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My Athletic Club Defines Full-On Hysteria
I don’t know what your fitness club is like, whether they’re opening or still closed in your state. Without even a definite opening date for Phase 2, my club in downtown Seattle is laying down the law for all of us who thought we knew how to use the facility safely while working out and maintaining social distancing. My workout as a minimum consists of: changing; getting on a bike for 15-20 minutes; going to an empty squash court and hitting a ball for something like one-two hours; taking a shower and changing back into my street clothes. None of that will be possible under my club’s Phase 2 rules worked out with Gov. Inslee’s office and the CDC. Here are the rules for your amusement:
5/29/20 Dear Club Member,
While it is still uncertain as to exactly when King County will be able to enter into the next phase, we are happy to announce that Club will be able to open to a limited capacity in Phase 2 of Governor Inslee’s “Safe Start” plan.
This is very exciting news; however the partial reopening requires heavy restrictions and coming to the Clubs for your workout will look very different. In summation, we will be allowed to open to appointment-only, one-on-one Personal training, Pilates and Squash Instruction along with small Group Exercise classes (5 or less). Unfortunately, unsupervised General Club use will not be permitted during this stage.
Please read through the following points so you can better understand our new policies and the precautions we are taking to keep you safe during your return:
- Limited operating hours: First 2 days of Re-Opening: 9:00am-8:00pm │ Thereafter Weekdays: 7:00am-8:00pm │ Weekends: 9:00am-3:00pm
- What will be available: Group-X classes with a maximum of 5 participants and 1:1 Fitness and Pilates Personal Trainings. The Group-X schedule can be found on our website located here: https:
- What will be unavailable: Childcare, Pool, Café, Squash Courts, Gymnasium, Massage, locker rooms (*vanities and restrooms will remain open), showers, towel service, and Spa areas
- Members must have a pre-booked appointment time in a class or training session prior to entering the Club. You are able to do this via the Front Desk, your Member Portal, as well as the Club App (please refer to our website under “For Members” and the “Events” tab – Downtown: https: Keep in mind, due to class sizes being small and in high demand, we will have advance reservations of only 72 hours, spots must be reserved and there will be a waitlist available for up to 3 people.
- Upon entry/exit to/from the Club, everyone will need to either wash or sanitize their hands with facility provided hand sanitizer. A minimum of 6’ separation between all employees and customers in all interactions is required. Congregations of no more than 5 people will be allowed in common areas. Masks must be worn at ALL times. The Club will have disposable masks to offer, but please bring your own if possible.
- As part of initial check-in, every member will have their temperature taken and be required to sign a waiver of consent and commitment to the facility’s reopening policies. Individuals will not be permitted entry if they have been diagnosed with COVID-19 (have not recovered or are still within the required 14-day quarantine), had symptoms of COVID-19 (within the last 24 hours), or had contact with a person that has or is suspected to have COVID-19 (within the last 14 days).
- *Please note, high risk members are not permitted as part of Phase 2 reopening. High risk clients include people over the age of 65, people with serious underlying medical conditions like chronic lung disease, moderate to severe asthma and people who are immunocompromised.
- Members will be checked in/out to ensure a total headcount within the facility at any given time; allowing for contact tracing if needed and occupancy numbers in real time which may be located via the Club Website and App.
- Check-in at the Front Desk will consist of using either your barcode on the Club App, by showing us your membership card or by providing your first and last name
- Members will need to wear training attire to the facility. Yoga class equipment will not be provided, please bring your own mat, blocks, straps, and blanket to use. The Front Desk will have mats available to purchase. Towel service (other than the small cleaning towels) will not be available. Please bring with you your own water bottle as water fountain use will be restricted to the water bottle filling station only.
- Should the situation arise where a member/staff is identified as positive for COVID-19 and have been in the Club, we will implement contact tracing, members/staff in possible contact will be immediately notified, and areas of identified usage will be closed immediately and extensive hydrostatic spraying performed.
- Daily sanitization of the Club will consist of regular closing of spaces for spraying with the Hydrostatic Sanitization sprayer. All equipment will be sanitized after each use. Doors and windows will be kept open where possible to improve ventilation. Surfaces and high-touch areas will be disinfected throughout the day.
- For those who plan to remain home for a while, we will continue offering our virtual training options.
Suffice it to say, I’m becoming a lot more familiar with my bicycle after neglecting it for several years. But no squash ball hitting in the near future.
Published in Sports
I suggest you show up with a few thousand others and start a riot. None of the rules seem to apply while those are in progress.
Sounds like this club is committing suicide.
My gym isn’t even open yet. I have been bicycling and walking the dog. I need some strength training and stretching.
