Are you back at the gym?

Now that the gyms are back open in the UK, how are people finding it? I really want to go back, especially to classes but feel a bit nervous.
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Replies

  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,186 Member
    USA here. Gyms are closed in California, again!

    When they open at the end of June for a month or so, my husband and I didn't go because we don't feel safe indoors or touching equipment handled by other people as well. Masks were optional while working out, and since we can't work-out with face covering, we decided to stay at home. Maybe when it gets cooler I/we can start walking outside.

    The Yoga and Pilates classes offered in the community where I live had been canceled indefinitely, but I wouldn't attend anyway. I am too old to take unnecessary risks. In the mean time, I do some lights workouts at home but I hate it. However, it is safer.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    My gym in CA has been shuttered for 4 months w/no ETA to reopen.

    I've got a membership paid for by medical insurance under Medicare but I never go there anyway except to use rhe steamroom and sauna and who knows when they'll reopen them again even if the gym reopens.

    Fine w/me because I have all the lifting equipment and workout gear at home, which is the only place I care to work out anyway.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,458 Member
    My (Georgia) gym reopened several months ago, but the owner wouldn’t let her “senior” clients back til July.

    She is a clean freak under the best circumstances, and with Covid has gone a little nuts. I’ve seen her tracker and she’s putting on 30,000 steps a day pacing and wiping everything down. Everyone has to sanitize hands and get temp taken upon coming in, and then has to grab a spray bottle and hospital grade disposable towels and wipe every piece of equipment down before and after use.

    Woe betide anyone she catches not using them, or spots, from home, on the remote cameras, not wiping. This tiny woman, who can’t weigh a hundred pounds soaking wet has no fear of getting up in some lunkhead’s face and screaming him down. Or shaming him (sorry, guys, it’s always “him”) on social media. She’s banned several people for not following rules.

    She sounds like a terror, and she is, but she’s the rare kind who, the more she yells, the more people love her.

    My yoga studio reopened a couple of months ago, but only allows 12 max per class, with ten feet between us in all directions. They mop between every class. Problem was, the floors were SO clean, our mats wouldn’t grip, so you’d be doing a flow, and your mat would go one direction and your body the other. They finally stopped using lavender drops in their mix, thank heavens.
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    No, siree. My gym is a tee total wreck. I actually did a test. Some cowboy threw their chewing tobacco behind a dressing room door and it stayed there for months. No one gives a RIP so I simply took it all back outside.


  • Beautyofdreams
    Beautyofdreams Posts: 1,009 Member
    Gyms officially opened in June here, IA. I go to a free rec center where I have the weight room to myself for the most part. Temps are taken and hands sanitized upon entering the facility. Towels and disinfectant are supplied to wipe down the equipment before and after each use. We are not under a mask mandate yet but social distancing is in effect. Cases are rising here so not sure how much longer gyms will be allowed to stay open. I looked for some heavier weights for home use but store shelves are empty.
  • Kupla71
    Kupla71 Posts: 1,490 Member
    My gym opened a few days ago. I really want to go back but really don’t know if I should. I don’t have weights at home and it has been too hot to go for long walks. I do YouTube workouts at home and floor exercises but I feel like I get a better workout at the gym. I don’t know if it’s safe and not sure yet if I’m willing to take the risk. It’s always been a very clean gym. I may wait a few weeks and see how it goes.
  • pmg2000m
    pmg2000m Posts: 44 Member
    edited August 2020
    I'm high risk due to health issues, so I wouldn’t even consider going back to the gym until at least next spring, depending on how the situation is at that point.
  • PAPYRUS3
    PAPYRUS3 Posts: 13,259 Member
    Gym opened a few weeks ago - hardly anyone attends so I feel pretty safe - very, very clean. That's all I see the employees doing - clean... It's never been so clean. Our city has mandated masks for all indoor public places. However, since the gym is a private club, we are able to remove mask once we start exercising inside.
    You have to book your time via app (max 50 people). There are usually only 12 people there!
  • jmakleanaddo
    jmakleanaddo Posts: 101 Member
    edited August 2020
    First day back today after about 3 years... Been on a major hiatus for...... who knows🤷🏿‍♂️ but I'm back and ready to set some new goals! I'm concerned about the virus for sure but I need a major distraction right now!
  • Winterbaby2014
    Winterbaby2014 Posts: 29 Member
    UK here,

    I've been back to the gym. I found it pretty safe, all machines moved apart, no classes and everyone was actually wiping the machines after they used it.

