Why are gyms still open?

[hambledon]

Last week I booked two classes at the gym for tomorrow. I really enjoy the classes and want to go. OTOH it doesn't seem wise. Is anyone else still going to the gym? Why are they still open and running classes?

We paid for the year upfront for a small independent gym, but we aren’t actually going. I’m sure there are loads of members who will, and many of them are older people. I love the gym and it will be hard to not go, but it’s ultimately and unnecessary risk to me and others isn’t it? What I do hope is that in these times as long as people’s income isn’t affected (most members of our club are wealthy retirees so I assume they will probably weather the storm better than most) that they will keep paying their membership, even if they can’t go. Because we want these facilities when all this shit is over.

There’s a lot of unfair comments on this thread. The big chain gyms yes - perhaps they can afford to shut. But there’s a lot of independent tiny gyms that are owned by people who are terrified about paying their mortgage or their rent, and terrified they business is going to go under. It’s scary times for everybody and calling them greedy, selfish cunts is really harsh.

I’m a member at David Lloyd. I’m not going. But am still having to pay £120 a month while they’re technically open

Not sure if it's for all DL clubs, but ours have emailed to say you can suspend it for free for however you want. Due to the current circumstances it's free but normally you have to pay 25% of your normal membership fees.

However long**

That’s unfair. Friends of mine, a married couple opened up a gym just over a year ago. They’ve put everything they had into it and it was just, after huge amounts of hard work and them working every hour God sends, starting to break even. It hasn’t been going long enough for them to have built up any reserves. They are facing losing their home and both finding themselves with no job and no income. So no, I can’t call them greedy selfish cunts.

Whilst I wouldn’t use that particular term, the fact that your friends have worked hard and (presumably) remortgaged the house to launch their gym doesn’t alter the fact that keeping it open is irresponsible and will put members and people they come into contact with at increased risk.

The idiot in China who (apparently) started the pandemic by bringing banned animals to the Huanan market probably works hard too. That doesn’t get him off the hook.

Who the hell pays £120 a month to go to the gym ! Fools and their money are soon parted.

I think it's unfair to suggest that big chains can afford to shut but small independents can't. Unfortunately profit and loss is works the same no matter the size of the company. If a company is loss making they have to let staff go. Our gym is working to stay open while the government is currently supporting that they do so.

That the government have not explicitly told gyms to close (yet) does not mean that the government is “supporting” gyms to stay open. What bit of ‘unnecessary social contact’ do people not understand?

A bit off track but £120 a month for gym subscription 😳🤷‍♀️
I go (well, not at the minute) to a local YMCA one which is fab and costs me £12 a month including all classes!!!!!

Our council run facilities have closed and have frozen payments.
Indies are still open and look to be until forced to close. One posted that they just couldn't afford to shut as it would ruin them

Mine still open TBH really worried about shutting in the last few years due to exercise I have come off pain medication ( which have long term side effect so great to be off them) difference in mental health is night and day.
Took me years to get off meds for depression . Panicking about my physical and mental health.
I'm going to be back where I was years go . Had bouts of anxiety about this in last few days not suffered form that for years.
When you go in asked at desk If you ok hand gel before you go through turnstile. The whole workforce from manager ,instructors and cleaners are working the way round the gym cleaning every piece of equipment in order and you have to clean anything you use before and after.
Steamroom sauna and cafe shut .
everyone keeping sensible space between each other and told not to share equipment .
place is very quiet got email it's a private company massive overheads but will work with members about membership fees so they can reopen if it ha s to shut
TBH they have made such an effort I would be happy still to pay

lot of classes cancelled and spin bikes have been removed 10 bike instead of 30 well apart and contact classes boxing and things like that stopped

I'm assuming all these people commenting that the gyms and gym goers are selfish and stupid are either fortunate enough to afford to go an indefinite period with no money coming in, or are working from home with pay.

The fact of the matter is that the government have not ordered them to shut - so if they do they will lose money, without an end in sight. This very likely means the end of their business, even large companies can only go a certain amount of time with no income coming. They will still have all the overheads to pay whether they are open or not.

I don't think it's right - but these business's are just trying to make the best out of an awful situation, of course this does hugely increase the infection risk. The government should enforce a lock down sooner rather than later.

My gym is still open but they've halved class sizes and ended them 10 mins early so they can disinfect before the next class begins.

It depends where in the country the gym is based. Where I am there are only 7 infections in the entire county and none in the immediate area. It would seem illogical for gyms in London or other areas where the disease is rife to continue to operate.

When I went to mine at 5am there were 4 of us in a space big enough for 100. We all wiped down machines, barbells and dumbbells with the anti bac spray provided and used plenty of the hand sanitizer provided. The gym staff clean down all the equipment several times during the day.

When there aren't thousands of steel virus incubators flying across the world at any one time (some call them aeroplanes) I think many people (including me) will be willing to give up their daily gym session. Until then - whilst the risk to other remains low then I will carry on.

In Scotland and all our local council sports centres shut at the close of business Tuesday. Some other independent gyms are still open. David Lloyd is still open but have offered dh to suspend it for a few months

My local council run leisure facility is actively encouraging people to go in on their social media. It's a grubby dump at the best of times. Maybe this has focused them and the place is cleaner than it's ever been... but I don't think it's on to be posting on Facebook telling people to go in to the gym because it'll make their white blood cells hunt down illness faster.

When there aren't thousands of steel virus incubators flying across the world at any one time (some call them aeroplanes) I think many people (including me) will be willing to give up their daily gym session. Until then - whilst the risk to other remains low then I will carry on.

Going with that theory we should all just get back to work and forget the whole social distancing strategy for non essential contact too? Lets all not bother. What makes you think you are special and can ignore this and put others at risk?

ds isnt going to his small independent gym anymore, we will continue to pay while we can. dh is selfemployed, once his money stops coming in we might need to stop paying.

as usual on MN, everybody trying to earn a living at something the posters don't do gets a barrage of playground abuse.

rest assured that there IS such a thing as karma.

My gym is open as they can't claim on their insurance until the government bans them.

They've been supplying wipes to use on the equipment, halved the class sizes and reduced opening hours to be able to do a deep clean each evening.

Many planes around the world have already been grounded.
There are other businesses such as shops and pubs that have voluntarily closed because they want to do the right thing. Not sure why gyms are any different.

Ours is open. I went swimming a couple of times early last week after I’d finally recovered enough (flare up of long term thing) as I’d missed it so much, I’m gutted to have to miss it again, but I wouldn’t feel safe now.

I said to them the other day that I saw the offer to freeze my membership but they don’t want me to as it expires tomorrow. They want me to renew now (I got an excellent price for full year before and they’ll honour it) but give me 15 months instead.

Concerned financially though, as I feel like keeping the money for now would be more important.

It’s not greed on the part if the gym it would be more fear of folding and getting rid of all the staff.

People shouldn’t go though that’s more of the problem.

I think it's awful going on about greed, you wouldn't say that about a cafe would you? My gym has lots of lovely freelance instructors who must be so worried at the moment, give them a thought before jumping to conclusions.

I love the gym, and classes- go about 6 times a week normally.

The last time I went was last Thursday, though they are still open. I have purchased home exercise equipment, and will follow YouTube classes, as well as paying for live streamed classes from local fitness instructors to help them out a bit. I’m also going to go for a run a few times a week.

I can’t believe that gyms are still open either, it seems reckless in the extreme.