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CHANHASSEN, Minn., Nov. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --A coalition of health and fitness companies,led by Life Time,issued an open letter today to Governor Walz and his administration,calling for the State to reconsider its complete closure of health and fitness facilities. The coalition has urged the Governor to permit health and fitness clubs to operate with enhanced COVID mitigation protocols to help Minnesotans reduce underlying health conditions that contribute to even worse COVID-19 health outcomes. The group cited the closures as counterproductive to the State's overall public health goals to reduce critical illness, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19. The letter is as follows:

Dear Honorable Officials:

Life Time, Inc. owns and operates 23 of the largest health clubs in the State of Minnesota, with roughly 6,000 team member employees and 120,000 members from the surrounding communities. Anytime Fitness, LLC supports 144 fitness locations in Minnesotamost of which are independently owned and operated small businessesemploying more than 800 team members to service over 197,000 members. Snap Fitness supports 98 clubs, with 74 franchisees who are small business owners employing over 300 people with over 50,000 members. The Rochester Athletic Club serves 13,000 members with 325 team members. Collectively, with thousands of team members in small, mid-sized and large facilities throughout the entire state, we are committed to helping hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans live healthy lives through exercise, nutrition, and wellness.

We truly appreciate the extraordinary governance challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. The human toll of COVID-19 has been staggeringit is now adversely impacting everyone's life in Minnesota from the sickness or death of a loved one to increased anxiety, depression and malaise to the precarious economic conditions of a lost or furloughed job. We know your administration has been regularly faced with incredibly difficult choices as you manage Minnesota's response, including whether to order certain industries to close or whether to permit them to continue to operate with required COVID mitigation protocols. It is because of those choices that we respectfully submit this letter to urge you to reconsider the State's decision to close all health and fitness facilities and swimming pools in Minnesota as provided in the Emergency Executive Order 20-99 (Implementing a Four Week Dial Back on Certain Activities to Slow the Spread of COVID-19) ("Dial Back Order"), issued by Governor Tim Walz and dated November 18, 2020.1

According to the latest empirical and scientific evidence, Minnesota's health and fitness centerswhen bolstered by enhanced mitigation efforts, including a combination of mask wearing even during exercise and increased social distancecan in fact contribute to Minnesota's overall public health and health equity objectives during this pandemic without compromising the important COVID related aims of the Dial Back Order. In contrast to complete closure, the State can meet its main objective to reduce critical illness, hospitalizations, and death from COVID by both enhancing mitigation protocols for health and fitness clubs and permitting clubs to provide important indoor space for exercise during winter in order to help reduce comorbidities that contribute to poor COVID-19 health outcomes, enhance immune systems, and build mental health resiliency for Minnesotans struggling with this crisis. Such a balanced, surgical approach is the sound way for the State to meet its overall public health objectives. As the Governor noted last week, it is "counterintuitive" to close health and fitness clubs amidst a pandemic that more readily spares healthy people from hospitalization. We agree and, with enhanced mitigation protocols for health and fitness facilities, we believe it is also counterproductive to do so.

I. Health and Fitness Centers in Compliance with State Guidance Have Adopted and Enforced Strong Mitigation Protocols, Which Could Be Enhanced Short of Closure.

We have worked diligently to comply with Minnesota's various COVID-19 orders from the outset of the pandemic. Last week, Governor Walz himself acknowledged that "fitness centerswhether they be small or large national chainshave done incredible work to try and minimize the spread." That "work" has involved development and enforcement by health and fitness clubs of incredibly robust mitigation protocols, including significant capacity limitations, mandatory masks (with an exception when exercising), ventilation and filtration enhancements, symptom and/or temperature screening, enhanced cleaning and disinfecting, no shared equipment in group classes, adequate breaks between classes, and use of a reservation system to facilitate contact tracing.

While Minnesota's recently-updated Stay Safe Plan (Phase 3) permitted gyms and fitness centers to operate at 25% capacity (not to exceed 250 people) and pools to operate at 50% capacity, the Dial Back Order fully closes gyms, fitness facilities and pools until at least December 18, 2020 at 11:59 p.m., if the Order is not extended. The Dial Back Order thus completely shutters health and fitness operations in Minnesotaboth large and small, and in urban and rural areasregardless of any mitigation measures that are in place now or could be added. Yet, numerous other businesses (with similar or even more relaxed mitigation measures) are allowed to remain open, including tattoo parlors (open, at 50% capacity), tanning salons (open, at 50%), convenience stores (open, at 100%), liquor stores (open, at 100%), airport food courts (open, at 100% capacity), and retail stores (open, at 100%). With enhanced mitigation measures, including universal masking and increased social distance, there is no epidemiological difference between a health club and an ordinary retail store because masks and social distance are now the standard for reduction of infectious respiration that can lead to transmission. If anything, on close examination, a health club is safer given its capacity restrictions and its higher air exchange rate.

Therefore, on behalf of our team members, members and the broader Minnesota health and fitness community, we hereby request that the Dial Back Order be amended to permit gyms, fitness facilities and swimming pools to continue to operate with the following enhanced protocols:

This framework is an aggressive, more surgical approach that appropriately accounts for the best available public-health evidence, as well as the evident lessons learned about transmission risk mitigation over the last five months. Under the Dial Back Order, fitness centers are now included among an overinclusive grouping of settings that must completely close, even though the State's own data show that fitness centers have a low positive case rate (747 of 242,000 positive cases is a rate of .003) and fitness centers can effectively implement, monitor, and enforce precisely the kind of protocols6' distance except for transient interactions (e.g., check-ins), masks at all times, capacity restrictionsrequired of businesses that, according to the State, have produced "relatively fewer outbreaks," such as retail outlets, or are simply permitted to operate with no stated epidemiological rationale, such as weddings (6' distance at 50% capacity, capped at 250 people).

Moreover, unlike nearly every other industry, health and fitness centers operate on the health care continuum to provide preventive health opportunities to Minnesotans. In this regard, fitness centers are uniquely positioned to help the State meets its dual commitments to improve overall public health by reducing the risk of COVID comorbidities as well as the severity of COVID cases (thereby reducing demand on health care facilities and critical frontline health care workers) and to improve health equity by providing access to a physical fitness space for Minnesotans with no or less practical ability, space or equipment to exercise at home.

To be truest to its broad public health principles, the State should make every effort to keep fitness centers open, particularly when it has chosen to leave liquor and convenience stores open. Allowing fitness centers to reopen under aggressive mitigation measures will not diminish or undermine the State's very real interest in slowing the spread and, ultimately, containing and controlling the virus. Leaving them closed will be a missed opportunity to help the State meet its public health objectives.

