Gyms Across California Form Alliance to Reopen

California gyms, facing financial stress and worried about the well-being for their members, have organized a new group and sued the state to reopen, all the while facing arrest for reopening.

California gyms demand to reopen

The California Fitness Alliance was formed earlier this month, with the ultimate goals of reopening in a safe and socially distant way, receiving relief funds for gyms and studios, and making membership fees a pre-tax health benefit. Health and safety are especially highlighted by the alliance due to the coronavirus, with temperature checks, staff face masks, reservation-only appointments, more sanitization, and other increased standards to be instituted when reopened.

“I don’t think we should lead, but I don’t think we should be the last to come,” noted In-Shape Health Clubs representative Francesca Schuler in a statement. “Honestly, I’m really worried about the physical and mental health of so many of our members. I mean, we’ve done 40,000 outreach phone calls to our senior members just to check in on them and they are having a hard time.”

Many gyms are also worried about a segment of the population who has been more vulnerable than others.

“A lot of homeless people have a gym membership so they have a place to shower, stay, fit, use the wi-fi, charge phones, and a lot of other little things,” said Los Angeles gym owner Kendrick Kelly. “Ever since we shut down they haven’t had a place to go. I actually ran into one of our homeless members the other day, and through him I found out that another one of our homeless members died from COVID-19. He himself is struggling to find places to stay during the day and ways to stay clean.”

“Gyms are a lifeline to the less fortunate. It hurts the heart to see them suffering so much more because of this. And it’s not only regular gyms. Look at how many kids fitness gyms have closed robbing parents of getting their kids out and exercising.”

Lawsuits and arrests

Meanwhile, Sacramento Fitness Systems gym owner Sean Covell has gone a step further and filed a lawsuit against the state. The lawsuit was in response to a letter from San Joaquin County Counsel J. Mark Myles ordering him to not reopen.

“The County of San Joaquin is prepared to pursue all available civil and criminal sanctions should you open your facility to the public,” said Myles in the letter to Covell