City’s fitness enthusiasts sport masks, shields and gloves as gyms reopen

Unlock 3.0 has brought in a much needed respite for the fitness industry, with gyms, yoga centres and fitness classes getting the go ahead to reopen, with conditions attached, of course.
Fewer clients with staggered appointments
Ashwini Jaisimha of A3 Performance says, "We record temperature and oxygen level of patrons. Wearing a face shield is mandatory during a workout.Whether or not masks also have to be worn is still being debated. We are encouraging everyone to carry their own towels, bottles and other equipment. We're looking at reduced appointments for every hourly session to ensure not more than 50% of clients are at the premises at a given time."
Some centres are encouraging clients to carry towels and sanitisers to clean the equipment that they've used, while others have sanitisation stations for the same. Amith Gowda of Haute Fitness says, "After every hourly session, common areas will be thoroughly cleaned for half an hour."
Trainers remain online
Amith says, "Group sessions will be reduced to a maximum strength of, say, 10-15 people in a batch, with training imparted over a digital screen. We will consider the physical presence of a trainer later, considering that they normally work at multiple centres.”
No shower or steam sessions
While restrooms and wash basins are accessible, showers and steam rooms will continue to be off bounds.
Exclusive aerobics and yoga studios will wait and watch
Fitness entrepreneur Wanitha Ashok of Moving Body says, "We are not going to reopen just as yet. It will be hard to have aerobics classes with distancing and other measures. We want to ensure the clients are also free of any sort of inhibitions, before we throw open our doors." Most of these studios are continuing their classes online.
Common measures being followed
- Temperature and oxygen level checks
- Mandatory use of masks, shields and gloves
- Cleaning of equipment before and after use
- No use of showers or steam rooms