*NOTE: This article has been updated with additional information.

Gym owners, trainers and fitness enthusiasts lent their voices to the nationwide protest today calling on government to ease the lockdown restrictions that have bought the industry to its knees.

The industry had to close their doors at the same time as the rest of the country when lockdown level 5 began on March 27.

The demonstrations, scheduled from noon to 2pm, were organised by Fit SA – an association of health and fitness clubs.

With no end in sight Ringside Boxing gym owner, Tyron Koen told the Courier that if restrictions were not lifted the economic fall out would be devastating.

“We are really struggling at the moment as government has not given any indication when we will be allowed to operate again. “We have not been allowed to operate for more than four months and many livelihoods are at risk,” he said.

Koen said they were desperate for the government to give them the green light to operate and be allowed to earn an income again.

“It has been challenging for all the people who work in the industry from the cleaners to the trainers and we hope the government allows us to open again before the industry collapses,” he said.

According to the original Covid-19 risk assessment strategy, gyms, hair salons and hotels were set to open in level 1 of lockdown. Hotels and salons have since been allowed to reopen during level 3.

WATCH: Reporter Penny Fourie interviews Ringside Boxing gym owner Tyron Koen during the protest today. https://youtu.be/Zn-yY_nn40o

UPDATE:

The pandemic has also wreaked havoc with many small studios that have now closed.

Ballito yoga studio owner and instructor Lauren Stanton said: “It is so sad to see beautiful yoga studios in our region closing. I feel frustrated that places of health and wellness have been affected, as well as the livelihoods of so many that call them home. If restrictions continue I am not sure how many studios will be left.” 

Ballito Pilates studio owner Tash Barnard of Tash B Pilates said they had undertaken all the necessary steps to ensure working conditions were safe and ready for the return of their clients.

“We are so ready to open our doors and welcome our clients back. We have implemented every protocol to the next level to ensure that our studio is Covid-19 compliant. We now have a paperless system in place, an electronic track and trace Covid release form, we have installed our sanitising station and have rearranged our studio to accommodate four people on a one-on-one basis at our different stations. We have also done away with our group class space and turned that into a private studio. 

“We will continue to serve our online community due to the fact that we have gone from local to global overnight through our Zoom room which has enabled us to keep the business afloat financially,” said Barnard.

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