What to expect when Northern Ireland gyms reopen tomorrow

Northern Ireland’s gyms have been given the green light to reopen tomorrow – but those desperate for a workout are reminded they can’t muscle their way in without booking in advance.
Gyms have been laid out to allow for two metres distancing between usersGyms have been laid out to allow for two metres distancing between users
Gyms have been laid out to allow for two metres distancing between users

The News Letter got a look at the measures put in place at the Olympia Leisure Centre where capacity has been reduced and a one-way system put in place to ensure Covid guidelines are being followed.

The Boucher Road complex is one of 15 ‘Better’ leisure facilities in the greater Belfast area run by social enterprise GLL on behalf of Belfast City Council.

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The good news is, while it is clear health and safety is very high on the agenda, it is not at the expense of the essence of what a leisure centre should be. The gym still had the look and feel of a workout zone and for the fitness classes the rows of mats and spin bikes laid out in two by two-metre squares, each with its own chemical cleaning spray, cut an impressive sight.

Workout space has been clearly marked out at Better Gym OlympiaWorkout space has been clearly marked out at Better Gym Olympia
Workout space has been clearly marked out at Better Gym Olympia

As you’d expect hand sanitiser is available throughout the building.

The new rules state that 10 people can come into the gym every 10 minutes for a maximum of 60 minutes so there are never more than 60 people at a time in the gym, where equipment has been removed or decommissioned to allow for two-metre distancing.

For fitness and spin classes groups will come in five people at a time to fill up the 30 available slots, and they will leave again in fives. Classes will be staggered so that people coming in and out of the building can be controlled.

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Adrian Walker, partnership manager at GLL, said: “At the moment there’s a reduction in classes, but not by a big amount. In our larger centres we’ll still have between five and six classes a day, in the smaller centres three to four a day. We’ll review that as we go.

Mats and bikes for fitness and spinning classes are socially distancedMats and bikes for fitness and spinning classes are socially distanced
Mats and bikes for fitness and spinning classes are socially distanced

“In the gym we had 115 stations, we now operate off 64 in order to maintain the two-metre gaps.”

Reminding people that booking for the gym or classes is essential he said: “You have to have booked in on the app. The reasons for that are it helps us control the queues and the distancing side of it but also if we need to, via track and trace, we can get in touch with people who have been here.”

Adrian added: “It’s exciting for us to be able to open again. It’s exciting for our staff to be back in work as a lot of our colleagues were on furlough.

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“A lot of our centres are very community driven so it will be great to see some familiar faces coming in and out again.”

Ticks and crosses let gym users know which pieces of equipment are availableTicks and crosses let gym users know which pieces of equipment are available
Ticks and crosses let gym users know which pieces of equipment are available

Today and tomorrow will be a ‘soft’ opening while Tuesday will see the official reopening of Better gyms at nine locations – Brook, Grove, Lisnasharragh, Olympia, Falls, Church Lane, Connswater, Andersonstown and Shankill.