    I will continue to go
  • Talan79
    Talan79 Posts: 782 Member
    I’m in Maryland. My gym opened mid June. Masks are mandatory at all times. It takes some time getting used to it, but with so many asymptotic cases, I’m ok with masks in the gym. No issues lifting, but running is uncomfortable.
    It’s very empty. Not many people are back.
  • Onedaywriter
    Onedaywriter Posts: 326 Member
    I’m in NJ USA. Gyms are still not open but mine does “outdoor fitness classes” in the parking lot. I’ve been going for about a month.

    They are insane about cleaning equipment etc so I feel very safe.
    Each person is given a small bucket with hospital grade disinfectant, hand sanitizer, and a clean wash rag. We must wipe down everything after we use it, then we line it up outside the door. Then the owner comes with a fogger that mists hospital grade disinfectant and puts it away. We are also encouraged to wipe everything down (for a third time) before we use it. Mandatory 10 feet of space in all directions between workout stations People wear masks until they start working out, then take them off for the workout- a good distance away from each other
  • MeganD1704
    MeganD1704 Posts: 733 Member
    edited August 2020
    I am in Alberta, Canada.

    My gym reopened but I haven't gone back- they allow you to book a spot online and you can come as a household or just yourself (so you + anyone in same house over 18) for a max of 1.5 hours. The owner is a total clean freak, even before covid, but I still don't feel comfortable to go. The only reason I'd go back is to squat at a higher weight in the rack but honestly I will just wait.

    My yoga instructor is offering classes on nice weather days in the park. There's ten of us and I've went a few times as we have an entire football field of space to work with- not as relaxing as normal as she uses a megaphone lol but it still has helped my mental health and my back since my massage therapist and acupuncturist have decided to remain closed (which I am 100% cool with).
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    edited August 2020
    Been back to my UK gym for a week now, three strength sessions so far.
    It's very quiet!!

    Workout stations have been thinned out so they are well spaced, everything cleaned frequently (by both staff and the few users), I need to pre-book a time slot and it's so far never been anywhere near its reduced capacity. Changing rooms and showers are closed (layout wouldn't allow sufficient distancing) so I need to arrive and leave in my workout gear which isn't an issue for me as I tend to cycle there anyway.

    Yet to have any concerns about my fellow gym goers apart from the apparent inability of some people to follow direction arrows. Very pleasant atmosphere from both staff and users pleased to take a small step back towards normality. Personal trainers/gym assistants are interacting with the few users and clearly delighted to be working again but will also intervene if any rules are breached.

    Some classes are being held outside in the recent good weather but the studios have also had their capacity reduced.

    I'm far less COVID concerned about the gym compared to shops where the lack of compliance (and lack of basic intelligence!) of some people beggars belief.

  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,254 Member
    edited August 2020
    My gym reopened but I'm not going back until there's a vaccine or better therapeutics.

    Me as well. I live in a tiny rural town, and my gym is a self-access box gym. It’s only staffed a few hours a week, so it’s not cleaned daily, plus who knows what’s left hanging in the air. A lot of people in my town refuse to wear masks, and they could be in there exercising while sick or asymptomatic. No thanks. I’d be nervous even with one other person exercising in the small space. I exercise at home now, and have been doing tons of hiking and walking. In addition to a simple dumbbell and bodyweight strength workout at home, I just bought a step and when it’s too hot out to hike I’ve been doing YouTube step workouts. I’d get a Pelaton bike, but I don’t have room for one, nor the $$$. I may never go back to the gym.

  • Tesha231
    Tesha231 Posts: 381 Member
    Illinois is open with a mask requirement. Planet Fitness requires guests to wipe down equipment before and after each use, plus their staff is always visibly cleaning in addition to guest fulfilling their responsibilities. I feel like that gym is MUCH cleaner than any grocery store.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,839 Member
    edited August 2020
    I live in a gated seniors community where they've kept COVID outside the gates for the last 4 months and took fairly draconian measures to keep us safe. We also live in a fairly safe and careful state with an active testing and contact tracing program and a positive test rate of 2% or lower. They opened our in-house fitness center/gym for reservations only and very limited numbers of folks. I do go to the pool, where I get a lane to myself, and to the strength machine matrix, where a maximum of two people are allowed in the area at a time. We don't wear masks in the pool but do everywhere else. I feel pretty safe, knowing that if we again have cases in the community they will slam us shut again.

