Tivity Health
A United States health-services company that administers fitness, wellness, nutrition, and digital health programs, with a strong focus on older adults.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Tivity Health is a United States health-services company headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee, with an additional campus in Chandler, Arizona. Its business is centered on administering and supporting fitness, wellness, health-improvement, and behavior-change programs rather than operating as a conventional hospital system or medical-device manufacturer. The company primarily serves health plans, employers, public-sector organizations, and other institutional clients that sponsor benefits for members or employees. The company was established in 1981 as American Healthways. It changed its name to Healthways in 2003 and spent much of the following decade expanding its portfolio of population-health and wellness services. Its acquisitions included Axia Health Management in 2006, bringing the SilverSneakers and QuitNet businesses into its portfolio, HealthHonors in 2009, and Navvis & Company in 2011. Healthways also developed or operated community-wellness initiatives, financial-wellness programming, lifestyle-management services, and Well-Being Improvement Centers. These activities reflected a broad strategy of helping organizations influence health behavior, improve prevention, and manage the health of defined populations. SilverSneakers became the company’s best-known offering. The program provides participating older adults with access to fitness facilities, classes, digital resources, and community-based activity opportunities through eligible health-plan arrangements. Its emphasis on accessible exercise and social engagement has made it a central component of Tivity Health’s identity. Other offerings include Prime Fitness, which supports fitness access and wellness for employer and other member populations; WholeHealth Living, which addresses complementary and whole-person health services; and Burnalong, a digital health and wellness platform acquired in 2023. Tivity Health underwent a significant strategic transition during the middle of the 2010s. In 2016, Healthways divested MeYou Health and sold its brand name and a substantial portion of its business to Sharecare. The remaining company adopted the Tivity Health name in 2017. The rebrand marked a move toward a more focused portfolio of fitness, wellness, and health-improvement services, with SilverSneakers serving as the anchor brand. In 2019, Tivity Health acquired Nutrisystem, a consumer nutrition and weight-management business that included the South Beach Diet brand. The transaction temporarily expanded Tivity Health beyond its core institutional fitness and wellness programs into direct-to-consumer nutrition. Dawn Zier, Nutrisystem’s chief executive, became Tivity Health’s president and chief operating officer after the combination. Tivity Health later agreed to sell the Nutrisystem business to Kainos Capital, completing the divestiture in 2020 and returning the company’s focus toward fitness and wellness services. The company experienced additional leadership changes in 2020. Donato J. Tramuto departed as chief executive officer and left the board, Robert J. Greczyn Jr. served as interim chief executive during the search process, and Richard Ashworth became president and chief executive officer effective June 1, 2020. Tivity Health was acquired by Stone Point Capital in a transaction valued at approximately $2 billion in cash, completed in June 2022. Following the acquisition, it became privately held. The company subsequently expanded its digital capabilities by acquiring Burnalong in January 2023. In July 2023, Hill Ferguson was appointed president and chief executive officer. In December 2024, Tivity Health announced Caroline Khalil and Natasha Deckmann as presidents. Its present positioning is as a specialized administrator and platform provider for fitness, wellness, and healthy-aging benefits, particularly those connected with Medicare-related and employer-sponsored populations.
