Gym Rebrands As Church To Avoid Coronavirus Closure In Poland

A gym in Poland has rebranded itself as church so that it can stay open amid new coronavirus restrictions.

Last week, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki ordered gyms, pools and aquaparks to close following a steep rise in cases. However, the Atlantic Sports and Fitness Club in Kraków had other ideas.

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In a post on Facebook, the gym's manager Marta Jamróz said fitness classes would now be redefined as a religious congregation of the 'Church of the Healthy Body', while the gym itself is now the 'Atlantic Store', with people encouraged to visit and 'test' its equipment.

The post reads: "Dear customers, we know you've been waiting for our decision...We were waiting for the regulation and we were hoping that despite yesterday's press conference of the prime minister, someone would get wise and change their decision... Unfortunately, we didn't make it.

"So we have to act ourselves. Since the gym cannot function - in our place from today we are opening an ATLANTIC STORE with workout equipment - our PKD is also 4764 Z, so we can and we invite everyone who wants to test our machines for consideration.

"Since fitness classes cannot function - religious congregation of members of the pn union are starting today at our club, 'Church of the Healthy Body'. Hard to believe? Everything is possible in this world. Enlightened Olek and Czcigodna Gosia invite you to special religious events today."

Marta went on to say that the loopholes were being used because the closure of gyms was unjustified and risked job losses.

She said: "Yesterday, as we learned about government plans, none of us wanted to believe it though... If someone doesn't want to come to the club, they don't have to! So why do you close places where people care about the health and condition and follow all sanitary rules?!

"We are not only fighting for health! We are now fighting for survival! About our jobs! About the people who came back and missed us! About the choice! That's why - we greet our competition and other 'kind' people - but before you call where you want to call now to report us, think about whether you should fight too.

"These are tough decisions, but let's not let our industry be destroyed. So we invite you to test the workout equipment in the Atlantic store, for the services of the Healthy Body Church led by our Elder Council, i.e. coaches not only mental, and for squash competition without audience participation.

"Dear customers, We are for you, and without you there is no us..."

The country's health minister, Adam Niedzielski, said rule-breaking such as this represented 'extreme selfishness'.

In a tweet, he said: "I am terrified by the lack of responsibility of people trying to outdo each other in ideas to circumvent the existing restrictions. You are not only harming yourself, but you are putting others at risk - especially those at risk. This is extreme selfishness."

Poland has recorded more than 183,000 coronavirus cases and 3,614 deaths, according to John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

Topics: Coronavirus, Gym, Poland

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey