ION Training barred from filming online sessions in CBD gym
A Sydney gym owner desperate to hang on to some income is furious after police ordered him and his staff to stop recording fitness videos for social media from inside his CBD premises.
NSW
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A Sydney gym owner is furious after police ordered he and his staff to stop recording fitness videos for social media from inside his CBD premises.
But NSW Police said the advice from health authorities trying to stop the spread of COVID-19 was clear – gyms must close.
Vincent Wong shut ION Training to all its clients on Monday after Scott Morrison announced the closure of all non-essential businesses on Sunday night.
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But some of his clients – many who are wealthy business folk – were keen to continue getting personal training from their own homes, receiving instructions from he and his staff through the videoconferencing platform Zoom.
His staff were also recording fitness videos available for free on social media.
He claims police allowed the practice when they called past on Tuesday but returned in a group of six this morning, demanding he be out by the end of the day or receive a $5000 fine to the business and each person in it would be fined $1000.
“We’re not open, we need to be in here to instruct clients how to do this at home,” Mr Wong told The Daily Telegraph.
“We say ‘keep your head up, lower your squat and everything’ and people were like ‘cool, keep the direct debit and we’ll see you soon’.”
He said it was a desperate attempt to maintain some income after the indoor fitness industry was largely erased by the coronavirus measures this week.
“We don’t have any money, we’ve got nothing mate,” Mr Wong said.
“It’s disappointing to be treated like that – have a conversation before shutting someone down.
“We’re frantically clearing equipment out of here so (we) can train from home.”
A police spokeswoman told The Daily Telegraph the gym “fit the criteria” of businesses directed to close by Mr Morrison, a call backed the next day by Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
“The business owner was issued with a warning and was compliant,” the spokeswoman said.
Fitness Australia chief executive Barrie Elvish warned the new rules would cause mass confusion.
“It is still unclear if services offered within the fitness industry can continue to operate,” Mr Elvish said.
“For example, can a PT continue to train a client indoors in a 1:1 environment provided all social-distancing measures are in place? Or can these services only be offered outdoors?”