Gym trainers urge people to stay active while gyms close | coronavirus 2020

Along with pubs, cinemas, churches, and other "non-essential" businesses, fitness centres across the region were shut as the federal government enacted a Stage 1 shutdown to help contain the spread of Coronavirus.

Club manager and personal trainer at Horsham's Snap Fitness Jacqui Monro said the announcement from the Prime Minister prompted a rush from gym goers to suspend or cancel memberships.

"There was panic that we would continue to take membership fees from them, which was not the case, everything was paused immediately," she said.

The shutdown means Ms Monro and other trainers can't continue doing what they love - at least not in the gym how they're used to.

"Not being able to provide the service for my clients is a little bit frustrating, however we're all about silver linings. We're looking at ways that we can still provide services to clients," she said.

"We're brainstorming at the moment what we can do."

Ideas include virtual classes broadcast on social media that people can do in their homes, setting daily challenges, snippets of motivation and even running some open-air, regulation-spaced circuit classes, according to Ms Monro.

She said as her main concern as club manager was the mental health effects the shutdown could have on the community.

"It's already hard enough as it is but now we're restricting people's ability to have that workout outlet," she said.

"I can't let it just disappear. People have a passion for health and fitness.

"It's just the wrong time of year for this to be happening because it's starting to get cold and people are going to be less likely to want to go and workout."

With many people across the community spending more time at home than ever before, Ms Monro's advice to everyone is simple: "Just get moving."

Snap Fitness is one of a number of gyms in the region working out how they can continue group fitness classes by beaming workouts into people's homes.

"Everyday I plan to spend a couple of hours putting together a workout I'm going to put on our social media pages," Ms Monro said.

"It'll just be as much information and motivation that I can share on our socials to get people motivated.

"It's a community thing. We're a community-based gym and we want to make sure everyone gets through this."

While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox twice weekly from the Wimmera Mail-Times. To make sure you're up-to-date with all the news from across the Wimmera, sign up here.

Do you have something to say on this topic? Send us a letter to the editor.