Prime Minister (PM) Scott Morrison releases The Mental Health Pandemic Plan for Australia.

Words by Justin Ashley, founder and CEO of The Fitness Playground

Prime Minister (PM) Scott Morrison, speaking with Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, has this afternoon released The Mental Health Pandemic Plan for Australia, as the government turns its focus to mental health.
In the announcement, Scott Morrison said the National Cabinet has adopted a national mental health and wellbeing response plan, which will receive $48.1 million in funding. This will include investment in data, community outreach, and importantly, communication.

Mental health and wellness have been on the agenda for businesses in the fitness and health industry since the arrival of COVID-19 in Australia, and it’s fantastic to see the government being proactive towards mental health with the development of The Mental Health Pandemic Plan.

We know that regular exercise is a key factor in improving mental health, and at The Fitness Playground we have created a range of virtual services via our online platform – The Virtual Playground – to assist in minimising the mental health impact on Australians during and post-pandemic.

As part of The Virtual Playground offering, we have also developed a Work From Home Safely (WFHS) program for businesses that want to further encourage physical activity and positive mental health in their teams.  The WFHS program can be curated to suit your team and overarching goals, or you can choose from one of the specially designed programs that focus on the changing needs of workplaces which may be impacting employee mental health.

With fitness facilities and other non-essential health services closed, there is no more critical time for businesses and the government to implement a plan to support the physical and mental health of all Australians, and I hope that the discussion remains ongoing.

This global health crisis has shone the light on what is most important, which is our health. It is this reason that we are looking forward to opening our doors to our members as soon as possible.

We look forward to working under the directives of the Government to ensure that our gym can open towards the directed timeline so we can support a population vulnerable to mental health problems and welcome the opportunity to positively contribute to this conversation in the community.

For more information about The Virtual Playground, visit: thevirtualplayground.com.au.

For more information about The Fitness Playground, visit: thefitnessplayground.com.a