fitness enthusiasts.
They also spoke with Congress about the Federal Trade Commission’s upcoming “click-to-cancel” rule, which would make it easier for consumers to cancel paid subscriptions like gym memberships.
While industry sentiment is mixed as to the short- and long-term effects the click-to-cancel rule will have on gyms, HFA is pushing Congress to delay the rule’s implementation while the organization works on additional tweaks to the rule’s language to lower the burden on operators.
