Advice and recommendation for a successful reopening

The complete guide for reopening gyms after the COVID-19 pandemic

It is essential to have a very detailed plan

Everybody must follow the rules to return to "normal" as fast as possible

The situation generated by the COVID-19 pandemic will likely have a severe impact on the fitness industry in the foreseeable future. All gyms and fitness clubs will have to adapt to a "new normal" which will entail more restrictions and rules. However, all gyms and operators in the health & fitness industry must follow all these rules.
Otherwise, these restrictions will be tightened for the entire industry, and not just for the businesses that don't follow them. And each new restriction will be a set back in the growth of this industry. Therefore, during this time, the entire fitness community must work together to get over this transition period as soon as possible and minimise its negative effect on businesses.

One of the most critical changes in the way gyms operate is the restrictions on the maximum number of people who can be in an enclosed space at the same time and the minimum distance between them. Additionally, cleaning and sanitary standards will have to be a lot higher than in the past, and you have to make sure your gym is a safe environment for your employees as well. That is why it is essential to have a well-thought plan before reopening the gym. So that you can welcome members back safely from day one, and they will feel comfortable enough to come back.
Below, we have highlighted some recommendations that you should take into consideration before reopening your gym, that we hope will help you resume your activity as fast and as safe as possible.

A united community

All fitness operators must obey the rules set out by the authorities. Otherwise, these restrictions will be tightened and will affect all gyms, not just on those who did not abide by them.

Security for members

You must take all necessary measures to ensure members can train safely at your gym. You have to strictly obey all the rules and recommendations enforced by the competent authorities.

Security for employees

You must limit the risk for your employees, from the team at the reception desk to your trainers, instructors, and cleaning crew.

High cleaning standards

You must make sure you provide enough disinfectant supplies to members, new hygiene rules for equipment use, and enforce all these rules for the start, following the recommendations provided by the authorities.

Safer access methods

Gym access must be quick, to eliminate queues at the reception desk and for group fitness studios. The number of members inside the gym must be closely monitored at all times.

Open communication with members

It is essential to talk to members about the safety measures taken in the club, to re-gain their trust and make them feel comfortable in your location.

Measures to win your members' trust when you reopen your gym

If you can win the trust of your members, they will resume their training at your gym faster, after the restrictions are over. The keyword is "trust".
We have created a guide with recommendations on how to increase the trust of your members during the next period.

DOWNLOAD THE FREE GUIDE

Operational aspects

How to prepare your gym for the reopening

The most significant changes in the way you run your gym will be those regarding the management of the space. Members must keep a minimum distance between themselves. That means you have to spread apart your equipment and machines and reduce the maximum capacity for group fitness classes.
You must think about additional cleaning measures, as well as adding extra disinfectant dispensers, paper towels and trash bins for these items, that will have to be cleaned more often throughout the day.

Larger distances between machines and training areas
Reduce the maximum capacity for group fitness studios
Mark off the space in group fitness studios, so members are always aware of the minimum distance
Place disinfectant dispensers and paper towels in easily accessible places
Waste bins for the supplies used for disinfecting the equipment
Draw up a detailed plan for the cleaning of the gym, that includes every area that must be cleaned and sanitised, who is responsible for each task and what supplies should be used
Closely monitor the number of members that are inside the gym at any given time
Strict bookings for group fitness classes
Streamline the traffic flow and eliminate queues during peak hours, using access control systems

Download the operational checklist

Take care of your team

Protection measures for your employees

Just as you take care of your members, you must also take care of your team. That is why you must make sure your employees have all the resources they need and to limit the direct contact with members, suppliers, and third parties, as much as possible.
To ensure your entire team obeys the rules and restrictions, prepare a detailed bylaw, with all the new measures that must be followed, including changes in their activity and responsibilities. Print this bylaw and give out a copy to each employee ahead of time. Everyone must know exactly what to do and what rules to obey by, to avoid discontentment from members or the authorities.

Your employees must have access to disinfectant solutions, gloves and face masks
Enable online services for members such as online class bookings, online registration for new members or online membership renewal, to reduce the time members spend at the reception desk
Streamline club access with an access control system that doesn't require interaction with the reception desk
Educate trainers and instructors on the minimum social distance and how to interact with members safely
Set up a procedure for each employee - wash their hands when they show up to work, before and after a class, and so on
Monitor the health status of each employee
Consider using infrared thermometers to monitor members' and employees' temperature when they show up to the gym
Inform your team about the COVID-19 symptoms and encourage them to stay at home if they experience any of them

Download the team management checklist

Your employees must be prepared for anything

Train your team on how to communicate with members correctly

Your team must also be ready to answer any questions from members. They will be more reserved when surely they will be interested in what additional measures you have implemented for their safety.

What is more, not all members will be willing to obey your new rules, and your employees must know how to persuade them into complying and how to interact with them.

Create a set of rules for members and post them throughout the gym, in visible places
Make sure all your employees are aware of these rules
Train them on how to communicate with members about the new rules
Provide suggestions on how to talk to members who do not obey these rules and how to convince them
Explain how to manage conflicts between members caused by the new rules of social distancing and hygiene

Easy access for members, complete control for the club

Setting up an access control system for your gym can be a simple and straightforward task. Read our detailed guide to understand better what equipment you need, how to organise the access flow, and what are the immediate benefits of this system.

