That’s kind of what it feels like.
The Mandel JCC “opened up” on Monday. I put that in quotes because it is just Phase I and it is not really open. The only thing that is available right now is personal training by-appointment-only during limited hours (less than half the pre-COVID-19 schedule).
The first time I came in on Monday morning it was more like walking into a morgue than an OR. The place was eerily quiet: no one at the front desk, no folks milling about, the Subway sandwich shop is closed. Just one security guard. The hallways are all but empty; some maintenance employees are here and there.
Downstairs in the fitness center, the bright lights (like in an OR) are on and the room is flooded with the whiteness of the sunshine and the floor tiles. The machines are distanced from each other adding an airiness that did not exist before. All the trainers and other employees are in masks and gloves. Only the clients are unmasked (not all of them). It really felt more medical than fitness-oriented.
Add to this that we have to carry a bottle of spray disinfectant with us at all times as well as a towel to wipe down equipment (there are also disinfectant wipes in various locations), and it is purely antiseptic. Only the music seems louder than usual.
It takes some getting used to, but now on my third day it is not really that big of an adjustment. It’s actually a pleasure to not have to wait for a machine to become available. I am not grossed out by sweaty folks who get up and don’t wipe down their equipment. There are no lunkheads crowded in front of the mirrors checking themselves out.
I could get used to this, but I recognize this is not a viable business model. More people will need to use the facility and pay their membership dues for this to make economic sense. As a first step, though, I am impressed with my gym for all the steps that have been taken. I feel a lot of things when I’m at work, but fear isn’t one of them.
I know other gyms just threw their doors open. I cannot imagine the public health hazard that creates. I am glad we are taking it one step at a time. Let’s hope we do more good than harm in the long run.
Kosher Fitness 