E-Paper
Four months on, tricity gyms reopen to bleak response
The guidelines released by the government for the reopening of gyms made face cover or mask mandatory at all times on the premises and recommended the use of the Covid-19 tracker app Aarogya Setu.
Having eagerly awaited this day, gym owners finally reopened their units after more than four months on Wednesday albeit to a slow start.
Several precautions were put into place to contain the spread of coronavirus, but on the first day the response from the customers was not overwhelming and most of them preferred to stay away.
Abhishek Gagneja, owner of Ultimate Fitness Gyms, which has branches in Chandigarh, Mohali and Zirakpur, said, “We are happy that gyms have been allowed to reopen but the response from customers was not good. It will take a few months to get back on track.”
Only 25% of the original number of customers visited the gym on Wednesday, added Gagneja.
The guidelines released by the government for the reopening of gyms made face cover or mask mandatory at all times on the premises and recommended the use of the Covid-19 tracker app Aarogya Setu. Other instructions include keeping the machines six feet apart.
“Only 10 customers showed in the morning. People are apprehensive. The response to booking is not good enough and it will take time to catch the rhythm,” said Manu Sharma, manager of Bodyscapes Fitness Temple, Sector 34A.
SOME GYMS YET TO REOPEN
Sanjeev Kumar, president of the Tricity Gym Owners’ Association, said, “80% of the gyms in the tricity reopened on Wednesday and others will open in a few days. It is obvious that the response will remain poor initially, but we expect that in the coming weeks gyms will pick up pace.”
As Covid-19 cases are increasing, people prefer to do yoga in open spaces rather than in centres, said Vinod Bajaj, a yoga instructor at Sector 12, Panchkula.
