The International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) is calling on the Senate to take action to save the fitness industry from financial demise resulting from COVID-19 lockdown measures.
From ClubIndustry.com:
IHRSA estimates that the U.S. health club industry has lost $5.6 billion from mid-March through June 1, and will continue to lose $350 million per week through 2020.
Even when open and for the foreseeable future, clubs will be hampered by reduced income from reduced capacity safety requirements and membership cancellations. Clubs that have opened are opening at 25-50% capacity, while still having 100% of their expenses
IHRSA is asking for three types of aid:
Relief in the form of grants or forgivable loans to save clubs from permanent closure and keep club staff on the payroll.
Protection by ensuring business interruption insurance covers for future pandemics and government closures and sufficient liability protection from aggressive lawyers.
Stimulus in the form of tax incentives to revitalize the industry, such as passing PHIT (H.R.1679/S.680) which would allow HSA and FSA dollars to pay for fitness, youth sports and healthy living. This would also make American’s dollars go further during these uncertain times making it easier to invest in their and America’s health.
President and CEO of IHRSA, Joe Moore, says without this aid, at least a quarter of all fitness centers and gyms would close by the end of 2020.
Gym owners have been speaking out, but our elected officials have not been listening.
“I have taken on the responsibility to continue to pay my employees for the time being, but those funds, without income from the business, are finite. We need to support our workers, but for our workers to have jobs in the future, we need to make sure that the economy of the health and wellness industry can rebound,” said Kevin Johnson, CEO and owner of Team85 Fitness & Wellness in Bordentown, NJ [which as of June 12 has yet to announce an opening date for clubs.]
From NBC DFW:
“We’re wearing masks and gloves between classes so we can wipe down every piece of equipment just to make sure we’re getting all high touch surfaces,” said Rumer Richardson, owner of Beyond Studios in Dallas, Texas.
But she also added: “We’re doing well for being at 50% capacity. We’re about half of what we were doing last year. But that’s not enough to pay the rent, pay the bills long term. It’s just, it’s not.”
Richardson mentioned that loan relief would help: “Unless there was rent abatement and loan relief for the loan that we took out when we purchased the business, not based on the sales we have coming in,” she said.
Owners of Atilis gym in Belmawr, New Jersey have been in the same predicament before defying Governor Murphy’s lockdown order months ago and making headlines for doing so.
Even going as far as to sue the governor of New Jersey in order to remain open, owners Frank Trumbetti and Ian Smith had their case thrown out after the judge ruled it was not a federal matter, in light of their violating the state order.
The ruling came after an attorney said the owners of the Browning Road gym “are on the brink of losing their livelihood.”
Mountainside Fitness CEO Tom Hatten also seeks to potentially sue the governor of Arizona for the exact same reason.
The fitness industry is clearly hurting due to the fact that lockdown measures have now resumed in many states in response to ‘more people testing positive for the virus,’ or as most sensible people see it, increased testing using faulty tests, which have been artificially inflating the numbers.
Call your congressional representatives to let them know that you won’t be voting for them unless they take action to save the fitness industry and/or relax the lockdown measures to save our neighborhood gyms.
You have my full permission to download, print and distribute the following flyer to help raise awareness about this issue.
The manufactured hype about this virus, which overwhelming effects the elderly and infirm, has scared the wits out of at least a quarter of gym-goers, who are now saying they may not ever return to their local gym due to fear of the virus.
It makes sense to ensure our gyms stay open. A healthier population and stronger immune systems mean fewer cases of people contracting the virus, or passing it on to others.
There’s even been a study saying men with lower testosterone levels are more prone to getting the virus and dying from it.
What better reason to start lifting those weight, right bros?