Fitness industry eager to get moving
Yoga studios, gyms among businesses awaiting provincial guidelines allowing them to reopen
People who spend time in gyms or yoga studios will have to wait several weeks to learn when they’ll be able to head inside to work out and resume classes.
While recreation and sports were mentioned in last week’s announcement about the Phase 2 restart of business in B.C. in mid-May, fitness centres, yoga studios and gyms weren’t included.
WorkSafeBC is developing industry-specific protocols and procedures for employers so workers can return to a safe workplace, said media relations spokesman Craig Fitzsimmons.
“WorkSafeBC is also supporting employers by providing industry-specific resources, including checklists, planning templates, education and training materials, signage and other tools,” he wrote in an email.
“These resources, including the checklists, are in development, but they are not ready yet. We will be posting this information coinciding with the government’s phased reopening plan, so that businesses have the materials in advance of reopening.”
The provincial government and health authorities are planning more consultation and planning before indoor fitness and gyms get the green light to reopen said Kelly Walker, the vice-president of marketing and communications for the YMCA of Greater Vancouver.
“What we’re doing instead is we’re doing scenario planning so we’re ready to reopen when the government does give us the ability to do so,” she said.
She expects the four Metro Vancouver YMCA’s to open in phases. First will be strength and conditioning areas where workout equipment and machines will be spaced out so people can maintain safe physical distance from one another. She said swimming in pools might not resume until there’s a vaccine.
What’s likely to happen is that each fitness area will have a maximum capacity.
“We’re looking at an online booking system so when people are heading to the Y to work out, there’s a space in the building,” she said.
To start, she doesn’t expect to see any group fitness classes but the YMCA is working at resuming classes by holding them in larger spaces such as gyms.
Walker said in addition to improving cleaning protocols, the YMCA will be consulting with its members to find out what would help them feel safe when they return.
“It’s not just a physical thing, it’s an emotional experience," she said. "People have to feel safe, too. So we need to reach out to them and find out what they’re hoping to see when they come back.”
Walker said even when physical classes resume, older adults who are at high-risk for getting COVID-19 have said they will keep doing workouts online.
“I think the digital aspect will stay even when we reopen because there are still people who won’t be able to come with all the safety precautions in place,” she said.
Carey Dillen, president of YYoga, said she would like to see what’s in the guidelines being developed by WorkSafeBC. Depending on what those guidelines require, she hopes to reopen in late May or early June.
Whatever government and health authorities require YYoga to do to reopen, she said, YYoga will do it.
“The next layer is: What do we think we need to do on top of that for health and safety reasons?” Dillen said.
“And third, what is the community expecting of us and wanting us to do in addition?"
Vancouver-based YYoga started in 2007 and has 10 studios in Metro Vancouver/ Whistler and two in Toronto.
Before the COVID-19 lockdown, YYoga had an online platform and then added live-action Zoom yoga classes. She said members want to get back into the studio again.
“We hear a bunch of things,” Dillen said about what members are saying. “Some of the big things are ‘I can’t wait to get back into the studio!’ and ‘I can’t wait to hug!’”