Pandemic Playbook
Main image courtesy of Crunch Fitness.
Barrie Elvish outlines Fitness Australia’s Fightback Strategy
T
he fitness industry has suffered significantly since gyms closed on 23rd March 2020. However, with the health and wellbeing of all Australians paramount, taking significant steps to flatten the curve has been everybody’s business, and rightly so. Now, with the tide slowly turning and restrictions easing in some states, the fitness industry is ready to fight back. But fighting back doesn’t just mean flexing your muscles and putting on a show for your opponent. Really fighting back means lifting your game and pushing the boundaries to be better than you’ve ever been before. Really fighting back requires an acceptance that it can’t be business as usual. Fighting back effectively needs commitment from within and support of those around you. Fitness Fightback Strategy Focus #1: Getting gyms safely reopened As we continue to pave the road to recovery, Fitness Australia is committed to getting gyms safely reopened as soon as possible. There is no reason why gyms can’t be one of the first sectors to reopen. As an industry, we will do whatever it takes to get back to work and reopen our facilities safely. This is evidenced by the willingness of our members to comply with, and in many cases go above and beyond, preclosure restrictions and precautions. Now, Fitness Australia has gone one step further and developed a comprehensive framework for the safe reopening of gyms. Over
40 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 138
Barrie Elvish (at right) meets with Federal Minister for Youth and Sport Richard Colbeck.
the past weeks, our team has been working with government authorities, industry stakeholders and our international counterparts including UK Active, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), the Exercise Association of New Zealand (Exercise NZ) and utilising the World Health Organization resources to develop this framework. This framework has now been finalised and submitted to government. Focus #2: Really raising the bar Promoting a return to the gym and driving industry growth are two important factors in the industry’s recovery post COVID-19. But simply continuing to do what we’ve always done will not shift the dial or give more Australians more reasons to join the gym, sign up to an outdoor bootcamp or take a yoga class. An important factor in our Keep on Moving Community Awareness Campaign has been to keep people active during isolation. Generating an increased interest in exercise and engaging a larger pool of potential new gym members can help springboard the industry in its recovery.
