Fitness centres bustle with clients, first-time gym-goers
dubai — For gym-owners across Dubai, Wednesday was not just another day. As they reopened after a two-month closure, many gyms saw a flurry of clients waiting to head back.
Conducting a survey with the Dubai Muscle Show audience on Tuesday, Craig Hartley, co-founder of Dubai Active and Dubai Muscle Show, discovered that as many as 65 per cent of their clients were prepared to head back to gyms.
Upon reopening, GymNation — which has branches in Al Quoz and Bur Dubai — witnessed a response they almost couldn’t have imagined. While existing clients have been wanting to return, Frank Akeaki, co-founder of GymNation, said they saw a surge in first-time clientele as well.
“We had existing customers coming back to the gym from 6am, but there are also many who have never previously been members of a gym. We signed up over 1,500 new members during the lockdown period, so we always expected to be straight from the get-go,” he adds.
It was a similar story at the Gold’s Gym that is currently operating at 50 per cent capacity, as per the government’s guidelines, but has been flooded with queries for membership.
The gym has divided its working hours into 90-minute workout slots, following which a deep sanitisation of the premises and equipment takes place.
“We are ensuring that even during workout slots, all the equipment and machines are sanitised after every use,” said Sanjeev Setia, managing director, New Age Fitness at Gold’s Gym.
New directions and guidelines also mean that trainers have to employ newer ways of communicating and training with their clients.
Alwyn Remedios, an independent trainer, said some of the challenges will include maintaining distance with clients and members. “We need to constantly remind ourselves of not only maintaining the 2-metre distance but also ensuring sanitising the equipment before and after use,” he said.