500 signatures reached
To: Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf
URGENT! Signatures needed to support the Boutique Fitness Industry
Soft opening of ALL Boutique Fitness and Small Personal Training Studios by May 11th, 2020
STAY CONNECTED with us online:
http://FitForwardPA.com
STAY CONNECTED with us online:
http://FitForwardPA.com
Why is this important?
BACKGROUND:
I am the owner of a boutique fitness and nutrition studio, Fit Forward in Carlisle, PA. ALL fitness studios, gyms, health clubs, etc. in Pennsylvania were abruptly demanded to shut down on March 16th to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. In an abundance of caution to “flatten the curve,” I believe this was a smart decision to some degree, but also feel the importance and essential nature of the services we offer and what we do for our communities. For this reason I personally submitted for a waiver to be classified as "essential" due to the nature of our clientele, their needs, their disabilities, their rehab, and their counting on our assistance and expertise to help them maintain their health especially during this time. I got denied. Many other businesses such as certain Cabinet Companies (Owned by you Mr. Governor), Ice Cream Shops, Coffee Shops, etc were deemed "essential" and left alone to operate, knowing that these businesses would most likely allow more than one person at a given time to congregate in unsanitary, uncontrolled environments. Even stepping foot in a grocery store, a hardware store, or any open "essential" business right now is mind-blowing to me with the number of people in these places, the lack of sanitation, the people roaming around without masks on, the touching of items, paying with credit cards and touching screens, it seems impossible for those aforementioned "essential" businesses to host controlled environments.
JUSTIFICATION:
Boutique fitness studios are facilities of less than 7,500 square feet, mine personally is less than 3,500 sf, designed to serve small numbers of clients at any one time, whereas fitness centers are commonly known as facilities designed to serve hundreds of clients at a time. I believe that boutique fitness studios (particularly personal training studios) from the beginning have inappropriately been classified within a larger fitness center category directed at facilities with 250 people or more and alongside other industries such as cinemas (average size 200-300 client capacity) or as a large group fitness type studio where there are 20-50 participants in a small space. We can train one client at a time. We can stagger appointments to limit crossing of clients. We can limit the number of trainers and clients in the facility at any given time. We can remain a safe distance from our clients while working with them. We can provide masks, hand sanitation stations and can monitor everything going on within our facilities. With the controlled numbers in a boutique Fitness Studio, I am confident in knowing we can offer a very clean, safe and free from the virus spreading facility to our community.
IMPACT:
Because being healthy, fit, and free from preventative diseases such as high blood pressure and Type 2 Diabetes is a key defense against this disease, and potential recurring waves of the disease, opening smartly and quickly to assist our population is also critical to the long-term health of our society. The importance of our mental health is so relevant right now and there needs to be a place to release all the negative energy especially NOW. It's proven that exercise and eating well positively impacts those suffering from depression and anxiety. These numbers are on the rise. The health of millions of clients is at stake as we confront a future with COVID-19.
For every week a typical boutique fitness studio is closed, it forgoes $5,000-$20,000 in revenue. The significant financial impact of this crisis expands not only to owners, but also to the millions of Independent Contractors and Employees in our industry that are unable to work from home. Given that the Boutique Fitness Industry is estimated to be worth 42% of an $88 billion Industry, the weekly impact is $710 million of lost revenue.
The Boutique Fitness Industry is one of the few female- led industries in existence. We estimate that 75%+ of the owners and workers impacted by this crisis are women, to include myself, and many of whom are the sole breadwinners for their families. The radical impact to a female- led industry is undeniable.
WE, THE UNDERSIGNED PROFESSIONALS AND CONSUMERS WITHIN THE BOUTIQUE FITNESS STUDIO COMMUNITY, RESPECTFULLY REQUEST BEING ABLE TO REOPEN BUSINESSES ON MAY 11th FROM YOU GOVERNOR WOLF
I ask that those in agreement petition for ALL Boutique Fitness and Personal Training Studios be given the rights to do a soft reopening on May 1st, 2020. So far, the petitioning has been very active and positive. I am happy to announce that in the great terms of fairness several companies, businesses originally given "essential status" were finally resided and closed... to include The Wolf Cabinet Company and candy store owned by a Senate Majority Leader. It is time to allow us studio owners, personal trainers, and nutrition counselors, get back to work for our community.