II. Health and Fitness Centers with Mitigation Protocols Strengthen Public Health.

A. Empirical Data Show that Health and Fitness Clubs Reopened with Mitigation Protocols Are Not Materially Contributing to Community Spread.

Since the outset of the pandemic, the fitness industry has partnered closely with the State. Through regular communications with Commissioner Tarek Tomes since March, the fitness industry has developed and produced voluminous documentation of the COVID mitigation protocols they have implemented in their respective fitness facilities, helping to inform the State's published industry guidance. As noted above, these protocols universally embrace social distance, masking, touchless transactions, and improved HVAC measures wherever possibleall elements of the COVID Preparedness Plans developed in response to public health guidance from the State and the Centers for Disease Control. Last week, the Governor even lauded the fitness industry for "going so far" as to alter "air filtration systems," which was not required by the guidance. On that score, with respect to air quality, health and fitness clubs are already required to exchange air at a notably higher rate (20 CFM/person) than retail settings (7.5 CFM/person).2With occupancy already restricted to 25%, and widespread mask usage (the effect of which reduces airborne respiratory droplets), the indoor air quality of health and fitness clubs is improved above and beyond a typical retail setting. For its part, Life Time is also bringing more outside air into spaces, which further dilutes the concentration of contaminants, and has upgraded its filters from MERV 8 to MERV 13, which are designed to filter out 98% of particulate matter.3

With respect to the efficacy of the industry's mitigation protocols, health and fitness operators in Minnesota have had a very strong track record of effectively implementing and enforcing their protocols to reduce the risk of transmission. With respect to national data, the International, Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) partnered with a data firm to examine member check in data and positive case data from reopened clubs through September 2020 to determine a "visit-to-virus" ratio. Based on data collected from 2,873 health clubs from reopening through September 2020, the industry tracked 49.4 million visits against 1,155 positive cases, which was equivalent to a .0023% infection rate. Recognizing that community spread has increased since then, Life Time examined its own Minnesota data through November 18, reflecting nearly five months of operation of its 23 Minnesota clubs since reopening on June 10, 2020. Life Time has logged more than 3.17 million visits by members and team members in our Minnesota clubs. Among that group, only 352 have reported a positive test result, or .01%. (If those who reported symptoms but no test result are included in the count, then number increases to 692, or a virus-to-visit ratio of .021%). These data reflect reports of exposure through community transmission at a very low rate among Life Time members and team members, and none of these reported exposures appear to have definitively originated at Life Time. These numbers, on their face, strongly demonstrate that Life Time clubs are neither a source nor a location of material spread of COVID, and these data hold for other operators as well.

For its part, the State has cited "outbreak" data as a basis for its decision to close fitness centers, citing 48 "outbreaks" and 747 COVID positive cases associated with them. As a threshold matter, the State does not seem to define "outbreak," or has offered confusing and inconsistent definitions that do not square with a common understanding of an "outbreak." On its website, the Minnesota Department of Health defines an "outbreak" as "two or more cases of illness related by time and place in which an epidemiologic investigation suggests either person-to-person transmission occurred or a vehicle other than food or water (e.g., animal contact) is identified."4 But an MDH Information Officer and a county health official defined an "outbreak" with respect to COVID-19 as 7 or more cases who report visiting a given location within a 30-day window. By simply tallying 7+ independent visits to a given location over a 30-day period (but not requiring that the visits necessarily occur at the same time in the same physical space within 6'), MDH does not seem to be requiring a plausible epidemiologic linkage between cases in order to count as an "outbreak." In a true outbreak or cluster, as the State of North Carolina Health Department notes, cases must be present in the same general setting during the same time period (i.e., the same work shift, same fitness class, same physical work out area), and there must not be a more likely source of exposure for identified cases (e.g., the household or close contact to a confirmed case in another setting).5 The State's use of "outbreak" thus seems to be a potentially misleading misnomer. While the public would understand an "outbreak" to be the sudden startthe cause/sourceof a communicable disease transmission, the State seems to be using "outbreak" to simply catalog the presence of positive people in various settings over time.

Moreover, however its terms might be defined and calculated, the State's "outbreak" count associated with fitness centers remains objectively very small. The State has reported 242,000 positive cases. Even if the 48 "outbreaks" are correlated with 747 cases, the total cases somehow associated with health and fitness clubs constitute only .003 of all positive cases in the State. By comparison, using the State's own metrics, fitness centers have seen only a quarter the number of "outbreaks" associated with sports (192 outbreaks v. 48), which are closed. But fitness centers also experienced only half the number associated with weddings (106), which are permitted to go forward (albeit with no receptions) with mitigation protocols even more relaxed than those in force for fitness clubs. Even religious services, which are permitted to continue, have seen 57 outbreaks (v. 48) between church (33) and funeral (24) services. These are all obviously important milestones, but from an epidemiological standpoint the decision to allow them to go forward while health clubs are closed appears to be quite inconsistent.

Moreover, the lack of outbreaks in health clubs is being increasingly well documented across the nation:

These empirical results hold in England as well, a country with a similar health and fitness industry. The UK government recently evaluated COVID-19 exposure rates in different settings and identified similar results. In data presented to Parliament, England's Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, explained that the hospitality industrydrinking pubs and bars, restaurants, cafes, and other entertainment venueswere traced to nearly 30% of the positive cases reviewed. Gyms, in contrast, were tied to just 1.7% of the cases.12Supermarkets, department stores, hospitals, care homes, visiting friends, and even households with fewer than 5 people had higher rates of transmission than gyms in the UK.

These data reinforce an emerging awareness, borne out in the empirical data emerging across many states, that health clubs with COVID-19 mitigation protocols are not the unavoidably immutable high-risk environments that require closure when COVID-19 cases increase in a community. Plainly, "outbreaks" or other exposures at fitness centershowever defined or trackedhave resulted in a low volume of cases, representing only a small fraction of the total cases discovered in the State. That strongly suggests that robust COVID mitigation protocols are effective in fitness settings.

B. Science Also Shows that Health and Fitness Clubs with Proper Mitigation Protocols Can Operate Without a Heightened Risk of Infection.

