John Robert Cardillo

On July 27, 2020 the Ontario government allowed Ontario’s gyms to reopen. After being closed for more than 4 months as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Bodypro Gym in Hamilton was anxious to reopen their facility to their loyal members.

Media Scare: The federal government published online rankings of various activities which deemed gyms to be “high risk”. They outlined on their website that “Risk level for exposure is impacted by closed spaces, prolonged exposure time, crowds, forceful exhalation”. In the days prior to the reopening the news media featured many articles and news casts, on whether going back to workout in gyms was safe. Outright suggesting that it may be a better or safer idea for people to freeze or cancel their memberships and stick to working out at home.

Loyal Members: Bodypro Gym was inundated with member phone calls and emails wanting their gym to reopen as soon as legally possible. Bodypro Gym members are serious workout people who consider their workouts an integral part of their daily lives and use the facility an average of 5 times per week. They were extremely anxious to get back to their beloved Bodypro Gym.

Information: In preparation for the reopening, Bodypro Gym management sought Ontario Health Board advice on what they deemed the necessary precautions required to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Bodypro wanted to implement whatever safety measures necessary in its 35,000 square foot facility in order to ensure that all members would be able to workout in a safe environment.

In an over abundance of caution, Bodypro Gym Management also consulted with US gym operators, sanitation suppliers, hospitality operators, and several medical practitioners to get their recommendations on what protocols and practices should be implemented to keep staff and members safe.

Facility Considerations: Bodypro Gym is one of the largest fitness facilities in Hamilton with high ceilings and large windows to allow plenty of natural light. It also has a large array of equipment with over 300 exercise machines on the gym floor in close proximity of each other. To adhere to social distancing guidelines, round bold red markers were placed on the gym floor 9 feet apart, (instead of 6 feet apart) between equipment, to indicate which machines could be used at any given time. The Bodypro Gym facility also includes swimming pool, steam rooms, private showers, private locker and a Nutri Bar cafe. The Ministry of Health was contacted in order to help management determine the safest way to allow members usage of each area. For the months of August and September, the pool remained closed until specific direction was given by the health board. The steam room still remains closed, also on the recommendation of the Health Board. One of the most important safety factors that Bodypro Gym management learned was the importance of the building’s ventilation system in relation to air quality. Bodypro Gym’s HVAC Mechanical company was given authorization to inspect all ventilation units to ensure that they were working to their full capacity in exhausting inside air and bringing in fresh air. Our goal was to ensure that air was recycled every 2 hours by exhausting out of the building any contaminated air and replaced with fresh air.

COVID-19 Safety Policies: Bodypro Gym’s staff and members have diligently adhered to the COVID-19 prevention policies that management implemented. A recent visit by an Ontario Health Board inspector declared that,

“...of all the gyms in the Hamilton region, Bodypro Gym has the best COVID-19 protocols in place. If all gyms implemented the same policies, gyms would likely not be closed down”.

Under the leadership of Its General Manager Carmen Rea, Bodypro Gyms mandate was to do everything possible to ensure there would be no cases or outbreaks of COVID-19 in its facility. Bodypro Gym’s reopening plan included educating members about working out responsibly and following our safety protocols. The following policies were implemented:

1. All Bodypro Gym staff will wear a mask at all times. 
2. All members entering Bodypro Gym must wear a mask at all times, including while performing exercises. 
3. All members temperatures will be taken at main reception before being allowed to exercise. 
4. All members must have their hands sanitized at reception before being allowed to exercise. 
5. All members on the gym floor must adhere to staying 9 feet apart for social distancing purpose. As per the designated red floor stickers. 
6. No string tank tops allowed. T-shirts must be worn. 
7. Bodypro Gym’s cleaning staff will spray disinfectant sanitizer on each piece of equipment after its use. One minute is required before equipment can be used again. 
8. Sanitation stations are provided near each social distancing floor markers. Members must sanitize their hands after using each piece of equipment. 
9. Members must bring their own water bottles. Gym floor fountains have been disabled. 
10. No gym bags allowed on gym floor. They must be kept in locker room lockers. 
11. Showers will be sanitized after each use by Bodypro Gym cleaning staff. 
12. Steam rooms will be closed until operational direction is received by Ontario Health Board. 

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