Health & Fitness Association to Induct Phillip Mills into the HFA Hall of Fame

WASHINGTON, DC-September 29, 2025-The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) has announced the first member of its second class of inductees into the Health & Fitness Hall of Fame.

Phillip Mills, founder of Les Mills International, will be among those recognized at a ceremony on Sunday, March 15, 2026, in San Diego.

This week, Mills will deliver the October 2 keynote at the 2025 HFA European Congress in Amsterdam. That address, "The Power of Reinvention: How Les Mills Shaped Group Exercise for Generations," is sponsored by Virtuagym.

"Phillip Mills exemplifies the kind of visionary leadership the HFA Hall of Fame was created to honor," said HFA President and CEO Liz Clark. "His pioneering work in group fitness has not only transformed how millions of people move, but also how they connect-with each other and with their own well-being. Phillip's global impact through Les Mills International continues to elevate our industry and inspire the next generation of fitness leaders."

From his early days in the 1980s when he introduced exercise to music and transformed a small Auckland, New Zealand, gym into a leading fitness chain, to revolutionizing the fitness industry with the creation of Bodypump in 1990, Mills has led a global movement. Les Mills International now operates the world's largest group fitness program with classes taught in 22,000 gyms across 120 countries.

Mills has won numerous honors, including induction into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame (2022) and Ernst & Young's NZ Entrepreneur of the Year. Read HFA's interview with Mills in the September issue of Health & Fitness Business.

"It's an incredible honor to be inducted into the HFA Hall of Fame alongside so many pioneers who've shaped our industry," said Mills. "From the early days in Auckland to building a global movement through Les Mills, I've always believed in the power of group fitness to transform lives. This recognition is a tribute to everyone who's joined me on that journey."

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.

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

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.