In the Dial Back Order, Governor Walz argues that the "science shows us that exercise leads to higher levels of exertion and exhalationoften by individuals not wearing masksgreatly increasing the amount of airborne respiratory aerosol droplets that can carry COVID-19."13 While this may be true in the abstract, it fails to account for the actual mitigation protocols that are, or could be, in effect at health clubs, such as mask use even during exercise in order to mitigate airborne respiratory droplets in the club. In other words, while the State seems to be focused generally on the "risk profile" of health clubs due to increased respiration, scientific studies have shown that COVID protocols effectively lower the "risk profile" of a health club as a setting of significant epidemiological concern, such that it is unreasonable to close gyms when masks, distance, capacity limits, and ventilation can effectively mitigate risk.

The State's focus on the risk profile of a health club may be grounded in now-dated studies that did not consider the effect of mitigation protocols, and do not fairly reflect the current state of knowledge acquired over the past 8-10 months, namely the critical value of masks, social distance and hygiene. At the outset of the pandemic,the CDC published a "research letter" from South Korea on May 15, 2020.14 The researchers examined infections arising from a "nationwide fitness dance instructor workshop" held on February 15, 2020 in South Korea. They concluded that "intense physical exercise in densely populated sports facilities could increase risk for infection. Vigorous exercise in confined spaces should be minimized during outbreaks."

What is critical to understand about the South Korea study is that the researchers were examining fitness experiences from February 2020 with no mitigation protocols in place at all. The researchers traced a positive COVID-19 case to a fitness dance instructor workshop held on February 15, 2020. At the workshop, faculty instructors taught 27 South Korean women how to be Zumba instructors in their own fitness facilities in their hometowns. Zumba is a very high intensity fitness dance exercise set to Latin rhythms, typically conducted in close proximity. The 27 instructors "trained intensely for four hours" at the workshop. (Traditional fitness clubs in Minnesota teach classes typically an hour or less.) The instructors then returned to their hometowns to teach Zumba to students in "large class sizes" in 12 facilities that were in "small rooms with bad ventilation, with students standing a few centimeters apart."15The workshop and subsequent classes also had no mitigation protocols in place at allno shortened classes, no capacity restrictions, no physical distance (let alone 6'), poor ventilation, and all of it happening in a small room.

Similarly, researchers from Stanford and Northwestern University recently published an article in the journal Nature,16 on November 10, 2020, which was described in news stories as finding that fitness facilities are currently a higher risk venue for COVID 19 transmission. But that is not what the study found. The study examined anonymized location data from mobile applications (cell phone data) from March 8 to May 9, 2020, during a time (except the first week or so of that period) when all health clubs were closed in Minnesota and in most of the United States. The authors submitted their article for publication on June 15, 2020, just when Minnesota was reopening health clubs with required COVID mitigation protocols, including a 25% capacity restriction. Because health clubs were closed during nearly all of the data period, in order to evaluate the relative risk of reopening different categories of businesses, the authors simulated the reopening of each separate category on May 1, 2020 "by returning its mobility patterns to early March levels." In early March, just as with the February fitness classes examined in the South Korea study, there were no COVID mitigation protocols in health clubs at all. The study looked only at the number of visitors to health clubs ("visit density") and the length of stay ("visit duration")the "mobility levels" available in the cell phone datanot at whether those health clubs had implemented protocols to mitigate COVID risks for those visitors. The study says nothing about the efficacy of masks, touchless entry, or enhanced cleaning, and with respect to the one mitigation concept it does addresshow to create greater social distanceit concludes that the very capacity limits the State has imposed on Minnesota health clubs, and could make even tighter short of closure, really do work:

Reducing maximum occupancy substantially reduced risk without sharply reducing overall mobility: capping at 20% maximum occupancy in the Chicago metro area cut down predicted new infections by more than 80%, but only lost 42% of overall visits, and we observed similar trends across metro areas[O]ne can achieve a disproportionately large reduction in infections with a small reduction in visits. Reducing maximum occupancy always resulted in fewer predicted infections for the same number of total visitsby taking advantage of the time-varying visit density within each [club]

The reason for this is that occupancy restrictions disproportionately reduce visits riskiest "high-density periods," but leave visit counts unchanged "during less risky periods." In other words, the study proves exactly our point that the State does not need to eviscerate all economic activity in our industry in order to achieve a substantial reduction in infection risk: "Precise interventions, like reducing maximum occupancy, may be more effective than less targeted measures [e.g., closure], while incurring substantially lower economic costs."

While the Stanford and Northwestern researchers concluded that capacity restrictions work, a group of Norwegian researchers from the University of Oslo, along with the Norway's National Institute of Public Health, concluded that a suite of other mitigation protocols likewise work to reduce the risk of infection. In June 2020, they set out to examine whether the continued closure of health clubs in Norway was truly necessary or whether reopened facilities "can provide enough hygiene and social distancing to prevent virus spread."17

The researchers in the study randomized 3,764 members of five health clubs in Oslo into two groupshalf of whom could use the clubs from late May to mid-June 2020, and half of whom could not.The study participants were well-balanced for gender and age as well: half were men, half were women. Most of the members were between 20 and 50 years of age, but the entire population spanned 18 to 64 years of age. Of the studied cohort, a large majority, 81.8%, used the club at least once, while 38.5% trained six times or more. The gyms provided all their ordinary services, including access to the fitness floor and group fitness classes (e.g., spinning, yoga, and other activities). After the two-week trial in the study, more than 3,000 individuals were tested for COVID-19. Only one participant returned a positive COVID-19 test, and that person was exposed at worknot at the health club. Of the 91% of the club employees who were tested, not a single study participant returned a positive test.

The researchers concluded that there is "no virus transmission or increase in COVID-19 disease related to opening of training facilities," provided "good hygiene and social distancing routines" are in place. Notably, those "routines" or protocols were even more modest than those adopted in the United States, including the strict protocols mandated in Minnesota, such as masks and a full 6' of social distance:

Protocol

Norway

United States

Access Controls/Capacity Restrictions

Yes

Yes

Masks

No

Yes

Temperature Checks/Screening

No

Yes

6' Distance During Intense Exercise

Yes

Yes

6' Distance During Other Times

No(only 3')

Yes

Disinfectants at Workout Stations

Yes

Yes

Equipment Cleaning by Members

Yes

Yes

Regular Cleaning by Staff

Yes

Yes

Instruction to Members on Hygiene

Yes

Yes

The researchers concluded that "the results of our trial shows that with these easy and simple-to-adhere mitigations, training facilities are safe and may be allowed to reopen."

