Outdoor Workouts Shaping Up
Lindsay Wellness Center open for outdoor workouts
The Lindsay Wellness Center is open for outdoor exercise. The Wellness Center has modified the way it operates and has taken fitness equipment outside, offering the community a safe way to get their daily exercise in. The pool is open for member lap swim and some classes are also being offered.
Lisa Davis, the Wellness, Aquatics and Recreation Supervisor for the Lindsay Wellness Center, expressed her excitement about being able to allow members back to the facility.
“It feels fantastic,” said Davis. “We also feel lucky to have such a great outdoor space available to help keep people active. The silver lining in all of this is that we have learned that we have a whole lot of square footage that was not being used to its fullest and our members love it! We plan to continue to offer classes and access to fitness equipment outside, even when we are able to return inside.”
Davis shared what the Wellness Center needed to do in order to continue offering some of their services to their members.
“We opened back up on June 29, and began with offering our classes outdoors due to social distancing concerns inside,” said Davis. “So when the inside was shut down again, it didn’t affect how we were already offering our classes. For us, it was being creative and finding a way to bring some of the inside machines outside. We are fortunate to have such a large space outside on the pool deck and
the 2nd level walkway/ mezzanine. Currently we have three rowing machines and three bikes on the 2nd level because they don’t require power, and on the 1st level we were able to get power to one treadmill. We are also in the process of adding power to the 2nd level so we can add additional machines.”
Davis explained what modifications were implemented at the facility in regards to sanitation and social distancing.
“We have closed our locker rooms and inside showers, but have a shower located outside on the pool deck and the bathrooms are available along with the hand washing stations,” said Davis. “Cleaning and sanitation takes place every two hours with cleaning of the bathrooms, using the fog machine and wiping down high touch points, like the hand rails that go into the pool. We have posted signs for social distancing and face masks, placed tables out on the pool deck so members can place their items they bring in on a designated table so they don’t have to share space.”
The Lindsay Wellness Center is permitting several different types of outdoor exercise, like yoga and swimming, but are also limited on what they can offer the community during this time.
“We encourage members who want to work out on their own to bring their own equipment such as hand weights, pool noodles, yoga mats, etc.,” said Davis. “There is plenty of room for social distancing and we have placed racks out that have cleaning supplies to wipe down equipment and area used. Of course they also have access to the machines that we have brought outside and can join the classes that are offered.
“None of our hand held or small shared equipment, like dumbbells or pool weights, are available for use. None of the fitness equipment that would be shared (is available for use), and there is no access to the inside of the fitness center.”
With the heat wave that’s sweeping across the state right now, a popular amenity the Wellness Center is currently offering is the use of the pool. The Lindsay Wellness Center has opened their pool for member lap swim, and also rents the pool out to local swim clubs during hours when the pool isn’t being used by members.
“The current pool schedule for members is 5:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for lap swimming and cardio in the shallow end,” said Davis. “One member per lane is permitted at one time, and there is an aqua fitness class on Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon in the shallow end. Reservations can be made in the morning for access to the Therapy Pool. Only four members are allowed in the Therapy Pool at one time. We are also renting the pool out to a few swim clubs during non-membership pool hours, and are following the guidelines in place for these types of youth activities.”
The Wellness Center is also offering several different fitness classes throughout the week. On Mondays and Wednesdays, a Strength and Balance class is offered at 6 a.m. and again at 8:30. Tuesdays and Thursdays there are four different classes: TRX Suspension at 6 a.m., Zumba Gold at 8:30, BARRE Exercise at 9:30, and Aqua Fitness at noon. Only one class is offered on Friday, the Pound Exercise Class at 8:30 a.m.
Davis said evening classes will begin in mid-september, once the temperatures drop and it cools down earlier.
“We are also hoping to continue to offer fitness enrichment classes to the Lindsay Unified School District students and will be meeting to see how we can continue to offer these classes virtually,” said Davis.
For more information about the Lindsay Wellness Center, visit http://lindsaywellnesscenter.com/