Anytime Fitness in Wisconsin apologizes for “I Can’t Breathe” workout
(WTMJ/CNN/Meredith) — An Anytime Fitness in Wisconsin is apologizing after posting a workout called “I Can’t Breathe” on a white board inside the gym.
Some people are calling the workout insensitive and disturbing in the wake of the death of George Floyd, who was heard saying “I Can’t Breathe” as a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck.
The photo of the workout written on a white board at the gym in Wauwatosa has been circling around social media, drawing backlash. The board reads: “I Can’t Breathe…” followed by workout instructions, and at the bottom reads “…And don’t you dare lay down.” There is also a drawing of a man on his knees.
A statement released by Anytime Fitness does not say who created the workout or what their intent was.
The Anytime Fitness corporate office is also apologizing. Its founders said they were devastated to see the “I Can’t Breathe” workout sign.
They went on to say this incident makes it clear that “we have work to do, we are sharing this incident with our franchise owners worldwide as an example of what not to do and why it is offensive.”
Gym member Marc Taylor said he was disturbed to see the sign.
“Sometimes people don’t really understand what’s going on here in the community. They might have thought ‘okay, we’ll use this into a workout and try to put it together,’ but it’s not that right now. It’s wrong timing,” Taylor said.
Taylor said the sign was insensitive and inappropriate.
“This is not what you should be doing right now. You got a man that lost his life,” Taylor said, in reference to Floyd.
Photo Credit: kmov.com