The clanking of iron plates and the grunting of fitness enthusiasts lifting heavy weights and fast-paced music echoed inside the gymnasiums across Tamil Nadu on Monday once again. They reopened, after a gap of five months, with a lot of restrictions to prevent spread of COVID-19.
The fitness industry which was on the verge of collapse, is now back on the road to recovery and the government’s decision has brought cheer to gym owners and trainers. However, not many members turned up for workout on the first day and some owners have delayed the reopening due to safety concerns.
There are more than 7,000 gyms across the State and over 3,000 in Chennai alone. “We were staring at financial losses. We are happy that the gyms have reopened,” said M. Arasu, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Amateur Body Building Association (TABBA) who also owns a chain of gymnasiums.
The gyms have now introduced safety measures. “We check temperature, use pulse oxymeter and provid sanitisers. In the cardio section, alternate treadmill and EFX machines should be used to ensure personal distancing. The customers have to bring their own towels, shoes and water bottles. All of them have to wear a face-shield and those above the age of 50 are restricted from working out,” added Mr. Arasu.
Gyms reopen in districts too
In the districts too, fitness enthusiasts were excited as they were able to pump iron after a gap of five months. “Clients were asked not to use masks during workouts as it may cause difficulty in breathing. They were allowed inside the gyms after temperature checks,” said a gym owner in Coimbatore.
Krish Beethovan, athlete and founder of Bodyzeal Fitworks chain of gyms in Coimbatore and Madurai, said clients were permitted by strictly following the government guidelines. Trainers, who also follow safety guidelines, were asked to instruct low intensity workouts for clients who did not hit the gym for about six months.
“Gyms have fixed slots for the clients and have asked them to visit only at the stipulated time to ensure distance is maintained and the premises could be sanitised in between,” said K. Hemapriya, a gym owner in Tiruchi.
T. Meenakshi Sundram, joint general secretary of Madurai District Amateur Body Building Association, said barring the gyms located within containment zones, almost 150 gyms within Madurai reopened on Monday. Most gyms had appointed additional staff to disinfect the premises and the equipment frequently, he said.
A. Mubarak Ali, a personal trainer, said it was difficult to avoid physical contact while having personal training sessions with clients.
Lukewarm response
In Tiruchy, the response was lukewarm on the first day. “We follow physical distancing norms and the standard operating procedure laid down by the government, yet the response is rather lukewarm,” said V. Vignesh, who owns Define Fitness Centre in Tiruchi.
G. Sukumaran, president of Madurai Gym Owners Association, said that in most gyms only 50% of the customers walked in. “Many of the old customers said they cannot afford to renew their membership,” he said.
Bharath Varadarajan, who has an annual membership with a gym in Alwarpet, said he would wait for a month before he starts hitting the gym. “I want to be first sure that it is safe to start the workout as the virus will easily spread in a closed environment,” he said.
Though happy about the reopening, many members had questions pertaining to their membership payments made earlier. Many gyms across the State have promised to carry over membership payments, especially for those who have paid for half a year or for 1 year.
Meanwhile, the government officials said the training facilities would be monitored in the coming days to check whether they adhered to the guidelines.
(Reporting by Vivek Narayanan in Chennai, Kathelene Antony in Tiruchi, Wilson Thomas in Coimbatore and P.A. Narayani in Madurai)