Wouldn’t it be nice if our industry, rather than addressing threats to our business, could focus primarily on building our collective brand? If we could operate with a single purpose––that of sharing the value of club membership and the benefits of regular exercise?

IHRSA’s longstanding mission has been “to grow, protect, and promote the health and fitness industry, and provide its members with benefits that will help them be more successful.” It has fulfilled its commitment admirably. Without question, the association has been remarkably successful at protecting the industry from unfavorable legislation; promoting helpful legislation; and defending clubs from unfair taxes and ill-advised initiatives.

Recently however, there’s been renewed discussion among a number of industry veterans regarding the desire for IHRSA to devote even more attention to efforts to “grow” and “promote” our industry––in essence, to expand it by highlighting the many positive aspects of health and fitness, and by allocating resources to support the effort.

Of course, it goes without saying that challenges and threats will continue to arise, and that, with IHRSA’s strong support, skirmishes and battles will have to be waged and won. Like those of us who operate clubs on a day-to-day basis, the association must continue to build and battle at the same time. Collectively, we simply don’t enjoy the luxury of doing one or the other, exclusively.

This dynamic, this paradigm, is hardly new. In the Old Testament, the prophet Nehemiah (Chapter 4: 17-18) describes the challenges faced by the people of Judea, who, while struggling to protect their city were, at the same time, striving to construct a more secure future. “Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon. As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeter stood near me.”

It’s safe to say that our industry will probably never be free of the need for IHRSA to serve on our behalf in both a defensive and offensive capacity. Perhaps now, though, is the time for IHRSA to become even more proactive, and to aggressively promote our “big, hairy, audacious goal” (BHAG)—that of having our industry recognized as the primary solution to the physical inactivity epidemic.

Let’s all sound the public-policy trumpet to generate more momentum around this common cause … while keeping our swords handy for the conflicts that will inevitably come.