Prevention And Protection: COVID-19 And Gym Hygiene

With COVID-19 being declared an international pandemic by the World Health Organisation, members of the public are becoming increasingly aware of how their everyday activities may put them at threat of contracting the virus.

After being warned to maintain the upmost hygiene practices and avoid contact in public spaces, many people may be second guessing including the gym in their daily routine.

As a gym owner, the thought of member attendance dropping off or even membership rates declining is scary.

So what can be done to minimise the impact that COVID-19 has on your fitness business?

Prevention and protection are key and making a public display of your efforts to protect members will help give peace of mind.

First and foremost, it is important that any actions you take are logical and sensible, without fuelling hysteria. Being proactive in regards to club hygiene is the first step, as it is during any flu season.

It is vital that gym owners step up their efforts to keep their club clean and germ free to reduce the likelihood of spreading the virus from member to member.

Some basic steps to improve club hygiene are:

  • Increasing the number of antibacterial wipe dispensers around the gym
  • Making hand sanitiser available to all members (this may be fixed dispensers or individual travel size bottles)
  • Put up additional reminders around the club about the importance of wiping down equipment both before and after use

As well as these measures, you may also consider increasing the frequency that the club gets cleaned. Undertaking multiple cleans throughout the day is an excellent way combat spread of the virus in communal spaces such as lobby’s, change rooms and bathrooms.

Additionally, to keep member attendance rates healthy it is vital that gym goers feel your business is a safe place to attend.

This could mean sending a communication to your member base advising them of the additional precautions you are taking. Further, gym and studio owners may wish to utilise temperate monitoring as an extra level of security to ensure no one is stepping foot into the gym or studio is showing any signs of potential infection. Temperate guns can be purchases as a non-invasive way to quickly clock incoming members body temperatures.

Whilst the COVID-19 pandemic has placed added stress on many business owners, who may be experiencing high staff absenteeism and reduced foot traffic, through adversity comes opportunity.

Gym and studio owners may look to sell full finger grip gloves to their members, as a way to provide an additional safety measure whilst increase revenue through ancillary spend.

No matter what actions you decide to take within your fitness business to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect your members, it is important that you give your members reassurance and minimise fear.

[box type=”note” align=”aligncenter” class=”” width=””]Related articles:
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Original article written by Kaitlyn from Fitness Finance Australia.

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