I am the owner of a boutique fitness and nutrition studio, Fit Forward in Carlisle, PA. ALL fitness studios, gyms, health clubs, etc. in Pennsylvania were abruptly demanded to shut down on March 16th to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. In an abundance of caution to “flatten the curve,” I believe this was a smart decision to some degree, but also feel the importance and essential nature of the services we offer and what we do for our communities. For this reason I personally submitted for a waiver to be classified as "essential" due to the nature of our clientele, their needs, their disabilities, their rehab, and their counting on our assistance and expertise to help them maintain their health especially during this time. I got denied. Many other businesses such as certain Cabinet Companies (Owned by you Mr. Governor), Ice Cream Shops, Coffee Shops, etc were deemed "essential" and left alone to operate, knowing that these businesses would most likely allow more than one person at a given time to congregate in unsanitary, uncontrolled environments. Even stepping foot in a grocery store, a hardware store, or any open "essential" business right now is mind-blowing to me with the number of people in these places, the lack of sanitation, the people roaming around without masks on, the touching of items, paying with credit cards and touching screens, it seems impossible for those aforementioned "essential" businesses to host controlled environments.
JUSTIFICATION:
Boutique fitness studios are facilities of less than 7,500 square feet, mine personally is less than 3,500 sf, designed to serve small numbers of clients at any one time, whereas fitness centers are commonly known as facilities designed to serve hundreds of clients at a time. I believe that boutique fitness studios (particularly personal training studios) from the beginning have inappropriately been classified within a larger fitness center category directed at facilities with 250 people or more and alongside other industries such as cinemas (average size 200-300 client capacity) or as a large group fitness type studio where there are 20-50 participants in a small space. We can train one client at a time. We can stagger appointments to limit crossing of clients. We can limit the number of trainers and clients in the facility at any given time. We can remain a safe distance from our clients while working with them. We can provide masks, hand sanitation stations and can monitor everything going on within our facilities. With the controlled numbers in a boutique Fitness Studio, I am confident in knowing we can offer a very clean, safe and free from the virus spreading facility to our community.
IMPACT:
Because being healthy, fit, and free from preventative diseases such as high blood pressure and Type 2 Diabetes is a key defense against this disease, and potential recurring waves of the disease, opening smartly and quickly to assist our population is also critical to the long-term health of our society. The importance of our mental health is so relevant right now and there needs to be a place to release all the negative energy especially NOW. It's proven that exercise and eating well positively impacts those suffering from depression and anxiety. These numbers are on the rise. The health of millions of clients is at stake as we confront a future with COVID-19.
For every week a typical boutique fitness studio is closed, it forgoes $5,000-$20,000 in revenue. The significant financial impact of this crisis expands not only to owners, but also to the millions of Independent Contractors and Employees in our industry that are unable to work from home. Given that the Boutique Fitness Industry is estimated to be worth 42% of an $88 billion Industry, the weekly impact is $710 million of lost revenue.
The Boutique Fitness Industry is one of the few female- led industries in existence. We estimate that 75%+ of the owners and workers impacted by this crisis are women, to include myself, and many of whom are the sole breadwinners for their families. The radical impact to a female- led industry is undeniable.
WE, THE UNDERSIGNED PROFESSIONALS AND CONSUMERS WITHIN THE BOUTIQUE FITNESS STUDIO COMMUNITY, RESPECTFULLY REQUEST BEING ABLE TO REOPEN BUSINESSES ON MAY 11th FROM YOU GOVERNOR WOLF
I ask that those in agreement petition for ALL Boutique Fitness and Personal Training Studios be given the rights to do a soft reopening on May 1st, 2020. So far, the petitioning has been very active and positive. I am happy to announce that in the great terms of fairness several companies, businesses originally given "essential status" were finally resided and closed... to include The Wolf Cabinet Company and candy store owned by a Senate Majority Leader. It is time to allow us studio owners, personal trainers, and nutrition counselors, get back to work for our community.