People need exercise and we are safe for exercise, fitness sector appeals to government!

As we all know very well, all domestic fitness centres and gyms have been closed since Friday 9 October. The fitness sector has therefore prepared a proposal for the government on what the loosening and opening of indoor gyms could look like. They state that this is a safe operation, plus people need exercise!

Jana Havrdová, President of the Czech Chamber of Fitness says:

Current European and Czech surveys prove that we are a safe sector where there is little risk of infection, and we are well prepared for the opening. We are coming up with very detailed plans to loosen our operations based on high levels of disinfection, capacity limitations and spacing.

It also appeals to the fact that regular physical activity is one of the most effective preventive measures for good physical and mental health and immunity that we need now.

Jana Havrdová adds:

We are prepared to accept a number of very strict hygiene conditions for the opening of our operations and we are able to operate in the long term even in the first phase we propose, under extreme safety conditions. Our plan applies to all sports venues and its details are also known to the National Sports Agency and the Czech Union of Sport. Together with the plan for the relaxation of the solariums and saunas, we have submitted it to the Chamber of Commerce and we hope that our proposal will be a valid aid for the earliest possible opening of the indoor sports facilities

Fitness is active and safe

It points out that the fitness sector is considered safe according to experts and current surveys, as proven by recent European studies and data from the Czech Republic. European countries, including the Czech Republic, participated in the SafeACTiVE study to map the risk of Covid-19 infection and infection rates in fitness centres. Based on more than 62 million visits, 487 positive cases (both fitness centre clients and employees) were confirmed. The data collected confirms that fitness clubs are safe environments with a low risk of infection.

In our country, the Infectious Disease Information System has mapped Covid-19 infection sites by identified clusters and occupation. In conjunction with fitness centres across the country, it records fewer than 25 people from March to mid-October 2020.

Jana Havrdová continues:

Our primary goal must be not only to prevent the further spread of Covid-19, but also to ensure that people have the support and opportunity to stay active. With full respect for what is currently happening in hospitals, nursing homes, and at-risk groups, we want to offer our expertise at the right time, and movement is definitely what helps us to be healthier.

That is why the Czech Chamber of Fitness has also launched the #fittodáme campaign, in which a large number of fitness centre owners, trainers and instructors have joined. They are appealing to the public to respect all the current measures, to make sure to move regularly, but with all the safety rules in place, so that we can soon return to normal life and indoor sports facilities.

According to Jana Havrdová, fitness centre operators are extremely careful to observe all safety and hygiene rules, and sports centres are usually frequented by healthy individuals who are mindful of their health, a group of people that should be constantly increasing.

Jana Havrdová concludes by saying:

The current Covid-19 pandemic has further revealed the critical state of the Czech population when it comes to exercise. Those who are passive, suffer from obesity, high blood pressure and poor health are the most at risk group today. It is the fitness sector that could help in the long term to combat coronavirus and other similar crises, and we hope that the government will take the necessary steps not only now by reopening sports facilities, but also by systematically promoting regular exercise in the Czech Republic

• Proposal for the various stages of the roll-out - sports facilities
• Proposal for the different stages of relaxation - saunas
• Stage-by-stage loosening proposal - solariums
• ČKF press release

Source:
Czech Chamber of Fitness - www.komorafitness.cz