Last Friday while I was training at the gym with my personal trainer, I missed out on David Koch’s daily saving tips on Sunrise. I have enjoyed his little and practical ideas all week, so I was disappointed I had missed Fridays.

Thanks to my astute family and friends they shared his Friday insights for me. Arghhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kochie proposed that to save $20 per week, you should cancel your gym memberships! That’s right have more money in the back pocket and forget your good health! Don’t believe me follow this link and scroll to the bottom of the page for Friday’s tip – it is the last 30 seconds of the video clip!

I respect Kochie on his practical tips for the average person. I also love that he embraces small business as you see on his TV show Business Builders. But in just 30 seconds last Friday, he disappointed me.

WTF – save 20 bucks a week by cancelling your gym membership. Are you crazy Kochie!

Kochie F#%@s the Aussie Economy

You have just f%#*ed the Australian economy and the fitness industry. Gym memberships come from people’s discretionary income and when someone of your stature Kochie gives such advice people listen.

Impact on mental health of Aussies

You know how good you feel after a work out Kochie! All those endorphins flowing through your body. You also know that when people are in ‘struggle street’ there is a huge toll on their mental health. Exercise and recognition at a local gym can be just the one thing that keeps them happy, provide confidence and can improve their self-esteem.

Impact on the Fitness Industry

If 160,000 people or 50% of your viewers cancelled their membership, an average of 80 people in every club in Australia would cancel their memberships – impacting the income of every facility by $1600 per week. This reduction in income for a facility could mean owners would have to dismiss 1 or 2 full time people.

With 80 less people in every club, not only would some of these people been personal training clients, but them leaving has reduced the market for personal trainers. Your tip would mean that 2000 personal trainers could now be looking for another job.

So Kochie, your tip could have just added between 3000 and 5000 to the unemployment line.

Impact on the Heart Health of Aussies

We know that exercise decreases the risk factor of many diseases but if we just focus on coronary disease.  In 2009, your peers from Access Economics published the following in regard to the cost of coronary disease to the country:

• The total loss to the Australian economy will be $17.9 billion.
• Direct health care system costs such as hospital and medical bills will account for $1.8billion.
• Indirect costs such as lost productivity will account for $3.8 billion, of which $2.3 billion will be the total loss of gross earnings by patients of working age (35 to 65 years).
• Loss in the value of health, e.g. through disability and early death, will account for $12.3 billion.

Exercise is a key contributor to reducing the risk of coronary disease. Your tip potentially just added $35.8 billion (on 2009 figures) just in heart health costs to the already screwed health system in Australia.

Impact on Australia’s Productivity

Research shows that people that exercise are happy and more productive in the work place. So if we now reduce the productivity of 160,000 Aussies what impact will that have on the Australian economy? And if they worked in small business have you just put a nail in the coffin in some small businesses?

I appreciate that you didn’t say “stop exercising” you said “cancel your gym membership.” But Kochie, most humans lack the inherent ability to stick to an exercise program. If we had this ability, then more people would be walking, jogging and doing push ups outdoors and gyms may not be needed as people were self-motivated.

You, of all people, know people value things when they have to pay. People value their exercise experiences when they are paying and therefore stick with it longer.

Finally, people should exercise in a safe environment where trained professionals are employed. They need variety to keep the mind and the body stimulated, resulting in improved health. And gyms provide this. Perhaps a better tip would have been, go to your gym and re-negotiate your gym membership. Ask the gym owner, “If I agree to be a member for 3 years can I have a reduction in my weekly payments.”

So Kochie, your tip may save $20 a week for your viewers but the cumulative impact on the Australia economy is profound.

I challenge you to now do a follow up story and prove to the Australian fitness industry that your tip will NOT impact their business, that there would be NO negative impact on the health of Aussies and that the economy will NOT be impacted.