In many countries, gyms, and fitness centres are cautiously beginning to reopen. Many gyms have indicated that they will only operate at 30 percent capacity at any given time. This means that only a third of the people the gym can optimally cater to will be allowed in. For this to work, gym members will have to make appointments so as to ensure their places when they go. Going to the gym will be a different experience.
Furthermore, many gyms have stated that they will not open certain sections. Saunas, and pools in some cases, will remain closed and to limit person-to-person contact, some classes like yoga and aerobics will not be offered as yet.
Some gyms have said that they will take the temperature of all staff and all members before they are allowed in. Staff at some gyms will be required to wear masks and gloves. Members will be required to wear gloves. There will also be rotation of shared equipment so that staff members have ample time to properly sanitize same.
While the reopening is no doubt welcome news for gym enthusiasts, coaches, athletes, and trainers like me, the precautions being adopted make this doubly so. Gyms actually have advantages over other places where people gather or shop. As stated before in this column, gym goers tend to be more health-conscious than, say, the person in the market who inspects a dozen pieces of fruit before selecting one. For the most part, gym goers wash their hands, use sanitizers, and wipe down the equipment they have used when they are finished.
Because gyms have so much glass and chrome, and because those surfaces look terrible when they are dirty or smudged, most facilities tended to have them kept spotless. Today’s selling point for a gym though, is no longer just about spotless equipment, but about sanitized equipment. Instead of cleaning once or twice a day, gym staff will now have to clean after every workout, which could be upwards of eight times a day. But it will be worth it.
Whenever Guyana officially lifts its restrictions on non-essential businesses like gyms, I will be among the first to enter. Because in my opinion, the gym will be one of the best places to be.
Not only will it be good for your mental health (this aspect of the gym is massively understated), but I think it would be much safer than a bar or the market. This does not mean that there is no risk to fitness pros and enthusiasts. But it is expected that the gyms will do better, especially when it comes to cleaning all surfaces and equipment. Having the last user wipe down the equipment they worked with will no longer be enough.
Gyms have for years been portrayed as hot zones for infectious pathogens and as a result have doubled down on sanitizing to remove that image. It means they are relatively well positioned to do all that must be done to keep COVID-19 at bay.
