Coronavirus In MN: Fitness Centers Prepare For Reopening In Post-COVID-19 Landscape
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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- If you're getting tired of your jogs around the neighborhood or those home workouts, you're not alone.
Fitness centers across the state are planning for when it's safe to reopen.
Nathan Jespersen owns five Anytime Fitness locations in the Twin Cities
"That was a whirlwind shutting everything down," Jespersen said.
After being closed for weeks on end, he's preparing to eventually reopen. Cleaning will be ramped up, every other cardio machine will be blocked off, and group fitness sessions will be capped and spread out. Depending on guidelines, capacity will also be limited.
"That's one of the advantages of our swipe systems that we have the 24-hour access system, but we can limit the amount of people that are in the facility," Jespersen said.
Chuck Runyon is the CEO of Self Esteem Brands and Anytime Fitness.
"We have over 150 clubs across greater Minnesota, and about 40 here in the metro area," Runyon said.
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He and other major players, like Life Time, recently came together to submit this reopening plan to Gov. Tim Walz, which includes social distancing, enhanced cleaning, personal protective equipment and health screenings.
Life Time officials say it will do overnight deep cleanings, will limit group fitness and hold off on things like full-court basketball games.
But are people ready to go back to gyms even if the state says it's safe? Thousands of WCCO viewers weighed in on social media. Our polls show about 60% of voters would not feel comfortable going back to a gym, even with proper social distancing.
"We want to give our franchise owners the flexibility to open or not open. So if a state decides to open and our club just doesn't feel right yet, they have that flexibility to do that," Runyon said.
It's not clear when Minnesota gyms will get the green light, but there's an entire industry preparing to make that day a safe one.
"You know, hey, we're business owners, we're entrepreneurs, so we take whatever we get thrown at us and we figure it out," Jespersen said.
A spokesperson from Life Time fitness gave this statement to WCCO:
Our team is eager to get back to serving our members and we'll do so quickly once when we know most of our members and team members have the confidence and peace of mind that Life Time will deliver the safest environments in our communities, just as we always have. In fact, this is the most important element of our decision.
I also want to emphasize that we have developed detailed plans and safety protocols including enhanced cleaning measures using EPA-registered products and the strategic use of Life Time's vast square footage to allow for ample social distancing. These protocols were established in partnership with an epidemiologist and industrial hygienist, and are available on our website at https://my.lifetime.life/safety.
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