The current statewide lockdown is truly heartbreaking. Many fitness professionals and businesses in Victoria are having to cope with a loss of, in many cases, 100 per cent of income. Beyond the financial strain, the lockdown is taking a toll on the mental health of us all.
Based in Victoria, I and the FITREC team are acutely aware of the impact these restrictions are having on both our local communities and the state’s fitness industry. Indeed, the impact of the current restriction is testing the resilience of industries across the board.
Recently we received a call suggesting that we campaign for an exemption for fitness professionals. The ability to visit their studio for the purpose of filming. While we remain strong advocates for the industry and for the rights of fitness professionals, the reality is that any short term gain that concessions for our industry might provide puts us at risk of further and repeated lockdowns.
Following are key considerations when considering any challenge to the existing lockdown in Victoria:
Without question, the single goal of everyone in Victoria is to stop this secondary infection. The ease with which COVID-19 spreads means that any exemption could become a window of opportunity for transmission. Until this virus is under control, we are not going to see any return to normal in our industry.
Not just in relation to diet and exercise. They observe how we conduct ourselves in our daily lives. We have a duty to exemplify best practice. In the current environment, this means showing that we understand the importance of social isolation. Filming workout sessions, for example, in the confines of your home/yard not only demonstrates best practice, it shows empathy for the situation your clients and members are currently in.
The fitness industry has always desired a closer connection to allied health and medical services. Under normal circumstances, we are a key part of preventative health and rehabilitation. At this time, the greatest thing we can offer is solidarity. With many in our healthcare system giving so much of themselves, at great personal risk, now is not the time to be inadvertently adding to their load. Now is the time for us to say to the wider health community, ‘We’ve got your back’.
On the 3rd August, the Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, stated “…if [the current restrictions] don’t work, we’ll need a much longer list of complete shutdowns.” Again, now is not the time for any industry to be pushing for exceptions. We need to work together to get this under control. The longer we’re in lockdown, the more fitness businesses and professionals are going to suffer.
For these reasons, FITREC will continue to support the government’s strict short term lockdown in the hope of avoiding any further extension of these restrictions. During this time, we will continue to support all members as much as possible. Beyond our usual support, additional initiatives include:
The initial extension provided for all Australian registered professionals ends in September. The four-month extension is obviously longer than we are expecting to be in lockdown, but we wanted to be sure that no Victorian professional had the added expense of a renewal that coincided with Christmas.
Beginning soon, FITREC will host a panel of presenters with the skills and experience to answer any questions as well as provide examples of how others have broadened their earning potential during this time. Details will be posted to your FITREC home page.
In addition to the above, we’ve been actively working on and investing in projects to benefit our members in the years to come. We’ll provide more on these projects in the near future.
I hope that you and all those in your community remain in good health and please, stay safe.
Kind regards
Founder & Managing Director
FITREC & HealthyPeople
Founder & Managing Director
FITREC & HealthyPeople
Raising The Bar is published by FITREC and HealthyPeople. Before trying any new exercise, nutrition or health regimes, you should seek clearance from an appropriate health, medical or fitness professional. The information in this publication is not a substitute for advice or consultation with any health, medical or fitness professional. The health and fitness industries often provide conflicting – sometimes even contradictory – information; as the reader it is your responsibility to safely determine what does or does not work for you. Any prices stated are the recommended retail prices in Australian currency and may be subject to change. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, all parties associated with the production and publishing of this magazine accept no responsibility for the correctness of any facts and the copyright responsibility of all articles lies with individual contributors. Opinions expressed by the authors in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of other authors, the publisher or any of its production or publishing team. Copyright ©2024. All rights reserved. No material in this magazine may be reproduced without written consent from the publisher.