Fitness centres shape up to reopen

Physical distancing, continuous cleaning, and in some cases even the wearing of masks will be the order of the day as gyms open for the first time in over 12 weeks.

A handful of gym owners have told Barbados TODAY they are eagerly awaiting the next phase of COVID-19 reopening which begins on Monday. Among them is Ryan Griffith of Beyond Limits Fitness Centres, who has been blown away by the tremendous interest from some of his regular clients.

But ensuring their safety in the midst of a pandemic will mean significant changes to the way personal training, fitness classes, and other workout activities are conducted, he said.

Griffth suggested: “We will have hand sanitizer posted around the gyms in addition to the usual sanitizing sprays that are provided to clean the equipment, and I am pretty sure that people will not only be cleaning after themselves as they usually do, but they will now be cleaning before themselves as well. The gym will probably be one of the cleanest places you can be in right now.

“We have also stipulated that face masks should be used and we will be importing the double vented masks that are suited for the fitness industry and help with your breathing during the workout.”

Limits will be placed on the number of people allowed inside the Sheraton Mall and Wildey branches, and Griffith said he is confident the spaces will be large enough to accommodate physical distancing.

“Personal training will still be allowed, but all of the teams will be asked to use gloves and the training will be conducted from a certain distance,” he added.

Jamil Jones, Manager of J & S fitness described yesterday’s announcement from Prime Minister Mia Mottley as “a big relief” as the business continues to maintain its staff complement in the face of activity.

With the reopening now imminent, Jones stressed that the emphasis will be on health.

“There are multiple floors and we will be placing limits on the number allowed in particular spaces at particular times to facilitate social distancing. Gym staff will also be sanitizing the equipment much more often throughout the day,” Jones told Barbados TODAY.

“There will also be changes to the size of classes, which will now be based on the size of the room that is allocated for each particular class. We will also be using our outdoor area a lot more.”

J&S has not made a firm decision on the wearing of facemasks, but management is continuing to examine the possibility of sourcing products suited for the high-intensity workouts.

From an economic standpoint, Griffith predicted that gym owners would be closely monitoring their margins over the next three to six months as they recover from three months of dormancy.

He said: “It was difficult because we’re still racking up expenses each month as we go along. But we have been lucky to have a fantastic landlord who has worked with us and helped us along during the way. Some other companies were not as fortunate and that is sad, but we feel like once we can get past the next three to six months the business will be fine.”
kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb