The fitness industry was hit hard by the pandemic, affecting everyone’s physical and mental health. With the health measures and social distancing in place, gym-goers significantly dropped between 20% – 40%. As COVID-19 lingers, this could continue to affect our health and wellness if no action were taken.

The proposed Adult Fitness Tax Deduction Bill is an excellent way to address this concern. Quantum Recreation is encouraging everyone to support the new Bill, which aims to help Canadians invest in their health & fitness and reinforce their support for the industry and local fitness centres.

The federal government is currently reviewing the Fitness Tax Deduction, and a decision is expected to be made by early April. This is the perfect time to show your support and make this successful. You could save between 15% – 33% on your membership dues annually if the bill gained enough support. This could also help save billions of dollars in potential health-care costs in the long run.

Let us show support for the fitness industry! Contact your local MP and ask them to support an adult fitness deduction. Just follow the simple steps below.

Step 1. Find your Local MP. Search in the Members of Parliament directory for your local MP. Just enter your postal code in the search bar and it will show your current MP. On their profile page, click the contact tab and copy their email address.

Step 2. Contact your MP via email. Now you just need to send them a brief message expressing your support for the Adult Fitness Tax Deduction. We’ve crafted a sample where you can pattern your message.

Dear Mr./Ms. (Last Name), MP:

This pandemic has taken a serious toll on the fitness industry. We can address this issue by advocating for the new Federal Adult Fitness Tax Deduction.

Exercise plays a key role in the physical and mental health aspects of one’s life. In Canada, fitness activity is currently at an alarmingly low level. We are all familiar with the benefits of being physically active. It lowers your risk for developing several commonly occurring health and mental illnesses and improves the quality of life, in general. It will provide even more benefits by reducing healthcare costs in the country in the future.

I strongly believe that fitness services should be considered as medical expenses. Our current situation with the pandemic is making this clear now than ever. The outbreak forced fitness and gym owners to close their businesses. With limited access to fitness services, Canadians are also losing motivation and commitment to their wellness as this pandemic drags on.

(Add more information about how the pandemic has impacted your fitness activities.)

The proposal to include fitness services as a tax deduction and claimed as a medical expense is now being considered for the 2021 budget. This tax deduction will not only support the health of Canadians but will also help to rebuild the fitness industry and the economy. Regarding this, I am appealing to you to consider advocating for this bill as part of the solution to our current healthcare and economic crisis.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

(Your Name)
(Contact Information)

Each of us has altered our fitness regimes during COVID 19, and the regulations have impacted the viability of local gyms, including permanent closures. The question now is if we will return to our old fitness regimes and support local gyms or continue to work out at home. If we work out from home, can we maintain or improve our fitness levels?

Fast Company has predicted that gyms will not come back, and initial surveys found 76% of people have been working out at home, and 66 % prefer it (http://www.fastcompany.com/). The fitness industry is adapting and using innovation to launch new equipment or on-line platforms for people to use at home. With new equipment and on-line options, people have a choice to work out at home or go back to the gym.

Harvard Health has listed the pros and cons of joining a gym or working out at home (http://www.health.harvard.edu).

Joining a Gym

• The benefits include providing options with equipment or facilities to workout, the availability of fitness classes or spotter for safe lifting, no distractions, and increased motivation or a boost from being around other people to encourage you to work harder.

• The challenges include the cost, the hassle to accommodate their schedule, access to equipment, and the additional time commitment to participate.

Working Out at Home

• The benefits include convenience (you do not have to pack a bag or drive anywhere), creating your own workout time or schedule, no monthly costs after investment in equipment, and your ability to create variety with workout apps or live-streaming.

• The challenges include boredom from being at home with limited equipment or workouts, lack of motivation with a million excuses not to exercise, and the space in your home for equipment or space for training.

If gyms do not return and people workout at home, will they continue to be motivated, keep up their exercise regimes, and maintain their fitness levels.

If you are self-motivated, working-out at home is easy, and you will exercise no matter what. However, if you find way too many distractions or excuses to exercise, then the gym is an excellent workout option.

The critical question is, will we maintain or improve our fitness levels if gyms close permanently. There is a loss of camaraderie, motivation, accountability, and even fun you gain from being with a personal trainer, instructors, or fellow participants at the gym or fitness class. As you see, other people working out or spurred on by an instructor encourages us to push ourselves and ultimately improve our fitness levels. Can we get the same results through on-line platforms or working out by ourselves.