The Y where I generally swim has sent mail about re-opening: similar by appointment and equipment use restrictions, even for the pool. I like an appointment for the pool so I know how many are in my lane. BUT – no locker rooms and no shower use. So – do nothing on the way (in a suit,) drive 20 minutes home in a wet suit and do nothing on the way home and shower at home. No, it’s not earth shattering, but it’s stupid. So while I’ve been paying dues for the duration, I’m putting my membership on the allowed 4 month pause (meant for snowbirds) and I’ll wait it out with the WaterRower in our basement and running. I like to row but hate to run. I really love to swim and aside from a wrecked rotator cuff from said swimming, I’ve never hurt myself. Will they come to their senses in 4 months? I’m beginning to think that “they” don’t plan an “all done.”
what about squash against the wall of a school gym or a cinema?
It’s even sadder that some will actually do this.
Beat me to it. Tell the authorities it’s a riot to show support for Floyd’s memory, then actually riot by lifting weights, running on the treadmill, and hitting the sauna . . .
It sounds more like a Biosafety Level 3 Containment Laboratory than a workout gym. What’s the point of no showering? I thought washing hands and other body parts was essential to killing germs.
Here is my gym or as my neighbors say my Joe. I quit my gym and and acquired a total gym and a stair stepper. Already hand my bike. The commute to my garage is very short. These three items are more than enough to kick my butt.
I’m on the lookout for one, now that our stay at home order has been lifted. Believe it or not, hitting is more aerobic for me than the stationary bike. I’m going to start wearing the heart monitor for my biking, which I’m able to do now almost daily with the arrival of milder weather.
Oregon rules are looser, but still stupid. No pool (maybe in phase 2), no use of locker room for changing or showers, classes are restricted in size, masks while entering and leaving club. My son-in-law’s club requires appointments. I haven’t been back yet because, as @eodmom pointed out, traveling to and from in workout clothes makes it impractical to combine a trip to the gym with other trips. A lot of people used to stop at the gym on their way home from work, or during their lunch hour. Not going to work for them.
The idea that the state can effectively micromanage each club is ridiculous and appalling. Same for restaurants.
Hey Cheese, I see that you’ve got the same city-issued garbage cans as we do in Cleveland. The black one for regular garbage and the blue one for recycling. Trouble is, the city stopped recycling six months ago and didn’t tell anybody. They’ve been throwing the recyclables into the landfill with all the other trash.
On the advice of @rushbabe49, I’ve purchased a waterrower. Because my gym is shilly-shallying about when it’s going to open, too. Will be sad if the eventual outcome of all this silliness is that worthy organizations end up out of business.
I think that is going on all over. Some one said China quit buying the recyclables and there is no longer a market for it. Thanks for the comment, I thought I would get busted for my stock pile of toilet paper.
AHA! I missed that contraband. Now I’m reporting you to the Hoarding Monitors!……..By the way, can you spare a few squares?
My gym has opened up (KC area). There are rules, but not as crazy as those. But I haven’t been back yet. I have been getting decent workouts at home. And I have also mixed in some good ol’ laziness and slacking which doesn’t need a gym visit. But I am proud to say I haven’t gained any weight during COVID. I haven’t been stress eating or junk food binging to any great extent.
Yeesh. Buy some dumbbells.
They don’t need to make anything convenient. They just need enough plausible benefit so that you can’t back out of your contract.
I probably shouldn’t laugh at this, but I couldn’t help it. It’s so true.
I live with Ray, and I am angry that he cannot play squash. This is his favorite thing to do, and it hurts me to have him prevented from doing it, by the Government. Not the virus, but the government which makes the “reopening rules”.
Let my people play (squash)!
Thanks everyone. This is a special treat for you all. This my sport, softball squash, played as an exhibition at my club on a glass doubles court by two former world and British Open champions, a man and a woman, with two young up and coming squash professionals. The ball is just like a normal squash ball except it is made from white rubber to make good contrast to the dark blue walls. We might be the only club in America that has a doubles glass court. It converts to a singles court by sliding the side walls in. Note the set of duplicate lines on the floor.
I really hope I can get back on a squash court soon.
Thanks. I really needed to know there are places out there not as crazy as this.
I’ve never understood squash. The danged ball doesn’t bounce.
I think it must have to do with my theory of locker room herding: no matter where in the locker room you find an empty, private, quiet spot when you walk in and gear up, when you come back there will be at least 2 more people set up and dressing or undressing on either side of you. Their stuff is on the bench and there’s no way for you to politely get into your locker without dripping on them. Herding without you even being there.
We have one too – I think you’ll really like it. I’ve been following their 6 week structured workouts and it helps. The framework is similar to my swimming workout so I understand how it should go. I miss swimming, but I can do intervals on the rower and I can’t swimming because of my shredded shoulder. I love the sound.
Right?!
I have got to get into the ADA lawsuit business.
My son-in-law works for Dick’s. Before they had to shut down completely, they were staying afloat selling lots of home gyms, so the anti-gym rules benefited him.
They’re severely restricting access to the gym, both in time and numbers. But I bet the’re still charging full rates.
This is the TSA comes to your hometown – Tyrannical Security Association. But, don’t worry, GWB and Mittens have your back:
Because they suffer just like you do.