Are people canceling gym memberships amidst the pandemic?

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Gyms have been reopening this summer with new safety and health guidelines in place for their members. 

Gyms are one of the highest risk places for transmission of infection, as people are sweating, breathing heavily and sharing equipment. 

In addition to employee temperature checks, social distancing, and closure of some areas, Bowling Green Athletic Club manager Jordan Green tells us how they are keeping their members safe. 

“We came in here all with tape measures, spacing everything out six feet, making sure the cardio equipment had plenty of room. And then we started adding in some sanitation so we’ve added extra wipe buckets in different places around the gym,” said Green. 

The staff also requires that all members wear a mask coming in and coming out of the gym, but it is up to the member to decide if they want to wear one while working out.

Staff hopes that these safety measures keep people in the gyms. That’s because people have gotten creative during quarantine to get their endorphins flowing without going to the gym, by working out outside or doing virtual workouts. 

Executive Fitness owner Clayton Tandy said he is happily surprised that they haven’t had many canceled memberships. 

“There has been some apprehension but all of our regular members are back and they’re enjoying the facility just like they were before, and they appreciate the facility being clean,” said Tandy.  

And like gym member Mark Yates says, he enjoys the social aspect and won’t be leaving his local gym anytime soon. 

“You know you get to see people that you haven’t seen in a while, and you know you just meet different people also,” said Yates.