swiss active – CI Fitness Switzerland advocates lifting the restrictive measures for visiting fitness centers
swiss active – CI Fitness Switzerland had pointed out the fatal economic consequences of the corona measures for the fitness industry in all previous correspondence with the BAG, SECO and the cantons, as well as the long-term health consequences if preventive health training is withheld from part of the population . Against the background of the current development, swiss active – CI Fitness Switzerland no longer considers maintaining the measures until the end of March to be justified and calls for the measures to be lifted as soon as possible. The mask requirement during training should fall immediately.
«More than ever, the fitness industry is playing an important role in prevention,» says Roger Erni, Managing Director of swiss active – CI Fitness Switzerland. «The members use the regular training in the fitness center to stay healthy, to promote the body’s own defences, to prevent ailments of the musculoskeletal system and to not suffer from illnesses that have been experienced again!»
The introduction and extension of the obligation to have a certificate for visiting the fitness center has made it impossible for many members, at least temporarily, to access health-promoting training and thus caused health costs elsewhere due to inactivity. One indication of this is the significant increase in prescriptions for physiotherapy. “The prospect of completing the training with a mask has put many members off, especially in the group courses,” adds Blaise Languin, CEO of Holmes Place.
Against the background of the current development, with a still high proportion of new infections, but a falling or stagnating number of hospital admissions, from the point of view of swiss active – CI Fitness Switzerland, there is no longer any comprehensible reason to maintain the measures in this restrictive form receive. Also because the measures have been relaxed in other places, such as at entry, the still high level of measures for the fitness centers and other sectors is incomprehensible.
Since the test capacities are also completely overloaded, the basis for the 2G+ rule in particular no longer exists. Therefore, the mask requirement must fall immediately during training – even if 2G is maintained.
Study shows low risk of infection in fitness centers
«EuropeActive, the European association of the fitness industry, published its second SafeACTiVE report before Christmas, which shows a low risk of infection with COVID-19 in the examined fitness clubs and leisure centers in nine different European countries,» informs Roger Erni. «With more than 185 million visits analyzed, the number of reported cases is 0.87, i.e. less than one case per 100,000 visits!» The report is based on extensive data collection and analysis by EuropeActive and its scientific partners at King Juan Carlos University, AWRC-Sheffield Hallam University and the research institute of ukactive, the UK fitness center association.
«The fitness industry has high certified training standards, for example with the Qualitop seal, and has proven good safety and hygiene concepts for decades, which are also regularly checked,» adds Roger Zürcher, COO of update Fitness.
swiss active – CI Fitness Switerland has also repeatedly pointed out the relevant economic effects that result for fitness operators as a result of the measures. Due to further drops in frequency, which were induced by the corona measures with a lockdown in the months with the highest sales at the beginning of 2021, the fitness industry can look back on an even worse result than in the first year of the pandemic, 2020.
«Maintaining the current measures until the end of March would also have devastating economic effects for many operators in 2022,» states René Kalt, CEO of movemi AG.
For these reasons and against the background of the previously insufficient hardship measures, swiss active – CI Fitness Switzerland calls on politicians to end the measures as soon as possible.
swiss active – CI Fitness Switzerland also calls on the population to continue to do their part to deal with the pandemic and, from the association’s point of view, this can only be achieved with a high vaccination rate: «Vaccination enables us to retain or regain freedom and it secures livelihoods!» concludes Roger Erni.