Currently small gyms and boutique fitness studios like ours are miscategorized. The Governor and the state of Kansas along with Johnson County is incorrectly establishing our boutique fitness studio with large scale gyms and movie theaters, sports and reaction activities. Those of you who know us and know what we do and who we are, clearly this is a misrepresentation of what we offer.

Allowing an operation of 1 client to 1 trainer. Is no different than a single salon operator and client, and it is potentially even more benign in that distance can be more easily maintained by a fitness trainer.

Because we are a reservation only studio and we allow up to 8 reservations and require online bookings, we have the ability to control our environment with no more than 8 people, 1 trainer and 1 front desk assistant, at any given time. Most small fitness boutique studios fall into this category and have a max limit on attendance each class.

Because we are a small studio and we use equipment that is especially reserved for each individual who attends, we are able to follow intensive hygiene requirements, constant cleaning measures and there is no intermixing of equipment during classes. Which makes it possible for us to have an environment that is healthy and most likely cleaner than most large gyms would have the capacity to do.

Yet due to the nature of the word "fitness" automatically it is assumed that all places cannot take separate measures to keep their facility clean or have the ability to control the environment. We want to change this. Not just for us but all studios that fall into this small boutique category.

Why is this important?

Due to the fact we are a small boutique studio, we can max the limit of people we have at any given time and we are able to take extra measures (unlike a fitness center with 200+ capacity) we were prepared to keep our business open during this pandemic and we worked hard to keep things sanitized and a safe environment for our members because they found our studio to be essential for their mental health and well being. Yet we were deemed non-essential and forced to shut our doors.

Who has the right to tell anyone that something is non-essential when it comes to taking care of yourself mentally and physically? This is against our constitutional liberties. Most boutique fitness centers can cap their members to 1-8 people with required reservations to limit capacity.

Help us to share with the state of Kansas, Governor Kelly and Johnson County to respectfully reclassify boutique fitness studios and small gyms and create independent directives applicable to fit unique business models such as ours. Social distancing requirements can be met. Sanitation requirements can be exceeded and utilized repeatedly after each class. Limited attendance can continually be controlled. And using equipment that will not have contestant cross contamination set in a small group class setting and can operate safely and should be deemed "essential".

We have and always will be committed to our members health and well being. We want to create not just an environment where people feel safe, but a place they feel comfortable being. We can do all of these things listed. Our mental health and our physical health looks different for everyone. But we need now more than ever to have that. And no-one should be told what that looks like to them. Boutique fitness studios also employ numerous team members within the community and support clients to become healthy, a need more important now than ever.

Please sign our petition and help us reclassify boutique studios and small gyms.