ABOUT ACCESS CONTROL

The health of your members is important

Care for your members

The health of your members should be your priority. That is why your gym must be prepared with all the supplies they need to train safely, before reopening it. Apart from disinfectant supplies, members want to stop waiting in line to enter the gym or to cram into a group fitness studio.

By providing the necessary tools that allow them to schedule their visit to the gym, when there is less of a crowd, you can solve most of these issues. Whether you are providing real-time information about the occupancy of the gym, or a method to "book" their time at the gym, all these services will encourage members to resume their workouts. They will help you easily manage their visits without overcrowding.
Try to make as many tasks as possible available online, so that members can perform them at home, and not at the reception desk (online payments for memberships, online bookings for classes, and so on).

Ensure a constant supply of disinfectant and paper towels, in every corner of the gym, where they can be easily reached
The supplies used by members to clean the machines should be thrown out in special bins, that should be emptied as often as possible
Members must be required to wear clean shoes in the gym area, and visitors, suppliers and other people accessing the gym should have to wear shoe covers
Members must be required to have their own towel that they should use when they train on machines
All surfaces must be sanitised multiple times a day, including weights, mats and other accessories
You might want to empty the gym during the day, so that you can perform a deep cleaning every few hours
Evaluate the entire check-in flow and think about using a completely automated system
Eliminate the option of participating in a class without a prior booking, to control the number of class participants

Download the member management checklist

Complete transparency

Communicate with members more often and with transparency

All these measures we have touched upon will not help your gym if members don't know about them, and most importantly if they don't know when your gym is reopening. That is why you must let members, and former members know when you plan on opening the gym and in what conditions.
Most members will probably be less inclined to go to the gym, to avoid crowds and exposure to the coronavirus. That is why you must be very transparent with all the new measures and the rules you are reinforcing. Talk to your members about the way you will protect their health, about your strict cleaning procedures and extra cleaning supplies. Make sure all the rules about disinfecting the equipment, mandatory towels and clean shoes are available to all your members, including online.

They should also know about the fact that only a limited number of members can enter the gym at the same time, and that you reserve the right to limit the time they spend onsite to no more than an hour or two. Explain that these rules are to ensure their safety as well as the safety of your team, and encourage them to visit during less crowded periods.

Announce the reopening of your gym at least two weeks before, using all your communication channels (email, social media)
Publish the new bylaw on all your communication channels (email, social media, website)
Post new photos from inside the gym to show members all the new changes (all the disinfectant gel dispensers, how you rearranged the space, access control systems)
Create videos with your trainers and instructors urging members to resume their workouts
Post as often as possible about all the new changes
Encourage members to book classes online and to visit the gym during less crowded periods - mention the timeframes when there are usually fewer crowds
Explain openly about how you plan on cleaning and sanitising the entire facility - some of these tasks might affect their training, and they have to know how important they are for their health
Create posters with the new rules and social distancing recommendations, how to properly clean the equipment they are using, and how to behave at the gym, and place them everywhere in the gym
Mark out on the floor or the wall the minimum social distance, so that memebrs can easily keep the social distance between them

Download the member communication plan

Don't limit your revenue streams

Create a plan to expand your gyms' services

All these restrictions will inevitably affect your bottom line. Just by limiting the maximum number of members allowed inside the gym at the same time will probably affect the number of memberships sold. What is more, members will be less inclined to spend time in an enclosed space with other people, and they will look for other methods of training.

Here are some other ways in which you can extend your revenue streams for your gym, post-COVID-19.

Personal training

If your gym doesn't provide this kind of service already, then you should seriously consider it. Members will feel more comfortable training with just a trainer and not alongside dozens of members in a class. What is more, PT packages are more expensive than standard memberships.

Fitness classes outside

If the weather allows it, organise fitness classes outside. If your gym already has a back yard or a large parking lot, then use it for your classes. You can even move some equipment there. Yoga and Pilates classes or circuit training can take place in a park.

Online workout videos

Create a generous workout video library filmed by your trainers. These videos can be an additional service to standard memberships, to recruit more members, or they can be accessed with a special membership, at a lower cost.

Live stream fitness classes

To reduce the number of participants to group fitness classes, without letting your members down, you can start live streaming them. This service can also be an additional benefit to the standard memberships, or it can be accessed with a particular membership, at a lower cost. The advantage of these online services is that they can be sold anywhere and are not affected by restrictions.

Special online packages

Create special video packages with your trainers, for different objectives, like losing weight, toning up and so on. These packages can be sold online, and they can contain videos with special workout regimens, nutrition advice and recipes all created by your team.

Online personal training

You can provide members with the option of training with a PT online. This way, trainers can train their clients via FaceTime, Zoom, or Skype.

DOWNLOAD THE FREE GUIDE

Would you like to expand your fitness club?

Join our client roster, that has already discovered the benefits of UPfit.cloud. From streamlining the activity at the reception desk to online services for members, you can have everything.

During a demo session, we can go over in detail about how we can help you expand your business, grow your revenue, and impress your members.

Fast check-in

Online services for members

Sell memberships online

Detailed reporting

Streamline the entire activity

Increase your monthly revenue

Top-of-the-range software for excellent results

Software that perfectly adapts to your gym's activity

Each gym is unique. That is why UPfit.cloud has a wide range of services, tools, and features that perfectly match your business.

Regardless of how you manage your gym or fitness club activity, UPfit.cloud can be customized so it's easy to use for your team and simple for your members.

Insights and useful information for expanding your business

UPfit Blog

RomaniaActive: first webinar for fitness operators in Romania