Coronavirus News
Two major health club chains stage reopenings around Dallas-Fort Worth
Fitness buffs can get their workout on again, as two major health club chains have reopened their Dallas-Fort Worth locations following the coronavirus shutdown:
- Upscale fitness guru Equinox reopened four locations in Texas, including two in the Dallas area, at the end of May.
- California-based LA Fitness reopened all of its DFW locations on June 1.
These two major players came late to the game, reopening two weeks after fitness centers were given the go-ahead by the state of Texas. Gyms were officially allowed to open on May 18, and the majority of chains did so on that date.
Equinox has two Dallas-area facilities: Oak Lawn Avenue in Dallas, and Plano.
LA Fitness has 36 locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
A release from Equinox says that the chain spent the past few weeks working on a comprehensive reopening strategy that included the establishment of a task force of medical and infectious disease experts. They also developed a collection of safety guidelines/protocols that addressed health, safety, and cleanliness.
Their stats show that the four clubs fulfilled 80 percent of pre-booked club appointments. They've also welcomed new members, and re-hired nearly 100 percent of their employees.
As part of its reopening, Equinox launched Equinox+, a new membership that connects physical and digital to deliver in-club and virtual programming, including access to virtual personal training and Variis by Equinox, a digital platform featuring access to brands that include SoulCycle, Precision Run, PURE Yoga, HeadStrong, and more. Texas clubs will provide the option for members to take a digital class on Variis if they end up on the waitlist for a regular class.
At LA Fitness, they're observing new, slightly shortened hours: Monday–Friday, 6 am–8 pm and Saturday-Sunday, 8 am–5 pm.
They're also limiting the capacity on group fitness classes and taking other measures to observe social distancing that include checking in one by one, limiting building occupancy, and removing or making some equipment unavailable.
A survey by RunRepeat, an online store that sells workout shoes, found disheartening news about whether people will return to their gyms.
The study surveyed 10,824 gym members and found that nearly half (49.55 percent) of gym members from Texas won't return when their gyms reopen, and that more than a third (37.28 percent) have canceled or are considering canceling their memberships.
On the bright side, that means more room for those who return.
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