Even more recently, the CDC itself found no statistically significant association between COVID-19 positive test results and visiting a health club with protocolsunlike visiting a bar or restaurant where "mask use and social distancing are difficult to maintain."18 In a case-controlled study involving residents of Minnesota among other states, the CDC aimed to assess community and close contact exposures associated with COVID-19. Researchers compared 154 positive case patients to 160 negative test patients. Study participants were surveyed about settings they visited in the two weeks prior to symptom onset, and the degree of adherence to COVID protocols in such settings, including mask wearing and social distance among patrons. The study concluded that "participants with and without COVID-19 reported generally similar community exposures, with the exception of going to locations with on-site eating and drinking options." Notably, while there was no statistically significant difference between positive test results and visiting most settings other than restaurants (64 positive case patient, venue now closed) and bars (13 positives, now closed), more positive-case patients went shopping (131 people, still open in MN), worked at the office (37 people, still open), visited a salon (24 people, still open), and/or went to church (12 people, still open) compared with a health club (12 people, now closed in MN). This suggests not only that health clubs are not a materially greater risk than other locations, but also that fewer people are patronizing health clubs compared to other settings, likely due to the capacity restrictions already imposed by the State.

Taken together, the developing science suggests that health and fitness clubs with strict protocols, including masks during exercise and/or greater social distance, can effectively mitigate COVID transmission risk due to increased respiration.

C. Based on Empirical and Scientific Data, Many States Have Permitted Health Clubs to Remain Open with Enhanced Protocols Even as Case Counts Increase.

In the Dial Back Order, the Governor asserts that in "dialing back onfitness establishments, Minnesota joins an increasing number of states imposing similar measures, including California, Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, and Vermont." That statement is not entirely accurate. While Oregon and New Mexico opted to close all health clubs (both indoors and out), even California and Washington, which closed indoor fitness, currently permit outdoor group fitness classes, which Minnesota has banned.19 Moreover, three other states identified by the GovernorIllinois, Michigan, and Vermonthave allowed health and fitness clubs to remain open with enhanced restrictions, as have several other states facing rising COVID-19 case pressures, such as Colorado and Missouri among numerous other states. Here is a chart reflecting these restrictions:

State

Face Coverings

Capacity

Group Classes

Reservations

Pool

California

Worn at all times

Closed (outdoor permitted)

Closed (outdoor permitted)

n/a

Outdoor only

Colorado

Worn at all times

Lesser of 10% or 10/room indoors

Lesser of 10% or 10/room indoors

Yes

Lesser of 10% or 10/room indoors

Illinois

Worn at all times

25% maximum

Prohibited

Yes

Open (50%)

Michigan

Worn at all times

25% + 12 ft. physical distance

Prohibited

No

Open (25%)

Missouri

(St. Louis County)

Worn at all times

25%

The rest is here:
Life Time and Other Minnesota Health and Fitness Operators Call for Walz Administration to Reconsider Closure of Health Clubs - PRNewswire

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Mayhem Mission Uses Faith and Fitness to Impact the World | Morning Chalk Up

With Thanksgiving and the holiday season upon us, it is the time of year where we honor our loved ones and give thanks for our blessings. For the four-time Fittest Man on Earth, Rich Froning, the season is also about giving back to the community, something that he has learned from his family and his faith. From the start, giving back has been one of the cornerstones of CrossFit Mayhem and now that cornerstone has become an organization Mayhem Mission the charitable arm of his business.

One big thing: Mayhem Mission made its debut a month ago but has been a part of Fronings long term plan for years. This year he found more time to devote to the area of service with Mayhems platform and has planned many events for the 2021 calendar year.

The details so far: The goal of Mayhem Mission is to help communities in need through faith and fitness.

The bottom line: Mayhem Mission is the latest venture by Rich Froning, but by far the one that means the most to him as he continues to parlay his CrossFit success into issues that mean the most to him. A man who doesnt hide the fact that he is a servant of God, Froning now has an organization that he can officially use to continue to serve not just the CrossFit community but the world.

Read more from the original source:
Mayhem Mission Uses Faith and Fitness to Impact the World - Morning Chalk Up

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Leah Romero, Las Cruces Sun-News Published 3:21 p.m. MT Nov. 23, 2020 | Updated 5:21 p.m. MT Nov. 23, 2020

Crunch Fitness in Las Cruces on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020.(Photo: Nathan J Fish/Sun-News)

Updated at 5:20 p.m. Nov. 23 with comment from Crunch Fitness' district manager.

LAS CRUCES - Crunch Fitness was served with a notice Saturday of the states intent to fine them $5,000 for remaining open despite the COVID-19 public health order requiring gyms and other nonessential businesses to halt in-person services.

The health order went into effect Nov. 16 and describes gyms as a close-contact business, similar to salons, barbershops, spas and tattoo shops. The state requires these businesses to close to the public and reduce their staff by 100% through Nov. 30 to help halt the spread of the novel coronavirus in the state.

However, the gym, near El Paseo Road and Wyatt Drive, was still operating Monday, Nov. 23, with customers going about their exercising as usual. A sign on the door notified those entering that the occupancy limit is 75 people and masks are required.

Grocery Stores: Walmart, Albertsons, Texas Roadhouse in Las Cruces ordered closed

Customers inside were spaced out while using the machines and were wearing masks a few incorrectly wearing their masks below their noses.

A notice of citation was served on the gym Nov. 21 from the New Mexico Department of Public Safety detailing the states intention to fine the gym for failing to comply with the health order. The citation explained that the fine was for violations on Nov. 20, and that the fine could increase if additional violations by the gym were demonstrated.

The citation also notes that the gym has received a cease and desist and a notice of closure. Crunch Fitness has the option of contesting the proposed $5,000 fine.

Keith Smith, district manager, said they have submitted paperwork contesting the fine. He added that the gym was open last week on Monday, was told to close at about 2 p.m. Tuesday, closed Wednesday and Thursday, reopened Friday and has been open since then. Their location in Albuquerque is also remaining open.

Smith said he has no plans to close for the foreseeable futurebecause he said he believes gyms are essential businesses.He explained that their service is about wellbeing and getting through these uncertain times.

"We are anessential business because we're providing people with the opportunity to do their own physical and mental therapy with the equipment we have readily available at hand at all of our facilities," Smith said.

He also explained a$10 charge that went into effect Nov. 20is for a semi-supervised personal training agreement which allows members the opportunity to talk with trainers before performing exercises. Smith said the service is in place to protect members, staff and himself and is not an effort to price-gouge.

The gym's contest to the notice of citationwill likely be considered before a citation is officially served.

Leah Romero is a fellow with the New Mexico Local News Fund andcan be reached atlromero@lcsun-news.comor@rromero_leahon Twitter.

Read or Share this story: https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/2020/11/23/crunch-fitness-las-cruces-gym-open-violating-nm-covid-orders/6396632002/

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Crunch Fitness in Las Cruces served with citation for violating public health order - Las Cruces Sun-News

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The Central Bank of Ireland has published a Dear CEO letter following on from its recent thematic inspections of compliance by Regulated Financial Service Providers (Firms) with their obligations under the Fitness and Probity Regime. The Central Bank expects all Firms to take appropriate action to address the issues outlined in its letter and to be able to evidence this to the Central Bank, if requested.

Overview

In April 2019, the Central Bank issued a Dear CEO letter outlining its concerns regarding Firms understanding of the extent of their legal obligations under the Fitness and Probity Regime and indicating that each Firm, together with its Board, should review its fitness and probity policies, procedures and practices and address any identified shortcomings. See our related briefing here.

Subsequently, the Central Bank undertook thematic onsite inspections across a sample of Firms in the insurance and banking sectors, which focused on evaluating the processes in place to manage compliance with the requirements of the Fitness and Probity Regime. The inspections focused on the following areas:

The recent Dear CEO letter sets out the key findings and observations from the inspections together with the Central Banks expectations and is to be read in conjunction with the April 2019 letter, the Central Banks Fitness and Probity Standards and the associated fitness and probity guidance. Details of the findings and observations are set out in Appendix 1 of the Dear CEO letter. You can find the related press release and a link to letter here.

Awareness and understanding within Firms of their compliance obligations

According to the letter, the level of awareness of fitness and probity obligations was weak throughout many of the Firms, in particular at Board level and Board appointments were generally not subject to the same level of scrutiny or formality as other appointments to Pre-Approval Controlled Functions (PCF) or Controlled Functions (CF). In addition, in the Central Bank's view, many Firms lacked coherent fitness and probity policies and procedures.

Board Appointments

The Central Bank expects each Firm to:

The CEO should not be involved in screening Board candidates due to the potential for conflicts of interest to arise.

Policies and Procedures

While the quality of policies and procedures in relation to fitness and probity varied from Firm to Firm, according to the Central Bank the majority of Firms had disjointed processes that did not clearly outline the roles and responsibilities of the various functions performing fitness and probity related tasks.

Firms should consider whether they:

Due Diligence

The Central Bank identified the due diligence process as the area of most consistent weakness across all Firms both in terms of initial and on-going due diligence.

Initial Due Diligence

The Central Bank expects to see that each Firm:

On-going Due Diligence

The Central Bank assessed the conduct of on-going due diligence as particularly weak. In addition to each PCF and CF role holder annually certifying their compliance with, and their agreement to abide by, the Fitness and Probity Standards, the Central Bank expects each Firm to:

Outsourcing

When outsourcing PCF or CF roles to an unregulated Outsource Service Provider (OSP), the Central Bank expects each Firm, as part of its due diligence in appointing CF role holders, to obtain the required documentation and to make appropriate inquiries as to the OSPs process for assessing fitness and probity. In addition, an outsourcing Firm should have a process in place to verify whether PCF or CF roles are being performed in the context of outsourcing.

Central Bank Engagement

In the Central Banks view, overall, Firms have not adequately developed, documented or embedded their processes relating to engagement with the Central Bank on fitness and probity issues, including IQ submission process. Each Firm should consider whether it has:

Role of the Compliance Function

According to the Central Bank, each Firm should ensure that its fitness and probity processes and procedures are subject to robust compliance testing. The fitness and probity process should be subject to comprehensive oversight by the Compliance Function and periodic independent review by the Internal Audit Function to ensure it is fit for purpose. Firms should avoid placing over reliance on the Compliance Function, which could potentially create key person risk.

Next Steps and Comment

The Central Bank expects each Firm to review and assess the findings and observations set out in Appendix 1 of the letter, in the context of potential issues with their own systems and processes. Consequently, each Firm should take this opportunity to review its relevant process and procedures to ensure that they comply with the Central Banks expectations. Any Firm that has not already done so should also ensure that it takes into account the Central Banks letter of April 2019 when conducting this review.

As this is now the second time in the space of eighteen months that the Central Bank has written to remind Firms of their obligations under the fitness and probity regime, it is unlikely that Firms found wanting in this area in the future will be given much quarter by the Central Bank for any material failures in their processes and procedures around fitness and probity.

Moreover, Firms that take the time now to put in place best in class fitness and probity policies and procedures will be much better placed to comply with the anticipated new regulatory framework for individual accountability, once this becomes law (see our related briefing here). In this regard, we understand that the Central Bank (Amendment) Bill, which will set out the new framework, is in an advanced stage of drafting and is expected to undergo pre-legislative scrutiny as part of the Governments Autumn Legislative Programme. See our related briefing here.

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Second Time Lucky - Central Bank Issues Another Dear CEO Letter on Fitness and Probity Requirements - Lexology

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During the uncertain first months of quarantine, ELLE.com asked several novelists to chronicle their new normal with a tribute to the person helping them get by. The resultsheartfelt and harrowingare presented here as a grateful salute to those who kept the world spinning in the years darkest moments.

At the end of 2018, I lost a very good friend to cancer. The grief was like its own quarantinepeople could see me through its glass, but it felt like no one could touch me or even hear my voice. There was no way out of it but to go through it. As I stared down the long months ahead, I wasnt sure how Id recover.

Six months after my friend died, I still struggled with my daily tasks. I had trouble being present with my kids, who were four and one. I had to set aside the novel I was writing because I couldnt focus. Some of the people closest to me shared that it was difficult to be my friend. All these little losses added to the weight of a bigger loss, and my body was drowning beneath the weight of them.

I needed my body to move, but I didnt know how.

I took dance classes when I was young, and I always found that it was the best way for my heart to speak when my mouth couldnt find the words. So I scrolled through YouTube last spring, hoping to find some kind of dance workout that would be fun for me while entertaining my children. I stumbled across an easy-to-follow dance video for Womanizer by Britney Spears, performed and choreographed by this young guy named Caleb, who called himself The Fitness Marshall, and two of his friends. They were welcoming and goofy, not to mention incredible dancers.

I hadnt laughed so much since before my friend passed away. Within three minutes I understood something I hadnt before: If I wanted to care for my body, I needed to laugh first. After Womanizer finished, my son asked to do it again. Then we did a different dance, and another, and another.

