FitLinxx, the leading provider of electronic training systems and online resources for fitness and wellness, today announced a strategic alliance with HEALTHSOUTH Corporation , the nation's largest provider of outpatient and rehabilitative healthcare services. As part of the alliance, HEALTHSOUTH, which provides physical therapy services to over one million patients per year, is working with FitLinxx to transition patients from therapy to an ongoing exercise program at FitLinxx-equipped facilities. The companies will pilot this program in five cities in the coming months. In addition, the FitLinxx System has been installed at HEALTHSOUTH's flagship Birmingham, Alabama facility and a Virginia Beach, Virginia facility for use by patients during rehabilitation. HEALTHSOUTH has made an equity investment in FitLinxx as part of FitLinxx's recent Series C financing, which was announced by FitLinxx on June 27.

"Our alliance with FitLinxx is part of HEALTHSOUTH's commitment to apply new technology and the Internet to enhance our industry-leading position in healthcare services. We believe this is a great opportunity to extend HEALTHSOUTH's reach, expanding our continuum of care for patients beginning at the time of injury, continuing through recovery, and now extending to the health maintenance stage," said Richard M. Scrushy, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of HEALTHSOUTH. "Patients will be able to continue their recovery process more effectively after they leave our outpatient centers. FitLinxx-equipped fitness facilities will benefit from access to a stream of post-therapy patients, and HEALTHSOUTH will extend its relationship with patients, adds to its wellness services, and enhances its rapidly developing Internet programs.

"We believe that FitLinxx and its customers are uniquely capable of providing HEALTHSOUTH with access to a national network of facilities that can consistently deliver and monitor structured fitness programs for our patients," added Mr. Scrushy.

The first stage of the relationship between the companies includes an equity investment in FitLinxx by HEALTHSOUTH, the creation of several HEALTHSOUTH-certified programs to be deployed on the FitLinxx Network for patients leaving rehabilitation, installation of the FitLinxx System into HEALTHSOUTH facilities and the introduction of pilot programs in additional cities in the coming months.

"We are excited about working with HEALTHSOUTH," said Keith Camhi, CEO and Co-founder of FitLinxx, "because it provides us with an ideal opportunity to demonstrate the value of our Network to the healthcare community as a means to seamlessly extend the continuum of care to include wellness and exercise.

"This relationship with HEALTHSOUTH, with more than one million discharges per year, is a real win for our customers," added Mr. Camhi. "FitLinxx has long provided customers with a means to service and retain their members at levels far above industry norms. Now we are beginning to create partnerships that will drive significant new member attraction for these facilities as well. FitLinxx is committed to extend the healthcare continuum to include wellness by enabling health and fitness centers to deliver consistent, monitored exercise programs, both on-site and on-line. These exercise protocols are delivered via technology that tracks exercise performance and guides patients and members through their exercise prescriptions. The FitLinxx platform includes a patented sensor system that measures exercise performance, touch screen training partners that guide patients through their programs, a kiosk information center for in-facility communication, and an award winning web strategy that allows each FitLinxx-powered facility to have its own 'Clicks and Mortar' offering to better serve their members. This platform allows healthcare providers, such as HEALTHSOUTH, to partner with FitLinxx to continue to track patient performance and promote wellness services on a national level."

About FitLinxx:

FitLinxx is the leading provider of products and services to empower consumers to succeed with their fitness and wellness programs in fitness centers and on-line. The FitLinxx System, in fitness centers, provides an electronic personal training system that enables members of FitLinxx-equipped facilities to follow recommended exercise protocols, receive instant training feedback on strength and cardiovascular machines, and easily measure their progress through access to their exercise data. FitLinxx Online (http://www.fitlinxx.com/) gives health and fitness centers the ability to create a custom website with content, programs, resources and workout tracking capabilities powered by FitLinxx, which can then be tied to the FitLinxx System in the facility. The collection of hundreds of FitLinxx-equipped facilities worldwide form a powerful "virtual wellness network" for delivering fitness and wellness services anytime, anywhere. FitLinxx is proven to substantially increase member attraction and retention rates in fitness centers. There is now at least one FitLinxx-powered fitness center within a 30 minute drive for more than half of the US population, and there are 10 exercises performed on the FitLinxx Network every second.

This novel approach to delivering support to consumers both on-line and in-facility earned FitLinxx an MIT eBusiness Award Nomination in the Click and Mortar category, along with UPS, Lands' End and Gateway 2000. The company is ranked #20 on Deloitte and Touche's Fast 500 listing of technology growth companies. FitLinxx is the market leader and industry standard for the category, and integrates with leading fitness equipment manufacturers that represent more than 90% of U.S. commercial equipment shipments.

FitLinxx is headquartered in Stamford, CT, with regional offices around the United States and European headquarters in the United Kingdom.

About HEALTHSOUTH:

HEALTHSOUTH is the nation's largest provider of outpatient surgery, diagnostic imaging and rehabilitative healthcare services, with over 2,000 locations in all 50 states, the United Kingdom, Australia and Puerto Rico. HEALTHSOUTH can be found on the Web at http://www.healthsouth.com/ .

Statements contained in this press release which are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the preceding statement, all statements in this press release concerning or relating to estimated and projected earnings, margins, costs, expenditures, cash flows, growth rates and financial results are forward-looking statements. In addition, HEALTHSOUTH, through its senior management, may from time to time make forward-looking public statements concerning the matters described herein. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates reflecting the best judgment of HEALTHSOUTH's senior management based upon current information, involve a number of risks and uncertainties and are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. HEALTHSOUTH's actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those identified in this press release and in the public filings made by HEALTHSOUTH with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including HEALTHSOUTH's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999 and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and forward-looking statements contained in this press release or in other public statements of HEALTHSOUTH or its senior management should be considered in light of those factors. There can be no assurance that such factors or other factors will not affect the accuracy of such forward-looking statements.

  CONTACT:  Richard M. Scrushy, Chairman & CEO, or Tadd McVay, Senior Vice
            President and Treasurer, or William G. Hicks,
            Vice President - Investments, all of HEALTHSOUTH Corporation,
            205-967-7116; or Keith Camhi or John Colbert, both of FitLinxx,
            203-708-5118.

SOURCE: HEALTHSOUTH Corporation