Preparing your gym for reopening post COVID-19
Australia, compared to other countries around the world has been extremely lucky when it has come to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cases remain low and as restrictions are lifted, gyms can now reopen from June 13. However, what are the steps needed in preparing your gym for reopening post COVID-19?
Here are our top 5 tips to help you reopen your gym and restart your business.
Check your maximum numbers
You may be tempted to turn a blind eye to one or two extra gym attendees, especially as people are chomping at the bit to return for a workout, but this is a huge risk and could be a costly mistake. Calculate exactly how many people you can have in your establishment and create processes to monitor and manage attendance.
Have a strong cleaning team presence
Employ a gym cleaner who has a COVID-19 cleaning process. Ensure that cleaning staff are visible, in a bright t-shirt for example and have them regularly cleaning equipment with a strong disinfectant. This will not only keep the spread of germs at bay but will also give confidence and peace of mind to your customers.
Set up hand sanitisation stations
Set up hand sanitisation stations at entry, exit and popular areas of your gym floor. Speak to your gym cleaner as they will most likely be able to source the sanitisation stands and wall dispensers for you and also maintain them for too. Ensure you clearly mark out these areas and display posters reminding customers to practice good hygiene and frequent hand washing.
Ask gym attendees to bring their own yoga mats
To reduce contamination and spread, consider asking your customers to bring their own yoga and exercise mats. Ensure that you have disinfectant wipes on hand so people can wipe down their mats after class, avoiding the spread of sweat and droplets. If you are providing mats, ensure that they are thoroughly cleaned after every use.
Close your changing rooms
Can you maintain the 4sqm rule and the flow of foot traffic to showers and change rooms in your gym? If not, close them until you can and ask your customers to shower at home to reduce risk.
Before you open your doors, engage an experienced cleaning team to carry out a deep clean. Ensure they use hospital-grade disinfectant and set up a regular cleaning schedule. It’s critical that all gyms follow the restrictions to ensure no known cases appear and that further restrictions can be lifted as soon as possible.