History
Tivity Health traces its origins to 1981, when it was founded as American Healthways. The company initially developed health-improvement and disease-management services for organizations seeking to influence the health behavior and outcomes of defined populations. In 2003, it changed its name to Healthways, reflecting a broader health-services identity. During the 2000s and early 2010s, Healthways expanded through acquisitions, partnerships, and internally developed programs. In 2006, it acquired Axia Health Management, whose portfolio included SilverSneakers and QuitNet. SilverSneakers, in particular, became an important platform for delivering fitness access and activity programs to older adults through health-plan relationships. In 2009, Healthways acquired HealthHonors, a company associated with behavioral economics, incentives, and behavior-change science. The transaction complemented Healthways’ interest in encouraging healthier conduct through structured programs and rewards. Healthways also pursued community and lifestyle initiatives. In 2010, it partnered with Blue Zones to help develop and support a national movement aimed at improving community health and well-being. In 2011, Healthways acquired Navvis & Company. The company later entered an exclusive agreement with The Lampo Group to deliver the CORE Financial Wellness program as part of its Well-Being Improvement Solution, and it contracted with physician Dean Ornish to operate and license Lifestyle Management Programs. By 2014, the company operated eight Well-Being Improvement Centers in the United States and three international facilities. The company faced strategic and governance changes during this period. North Tide Capital began investing in Healthways in 2011 and increased its shareholding in December 2013 while proposing additional board representation. Thomas Cigarran, the company’s founder and chief executive, resigned in February 2014. Healthways subsequently engaged J.P. Morgan Securities as an adviser during a period of board and strategic review. The company later narrowed its scope. In 2016, it divested MeYou Health and sold its brand name and a substantial portion of its business to Sharecare. In 2017, the remaining business was rebranded Tivity Health. The new identity emphasized fitness, wellness, and health-improvement services, with SilverSneakers as its most recognizable offering. Tivity Health continued to provide programs through health plans, employers, and other institutional purchasers, rather than relying solely on individual consumer subscriptions. A major diversification occurred in 2019, when Tivity Health acquired Nutrisystem, a nutrition and weight-management company that included the South Beach Diet brand. The deal brought a direct-to-consumer nutrition business into the company and led to the appointment of Nutrisystem chief executive Dawn Zier as Tivity Health’s president and chief operating officer. The nutrition strategy was subsequently reversed: in October 2020, Tivity Health agreed to sell the Nutrisystem business to Kainos Capital. This divestiture returned the company’s emphasis to fitness, wellness, and services delivered through institutional channels. Leadership changed again in 2020. Donato J. Tramuto left the chief executive position and resigned from the board. Director Robert J. Greczyn Jr. served as interim chief executive while the company conducted a search, and Richard Ashworth became president and chief executive officer effective June 1, 2020. Tivity Health was acquired by private-equity firm Stone Point Capital in a transaction valued at approximately $2 billion in cash. The acquisition was completed in June 2022, ending the company’s status as a publicly traded enterprise and making it privately held. In January 2023, Tivity Health acquired Burnalong, adding a digital health and wellness platform to its existing portfolio. Hill Ferguson became president and chief executive officer in July 2023. In December 2024, the company appointed Caroline Khalil and Natasha Deckmann as presidents. Its documented business portfolio includes SilverSneakers, Prime Fitness, WholeHealth Living, and Burnalong, supporting fitness access, healthy aging, digital engagement, and broader wellness programs.
- 2023
Burnalong acquired
[1]Tivity Health acquired Burnalong, a digital health and wellness platform.
- 2022
Acquisition by Stone Point Capital completed
[1]Stone Point Capital completed its approximately $2 billion all-cash acquisition of Tivity Health, taking the company private.
- 2020
Nutrisystem sold to Kainos Capital
[1]The company agreed to sell its nutrition business to Kainos Capital.
- 2019
Nutrisystem acquisition
[1]Tivity Health acquired Nutrisystem, including the South Beach Diet brand, expanding into nutrition and weight management.
- 2017
Rebrand to Tivity Health
[1]Healthways adopted the Tivity Health name and focused its identity on fitness, wellness, and health-improvement services.
- 2016
Portfolio divestitures
[1]Healthways divested MeYou Health and sold its brand name and a substantial portion of its business to Sharecare.
- 2011
Acquisition of Navvis & Company
[1]Healthways acquired Navvis & Company as part of its expansion in health-improvement services.
- 2010
Blue Zones partnership
[1]Healthways and Blue Zones partnered on initiatives intended to improve community health and well-being.
- 2009
Acquisition of HealthHonors
[1]Healthways acquired HealthHonors, adding behavioral-economics and incentive-based behavior-change capabilities.
- 2006
Acquisition of Axia Health Management
[1]Healthways acquired Axia Health Management, bringing SilverSneakers and QuitNet into its portfolio.
Products and positioning
A specialized health-services platform focused on accessible fitness, wellness, healthy aging, and behavior change, with particular strength in programs serving older adults and institutional health-plan populations.
Senior fitness and healthy-aging program
SilverSneakers
SilverSneakers is Tivity Health’s signature fitness program for older adults. Delivered through participating health-plan arrangements, it can provide access to fitness facilities, exercise classes, community-based activity, and digital resources. The program is designed to lower barriers to physical activity while also supporting social connection and routine engagement. It is principally associated with Medicare-related and other older-adult benefit populations and remains the most visible brand in Tivity Health’s portfolio.
Employer and member fitness program
Prime Fitness
Prime Fitness is a fitness-access and wellness offering intended for employer, health-plan, and other member populations. It connects eligible participants with participating fitness locations and related resources. The service extends Tivity Health’s institutional-benefit model beyond its older-adult focus and is positioned as a practical way for organizations to make exercise access available to a broad membership base.
Whole-person and complementary health services
WholeHealth Living
WholeHealth Living represents Tivity Health’s broader whole-person wellness offering. It is associated with complementary and integrative health services and supports organizations seeking to include wellness resources beyond conventional gym access. The offering fits the company’s wider emphasis on preventive health, lifestyle support, and services that can be incorporated into employer or health-plan programs.
Digital health and wellness platform
Burnalong
Burnalong is a digital health and wellness platform acquired by Tivity Health in 2023. Its addition strengthened the company’s digital delivery capabilities and broadened the ways members can access wellness content and health-related programming. Burnalong complements Tivity Health’s facility-based and community-oriented services by supporting remote participation and digitally enabled engagement.
Nutrition and weight-management business
Nutrisystem
Nutrisystem was a nutrition and weight-management business acquired by Tivity Health in 2019. The transaction also brought the South Beach Diet brand into the company. Nutrisystem expanded Tivity Health into consumer nutrition, but the business was sold to Kainos Capital in 2020 and is no longer part of the documented Tivity Health portfolio.
Marketing campaigns
- 2010Blue Zones community well-being partnership
United States
Healthways and Blue Zones worked together to create and support a national movement focused on improving community health and well-being. The initiative reflected Healthways’ interest in applying lifestyle and environmental approaches beyond individual health-plan programs.
Outcome. The partnership was documented as a community-health initiative; a quantified outcome is not specified in the available material.
Brand decisions
2023
Acquisition of BurnalongM&ABackground
Tivity Health sought to strengthen its digital health and wellness capabilities and complement facility-based fitness programs.
Action taken
The company acquired Burnalong, a digital health and wellness platform.
Aftermath
Burnalong expanded Tivity Health’s digital delivery and engagement capabilities.
2022
Acquisition by Stone Point CapitalM&ABackground
Tivity Health was acquired in the context of a transition from public ownership to private-equity ownership.
Action taken
Stone Point Capital completed an all-cash acquisition of Tivity Health.
Aftermath
The transaction, reported at approximately $2 billion in cash, made Tivity Health a privately held company.
Transaction value. $2 billion in cash (Acquisition completed June 2022)
2020
Divestiture of Nutrisystem businessStrategyBackground
The company reconsidered its expansion into consumer nutrition after acquiring Nutrisystem the previous year.
Action taken
Tivity Health agreed to sell the Nutrisystem business to Kainos Capital.
Aftermath
The divestiture narrowed the portfolio and reinforced the company’s emphasis on fitness, wellness, and institutional health-benefit services.
2019
Acquisition of NutrisystemM&ABackground
Tivity Health sought to expand beyond institutional fitness and wellness services into consumer nutrition and weight management.
Action taken
Tivity Health acquired Nutrisystem, including the South Beach Diet brand.
Aftermath
The nutrition business was later sold to Kainos Capital in 2020, returning Tivity Health’s strategic focus toward fitness and wellness services.
2017
Rebrand from Healthways to Tivity HealthStrategyBackground
Following the 2016 sale of its brand name and a substantial portion of its business to Sharecare, the company needed a new corporate identity and a more focused strategic presentation.
Action taken
The company adopted the Tivity Health name and emphasized fitness, wellness, and health-improvement services.
Aftermath
The rebrand established the identity used by the company’s current portfolio, including SilverSneakers, Prime Fitness, and WholeHealth Living.
Recent events
Kainos Capital completes Nutrisystem acquisition[2]
Reported:
Kainos Capital completed its acquisition of Nutrisystem from Tivity Health for $575 million. MSD Partners' Private Capital Group partnered with Kainos in the transaction through a preferred and common equity investment.
Tivity Health appoints Richard Ashworth president and CEO[3]
Reported:
Tivity Health announced that its board appointed Richard Ashworth president and chief executive officer, effective June 1, and that he would also serve on the company's board.
Sources3 sources
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