Community health a priority as HBF ends group fitness sessions

HBF first launched the outdoor group fitness sessions as ‘Fitness in the Park’ in 2011, but a limited number of planned seasons have gone ahead over the past 18 months due to COVID-19, with lock-down restrictions impacting seasons that did proceed.

HBF Executive General Manager - Member Experience, Selina Torrance, said the decision was about doing what’s best for its 1 million members, and all Australians.

“It is the responsible thing to do. We understand that some of our members will really miss the program, but we cannot be complacent and we must put the health and safety of our members and the wider community first."

Selina Torrance

Members who had registered for the previous two seasons of HBF Fitness (Spring 2020 and Summer 2021) have been directly notified of the decision.

No decision has been made yet regarding next year’s HBF Run for a Reason, but HBF is hopeful the event can return in 2022, pending appropriate community health advice closer to the time.

The HBF Run for a Reason was launched in 2010 and has become WA’s largest community running event. HBF had to cancel its HBF Run for a Reason events in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 impacts.