MINNEAPOLIS – (BUSINESS WIRE) – Today, owners of independently operated Anytime Fitness locations across Canada are sending letters to provincial leaders and health officials in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec – where health clubs are closed – inviting them to work with the health club industry, provincial-approved safety and create sanitary protocols that will allow these essential businesses to reopen. Anytime Fitness provides health and wellness services to more than 100,000 Canadians with more than 200 locations across Canada and is one of the largest fitness club brands in the country.
“We appreciate the difficult challenges the provinces faced in deciding whether or not to close certain industries or to remain open,” said Stacy Anderson, president of Anytime Fitness. “However, the continued gym closures due to COVID-19 are hindering Canadians’ ability to maintain their physical and mental health. The data is clear that health clubs and fitness centers – which, unlike restaurants and retail locations, are membership-based, controlled environments that are not open to the general public – are safe when safety and hygiene protocols are followed.
In fact, we know that Anytime Fitness locations currently open across Canada – in British Columbia, for example – have shown that following safety and hygiene protocols neutralizes the risk of infection in their facilities and allows them to continue to provide essential exercise and wellness services for their members.
“Both the Fitness Industry Council of Canada (FIC) and the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) have issued industry-approved safety and hygiene protocols in response to the pandemic. Anytime Fitness has adapted these standards for our locations worldwide and worked with government officials to adapt them to local requirements. So we know there are safety and hygiene protocols that work.
“That is why we, together with our Canadian franchisees, respectfully urge the provincial leaders where the health clubs are closed to work with us to be safe again as soon as possible. Come to the table and tell us what it takes. ”
About fitness anytime
Anytime Fitness is the fastest growing gym franchise in the world, with an average of 300 new gyms per year and 4.2 million members in more than 4,800 gyms. It is the only franchise of any kind with locations on all seven continents. Anytime Fitness is open 365 days a year around the clock and offers its members practical fitness options and friendly, personal service in well-maintained facilities with high-quality exercise equipment. Gyms are now open in 32 countries. All of the franchise gyms are privately owned and operated by individuals. They have an Anywhere Access policy that allows members to access any Anytime Fitness facility worldwide. More information is available at www.anytimefitness.com.
About brands with self-respect
Our goal is to improve the world’s self-esteem. Self Esteem Brands (SEB) is the parent company of Anytime Fitness (the world’s largest fitness franchise), Basecamp Fitness, The Bar Method and Waxing the City. Collectively, most of our 5,000+ franchise locations are operated locally by independent small business owners in 32 countries around the world. SEB is also the parent company of affiliates Provision Security Solutions and Healthy Contributions. With a culture anchored in the values of people, purpose, performance and play, as well as a non-profit focus through the HeartFirst Foundation®, SEB aims to enrich the lives of everyone who interacts with our brands and companies. Our vision is a world of self-esteem in which every person can face their challenges. For more information on Self Esteem Brands, please visit https://www.sebrands.com/.