    If you go off campus, they interview us on the way back in and decide if you need to go into quarantine. "Where have you been?" "Did you keep your mask on?" "How long were you gone?" etc. I took the cat to the vet recently where I stayed in the car and they just opened the door and took the cat carrier. Everything else was done by phone. The gate people liked this.
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    You rock everything, Heidi.
  • VegasFit
    VegasFit Posts: 1,232 Member
    My gyms are open here. Only been to my smaller gym that does bootcamp, small group training. I have not used my Classpass account or used my 24 membership because I don't want to make an appointment. I've felt very comfortable. Whatever weights, equipment we use we clean before we put it back.
  • huntleigh3229
    huntleigh3229 Posts: 34 Member
    I'm in the UK. My gym is at the local university so with no students on campus it's quieter anyway.

    I've been swimming for two weeks now and it's fantastic. You have to book, only one person per lane max, can't use the showers.

    I've also been to two yoga classes. They've moved classes to much bigger areas, spread everyone out and again you have to book to ensure numbers are kept low. I've not been in the actual gym but from what I've seen and heard it's been really good.

    I'm very impressed with what the gym have done and I feel safer there than I do in my local shop! At least in the gym everyone is keeping their distance.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Only once per week to my one on one personal training gym. I won't be going back to my big box gym anytime soon...even at half capacity, there can be around 200 people in there.
  • watts6151
    watts6151 Posts: 905 Member
    I’m in the UK so no mask required
    They have removed a few machines to help with distancing, wiping down every machine and free weight is mandatory, must be costing them a fortune in spray and blue towel. Think I’m also developing liver
    cirrhosis from all the alcohol hand sanitizer 😂
  • Talan79
    Talan79 Posts: 782 Member
    watts6151 wrote: »
    Think I’m also developing liver cirrhosis from all the alcohol hand sanitizer 😂

    All of the generic sanitizer in the US smells like cheap tequila. Must be the same in the UK.
  • watts6151
    watts6151 Posts: 905 Member
    Talan79 wrote: »
    watts6151 wrote: »
    Think I’m also developing liver cirrhosis from all the alcohol hand sanitizer 😂

    All of the generic sanitizer in the US smells like cheap tequila. Must be the same in the UK.

    Me thinks you know the smell of cheap tequila far too well 😂

    Knowing my gym owner it’s some dodgy industrial grade sanitizer that fell off the back off a lorry 😂

  • dsc84
    dsc84 Posts: 208 Member
    My Gym has been open for a couple of months, and I was ready to beat the door down to get in a workout. The gym did a good job of spreading out equipment and promoting cleanliness along with hiring staff to come and clean equipment 4 times a day.

    I have changed my workout times from what used to be after work to Early mornings because the after work crowd just packed in there along with a younger crowd that isn't as concerned with the COVID. Made it hard to get a workout and properly distance. Early mornings has it's regulars, but in comparison there is a lot more space, and it's an older crowd so they are much more conscientious of space.

    I will say that at first everyone was considerate and were good about wiping down equipment after use, and keeping their areas clean, but as time has gone on people have sunk back into old ways of not cleaning after themselves.

    On weekends I use my 24 hour key to go in 3 hours before open and enjoy having a giant gym to myself. Needless to say I wipe everything down before and after use and use sanitizer when I have it available to me and avoid the locker room at all cost.

    I'm also low risk along with my family (my wife had it), and I'm currently working from home for the foreseeable future, so I also have minimized the risk of spread.

    To Sum it up it started great but has slowly gone down hill.
  • Jacq_qui
    Jacq_qui Posts: 443 Member
    It's open but not going back, my gym is pretty small and whilst most of it is weight-based, there's a few treadmills and ellipticals. I don't really want to share a small space with someone out of breath on those.
  • Cassandraw3
    Cassandraw3 Posts: 1,214 Member
    I'm in Wisconsin and my gym opened back up at the end of May. I have been going since they opened back up for my own sanity. We are required to wipe down any equipment we use before and after. As well as the staff making sure to keep things clean/sanitize on a regular basis. Masks were not required until state mandated which began this past Saturday. My gym has not had any known cases, but other gyms in my area have (Planet Fitness having the most).
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    jacqQ2017 wrote: »
    It's open but not going back, my gym is pretty small and whilst most of it is weight-based, there's a few treadmills and ellipticals. I don't really want to share a small space with someone out of breath on those.

    @jacqQ2017
    Do I recall correctly you are in the UK too?

    No idea if my recently reopened gym is typical but in mine the cardio equipment is barely being used, the few customers are there for strength/weight training - I'm assuming that most people are getting their cardio exercise outdoors. Think I've seen just two people using an elliptical in four visits, no treadmills, rowing machines or bikes used at all.
    Might be worth checking out what is actually happening in your gym.