The next day, my son wanted to do the real Marshall Arts again, which is what he calls Caleb. Weve danced with The Fitness Marshall almost every day since. Hes become an important part of daily life in our house, even though we dont know him, and the gifts he gives us have become even more vital since the pandemic began.

I am not a scheduled mom. Its too much to think about weekly routines for my kids in conjunction with working to launch my first novel while also writing another one. The single anchor in our day is our half-hour dance session with Caleb right after breakfast. To me, this counts as P.E., an extracurricular class, and even a spelling lesson if Fergie is on the playlist that day. One of the most impressive things about the Fitness Marshall is how much free material he has. You could dance for a week straight and not repeat a song. He choreographs the dances himself, films them himself, and edits them along with his best friend Haley and his boyfriend Cameron, both of whom often appear in his videos.

"Watching them reminds me to laugh with the people I love, in whatever ways we can right now."

My family takes turns choosing the songsright now my daughter usually picks "Taki Taki" by DJ Snake, while my sons favorite has always been "R.I.P." by Sofia Reyes. My favorite service The Fitness Marshall provides, though, is a weekly sweat session that lasts for either a half hour or a full hour. Often you can join it live, or you can simply watch it when you have time, even months later. Every session features a fresh playlist. Before the pandemic, Caleb and Haley filmed the sweat sessions in a large open space with a brick background, but since quarantine began hes been shooting them in his apartment. The sweat sessions are about $16 a month, and once I signed up, I never thought about going back to a gym again.

Caleb and Haley recently started their own podcast, and in the first episode they talked about how lonely it can be to film these videos week after week, because its hard to visualize anyone on the other side of the lens. Maybe its because I havent truly seen anyone outside my immediate family in weeks, but hearing that gutted me a little. No one can escape the dreaded feeling of isolation anymore. Even so, Calebs is the friendly face weve seen every day since mid-March. My therapist encouraged me to find new ways to be present with my loved ones when physical presence isnt possibleand thats exactly what Caleb is doing for so many. He lets himself feel a little lonely every week so we dont have to be.

I remember one sweat session a few months ago, when Calebs new pants split down the crotch right at the beginning of the warm-up. Haley and Cameron belly-laughed so hard they had to step off-camera before they could continue. It gave me the impression that theyd be dancing together, just as they were, whether they had an audience or not. Watching them reminds me to laugh with the people I love, in whatever ways we can right now.

Its this shared joy that keeps me going back to Calebs workouts, even though I love the music and the choreography. Hes been very open across his social media channels about his history with anxiety, and how it plays out in his daily life. He has never pretended to be happy all the time. One thing quarantine has taught me is that if I short-change my grief, Ill also short-change my joy. They are not oppositestheyre partners. Having a daily dance session with Caleb has created a space where I can work through whatever feelings come that daydespair, frustration, hopeoften with my kids within three feet of me. Its no small miracle to feel like Ive gotten a private moment when there are so few to be had.

Oh, and if youd like to give The Fitness Marshall a try, heres a playlist of some of my favorite songs.

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Surviving Grief, With a Little Help From the Fitness Marshall - ELLE.com

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Fitness Studio Management Software Tool Market 2020 Trending Technologies, Developments, Key Players and COVID 19 Forecast to 2026: MINDBODY, Acuity...

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RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) Gov. Roy Coopers new executive order Monday about COVID-19 precautions brings changes for gyms.

Before, people could take their masks off while working out, but once the order goes into effect on Wednesday, face coverings are required in indoor gyms and fitness facilitieseven when people are exercising.

Carole Wagner, who owns Row House in Raleigh, says it might take a bit of time for customers to get used to the new mandate.

Weve talked about maybe going to 30-minute classes until people get used to it and then adding the 45 minutes back in, so that people dont feel too overwhelmed with breathing through a mask, she said, but added that her members are willing to adapt. They are all really on board with doing everything they can personally and protecting each other so I think people will get on board with it.

Some people already wear a face covering while working out.

A lot of our members since our clubs are able to reopen have chosen to wear a mask at all times, noted Johnny Groff, the area director of Life Time Fitness.

He says gyms are doing everything they can to keep members safe, from extensive cleaning to temperature checks.He says some fitness centers already require masks during exercise. It just takes some getting used to.

Weve seen it across the country in different markets with folks finding an athletic mask that is a little bit more comfortable, he said.

Once the governors order goes into effect, Groff says it will be enforced.

If folks dont want to wear a mask, you know, we educate them. We will even provide them a mask for that day, he said, But we do require that the mask is worn because we want to keep folks safe and we want to stay open.

Wagner added, this is just one more way gym owners and members are adapting.

2020, she said, We roll with the flow.

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NC gyms, fitness centers impacted by Gov. Coopers new COVID-19 restrictions - CBS17.com

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In the days after new pandemic-related health orders were implemented late last week, many fitness studios were able to adapt to the new rules and remain open, including Kamloops Hot Yoga, No Limits Fitness and Orangetheory Fitness.

While hot yoga, spin classes and group fitness classes were suspended in the Nov. 19 order, other group activities such as dance classes, martial arts and cheerleading were allowed to continue with approved COVID-19 safety plans.

But that changed on Tuesday with a revised order mandating all indoor group physical activities be suspended temporarily while new guidance is developed. These activities include gymnastics, dance studios, martial arts, yoga, pilates, strength and conditioning and cheerleading. The order states such venues mustuse the new guidance to update and re-post their COVID-19 safety plans before resuming operations.

Gyms and recreation centres that offer individual workouts and personal training sessions can remain open if they follow their safety plans.

While Kamloops Hot Yoga and No Limits Fitness turned their hot yoga sessions into regular yoga workouts over the weekend, those, too, will need to be temporarily suspended.

Orangetheory Fitness, meanwhile, is known for its high-intensity exercise classes. It remained open by reclassifying itself as a gym. Orangetheory manager Tara Sales explained that members book allotted gym time slots similar to how they would book a class in the past and Orangetheory provides equipment for people to use at their own discretion. Members have the option to scan a QR code to access a wide range of workouts provided by Orangetheory digitally.

Members come in and scan and they run through templates on their own, Orangetheory manager Tara Sales said. A coach cant actually coach them. Members have to coach themselves now. Youre coming in and working through it on your own.

Orangetheory also decommissioned some equipment and reduced capacity. Cleanliness continues to be a top priority, with Sales noting members have communicated desire to attend the studio for that reason. For those who dont feel comfortable coming into the studio in person, however, Orangetheory will in the next couple of weeks be offering a new online platform, with live coaching.

