Movement is Medicine

At MFA we believe that movement is medicine for the mind and body, but it is also how your business succeeds. Take a look at our resource library for business tips, Fitness resources and more.

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Big Step Forward for Michigan's Fitness/Wellness Profession!

Exciting news! MFA’s public education and political efforts pave the way for growth and innovation in the state’s fitness/wellness industry. At its fall conference, the a profession’setailed the profession’s path forward.

Michigan Fitness Association

Michigan Fitness Association received $8.5 million from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) with the intent of assisting Michigan-based fitness businesses like yours to promote health and well-being in your communities. Through this program, the MFA will provide Health and Wellness Enhancement Grants for MFA members in two rounds of grant awards.

The MFA completed the first round of grants in June 2024. To date, MFA awarded over $3.6 million to 280 MFA member gyms, studios, and fitness businesses!

Health & Wellness Enhancement Grant

Round 2 of Health & Wellness Enhancement Grant Now Open!

MFA is excited to share that the application process for Round 2 of the Health & Wellness Enhancement Grant is now open! The grant allows qualified Michigan-based fitness businesses to receive funds to enhance and promote health and wellness activities and programs. Businesses that received a grant in Round 1 are still eligible for a Round 2 grant. Additionally, non-members are eligible and encouraged to apply as well. The application process will close February 28, 2025.

Now is the best time to join to advance your business, your community, and your industry.

Challenges & Opportunities
of Anti-Obesity Drugs

Anti-obesity medications (like Ozempic) are quickly and dramatically shifting the way weight loss is approached. Lifestyle interventions involving calorie restriction and high-volume exercise, once viewed as primary tools to treat obesity, now seem inadequate next to these potent drugs. Furthermore, the oversimplified mantra of “eat less, move more” seems far less relevant given how these medications work.

As fitness professionals have been heavily involved in the “move more” part of that mantra, it is understandable why some in the industry view these medications as challenges to overcome rather than opportunities to embrace.

Integrating the Exercise Community into Healthcare Delivery Systems

Dr. Bantham is passionate about helping people live healthier, longer, more active lives. She is a bridge builder between the fitness industry and the medical and public health communities. Her most recent projects are at the intersection of health and healthcare, researching health system interventions to prevent chronic disease and improve the health and well-being of the communities they serve. She is the CEO/Founder at Move to Live®More

Our Team

Our amazing board and staff is committed to helping others. We take our passions and turn them into action.

Member Commitment

We vigorously advocate for, educate, and empower fitness professionals to ensure we are recognized as an essential provider in the healthcare delivery system.

Our Vision

Supporting a fitness industry that is viewed as a critical part of the state’s healthcare delivery system in an effort to transform Michigan into one of the healthiest states in the country.

"The Michigan Fitness Association is an invaluable resource to support the growth of individual fitness businesses, as well as the growth of the industry. So often, fitness business owners/operators feel like they’re on an island by themselves, trying to improve the health of their community. The MFA takes you off of that island, and surrounds you with other like-minded professionals that are trying to make the same difference in their communities around the state. Coming together under the umbrella of the MFA ensures we all have access to the resources and advocacy to grow the impact our industry has on the health of Michiganders."

The MFA Board is committed to advocating for all fitness businesses in Michigan and I am honored to lend my voice on behalf of mind body studios statewide so that there is representation for our unique business needs.

In any organization there is the glamorous side and the not so glamorous side. Advocacy/political involvement are under appreciated because the effect is not always immediate or visible. In the short time that the MFA has been in existence, we were very instrumental in getting health clubs reopened sooner versus later. We were added to SB 85 which allowed businesses to apply for property tax relief due to being closed during Covid. And we were awarded an $8.5M grant to promote health and wellness. All great achievements, but our work is not done. The next big threat is being required to allow member cancellations online. Our elected representatives do not understand our business and it is imperative that we speak in volume. Personal stories from voting members in their districts influence legislative decisions.