Health & Fitness Association to Induct Jack and Elaine LaLanne Into HFA Hall of Fame

WASHINGTON, DC-October 6, 2025-The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) will induct Jack and Elaine LaLanne into the Health & Fitness Hall of Fame on March 15, 2026, in San Diego prior to The HFA Show. The couple is being honored for their lifelong dedication to promoting exercise and nutrition, joining fellow inductee Phillip Mills, founder of Les Mills, who was announced previously.

Additional inductees for the 2026 class will be announced in the coming weeks.

"Jack and Elaine LaLanne are legends-not just in fitness but also in the way they inspired generations to live with energy, purpose, and joy," said HFA President and CEO Liz Clark. "We're thrilled to welcome them into the HFA Hall of Fame. Their impact on our industry is immeasurable, and this honor is a tribute to the movement they started and the lives they've transformed."

Jack's journey began at age 15 after he heard a nutrition lecture that sparked his commitment to healthy living. In 1936, he opened what many consider the first health club and developed several fitness machines still in use today. His nationally syndicated TV show "Jack LaLanne Show," which debuted in 1951, brought exercise into American homes and helped shift public attitudes toward fitness.

Elaine, Jack's wife and business partner, played a vital role in expanding their message. She co-hosted his TV programs and infomercials, managed product development and licensing for their company, and authored books like "Fitness After 50." Today, she continues to share their legacy and message about healthy living through her LaLanne Pass It On podcast.

Jack passed away in 2011 at age 96.

Elaine, who will turn 100 just days after the ceremony, said: "I am extremely honored and humbled to be inducted alongside my husband, Jack LaLanne, into the Health & Fitness Hall of Fame. His TV show helped inspire people to get off their seat and onto their feet, work out, and get into a gym. We spent our lives helping people to help themselves. What he proclaimed in the late 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s is standard today. It is wonderful to see that legacy passed on and continue to inspire others. To be honored alongside Jack is deeply meaningful."

The HFA Hall of Fame recognizes individuals whose contributions have elevated the association and industry's profiles, set new standards for excellence in leadership, and supported the industry's commitment to improved physical and mental health for all.

The inaugural class-which was composed of Dr. Kenneth Cooper, Rick Caro, Red Lerille, Julie Main, John McCarthy, and Augie Nieto-was inducted in March during The HFA Show 2025 in Las Vegas.

A new class will be inducted each year, based on the following criteria:

• Health and fitness business community leaders who have invented, innovated, created, and grown services, products, and programs that have shaped the industry;
• Those who have expanded the industry over time and its impact around the world and/or driven key development and improvement of the association over time;
• Exceptional advocates whose message has resonated with non-governmental organizations and government officials on behalf of association and industry goals; or,
• Seminal industry, academic, and allied organization leaders as determined by the Hall of Fame selection committee.

Tickets to the HFA Hall of Fame induction ceremony are available for $250 and can be added during The HFA Show registration process. Proceeds from the tickets go to the HFA Foundation, a 501(c)3 public charity that works to support health through exercise.

For more information about the HFA Hall of Fame and to register for The HFA Show 2026, visit healthandfitness.org/show.