A couple of days ago the Personal Fitness staff had its regular weekly meeting via Zoom. It is really great to see my colleagues–especially since they are a great crew–even if it is via Zoom.
Not surprisingly, part of the agenda was about the “push to open” gyms. In Ohio, it appears that there will be a gradual re-opening of certain businesses starting in May including gyms. This, of course, does not mean that the state will force them to re-open (as they were forced to close), but it does mean that there is an effort afoot to try to get life to the new normal.
We are pretty excited about the prospect of being able to go back to work and train our clients. There are, however, a lot of details that need to be worked out first. I, for one, am very worried about the risks of face-to-face (in the flesh) training. In all honesty, I am worried about the COVID-19 virus simply because there is no vaccine and the treatments are limited. I am not a spring chicken and although I am in good (great?) shape for my age, many people younger than me have succumbed to the virus.
It does appear that when gyms get back to business (at least the responsible ones), the doors won’t just be thrown wide open with anyone coming in whenever, wherever and however they wish. My guess–and this is not based on anything told to me by the higher-ups–is that our facility and others will open up gradually. Perhaps at first it will just be available for those working with personal trainers. Maybe last names A-L will come on even numbered days and M-Z on odd numbered days. Will locker rooms be available for use? Showers? Steam rooms, saunas and whirlpools? Probably not at first. What about cardio equipment that is usually packed pretty closely together? How will equipment be cleaned–especially dumbbells and mats? Gyms are among the touchiest places out there…not to mention that people are sweating, breathing hard and otherwise sharing bodily fluids all the time.
How will this all work? I don’t have the answers, but many gyms are looking to the East…the Far East. There are places in Asia where gyms have re-opened and here in the US we are watching closely to see how they do it and whether it is safe. Until we do have answers to the questions above and many others, it is my hope that the doors aren’t just flung open for business.
My gym has been super-responsible and super-responsive during this whole crisis. Let’s hope that ethos continues and that other gyms follow suit.
I cannot wait to get back to the gym…but until these issues are sorted out, that’s just what we’ll have to do. After all, it’s all about being healthy!
Kosher Fitness 