Meanwhile, Oxygen Yoga and Fitness Kamloops owner Dina McLeod told KTW through tears after the announcement that she was devastated by news of the order prohibiting hot yoga until at least Dec. 7.

It is a gut punch like I didnt expect, she said.

McLeod said the studio has closed and she worries about her clients physical and mental well-being.

We have people on chemotherapy who come in for infrared therapy because were an infrared heated studio, she said. Weve got people who struggled with their mental health during the closure. Thats why I taught a bunch of classes live for free just to stay connected. I dont know how some of these people will do.

McLeod is also concerned about her finances. She said the studio was already operating at half capacity, despite overhead remaining the same. It also closed for 77 days in the spring, due to health orders, from mid-March to June 1. Her 15 staff mostly work at the studio on the side of full-time jobs.

McLeod, however, said she has already put everything into surviving the first closure, including leaning on credit cards. Adding to the stress is uncertainty. She doesnt know when shell be allowed to reopen.

I dont know how we survive it, she said. I dont know if they reopen us in two weeks. She [Dr. Bonnie Henry] wasnt very clear.

Samantha Gibson, who owns K-Spin downtown on Seymour Street, said she will comply with the order, but would prefer to keep her doors open with enhanced COVID-19 measures in place.

I do think its extremely unfortunate, she said. I also teach at Barre Kamloops and I know that both the studios have extremely high standards in their cleaning and screening of clients. Weve been open for the past six months with no transmission. Yes, it is a risk, but I feel like theres something to be said for the safety protocols we have in place.

Gibson, who opened her studio three years ago, shuttered K-Spin for more than three months earlier this year during the spring COVID-19 wave. Since re-opening, the studio has been running at 50 per cent capacity 10 riders at a time.

It already has hurt our business, she said. Weve been running the last six months at half capacity. Being a small business owner is tough enough in these times, but running at half capacity were thankful to have strong support from our clients.

When the pandemic first closed K-Spins doors in March, Gibson rented 10 of her 20 bikes to clients, keeping a sliver of revenue coming in each month. She said shell do the same again.

Its better than nothing, she said. But, again, I do feel like its a risk you should be able to take, like going to the gym or going to the grocery store.

Henry also introduced a new order mandating mask wearing in indoor public and retail spaces, including employees and customers, except while eating or drinking at a table. When entering a business or leaving the table, masks must be worn by customers. Masks need not be worn at desks at workplaces, but must be worn by employees when they move about the workplace. The order does not apply to children under the age of two years old.

Events, including art shows, music and theatre performances, movie theatre screenings, performative arts, and similar events are prohibited.

In addition, all social gatherings must be restricted to household members those in your core bubble only. Social gatherings of any size, even outdoors, are prohibited.

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More COVID-19 restrictions added to fitness sector - Kamloops This Week

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Shorter days mean many of us have no choice but to exercise before dawn or after dusk. But is it safe to run or cycle in the dark? What extra kit do you need? And, most importantly, how do you pull yourself out of your warm bed or off your comfortable sofa? We asked nocturnal athletes and experts for their tips.

Layers are vital: leggings or tights, base layers, a running or cycling jacket and waterproofs. But, says Sam Jones, who works for Cycling UK and is a keen night-time mountain biker: People often forget to layer their hands and feet. You can wear inner gloves and merino socks under thicker gloves and waterproof socks try Sealskinz or Endura.

At night, you need reflective clothing rather than fluorescent/hi-vis. Fluorescent clothing works by converting UV sunlight into light we can see, so it isnt effective at night, whereas reflective clothes use artificial light, such as car headlights and streetlights. But Ceri Rees, who founded the Wild Night Run series of night-time trail races in the south-west of England, says you dont have to invest in a whole new outfit. You could focus on accessories: reflective wristbands, bumbag and hat.

Indeed, a study by the Queensland University of Technology, published in the journal Transportation Research in January, found that reflective strips worn on movable joints (wrists, ankles, knees and elbows) can significantly reduce the risk of a collision with a vehicle at night. The study, based on 50 cyclists and runners in Leeds and Brisbane, found that drivers were better able to identify those with moving reflective strips as people, rather than any other bright object, and discern how far away they were.

When cycling on roads between sunset and sunrise, it is a legal requirement in the UK to have a white front light, red rear light and reflectors at the back of your bike and on your pedals. Jones recommends reading road.ccs buyers guide to the best bike lights.

Off-road, runners will need a head torch, and mountain bikers will need handlebar and helmet lights. Jasmin Paris, a fell runner who won the 268-mile Spine Race along the Pennine Way in 83hrs 12mins 23 secs in 2019, expressing milk for her baby along the way, says a head torch is the most important piece of kit. I use a rechargeable one and charge it up after every run. Rees recommends a reactive torch, which automatically adjusts the brightness based on how dark it is, conserving energy.

Try to think of exercising in the dark as a unique experience, rather than a necessary evil. You are entering a totally different world, says Jones, one populated by owls, badgers, hedgehogs and foxes. Paris says: Your whole world gets narrowed down to a pool of light in front of you. It is a form of meditation, and has lots of the same benefits.

Ultimately, as Rees says: You can choose to hibernate, or you can choose to defy the winter. Theres something very emboldening about running all year round you dont dread the seasons any more.

A common worry about exercising after dark is personal safety. One option is a runners alarm that straps around your wrist and is activated by pulling a chain or clicking a button. Paris says she carried one on runs when she lived in Minnesota for a year, although she never had to use it. She now lives in a village outside Edinburgh and feels much safer running in the hills. I dont worry about a serial killer coming to stab me in the middle of nowhere! Other safety tips include sticking to well-lit, well-populated areas; varying your route; running without headphones; and using a safety app such as bSafe.

Some say a few nerves are all part of the experience. Running through a forest at night is very invigorating, says Rees. The hair on the back of your neck stands up, and you deal with your personal ghosts and demons. Jones adds: Mountain biking alone at night can feel a bit eerie you can spook yourself and hear weird noises but it can also be therapeutic.

If you dont feel comfortable exercising or exorcising alone, however, Paris suggests going with a dog (although mine would be useless if someone tried to attack me) or a friend. In non-Covid times, you can also find a local running or cycling group to train with, and enter a night race or ride. The MapMyRun app has a live tracking feature so you can share your location with a friend for added peace of mind.

