How to Open Your Gym Safely
17. Jul Admin
The coronavirus or COVID-19 challenged your fitness business and closed your doors. It has pushed you to a new way of thinking in a “new normal” way of life. Now it is time to reopen your business, and you may be unsure how to properly open your gym to the “new normal” standards.
Gyms are implementing new rules such as spacing out equipment, regular cleanings, and limiting the number of people who can be in the gym at one time. Here are a few guidelines to administer the very best in safety and cleanliness for your facility.
Gyms need to ensure that exercise equipment is placed six feet apart from each other. The use of face coverings can help eliminate the spread of the virus, so members should be encouraged to wear masks when at the facility. For added safety, partitions can be placed between the machines. Pathways should be clearly marked every six feet so that members know what a safe distance from each other is.
Your staff can also help to maintain proper social distancing by restricting the amount of people in the locker room, and by implementing staggered machine usage to satisfy proper social distancing.
Before the coronavirus, fitness centers relied on members to clean equipment after use, and this procedure will need to be changed. A designated person from your staff should be cleaning equipment and more frequently to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus. Disinfectants that have properties to kill the virus should also be used. A list of these products can be found at https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2-covid-19.
Upon entering your gym facility, members should have their temperature checked and have hand sanitizer available to them. Based on the size of your facility, you can run on a reduced occupancy to help maintain social distancing.
For your members who choose to skip the in-person gym experience, but still want to access gym training and programs, ShapeNet offers virtual training options at www.shapenetsoftware.com. Other services include purchasing online options and a contact list check-in to encourage extra precautions for health and safety during this time.
As you prepare to open your gym, keep these guidelines in mind as well as any information that comes from your state and local government.
