JEFFERSON COUNTY, Texas — Southeast Texas have been doing home workouts for almost two months. Now people can head back to the gym, where owners and instructors are waiting to help people get back in shape.
Angie Brown, owner of Southeast Texas B-fit in Vidor said she has been gearing up for weeks.
"We are opening back at 12:01 am. as soon as we can," she said. "We put signs on all of our equipment to clean before and after we have paper towels and disinfectant on pretty much very single piece of equipment. We have sanitizing stations and we also have sanitizing wet wipes throughout all of the facility."
But with the reopening comes restrictions. Locker rooms and showers must remain closed, but restrooms can be open. There is also a 25-percent maximum capacity inside the gym. And of course, social distancing is a must.
This is why Jody Nolan, owner of World Gym in Beaumont is making sure when folks are using the equipment, social distancing is being maintained.
"We are going to create as much social distancing as possible, and shut down every other piece of cardio equipment and so forth," he said.
The one guideline gyms are pouring most of their time into is disinfecting. The state requires gym equipment to be clean before and after each use. Some gyms will have workers cleaning between uses, but others may count on customers for help.
"We are doing everything we can do precautions wise," Brown said. "We will have plenty of cleaning products on the floor and having plenty of staff on duty to make sure everything is wiped down and sanitized."
World Gym normally runs all day and night, but they will be adjusting their hours due to the pandemic.
Nolan said there will be no group classes at least for the first few weeks to make sure the gym is operating safely for everyone.
"We are not going to have classes when we open and we have a lot of senior classes and we are just going to try and keep to a minimum," he said.
For those who are 65 or older with underlying health conditions, Brown said said she suggests wearing a mask or staying at home a few more weeks.
State officials are also recommending that customers wear gloves while working out and continue to practice good hygiene.