‘We’re new at pandemics like everyone else.’ Lexington gyms alter classes, cleaning
As the outbreak of novel coronavirus continues, Lexington gyms and fitness centers are adapting by canceling group classes, cleaning more and, in some cases, closing.
One of Lexington’s biggest gyms, Lexington Athletic Club, is staying open but taking precautions to protect members and staff.
As the outbreak has progressed, the gym has had fewer people coming in, but attendance has been steady, general manager Mark Dickinson said. The gym is keeping its normal schedule, but has stepped up sanitation practices to include hospital-grade products and an electrostatic disinfectant machine, according to the club’s website.
The building that houses the Lexington Athletic Club is large, and there’s never a concentration of people in any given space, Dickinson said.
Monday afternoon, the gym announced on its website that group classes will be canceled effective Tuesday and that guest privileges for non-members are temporarily suspended.
Kid’s Place, a large indoor play space inside the Lexington Athletic Center, is closed and will potentially re-open March 28, according to the announcement.
“We’re new at this, we’re new at pandemics like everyone else,” Dickinson said. “We’re trying to meet the community’s need ... we want to be here when times are tough, too.”
The gym has many police, fire department and healthcare workers as members who may want to use the gym, Dickinson said. Members have voiced their appreciation about the gym keeping its doors open.
Some fitness centers suspend group classes
The Planet Fitness location on Lowery Lane in Lexington is taking a similar approach. The gym has taken extra precautions with cleaning and sanitation, and suspended group classes to avoid concentrated groups of people, said Sarah Milam, the location’s team leader.
The gym continues to monitor conditions and plans to make necessary adjustments, including possibly closing overnight and taking extra measures to get people to spread out, Milam said.
Since the outbreak began, the Planet Fitness location has already seen a sharp drop in attendance, Milam said. There have also been a number of people who have canceled or frozen their memberships, she said.
Orangetheory Fitness’ Lexington locations announced on Facebook that they would continue classes, but limit the number of people who can sign up to leave room to spread out. There are also plans for class times to change to allow more time for cleaning in between, according to the announcement.
YMCA of Central Kentucky announced over the weekend that their Lexington locations will be closed and temporarily used to provide childcare for essential healthcare workers from University of Kentucky Healthcare, Baptist Health and St. Joseph Hospital.
Some local studios close temporarily
Several local studio-style fitness centers announced that they have opted to temporarily close, including Black Lotus Yoga, LEF Climbing, Sora Aerial Arts and others.
The owners of Black Lotus Yoga, Ashley Shochat and Mandy Ralston, said they closed in an effort to keep people safe and encourage them not to go out.
Shochat has family members who work in the healthcare field in San Francisco and know firsthand how bad things can get with the illness, she said. Speaking with those family members and hearing their advice helped with the decision to close, she said.
Black Lotus Yoga is a relatively new business with less than 100 members and about seven teachers.
The closure will hurt the business and affect their momentum in trying to get new members, Shochat said.
“The sacrifice is worth it,” Shochat said.
The studio plans to remain closed for at least two weeks.
As of Monday morning, there had been 21 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in Kentucky, and aggressive steps were being taken to slow the spread. Governor Andy Beshear ordered Monday that restaurants and bars close dine-in services, allowing only for take-out and delivery.
This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 4:52 PM.
