Hundreds of gyms up and down the country remain open, despite government warnings for people to stay at home amid the coronavirus outbreak.
With thousands of people off work, Boris Johnson urged the public to avoid all ‘non-essential’ social contact this week as part of plans to control the spread of Covid-19.
However, with the Prime Minister only advising that people steer clear of popular meeting points including pubs, restaurants and gyms, rather than enforcing closures, many are continuing to go about their regular routines in spite of the pandemic.
Gyms across the country and the measures they will be undertaking while staying open
Major health clubs such as Virgin Active, pictured, are remaining open, despite government warnings for people to stay at home amid the coronavirus outbreak
Cleaning sprays, class cancellations and home workout video content: How gyms are trying to stop the spread of coronavirus
While some small gyms have shut their doors to customers in recent days, some of the UK’s major health clubs – boasting hundreds of sites across the country – still remain open, albeit with new rules to help observe advice over social distancing. Here are some of the changes they’ve rolled out:
PureGym
- Members can freeze a membership for at no extra charge for a month
- All classes have been cancelled until further notice
- A maximum of 100 members allowed at a time in the club
- Possibility of reduced opening hours
- Certain equipment will be removed from use, to ensure the minimum two metre social distance, as advised by the government, is maintained
- Providing additional cleaning stations in all gyms to allow members to self-clean equipment before and after use
- Ensuring soap dispensers and hand sanitisers remain filled
Nuffield Health
- Members can freeze their membership at no extra charge for a three month period
- Swimming pools are open but lessons are not running
- Saunas, steam rooms and spa pools are closed
- Group classes are being run at 50% of usual capacity
- Members are encouraged to use the cleaning sprays to wipe down machines and equipment after use
- Before the start of every class, cleaning materials are highlighted to all members and they are asked to clean their mats and equipment
- The YouTube channel and the MyWellbeing app allow workouts to be completed at home with minimal equipment
Virgin Active
- Members can freeze a membership up to a period of four weeks for a fee of £10
- All group exercise classes will reduce in capacity by 50%
- Longer classes will be reduced to allow extra time for cleaning in between sessions
- After every class, all equipment will be thoroughly cleaned with sanitiser spray
- Pads and boxing gloves are to be removed from all studios and gym floors with the exception of clubs with Punch Studios and Ozone Dryers
- All clubs will have extra stocks of hand wash, cleaning wipes and sanitiser spray
The Gym Group
- Members can freeze a membership for at no extra charge for a month
- All classes have been cancelled until further notice
- Some equipment will be taken out of use
- Group inductions and free PT taster sessions have been cancelled
- Planning to provide our members with some exercise content that they can use outside of the gym or at home
- Extra cleaning equipment on gym floors
- Checks on hand wash facilities every 30 minutes
While some small gyms have shut their doors to customers in recent days, major health clubs such as PureGym, Nuffield Health, The Gym Group and Virgin Active all still remain open, albeit with new rules to help observe advice over social distancing.
PureGym operates some 230 centres nationwide, with more than one million members, while Nuffield Health boasts over 200 gyms, The Gym Group 160 and Virgin Active another 43.
Some of the measures introduced at clubs including cancelling and reducing the size of classes, limiting the number of people allowed in the building at one time and urging members to use cleaning sprays to wipe down machines and equipment after use.
Many of the big chains are also offering gym users the chance to freeze their membership – some for one month and some for as long as three months.
Several of these allow members to do so at no extra charge, though other clubs insist on a payment.
Fitness bosses insist there is ‘no current evidence’ to support claims that gyms are high-risk and that members are being told to stay two metres apart at all times.
However, a spokesman for Nuffield Health said: ‘We can’t guarantee the two-metre rule will always be followed.
‘But we’re doing our best to create an environment that supports social distancing and stops the virus from spreading.’
