ACSM is part of the Gyms Act team - to provide Small Business Administration grants to small gyms and fitness studio owners.

According to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA),

COVID-19 related closures were responsible for a 58% decline in revenue and the loss of 1.4 million jobs in 2020.

In collaboration with IHRSA and the Coalition for the Registration of Exercise Professionals (CREP), the ACSM Certification Board (CCRB) is actively engaging with members of Congress to advocate for the Gym Mitigation and Survival Act (H.R. 890).

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This act would provide Small Business Administration grants to small gyms and fitness studio owners.

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This year saw the convening of a new Congress. One piece of legislation that has been introduced is directly related to our profession. It is H.R. 890 - Gym Mitigation and Survival Act (Gyms Act). This Act is one of many additional measures Congress is considering to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. If passed, it will provide relief to the nation’s health and fitness industry by providing Small Business Administration grants to small gyms and fitness studio owners to help them recover from significant lost revenue in 2020 due to COVID-19.

CREP is making legislators aware that this important legislation: offers much needed relief to the fitness industry; supports the healthy lifestyles our nation seeks for the citizens; and has the potential to save thousands of jobs and small businesses.

We know that measures have been approved to help other industries affected by this pandemic and CREP hopes that similar considerations will be given to the health and fitness industry, one that has not received targeted government aid to date. Without it, many businesses and jobs will be lost, and the health of our nation further challenged.

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To date, we have reached out to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and the members of the House Committee on Small Business (charged with reviewing this legislation), requesting their support for this legislation. We will be reaching out to others in the coming months. 

 
CREP has and continues to tell government officials at the federal and state level that the contributions of exercise professionals are vitally important in promoting the healthy active lifestyles that are so important to the wellness of this country, especially during, and may be even more so after, the pandemic.  

View More from ACSM's Fitness Protection Program

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