After a gym owner in Liverpool refused to shut his gym despite police intervention as part of the regions new lockdown rules, local energie Fitness gym owner and Be Military Fit owner in MK, Rob Francis, gives his opinion on whether it’s right to make a stand in this way.
Rob says, “As a gym owner and outdoor fitness provider I will first applaud Nick Capo for bringing the fact that gyms are very safe places, recording extremely low levels of Covid incidences, with 0.34 cases in 100,000, and proving that the industry’s improved safety measures and cleaning protocols are working well, to the forefront of the nations mind."
"It’s also certainly true that if we are forced into level three (extremely high risk from Covid) area lock down measures here in Milton Keynes, there will be many businesses including gyms who will be hugely badly effected. It’s my opinion that many will go out of business unless the industry is given further financial assistance."
"But the fitness industry is not alone in this."
Rob continues, "The focus should also be on the fact that the fitness industry is the only one, outside the NHS, that actually holds the key to the nations ability to throw the risks presented by this virus off. By getting the nation to engage with their health and fitness and to reduce their over all body fat, we are the industry that can support the nation in achieving a healthy weight. Being a healthy weight significantly reduces the chance of hospitalisation and the risk of becoming severely ill or even death."
"So, thank you Nick for kicking off a national debate. But I do not condone the fact that he has broken the law as it stands."
Rob adds, "It’s never advisable for people to be encouraged to break a law, even if we can prove that it’s an ill advised one. It is our civic duty to support our public services by doing the right thing at this difficult time. That is by complying with the rules as they stand- if people made sure they socially distanced, avoided large gatherings and actually followed the advice and guidance so far, we wouldn’t be in this situation of reoccurring lock downs!"
"Operators like Nick and ourselves should turn our attention to changing the rules through scientific proof and the potential legal action that David Lloyd and Pure have proposed."
"Basically, no matter how we may feel personally, we must not be selfish and breach the laws and regulations as they stand. We must work within the law and work to change them so they make more sense and help an industry that is the only one that can support our nation in beating this virus.”
