While the average gym membership owner goes to the gym twice a week under normal circumstances, the coronavirus pandemic has made it impossible for many workout enthusiasts to get their sweat on. Most gyms have now reopened with some restrictions as required by their states, allowing Americans to once again exercise at their favorite health clubs. However, it’s important that gym owners follow all guidance laid out by health agencies — and even go above and beyond to ensure their members feel safe to return. After all, a confirmed case of COVID-19 could shut down your gym for a week or two (and could damage your reputation for longer), so you’ll want to reduce risks as much as possible. Here are just a few smart ways that you can lower the chance of transmission and ensure employees and members stay safe and healthy.
Enforce Social Distancing and Mask-Wearing
Two of the most important things for any business owner to do during the age of COVID-19 is to enforce social distancing and the wearing of face coverings. While neither mone of these measures are easy to accomplish in a gym setting, they certainly aren’t impossible. You may need to relocate equipment or restrict certain areas of the gym in order to provide proper distance between members. You may also need to restrict occupancy, which can be aided with the help of a gym member management system. Although exercising with a mask on may not be ideal, it really is one of the best ways to keep everyone safe. Make sure that every member and employee follows your mask-wearing policy during the entirety of their visit to reduce the risk of transmission.
Take Temperatures and Encourage Hand-Washing
Taking every member’s temperature at the door may seem excessive, but some gyms have implemented this policy in order to keep symptomatic people from entering the facility. Of course, it’s important to remember that a normal temperature reading doesn’t necessarily someone hasn’t contracted COVID-19; it could merely mean that they’re asymptomatic. But this, along with a few standard questions, can help keep your gym safer for everyone. You should also encourage frequent hand-washing and sanitization with reminder signs and hand sanitizer stations.
Sanitize Equipment Frequently and Establish Barriers
In addition to having your members and employees sanitize their hands, you also need to encourage them to sanitize the gym equipment. While this was already an accepted practice in most gyms and health clubs, you’ll want to be even more stringent about frequent sanitization and ensure that all cleaning agents are approved by the CDC for killing the coronavirus. It may not be a bad idea to install plastic barriers, as well, particularly around front desks and between pieces of equipment.
Utilize Health Club Management Software
Anything you can do to reduce common touchpoints can be a plus for member and employee health. The less physical contact has to be made, the better off everyone will be. Rather than forcing members to sign in at the front desk, you can utilize health club management software to handle check-in, sign-ups, payments, and more. You’ll probably improve your health club billing management as a result of using health club management software, as you can reduce errors and speed up productivity. But everyone will also appreciate how utilizing technology to reduce person-to-person contact can put everyone’s health first.
Operating a gym during a pandemic is no easy feat, but you can do your part to protect your members and workers. For more information on how our health club management software can improve the overall gym experience, please contact us today.