Gym-goers at a fitness centre in Wolverhampton told Channel 4 News they weren’t put off by the outbreak, and that they’d continue to workout, with one insisting: ‘I don’t think there’s anything [that would keep me away from the gym].’
Another said: ‘At the end of the day this is a place of health and fitness so I’m assuming everybody takes the correct precautions.
A third added: It’s a virus, everyone’s gonna get it – it’s just one of those things, you’ve got to take it on the chin.’
It comes amid reports of a stricter lockdown, which could be rolled out by the end of the week.
This would include tougher advice on ‘social distancing’, urging everyone to stay at home unless absolutely essential, asking popular venues to close to minimise the risk of people gathering and scaling back transport services while leaving enough capacity for unavoidable journeys and key workers to reach hospitals and other duties.
The PM’s spokesman said today: ‘The Prime Minister and his advisers have set out the need for social distancing measures to limit the spread of the virus to protect lives.
‘What we are focused on is ensuring that as many people as possible take that advice and don’t unnecessarily put themselves in the position where they could be spreading coronavirus.’
Asked if popular meeting points could be ordered to close, the spokesman added: ‘We do want people to follow the advice which we have given in relation to limiting unnecessary social contact.’
Britain’s coronavirus death toll today rose to 137 as Scotland’s individual number of fatalities doubled overnight and Northern Ireland confirmed its first victim of the life-threatening infection.
Officials announced 33 more deaths, the joint highest daily fatality count recorded on British soil since the crisis began to rapidly spiral out of control last week.
PureGym has told its members that it is increasing cleaning and hygiene measures, pictured, amid the coronavirus crisis, but is not closing, despite the Prime Minister’s call for people to stay at home
Dips, wall squats and push-ups: How to stay fit and active at home
Sports supplement brand, Grenade, has created a handy home workout so fitness fans can continue to exercise, even in self-isolation:
Dips
- These are a really simple way of targeting a wide range of key body areas; if training triceps, deltoids, the chest and the upper back is what you’re after, this exercise should be your go-to. And what’s better, any ‘equipment’ you may need are all things you’ll easily find at home – whether it’s the side of a bed, a sofa or a chair, there’s no excuse not to try this out.
- Simply stand in front of the chair, facing away from the seat.
- Sit down and place your hands behind your hips, lifting your bottom off the seat and walking your feet forwards.
- Then, slowly lower your body downwards, supporting your weight with your arms. Lift your body slowly upwards, still supporting yourself with your arms, and repeat this motion for 10-12 reps.
Wall squat
Want to put your glutes through their paces, but are short on time and equipment? Well, a simple wall squat will test your endurance, and can be done in next to no time, with no need to head out to a gym.
- Stand with your back against a wall and place your feet out in front of you, about the width of two feet apart.
- Slide down the wall by bending your knees until they are at a 90° angle.
- Now, get ready to feel the burn – you’ll need to find the stamina and hold this position for one minute and repeat.
Incline push ups
You’ll be able to take on this workout with the use of household equipment too – a stable chair or bed will do the trick. Although ‘normal’ push-ups may not be your go-to activity, incline push-ups have been designed to work out the lower chest and back and are an easy way to strengthen your core for those who can’t perform regular push ups.
- Stand facing your chair or bed and place your hands on the edge, slightly wider than shoulder width.
- Take your feet right back so your body is straight and then lower your chest to the chair or bed and lift upwards with your arms.
- Repeat for 10-12 reps to really make the most of your home workout.
Single leg chair squat
- Perfect to enhance your glutes and a great way to enhance quad strength too, the single leg chair squat tests your balance, and gives you a great leg work out without the need for a machine.
- Simply sit on your chair with one foot flat on the ground and the other leg raised.
- Slowly stand up straight, keeping your raised leg off the ground, then lower yourself to sit on the chair once again.
- Repeat this 10-12 times and then switch legs – we’d make today leg day if we were you.
Cleaning stations, pictured, have been set up at PureGym clubs to help members limit the spread of Covid-19
