Dubai reopens responsibly: Fitness centres bustle with returning clients, first-time gym-goers

Dubai - One gym signed up over 1,500 new members during the lockdown period.

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.
Trainer safety
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.
"Sometimes, you might forget to maintain distance when trying to correct a technique or teaching a new exercise. We need to constantly remind ourselves of not only maintaining the 2-metre distance but also ensuring sanitising the equipment before and after use, as this can be easily overlooked," he said.
Virtual workout options remain
Almost as soon as the lockdown was announced many gyms and fitness coaches had introduced virtual classes for their clients sitting at home.
Upon reopening, the concern is if live workouts will have to now compete with their virtual counterparts. "Some people have spent money on home gym equipment and might have found that they prefer working out at home whilst some are just not comfortable yet to go back out into the gym environment. So, facilities will need to be able to simultaneously cater to both the in-person and virtual audiences upon reopening," said Hartley.
Whether it is GymNation or Gold's Gym, most fitness centres have opened an online arm to cater to this need. But Setia doesn't think one will come in the way of another.

"Virtual workout will only help in promoting the concept of fitness among people who have not been able to follow an active lifestyle and eventually these people will go to a regular fitness club once they start seeing the benefits of being active. So, I'd call virtual workout options to be a parallel addition in the industry, not a threat to physical clubs in any way."
anamika@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai