Operation of gyms and fitness clubs during the covid-19 pandemic – financial, legal, and organisational conditions

ABSTRACT

The restrictions on civil rights and freedom to conduct business introduced by the government in Poland from March 2020 were aimed at halting the development of the pandemic and preventing the collapse of the national health service. Particular restrictions were placed on the functioning of economic entities whose activities involved a high intensity of direct interpersonal contacts. Government financial support programmes addressed to entrepreneurs were supposed to help gyms and fitness clubs survive the months-long ban. The purpose of this paper is to outline the actions taken by gym and fitness club owners in relation to business restrictions imposed by the government during the coronavirus pandemic. The paper uses a critical analysis of the literature on the functioning of gyms and fitness clubs in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the opinion of entrepreneurs managing gyms and fitness clubs, state financial aid was not sufficient for the survival of their businesses, and the regulations and restrictions introduced were unconstitutional and not based on scientific research. Entrepreneurs, in an effort to avoid bankruptcy, have been restarting gyms and fitness clubs by creatively taking advantage of existing regulations. Their determination has been tremendous, as evidenced by the fact that every attempt to seal bans on the fitness industry has been met with an immediate response from businesses.The owners of gyms and fitness clubs saw a possibility to open their businesses based on exceptions formulated in the ordinance referring to physical activity within the framework of sports activities, sports competition (including amateur competition) and sports events (tournaments, matches). Another solution was to register the business under a changed the Polish Classification of Activities code. Instead of the previously used code 93.0 included in the ordinance, entrepreneurs started using code 85.51 which referred to extracurricular forms of sports activities. The examples of actions taken by entrepreneurs operating in the fitness industry as a response to scarce financial aid from the state during the COVID-19 pandemic provided in the paper contribute to its value and originality. © JPES.