11/12/2020
Covid Update: Nov 11
Public Statement Regarding the Operational Restrictions Across the Country In Response to the Escalating Covid-19 crisis:
At Action Potential Fitness, the health of our clients, our province, our country and our global community is our first priority.
Along with our continuous work in helping and supporting the physical, psycho-emotional, and intellectual needs of our members through training and workshops, and through fostering a deep sense of community and connectedness within our physical and virtual walls, we are also staunch advocates of public health on a larger social-advocacy scale.
We believe that health is a human right that should be easily accessed by all, and that we- as business owners and citizens- have a responsibility to do everything we can to help improve the health of all Canadians.
We actively work to reduce barriers of access for populations that have difficulty meeting their health needs, and continue to seek ways to role model responsibile and ethical fitness practices.
Covid-19 is a health crisis, the scale of which can not be denied. We mourn the lives lost, and send our solidarity and support to those who have been ill, have lost loved ones, and are otherwise adversely affected by this pandemic.
For the last 8.5 months, addressing this crisis within our business has been our number one priority. Not a day has gone by where we have not taken time to check updates, discuss our strategy, refine our policies, and challenge ourselves to do better.
We have, since the beginning of this crisis, been leaders in finding innovative ways to put people before profits.
We voluntarily shuttered our doors, two days before the government order to do so and have temporarily closed our facility twice more in the past four months as we felt that the risks of exposure in two specific situations were high enough to warrant waiting for negative results.
We have suspended all in-person social activities, providing multiple opportunities for virtual socialization and support. We have made these open to the public to help curb social isolation.
We have instituted penalty free cancellation policies, gone above and beyond in our cleaning practices and physical distancing requirements, created a "culture of care", where every member feels directly invested in keeping each other safe, and have fostered the belief that we can be "socially engaged, while physically distant."
It has been a difficult and often stressful process- not to mention a costly one- but watching our community rally around each other and continuously choose to do the right thing has been an absolutely beautiful sight.
Never before have we ever felt such a sense of solidarity, support and purpose.
We are grateful to be able to say that, to date, no member of our facility has tested positive for Covid-19.
However, we recognize that- as diligent as we have been- this is as much a matter of luck as it is of caution. With the numbers rising, we recognize that it is only a matter of time before the virus lands on our doorstep.
That is, of course, unless our Province begins to take matters more seriously and finds ways to curb the spread.
And, as a local business, we must recognize our role in that.
While our facility far exceeds the recommended safety protocols, we are increasing our vigiliance through increased measures effective November 14th, 2020:
- The facility is currently spaced to allow up to 20 bodies in it, while abiding by public safety practices. We will be voluntarily reducing that number to 12 bodies in the facility, at any given time.
- Maximum occupancy per space will be as follows: PT Studio (up to 4 bodies), Rack Room (up to 3 bodies), Group Studio (up to 8 bodies).
- Our group fitness studio is currently spaced to allow up to 8 participants with 3m of distancing apart. We will be reducing that number to 6 participants.
- In addition to our doorway sanitizing station, we will be implementing a mandatory hand sanitizing in the Training Pods that will be conducted at the beginning and end of each class. As always, individual hand sanitizers will be provided along with the symptoms checklist.
- We will be increasing access to High Intensity fitness classes online, specifially focusing on choreographed classes, in preparation for the possibility of these classes being suspended due to their higher risk level.
*Please note: we are closely monitoring the best practices across the country and may further restrict some activites in the future if it deemed necessary.
We are taking these measures not to be alarmist, but rather because we truly believe that businesses have a responsibility to do everything within their power to take personal ownership of their space.
While we hope and expect the government to take a strong stand on public safety, we are not limited to their recommendations and are opting to put our values and our mission at the forefront of our decision making.
Fitness for every body. Health for everyone.
It's about a lot more than just lifting weights.
