Markings for social distancing at a Gold's Gym in Pune
This paper ran a prominent piece about the mood in fitness centres when many opened their shutters. While gyms had the green light to open on Sunday itself, a lot of centres reopened only on Monday as they were closed or open only for sales inquiries on Dussehra.
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This paper has already focussed on the need for absolute COVID-19 appropriate behaviour inside these gyms, which has to be enforced by the management. Members also need to co-operate as this is a two-way process.
One must pay heed to one vital point — some gyms have become commercial casualties during COVID times. They have shut down operations totally, like other establishments in other industries. They were unable to survive the unrelenting lockdown for seven months and the owners decided to close. In fact, the piece had one owner talking about how they were still a week away from reopening their fitness training. Yet, some members had dropped in simply out of curiosity or concern to inquire at the front desk whether they were operational at all.
Gyms need to inform their member base if they are shutting and make arrangements for a refund of annual fees. While this may be tough, it is simply ethical and they are duty-bound to do so.
Unfortunately, we often see owners disappear altogether, or gyms shutting down while members are hoodwinked into believing that some renovation or other work is going on. The management goes incommunicado or becomes untraceable. We do not refer to COVID times, but other times too. This may escalate now and members have to be wary, while gym representatives need to be accountable.
These are tough times for all businesses, some more hard-hit than others. Gym promoters need to desist from the disappearing act, be upfront, ethical and transparent.
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