Canberra residents raced to stock up on home exercise equipment this week following the closure of gyms to contain the spread of coronavirus.
The Federal Government further restricted the movement of people through the closure of typical gathering places, including bars, restaurants and gyms from midday on Monday.
Rebel Sport in Canberra reported having all but sold out of home exercise equipment on Tuesday, with kettle bells, resistance bands and weights among the heavily sought-after items.
Sean Moran avoided the scramble to stock up on sports stuff, having unintentionally prepared his Dickson home for the pandemic four years ago.
With the help of his dad and encouragement from fellow climbers, wife Jen and daughter Freya, the former builder turned physiotherapist put up a bouldering wall in the family garage.
With the BlocHaus Bouldering and Canberra Indoor Rock Climbing's Hume and Mitchell facilities all shutting doors indefinitely on Monday, Mr Moran said the family anticipated more time in the shed.
As he made the move from rehabilitation practitioner to homeschooling dad starting next week, Mr Moran said academic lessons will be scheduled around outdoor activity.
"I'll go mad otherwise," he said.
Having been introduced to climbing through Jen, Mr Moran installed the makeshift wall with mattresses for crash pads when they got a bit more serious about it six years ago.
He said skipping ropes and a bike-trainer completed the setup for the adults in the family, while time in the yard and garage was essential to keeping their daughter happy and healthy in the weeks to come.
"We don't have a TV but now that all her classes are online I'll be trying to emphasise that outdoor stuff," he said.
In O'Connor, Riley Deck was relieved the personal-training business she runs with her husband would be permitted to continue.
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Speaking alongside Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy on Tuesday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced outdoor group fitness and bootcamps could operate provided they have no more than 10 participants.
All trainers are required to enforce social distancing rules, ensuring a 1.5 metre distance between all participants. Strict health and hygiene practices must also be followed, with shared equipment not permitted and participants asked to bring their own.
Mrs Deck said their business, which runs out of a converted garage in their backyard, had stopped using equipment in group classes prior to the tightened restrictions as a precautionary measure against COVID-19.
She said a few regular attendees had opted out of classes since this outbreak of the pandemic, while several friends of clients had started coming along since gyms were made to shut on Monday.
All recreation centres, play centres, health clubs, fitness centres, spa, yoga, barre, spin facilities, saunas and wellness centres joined the closed-until-further-notice list at midnight on Wednesday.
Mrs Deck said several of the 30 or so clients who took part in the sessions at the Kambah Oval had reached out this week to say they had almost been brought to tears following the announcement they could still attend.
"It's more than just physical, it's their mental health," she said.
"I think a lot of it is maintaining a routine. It's a bit of normality this week when nothing else is very normal."
- For information on COVID-19, please go to the ACT Health website or federal Health Department's website.
- You can also call the Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080
- If you have serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, call Triple Zero (000)
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