Fitness Business Reopening Post-COVID-19: A Checklist For Gyms And Fitness Studios

Forcing you to shut the doors of your gym or fitness studio, the COVID-19 pandemic might have put your business on pause. It made you figure out a way to stay in touch with your customers from a distance. You had to go virtual and keep your clients moving at home. After a long (and frustrating) hiatus, you must be looking forward to the?fitness business ?reopening post-COVID-19. While we are still living under the pandemic, it’s high time now that you embrace the new normal and devise an effective plan for reopening your gym or fitness studio.?????

With this?checklist for gyms and fitness studios, get ready to take a proactive approach and strategize in advance.

5 Things You Need to Keep in Mind for Fitness Business Reopening Post-COVID-19

When you open up the doors to your fitness studio again, you’ll have to refresh business processes and make updates. Without a well-thought-out plan, you can risk the quality of your business’s comeback.??

Here are the top five things to keep in mind for the new phase of your business.???

1. Conduct Staff Training?

First and foremost, you must train all staff members to take precautionary measures and follow government guidelines to ensure safety for all. These people represent your business. Your customers will observe their behavior and respond accordingly. They will also want to see that you’re willing to go the extra mile to meet their safety needs.

Make sure your staff members:

• Wear gloves and masks at all times
• Are assigned regular cleaning and sanitization duties
• Carry out all their duties and update the cleaning logs
• Undergo health checks every morning they come to work?

??2. Set Clear Hygiene Rules for Customers

Before you welcome your clients through the big doors of your gym or fitness studio, let them know that following hygiene rules is their responsibility too.?

If you’re using a?digital software ?or app for your business, you can send this message via push notifications to all your gym members. You should also highlight the new hygiene rules and measures on all social media platforms.?

Be very clear when you say that all members have to wear gloves and masks in the gym where possible. You should also encourage them to:

• Bring personal hygiene kits
• Sanitize their hands and undergo a quick health check before entering the studio
• Maintain the recommended social distance
• Skip a class or training session if they don’t feel well or show any symptoms of the virus?
• Use the cleaning materials provided by the facility to clean down machines before use

??3. Get Rid of Contact Surfaces

People might hesitate to come into your facility after the?fitness business reopening post-COVID-19?because of contact surfaces. These places can be breeding grounds for viruses. If you fail to sanitize them regularly, it may cause members to catch diseases from each other.

To prevent the spread of the virus, you must reduce the number of shared surfaces in your gym or fitness studio. Start with the installation of contactless access points and dispensers. You must also set up a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) reader to allow clients to log in using an RFID card. This will eliminate the need for fingerprint sign-ins and high-contact methods of entry.

Apart from this, you should uninstall all non-essential items that several members are likely to touch, such as vending machines.???

??4. Maintain Social Distancing?

For a successful?fitness business reopening post-COVID-19, you must announce a strict social distance policy. Consider making the following changes at your gym or fitness studio.

• Ensure a distance of 6-10 ft. between each machine and station
• Use duct tape or paint to mark the appropriate distance on the ground??
• Stick posters on the walls of the changing rooms, to remind people to wear masks and maintain social distancing
• Introduce a booking system through which clients can schedule their arrival?
• Tell all staff members to maintain a 6-ft distance when interacting with clients or giving training

???5. Strengthen Your Digital Community?

Even after the?fitness business reopening post-COVID-19, you should continue to go digital whenever possible. Be active on all social media platforms and encourage people to interact with you outside the gym or fitness studio.

You must also request people to inquire about your products and services over the phone and only visit your facility when they have to exercise. Furthermore, encourage members to connect with their gym friends through your app instead of hanging out at the studio after the workout.?

Apart from this, don’t hesitate to motivate people to exercise more often at home. The fewer people at your gym at a time, the easier it will be for you to ensure the proper implementation of the hygiene and social distancing policies.??????

Final Words

This?checklist for gyms and fitness studios?will help you run your business smoothly and risk-free upon reopening after the COVID-19 pandemic. When clients see you taking strict measures and precautions for their safety, they will be comfortable visiting your facility and spending more time and money with you. They may also tell their friends about your gym or fitness studio. This word-of-mouth marketing will attract new customers to your facility.?