I was hesitant at first to write this week’s blog as I was afraid as to how selfish and how self-centered I would come off across to my readers.

I mean as someone who makes the vast majority of his income through the Fitness Industry, my viewpoints could be considered a bit biased.

However truth be told, I do believe that gyms should be kept open throughout the second wave of this Global Pandemic. And therefore, I’m going to go on record and state that I view Training Facilities to be an essential service.

Physical Health

The obvious reason as to why gyms should remain open is that regular exercise helps keep us strong, healthy, and fit. And with a virus that preys on compromised immune systems, now more than ever is a time to focus on maintaining and improving our overall health and fitness levels.

And in my opinion, the best way to accomplish this is though a combination of cardiovascular training and resistance training. Sitting on our asses, watching Netflix, while eating a bag of potato chips, waiting for a vaccine to be approved, is not ideal for anyone who actually cares about taking care of their health in the long term.

I’ve remained relatively quiet about this subject until now because I don’t want anyone to mistakenly think that I don’t support our Ministry of Health or second guess the difficult decisions that our head Public Health Officials here in Canada have to make when it comes to saving lives and/or shutting down the economy.

I’m not looking to make my case nor do I have a hidden agenda. I just think that from a physical health perspective, keeping something open that allows people to better themselves and strengthen their own immune systems, should be allowed to remain in operation if it can be done in a safe and controlled manner.

Mental Health

Now unless you yourself are an avid exerciser, than you might not understand the positive impacts that working out can have on a person’s mental health.

Most of us know that physical activity stimulates the release of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. But did you know that these brain chemicals play an important part in regulating your mood? Regular exercise can positively impact serotonin levels in your brain allowing you to feel happy, productive, energetic, and even optimistic about the future.

But to say that regular exercise has a positive impact on our mental health would actually be an understatement. Regular exercise has an AMAZINGLY positive impact on our mental health and can be used to help combat mood disorders such as depression, anxiety and sadness. Shutting down gyms again for the next few months will only worsen these disorders for people who are susceptible and are at risk of contracting them, which could become detrimental.

The Meathead Mentality 

Now I know some of you may think of me as just some Gym Junkie that is trying to save his daily fix from being taken away. Or perhaps you view me as some shady Business Owner that doesn’t want to lose 75% of his annual revenue.

Regardless of what you might think of me, or are perhaps suspicious of my reasons in which I am writing this week’s blog, just remember how you yourself feel after an intense workout in the gym. Ask any of our clients and they themselves will tell you that they feel incredible after a 45-60 minute workout with us. And feeling incredible is important. Especially while living through COVID-19, where there is very little if anything to feel incredible about.

The Final Decision

Unlike many of our competitors, I refuse to bash, ridicule and belittle our Government, our Doctors, and our Scientists, for closing down our businesses. As I’ve said time and time again, I would close our own doors for good without hesitation, if I knew it was going to save even just a few lives. And even though I too feel frustrated, upset and angry, I don’t hold anyone in particular responsible for the situation in which we are currently in.

I truly hope that gyms and private fitness facilities are not forced to close their doors once again during this second wave. For one, many of us will not even be able to re-open our doors once this Pandemic has eventually come to an end. And secondly, I worry as to how many people are going to suffer both mentally and physically once their Iron Therapy has been taken away from them once again for a unforeseeable period of time.

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove
Forever Fit Performance