'Light At The End Of Tunnel Has Arrived' As Massachusetts Gyms Reopen
FOXBORO (CBS) - Some gyms opened their doors for the first time in months Monday as Phase 3 of Massachusetts' reopening plan got underway.
The Fit Factory in Foxboro welcomed back members starting bright and early at 6 a.m.
"We've been building up to it," said Chris Brown, general manager of the facility. "It was like the light at the end of the tunnel has arrived."
Arrows on the floors guided members down one-way paths to promote social distancing.
Sanitizing stations were set up along the way, which were also equipped with masks.
"It is reassuring for sure," said Ken Clark, a gym member. "They put a lot of effort into this. Separated the machines by 6 feet, cleaning stations if you look around, all over the place. And I see people cleaning their machines now more than they did before, which is kind of nice."
Brown says he's had conversations with members who have expressed concerns over the coronavirus.
He says more people were hired to help maintain the safety guidelines established by the state.
"We have additional staff to go through every single machine every 30 minutes," said Brown. "While they're on the floor, if anyone forgets to clean down a machine we're going to make sure that gets cleaned."
While their capacity is capped at 40-percent, Brown says the gym's trying to make up the difference in their bottom line by using lessons learned during the pandemic, offering virtual classes and training as well.
At Fire Up Fitness in Stoneham, owner Sheri Saperstein held a class for five people in her studio Monday. A dozen more clients followed along virtually.
"It's awesome. It's weird walking in after a few months, really really good to be here," said Anya Van Benuzekom, who attended.
Saperstein also had to make adjustments to the class's agenda. "Now we are going to have to stay in one place, use equipment multiple times rather than switching and sharing and doing partner exercises and things like that," she explained.
Bill Vaczy of Lynnfield worked out at Planet Fitness down the start. "Day one, a little bit different," he said. "The machines were spaced out so that nobody was on top of you."