You may think the risk of injury would be higher in the dark, but Rees says there are far fewer injuries on his night run series than the daytime races. Running at night engages all the senses, and the musculoskeletal feedback is more intuitive, he says. You feel the ground more, and your body reacts instinctively.

There is little evidence that road cycling is more dangerous at night. According to a 2018 Department for Transport factsheet, most serious accidents take place from 7am-10am and 4pm-7pm on weekdays, and 10am-midday on weekends, ie when more cyclists are on the roads. Mountain biking after dark has the potential to be more dangerous it is harder to see roots that could trip you up or branches that could hit you in the face but the risks can be reduced by riding familiar trails, using a good set of lights, wearing protective biking glasses and (of course) slowing down.

It can be difficult to judge pace in the dark, though. Rees says: Your cadence changes; you take shorter steps, and it feels like youre running faster. This sense of speed was confirmed by a 2012 study of cyclists published in the Journal of Sports Exercise Psychology its all down to optic flow influence. In the dark, you can only see objects when theyre close to you, so it feels as if your surroundings are passing quickly, which in turn makes you feel that youre running faster.

It is always sensible to tell someone where youre going and take a phone with you, just in case you do twist an ankle or cycle into a tree.

Paris spends six months of the year running in the dark, and runs the same routes in summer sunshine or winter darkness. The only thing I wouldnt do at night is a technically challenging run, such as along a ridge in the mountains, she says. Novice night runners may feel more confident on easier routes theyve recently checked out in daylight. Rees suggests doing different kinds of sessions in the dark. Mix your runs up a bit, make it playful, he says. You could use lamp-posts to do intervals, or take your shoes and socks off and go round a football field barefoot (as long as there are responsible dog owners in your area).

He also recommends brushing up on your map-reading skills. It adds to the satisfaction to plan a route, study it beforehand and look at where you went afterwards, he says. Having basic navigation skills boosts your confidence and makes you more likely to go out. Apps, including ViewRanger or MapMyRun, will help you plan a route and follow it.

Jones says it is easy for cyclists to get lost. Things look totally different after dark, so consider buying a GPS bike computer, and make sure your phone is charged. Start small, with short rides to build your confidence. And always carry a puncture repair kit you dont want to be stuck miles from home at night.

If possible, exercise at the same time every week, so it becomes a habit, rather than relying on willpower. Paris works full-time as a vet and has two young children, so she runs before dawn. Once you get into a routine of getting up at 5am, your body gets used to it, she promises. She also recommends laying out your clothes the night before, and making a date. After I had my first baby, I ran with a friend. If wed arranged to meet at 7am in the hills, I couldnt cancel Id be letting them down.

Rees says it depends on where your motivation comes from. If youre intrinsically motivated, youll find a reason to run, whether thats losing weight, getting fitter or just feeling better, he says. If youre extrinsically motivated, you may need to track your progress on Strava, set mileage goals or train for a race. He also has a tip for evening runs when restrictions allow: I often plan a run that finishes at a pub. I like to imagine having a pint and chat by an inglenook fireplace while Im running.

But dont be too hard on yourself. We dont need to be martyrs, says Jones. If its pouring with rain and blowing a gale, dont feel obliged to go out there will be a better night.

Dont worry about being too wired to sleep. A 2019 study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that even high-intensity interval running sessions in the evening do not disrupt and may even improve subsequent nocturnal sleep in endurance-trained runners, while low-intensity exercise induced positive changes in sleep behaviour. Paris ran around Liverpool in the dead of night to cure her insomnia as a student, while Jones says he is always relaxed and ready for bed after a night ride. OK, a predawn session is going to interfere with your sleep but you can always compensate with an early night.

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Defy the winter!: how to exercise after dark - The Guardian

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November 23, 2020

By: Maryellen Fairfax, Adventist Record

For Arnold Greenfield, operating fitness classes is a way of introducing people to Jesus.

For me, its like building the kingdom of God through fitness, Arnold said. You may have had a terrible weekend or be drained at work, but you can come to this space, and its encouraging and uplifting. It's building community and building Gods kingdom.

FoxFit is a ministry coordinated by Greenfield in partnership with Fox Valley Community Church pastor and former Wahroonga Adventist School chaplain Landry Patii. Greenfield runs sessions at the school grounds in Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia, every Monday at 6:30 p.m. Designed as a group fitness class, it attracts people from all walks of life: nursing students, young professionals, high-school students, and people from the wider community.

Its like circuit training but with CrossFit movements, Greenfield said. Were never doing the same thing every week. Its mostly functional movements like squatting, putting things over your head things you would use in your daily life. And its done at high speed, to get your heart rate high.

Thanks to the team-building nature of each session, the workouts are accessible to a wide range of age groups and flexible to small or large numbers. At its peak, FoxFit was attracting between 30 and 40 people each week, but following COVID-19 restrictions, the ministry is just starting to pick up again.

With big groups, we split in half and have two different workouts going. One group would be completing reps of six different exercises 400 air squats, 400 crunches, et cetera and working as a team. We get them to hit the mark of all reps or rounds and set the time for other groups, like a competition, he said.

Greenfield encourages anyone in the area to come, regardless of their fitness level, attributing peoples enjoyment to the positive community atmosphere.

People think theyre not fit enough to come, or that people will judge; that they have to get fitter to come. But you dont have to get fit at all. Just come as you are. The fitness level you think youre at is usually much lower than the level you can push to. Its an encouraging thing. We want people to come to FoxFit and, with support, believe they can do something great. Its not just a fitness thing.

With FoxFit being an activity where churchgoers can easily bring their friends along, the intention was always to make FoxFit more than just an exercise group.

So often, we apply the great commission in the wrong order, Patii explained. Weve been teaching people to change their behavior before we connect with them. This mindset [that] is calibrated to behave in order to belong is not biblical at all. Jesus met [people] in their space; He had a relational conversation with them. FoxFit is exactly that. God has blessed Arnold and me with the passion for health and fitness to meet and build relationships with [people] make them feel home and safe, foremost.

It was easy to bring people there and run it, Greenfield added, but it was always hard to make it more spiritual and to bring Jesus into it.

Two girls started coming from the nursing residency Bec and Freya who werent strong Adventists. They started connecting with church thanks to the ministry, and they opened it up to the residency and built a massive bridge for us, Patii said.

God has blessed you with passions, talents, and gifts. The question is, what are you doing about it? I suggest that you use it to serve God and build community. Trust the giver, and He will wrap your ministry with purpose and identity, he said.

The original version of this story was posted by Adventist Record.

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Building the Kingdom of God Through Fitness - Adventist Review

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