Relieved to be back at the gym, but is it safe?

New York

THE coronavirus has made a routine trip to the gym feel like a health threat. Many epidemiologists consider gyms to be among the highest-risk environments, and they were some of the last businesses to reopen in New York City in early September.

Now gyms must comply with a long list of regulations. Checking in requires a health screening; masks are mandatory, even during the most strenuous workouts; only one-third of normal occupancy is allowed; and everyone must clean, then clean some more.

At a Planet Fitness in Brooklyn, Dinara Izmagambetova, who wore a floral black face mask and had a sheen of sweat after completing a two-hour workout, said she was thrilled to be back in a gym. But safety measures had made it a less sociable experience, she said. "I could ask someone" how to use a machine before the outbreak, Ms Izmagambetova said. "Now I'm doing a lot of Googling."

Despite all the safety guidelines, some fitness enthusiasts are reluctant to go back and many have adapted to virtual workouts and exercising outdoors.

Sales of fitness equipment like kettlebells and Peloton bikes have skyrocketed as people brought their workouts home.

A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU

Friday, 2 pm

Lifestyle

Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself.

Sign Up

Christopher Carbone plans to cancel his membership at a Planet Fitness branch near his home on Staten Island because of concerns about people who touch "the same equipment many times and excess sweat and breathing in range of others". Instead of going to the gym, Mr Carbone will keep working out at home with a small set of hand weights.

In normal times, gyms often served as places of solace, where fitness buffs and casual exercisers could sweat out the stresses of the day. Many former patrons are eager to return to their routines, and gym owners desperately need their business.

Future remains unclear

But, even as gyms have reopened, their future remains unclear. Some of them have had to shut down again after governor Andrew Cuomo recently designated parts of Brooklyn and Queens coronavirus hot spots.

A Retro Fitness location in Rego Park, Queens, formerly in one of Cuomo's "red zones", expressed regret about closing on its Facebook page. "We have done our best to stay open as long as possible to serve you," the post said, adding, "We support the city/county's decision as being in the best interest of our members, staff, and community to help curb the spread of Coronavirus."

The gym was recently allowed to reopen as some restrictions were eased. Despite scientists' concerns, infection clusters connected to gyms in the United States have been relatively rare so far, though they have been reported in Hawaii and California.

"We're not seeing outbreaks tied to gyms as heavily as something like a bar or school," said Dr Saskia Popescu, an epidemiologist from George Mason University.

Still, a number of the 2,000 or so gyms in New York state and fitness centres across the country face a fight for life. At least one-fourth of the more than 40,000 gyms in the United States could close by the end of the year, according to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association, an industry group.

A study by Yelp said that more than 2,600 already had. Many of those that have closed are smaller, independently owned businesses that have fewer resources than large national chains like Planet Fitness, LA Fitness and Equinox.

Marco Guanilo, who owns Momentum Fitness on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, said he had struggled during the long months he was closed, but that about 50 per cent of his business had returned since he reopened. Still, he was US$300,000 in debt, much of it from back rent payments he could not pay.

Mr Guanilo said that he thought his business would endure as long as he could stay open. The recent state-imposed closures have made him anxious.

While major chains may have deeper pockets, many are also in dire straits. Gold's Gym, 24 Hour Fitness and Town Sports International - the parent company of New York Sports Clubs - have all filed for bankruptcy.

Planet Fitness, which has more than 2,000 locations around the world and 40 in New York City, has also faced serious challenges. Its revenue was down nearly 80 per cent from the same period last year, according to the company's second-quarter earnings report.

Despite the bleak numbers, Chris Rondeau, Planet Fitness's chief executive, said the company has managed to weather the pandemic. "Cancels are a little bit higher, for sure," Mr Rondeau said. Planet Fitness furloughed most of its employees during the pandemic, but about 85% of them have returned to work and no locations closed, Rondeau said.

Across the country, states have imposed different regulations to reopen gyms safely. Most require occupancy limitations and at least 6 feet of social distancing, though some states mandate as much as 14 feet.

Before gyms in New York can reopen they must undergo an inspection over video with an official from the city's Health Department, showing that they have posted safety plans, have spaced machines apart and are using an up-to-code air filtration system.

Fulfilling the requirements and stockpiling cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment can cost more than US$10,000, a significant burden after months of inactivity.

Whatever the risk factor, gyms are certainly different these days. NYTIMES