History, Leadership and Innovation
Fitness Formula, Ltd. began in 1984 when co-founders Gale Landers and the late Michael Gitlitz had a dream to start a company with the goal of developing, owning and managing premier health and fitness clubs. The principals of Fitness Formula currently hold an equity position in seven Chicago area facilities.
The company's leadership has brought success and now:
- Our network of urban and suburban health and fitness clubs operate under the brand name of Fitness Formula Clubs.
- Offers the MultiClub™ member reciprocity program for its network of regional locations.
- Is Chicagoland's largest privately owned reciprocal usage provider of health, fitness and wellness facilities.
- Employs more than 700 experienced and dedicated staff.
- Established partnership and medical sub-tenant affiliate relationships with Chicago's leading hospitals and physical therapy providers:
- Rush-Presbyterian St. Lukes Medical Center
- Northwestern Memorial Hospital
- Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
- HealthSouth Physical Therapy
- Company officers are active leaders in the industry. Gale Landers, President and CEO of Fitness Formula is a past President of the Board of Directors of the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA).
Several innovative firsts are part of our history:
- Popularized the current fitness trend of medical subtenants.
- First company to have an NBA team (Chicago Bulls) as a commercial fitness club tenant.
- First company to install "Fine-Tuned" running tracks in a commercial fitness club.
- Designed, built and pre-opened Chicagoland's first major hospital based facility, the Gottlieb Health and Fitness Center in Melrose Park, Illinois.
- First company to provide health and fitness management services via contract with the City of Chicago (Department on Aging).
- First place Association Tower Advertising Award for Direct Mail.
- Winner of the Silver Echo Award for Direct Mail.
- Developed the fully integrated corporate wellness and fitness programs, known as WellFit™, used by several Chicagoland companies.
- Winner of the 1998 IHRSA Fitness Director of the Year Award.
- Winner of the 2000 Outstanding Illinois Senior Center Program by the Association of Illinois Senior Centers.
- Third place in the 2000 IHRSA/KEISER 50+ Award for the Chicago Department on Aging Program.
- Winner of the 2001 IHRSA Fitness Director of the Year Award.
- Winner of the 2001 Harvard University "Innovations in American Government".
