Les Mills has received more than $2m in wage subsidies.

Gym chain Les Mills has written to members asking them to start paying their fees again, even though they cannot use its facilities.

Gyms will not be able to open their doors physically to members until New Zealand returns to Alert Level 2.

Les Mills members were asked in an email to start paying their membership payments again, regardless.

"Our business is facing the biggest hurdle of its 52-year history. We hoped the clubs would only be closed for a month, but that's regretfully not to be. Membership payments will remain paused during alert levels three and four unless you choose to restart them. It will be great if we can move to level two in three weeks and be able to open again."

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They were offered a three-month free membership for a friend or family in return.

Business is tough. We get it. To ask your gym members to pay for something that your can’t deliver isn’t the right move. It feels yucky. Innovation is required in times like these. Les Mills has the infrastructure to do very well in these times, looks like they missed the boat. — Pete (@petespective) April 22, 2020

Les Mills New Zealand has received $2.34 million in wage subsidies for 376 employees. Les Mills International has received $233,347 in subsidies for 34 employees.

Les Mills International sells a million items of Les Mills-branded clothing each year, annually licenses the use of over 500 songs (and even records its own cover versions of some), and has the power to stage a fitness class led by its celebrity trainers at an historic French palace with 5000 eager participants.

The lion's share of the business is owned by the Mills family trust.

The 2017 NBR Rich List puts the family fortune about $210 million.

SUPPLIED Air New Zealand and Les Mills are launching an inflight workout series, with tips for passengers to stay active in their seats on longhaul flights.

The call for payments met a backlash online. One recipient of the email described it as "audacious".

"There are hundreds of orgs literally desperate for [money] to help people get through this time in the face of cuts to Government funding [and a global financial crisis] and you want members to fork out cash for a service you can't even provide?! The audacity is beyond me."

Les Mills has been approached for comment.

TVNZ has been running its classes on television twice daily on weekdays through the lockdown period.

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