Most of Cyprus’s 1,000 gyms are unlicensed, association says

Local audit officehealthhiosportsTop News Most of Cyprus’s 1,000 gyms are unlicensed, association says Most Of Cyprus's 1,000 Gyms Are Unlicensed, Association Says Relevant News Most of Cyprus’s 1,000 gyms are unlicensed, association says 5 September 2026 Hail possible as isolated storms hit Cyprus on Saturday 5 September 2026 Erato Athanasiou’s cause of death remains unknown after autopsy 4 September 2026 Michalis Hadjivasilis 5 September 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber The issue of illegal gyms in Cyprus has resurfaced, prompted in part by a recent Audit Office report, while gym owners are also raising concerns about certain physiotherapy centres and whether they are being converted into gyms. Christie Panayiotou, a gym instructor and president of the Gym Owners Association Cyprus (PASIGY), which is licensed by the Cyprus Sports Organisation (CSO), is calling on the relevant authorities to begin inspections of illegal gyms, and to clarify that physiotherapy centres must operate as such, not as gyms. As she told philenews, a clear legislative framework for the operation of gyms has existed since 1995. The Gym Instructors Law provides that no gym can operate legally without securing an operating licence from the CSO. Obtaining the licence requires submitting a series of certificates and documents, including a Fire Service certificate, a health certificate, approval from the Electromechanical Services, a town planning permit, architectural plans, and the required diplomas and qualifications of the gym instructors. These requirements are neither formalities nor unnecessary, Panayiotou said, as they concern the safety of those who exercise, the suitability of the facilities, and the quality of the services offered to the public. “The findings of the Audit Office’s recent inspection raise serious concern, as they appear to show that CSO is not carrying out the required, systematic checks on gyms,” the PASIGY president said. “According to published data, more than 1,000 gyms operate in Cyprus, while only around 380 hold an operating licence. If these numbers are confirmed, this is a situation that cannot continue. Businesses cannot be allowed to operate without the required licences, without their facilities being inspected, and without it being established whether they meet safety conditions, while, at the same time, legal gyms bear significant financial costs and go through lengthy procedures to secure their own operating licence.” Legal gyms, Panayiotou continued, invest in suitable premises, equipment, certifications, studies and trained staff. They pay fees, follow the required procedures and comply with the requirements of the competent authorities. But when other venues operate without a licence, or without having completed the required procedures, this creates serious unfair competition, she said. On the safety of those who exercise, Panayiotou said this is the most important issue. She explained that a gym hosts people of different ages and physical condition, who use equipment and take part in exercise programmes, which is why facilities must be suitable, safe and inspected. It must be ensured, she said, that a venue holds the required town planning and building approval, that fire safety rules are followed, that electromechanical installations are safe, that health standards are met, that equipment is properly maintained and used, that instructors hold the required qualifications, and that there is appropriate supervision during exercise. Without substantive inspections, Panayiotou said, no one can know whether all these conditions are actually being met in practice. “Citizens have the right to know whether the venue where they exercise operates legally and whether it has been inspected by the competent authorities,” she said, adding that CSO and the Ministry of Education must take responsibility. “CSO, as the competent authority for the licensing and supervision of gyms, must implement the legislation and carry out substantive, regular and effective inspections. At the same time, the Ministry of Education and the other relevant services must help implement the legislative framework, to ensure that professionals providing exercise services hold the required qualifications and that venues operate according to the prescribed specifications,” she said. As an association, Panayiotou said, PASIGY is demanding the immediate registration of all gyms operating in Cyprus, publication of the number of licensed and unlicensed venues, systematic inspections by CSO, immediate examination of complaints about illegal gyms, the imposition of prescribed sanctions where violations are found, simplification and acceleration of licensing procedures without compromising safety, and equal treatment of all businesses in the sector. Physiotherapy services are one thing, organised exercise another Panayiotou also raised a separate, serious issue concerning the operation of physiotherapy centres. She cited complaints and information reaching the private gym sector suggesting that some physiotherapy centres may be exceeding the limits of physiotherapy practice and gradually turning into exercise and gym spaces. The issue, she said, particularly concerns the use of GHS (General Healthcare System) services to provide programmes presented as “therapeutic pilates sessions.” “Not every form of exercise can be branded ‘therapy’ simply because it is provided inside a physiotherapy centre or because it is covered through the health system. Individualised physiotherapy rehabilitation of a patient, under the responsibility and scientific assessment of the relevant professional, is one thing; the organised teaching of exercise programmes, such as pilates, to healthy individuals, or as a commercial activity, is another,” she said. According to Panayiotou, the question is a simple one: where does physiotherapy end and organised exercise begin? Licensed exercise venues and gyms in Cyprus are required to operate within a specific framework of licensing, inspections and conditions. But when a venue licensed to provide physiotherapy services also functions, in practice, as a space for organised exercise, or has equipment and services resembling those of a regular gym, this creates a serious issue of equal treatment and possible unfair competition, she said. “How is it possible that a licensed gym must meet specific specifications and be subject to inspections by the competent authorities, while other venues may offer essentially similar services under a different regime?” she asked. Panayiotou said physiotherapy and exercise science can and should work together for the benefit of the patient and the citizen. But if there are cases where exercise sessions or programmes are registered or billed as physiotherapy services without corresponding to an actual therapeutic purpose or the conditions of the health system, the competent authorities must investigate them immediately and thoroughly, she said. The state, the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO), the Ministry of Health, CSO and all other competent services, Panayiotou said, must examine the matter immediately and ensure that GHS services are provided exclusively for the purpose for which they were approved, that physiotherapy practice is clearly separated from organised exercise, and that all venues offering systematic exercise operate with the required licences and specifications. 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