LIFT FOR PUBLIC AS GYMS REOPEN
GYMS, leisure centres and swimming pools reopened in Wales on a rain-sodden bank holiday yesterday as Covid-19 restrictions were further eased.
Organised children’s indoor activities and indoor adult fitness classes also resumed and two households were able to form an exclusive bubble and be able to meet indoors.
The Welsh Government said the changes meant Wales will have moved to Alert Level 3.
First Minister Mark Drakeford said last week: “The public health situation continues to improve and our vaccination programme remains a success.
“Thanks to the efforts of people across Wales, we are in a position to further ease the restrictions, in the way we have previously signalled, to allow more elements of normal life to return.
“However, the virus has not gone away. We all still need to take those vitally important steps, that we are now all so familiar with, to protect ourselves and each other from this dreadful virus – by self-isolating if we have symptoms, by taking up the offer of a Covid vaccine, washing our hands regularly, wearing a face covering in enclosed public spaces, following social distancing rules, limiting the number of people we meet socially outdoors, and only meeting with those we live with indoors.
“By working together, by following these rules, the quicker we will return to normality. Together, we will continue to keep Wales safe.”
The next review of the coronavirus restrictions is due by May 13, which will take place after the Senedd elections on May 6.
After months of uncertainty, gymowners were delighted to open their doors to returning members.
Alex Bodin, director of One Gym in Newport, said: “Today has surprised me how many people have returned already. We have had 246 people in since this morning and for a bank holiday that is really good.
“I think opening on a bank holiday was a good decision as people are off work so have been able to come throughout the day.”
Alex said gym-owners like himself have spent the past few months twiddling their thumbs, waiting for an announcement on their return.
Alex said seeing people happy to return to the gym has given him and others the motivation to keep going, despite the long road to financial recovery which lies ahead.
“It has given us the motivation to spur us on and keep pushing to keep us going. We know it is going to be a couple of months’ recovery from this,” he said.
“But it is nice, when people are leaving they are stopping and saying how great their first session was.”
However, Alex said he knows there will be some people who will struggle with the return, so they are keeping some online classes available until people see the success of those other customers who have made their way back.
Alex said: “We are creating a sixweek programme, too, for all our members, just to get them started again. People have been inactive for so long they need that help and guidance. I think it is good, it will give people some structure back.”
ION Strength & Conditioning gym owner Robin Sowden-Taylor was also delighted to open again.
Speaking from the Cardiff gym, Robin said: “It has been fantastic this morning, obviously it is a bank holiday Monday, usually hours are a little bit more restricted, but we have had classes on the hour back to back since 6am.
“They have all been full classes. We have our afternoon classes coming shortly. I think everyone is just glad to finally be back in the gym and seeing each other with smiles on their faces.”
As a class-based training facility, Robin explained the restrictions are a little tight, but they had an idea of what to expect when they reopened this time around based on the 2020 lockdown.
“After the first lockdown we were pretty aware of how things would look, we had to change the way we operated,” he said.
“We are a class-based training facility, so we implemented a socially distancing throughout our facilities, every member has their own set training area.
“There have been a lot of positives on that same front – I think it makes it less intimidating coming into a new training facility when you know exactly where to go, where all the equipment is, it is obviously a lot safer from a health prospective.
“We will continue with this manner obviously in the short term, but
also further down the line.”
And Robin’s customers were also pleased to be back.
Iwan Morris said: “It is fantastic to be back. You know, I’ve got Mickey Mouse equipment in the house, nothing compares to the proper thing.
“I was doing a bit of gym work in the house, lifting light weights, squats, and I was walking an hour and half to two hours a day, just to try and keep fit. I’ve been doing a lot of exercise, I’m sure if I wasn’t it would have affected me mentally.
“It is great to have the whole family back again, it is really good.”
Iwan added that he plans to return to the gym three times a week, joking: “To keep this belly down!”
Another person to return to ION was John Edwards.
He said while its been great doing circuits on Zoom classes in his living room, nothing compares to the equipment at the gym.
“It’s having all the kit, it is all laid out and I don’t have any of this stuff at home so it is much better, you’ve just got access to more things, and being in a class with other people just motivates you more.
“I think this will be the last of lockdowns, at least until the autumn/ winter time, so I think we have a nice few months or so.”
One key issue those campaigning for gyms to reopen have focused on over the past months is mental health, something personal trainer Lindsey Sian White is keen to address.
Lindsay, who owns a fitness studio in Swansea, was running classes from 6am yesterday, an early start time for a bank holiday.
“I am fully booked for the week, I’m having half a day on Friday, but I say half-day, I will be starting at 6am. I even had new people inquire over the weekend,” she said.
She trains women in classes and one to one, and said she has found that for women in particular, it has been hard to keep training at home over the past 13 months as they have seen an increase in other responsibilities, such as care-giving and home schooling.
“A lot has gone on in the last five months, I think this lockdown has been a lot more challenging, a lot of people have lost their jobs, home life has not been easy. I think people haven’t been putting themselves first, so its good to get back to the classes,” said Lindsay.
“I’ve been doing classes on Zoom throughout, and it has been quite nice actually to focus on the technique instead of the lifting.
“When we are in the classes women want to lift heavy stuff, so it has been good to take them back to the basics and show them the correct techniques.
“The women who have been doing the classes online have been skipping out of their cars to get in here,” she said.
Indoor hospitality and all tourism accommodation can reopen from May 17, subject to confirmation by the party that forms the next Welsh Government.
Wales has the lowest level of virus infections in the UK and is third in the world in terms of vaccine delivery, while case rates are below 15 per 100,000 people.