KC gyms, fitness centers can re-open. Here’s what they’re doing to keep you safe
After months of being cooped up because of the COVID-19 pandemic, those hoping to work up a sweat outside of the house will have another option.
Starting Friday, KC mayor Quinton Lucas’ stay-at-home order starts to ease, which allows gyms to re-open and in-person fitness classes such as yoga or Pilates to resume. Those businesses must adhere to the “10/10/10” rule, where sites are limited to 10% of building capacity or 10 people, whichever is greater.
Some fitness chains in Kansas City won’t re-open right away. A Life Time Fitness spokesperson said no KC-area locations have a set reopening date. Beginning Monday in Kansas, gyms can re-open but in-person classes at fitness centers will remain prohibited.
As of Friday morning, Planet Fitness is working with franchises in the KC area to determine a reopening date, a spokesperson told The Star. When they do open, it will take precautions that include touchless check-in and “cardio distancing,” where some machines won’t be available.
“We are taking a number of steps to protect the health and well-being of our team members and members,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Which include enhanced cleanliness and sanitation policies and procedures, physical distancing measures, reducing physical touch points in the club, and more.”
The precautions are to limit the spread of coronavirus, which is important around sweaty bodies who share and touch the same equipment.
Many KC gyms and fitness centers turned to online workouts when their businesses were shut down because of the pandemic. Pilates 1901 and KC Yoga Kula did that, turning to Zoom or other online applications to stay connected with their clients.
With the opportunity to resume in-person sessions, Pilates 1901 is opening Saturday, owner Lisa Looy said. They will offer classes while following guidelines, Looy said. As her site is small, Looy said she can control who comes in.
“The sense of normalcy is important to our people,” Looy said. “And they love the workouts. We have been doing virtual workouts for the last eight weeks. That’s without any of our Pilates machinery. Now, the fact that they can get back in and work out on the machines, people are really looking forward to it.”
Looy said they positioned the Pilates machines strategically so they’re at least 6 feet apart. She also plans to use face masks. Other precautions include using cleaning products known to kill the coronavirus.
“Most people are excited,” Looy said. “Some people are still choosing not to come in. We did do a Zoom chat with our clientele so that we can tell them over Zoom what our precautions are going to be, and we had that last weekend. That eased a lot of people’s minds too, the fact that we’re taking so many precautions.”
KC Yoga Kula is taking a different approach, not opening until June 1, owner Nancy Kaul said. She said she wanted to ease back into the transition, only conducting one or two classes per week, along with gearing up toward her reopening.
The key, Kaul said, was her venue, which is a little bigger than most yoga studios. With the extra space, students can spread out to ensure social distancing. Kaul said her studio doesn’t teach high-intensity classes, so it’s possible for her clients to wear a mask during sessions.
While Kaul transitioned to online classes as well, she said those were starting to lose interest, estimating she’s lost about 30% of her clientele. With her business nearing a re-opening, she’s hoping it can bring a spark to those in need of it.
“For a lot of people who practice yoga regularly and have been doing it for a long time, yoga is all about union and connection,” Kaul said. “There’s an energy to being in a class in person that is hard to replicate if you’re sitting at a screen.”
This story was originally published May 15, 2020 at 5:00 AM.