Battlefords area gyms like Pipes Fitness have been able to slowly bring back programming since June 8. (Submitted Photo/Pipes Fitness)

By Josh Ryan

Summer Sweat

Gyms filling up since reopening

Jun 30, 2020 | 11:00 AM

The demand for fitness facilities remains in the Battlefords, after gyms were allowed to open at half capacity on June 8 in Saskatchewan.

Miranda Wiese, owner of Pipes Fitness, wasn’t certain how things would go at the start of the month. However, customers of all age groups have been coming back and those more comfortable with staying home are still utilizing online offerings.

“Everything’s been going good, aside from taking on a second job of being a janitor,” she said laughing.

Because they are a class-based gym, Wiese said Pipes Fitness has had some advantages adjusting to the cleaning protocols. This has allowed them to slowly bring back programming.

“We’ve been able to start youth athlete training and can start day camps in July,” she said.

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Class sizes are smaller and individuals have more separation, but members are responding well. The only service that hasn’t been scheduled yet are classes for younger children.

“Just because it’s hard to keep them socially distancing,” Wiese said. “But I would say by September, if everything continues, I’d say we’ll be back to normal.”

Based on the reception they’ve received so far, Wiese is optimistic about the next few months.

“I’m pretty hopeful,” Wiese said. “There’s been lots of adjustments and people have been taking the precautions they need.”

Jacqie Walz of Snap Fitness said they’ve had similar positivity with members.

“The extra cleaning and stuff, I think everyone’s used to it, and honestly, we kept a pretty clean gym as it was before,” Walz said. “Now everyone just gets their individual stuff more than sharing and nobody seems to have a problem with that.”

Considering the rules in place and the hesitancy some may have about entering fitness facilities, Walz was expecting a slight drop off in membership numbers. However, that hasn’t been the case, even with some keeping their membership frozen.

“We do have some members that stayed on freeze and didn’t want to come back straight away, but for the most part people decided to come back and we had as many members as we did last June,” Walz said.

However, reopening hasn’t been without challenges. Walz said they’re unable to offer the convenience of being a 24 hour facility under present conditions.

“We can’t just run it where people can access the gym with their cards, we have to physically be there, so there’s always going to be a staffing issue with that.”

And for that reason, Walz hopes progressing through this pandemic could mean further easing of restrictions during the summer.

“If the numbers stay the way they are, I don’t see how a health facility can’t operate, as long as all the members know the rules can comply.”

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Josh.ryan@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JoshRyanSports