It’s no secret that the Covid-19 pandemic has shut down the economy, and for athletes the devastating blows have come to them through their local gyms. Between policies that implement boundaries on public gatherings and economic shut downs, local gyms all across the nation are closing, and it is impacting the health of millions of Americans. As a result, CrossFit® has partnered with Community Gyms Coalition to help local gyms all across the country with financial assistance that could keep the gyms open.
Cost of the Pandemic to Gyms
It is estimated that approximately 163,735 American businesses have closed, and there are just over 6,024 gyms closed as a result of the financial strain caused by the pandemic. We recently reported on one of them, the legendary CrossFit® gym in San Francisco that had been a second home to athletes for the last 15 years.
Read more: San Francisco CrossFit to Close After 15 Years
The Health and Fitness Recovery Act of 2020 says the number of gym closures could be 10,000 by the end of the year.
This bill was filed October 1, 2020, and has yet to pass, but could provide over $30 billion dollars to gyms by the end of 2020. But until that happens, additional streams of income are needed.
Earlier this year, $380 billion was approved in a program called the Paycheck Protection Program loan, and approximately 275,000 loans were granted to keep employees working in America. Unfortunately, personal trainers that work as independent contractors got very little, with only 157 total loans being granted.
Not only are employees and contractors suffering, but when they do, the economy suffers as well. Gyms are a multi-billion dollar industry in America, or at least they were before Covid-19.
The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association [IHRSA] says that Americans make over seven billion gym visits annually, in approximately 41,370 gyms across the nation.
Gym visits and memberships generate a total of $96.7 billion in the economy. They also employ over 373,000 personal trainers.
CrossFit ® Joins the Good Fight
As a result, today, CrossFit® recognizes that gyms all over the country are suffering, and are fighting to help them find financial solutions. The result has been a partnership with the Community Gyms Coalition, a coalition that represents over 15,000 gyms in the United States to help them obtain the financial relief that they need to keep their doors open.
CrossFit is proud to support the Community Gyms Coalition in its efforts to help local gyms recover from shutdowns. Learn more at https://t.co/lit3oECj4w https://t.co/5WApN2ffHB
— CrossFit (@CrossFit) November 9, 2020
CrossFit® joins other companies that are fighting the same fight, and those include Anytime Fitness, Zumba, Orangetheory Fitness and Mindbody.
The Health and Mental Wellness Cost of Gym Closures
This is a serious problem in the country, and not just because of the economic impact felt by independent contractors and local gyms. Numerous studies show that fitness is directly correlated to a community’s overall wellness, and also to the wellness of individuals.
One study notes that resistance training on its own not only improves physical performance, but cognitive abilities and self-esteem.
Regular fitness lowers fat, increases muscle mass, and improves the confidence and overall mental acuity of the athlete or individual working out.
All of these numbers have seen a staggering drop since Covid-19 shut the nation down. It is impacting the country from both a wellness perspective, and an economy perspective. Working out is one way to boost the immune system in order to prevent contracting the disease as well.
CrossFit® and many other companies understand this and are fighting the fight with the Community Gyms Coalition to keep America healthy during the global health crisis.
