With the Coronavirus outbreak, all the nonessential businesses were forced to close down. These businesses include shopping malls, theatres and cinemas, museums, spas and salons, sports arenas as well as concert venues, amusement parks, recreation centres, and gyms.

Like all other businesses, the closure of gyms has brought the gym owners to fall prey to extreme economic hardships. Business owners can’t wait for the lockdown to be over so they can go back providing the services they aim to provide to the community.

If you are a gym owner and are looking for tips to reopen wisely when the lockdown ends, the following are some which can prove helpful for you.

New Intensive Cleaning Procedures

You should aim to disinfect all areas of your gym using hospital-grade disinfectant sprays when each day ends. Cleaning the indoor space and also all equipment so as to minimize the risk of transmission from weights, machines, workout mats, doorknobs, and other surfaces should be made compulsory.

You can even provide disinfectants for members to use readily and accordingly. You can make your own disinfectant and put them in used containers, like empty wine bottles, bathroom bottles, plastic sprays, etc.

Also, make sure to introduce supplementary disinfection multiple times a day to go the extra mile. It will make your members feel comfortable and protected while on your property.

Make Usage of Hand Sanitizer Compulsory

Members should be required to use hand sanitizer before they enter the premises of your gym. Purchase sanitizers that offer a custom label for your hand sanitizer. This way your customers can store their own sanitizers in their lockers and use them between workouts as well.  In addition to the use of hand sanitizer, the equipment should be disinfected before and after each class starts, even if not in use by the members.

Make Masks Mandatory for Everyone

Masks have proven to be very crucial in controlling the spread of the virus. Make these mandatory for everyone entering the premises of your gym. This includes all your staff and gym members. It is simply not an option to take risks and endanger the lives of people you work with.

Open With The Most Basic

It is preferable to open with the most basic workout equipment like strength equipment and cardio. Do not open the kids club, classroom, or studio. Moreover, the members should strictly be asked to avoid hugs and all other physical contacts. Showers, at least initially, should not be made available.

Also, if your gym sells food and drinks, you have to keep them to a minimum. It’s highly recommended that you only sell already prepared food. The drinks, particularly soda, should be securely packed by a reliable can sealing machine.

Do Not Open Up Locker Rooms

Locker rooms provide a lot of common touching spaces. This gets very risky as the chances of the transmission of the virus increase manifolds. It is highly advisable to keep your locker rooms closed when you reopen initially keeping in view the health and safety of your staff and the members. Floor markers should be used to indicate a safe distance all over.

Take Temperatures

Taking temperatures is one of the primary sources to detect if someone is feeling unwell. Oftentimes, young people running temperatures shrug off slight fevers. If these can be screened out at the entrance of the gym and not allowed inside, it will give your gym a good reputation in terms of being careful with who you allow in.

Encourage Cleanliness

You can put up small notes reiterating the importance of cleanliness inside the gym. This will motivate your clients to practice good hygiene. You can highlight the importance of cleaning up after yourself even more.

Introduce a Reservation System

Put a reservation procedure in place so it is easier for you to manage the number of people on your premises simultaneously. It will not only make the gym less crowded but also will make overseeing the management of the gym easier.

Ensure 10-foot-square Workout Space

If bikes, treadmills, and other equipment lie quite close to each other i.e less than 6 feet, ensure that reservations are made and some of these are left empty to bring into practice the social and physical distancing. Allow at least a 10-foot-square space for each member to work out in. Move your equipment around to make space.

Health Declaration

Make it a requirement for all your members and staff to complete a mandatory Health Declaration which can confirm that they do not experience any symptoms of COVID-19.

Conclusion

Gyms hold a significant part in our lives and it is expected that the fitness community will be eager, more than ever, to return to class. Gyms not only help us improve our physical health but also our mental health.

Once the lockdown is over and it’s safe to go out, it is expected that more people will join gyms and fitness sessions because they would want to shed the extra pounds gained after months of a sedentary lifestyle.