With the recent wake of the Coronavirus shutdown, many businesses are planning to reopen, and thus must follow the Covid-19 guidelines set by the World Health Organization. Apart from these guidelines, there are certain fitness practices that gym owners and members must adhere to to keep a safe environment. Here are five of the best practices for a safe gym environment.
Maintain space at the gym
Every gym should maintain a clutter-free environment to reduce any slips or falls that might happen in the gym. A spacious environment allows gym members to move around and work out freely. Additionally, a spacious environment ensures that social distancing or keeping at least six feet distance conceivable. Hallways, bathrooms, and staircases must be clutter-free to prevent fall hazards.
The floor layout must ensure that equipment is not too close to prevent accidents and allow for maximum exercise. Gym equipment specifies the amount of clearance or space they require for effective and safe use. It would be best if you always moved machine with assistance from others to maintain safety. In the floor plan, you should set aside a cool area where members can go and cool down.
A thorough workout will increase blood flow and body temperature. Therefore, a cool zone with water and extra ventilation like a fan will improve the health status and effectiveness of an exercise routine.
Risk assessment of the facility
You should assess every equipment and the potential risk it bears to ensure that you are always prepared in case of accidents. Additionally, risk assessment of the gym will allow you to intercept problems with the equipment and thus make an early correction or maintenance. Furthermore, you should identify potential risks in areas such as the locker room, sinks, and showers to instate a fall proofing measure. Moreover, gyms should identify Coronavirus hazards and apply proactive measures as per health safety guidelines.
Choose appropriate flooring
Fall hazards in a fitness facility are common, and you should thus select and maintain proper flooring throughout the gym. Avoid having carpets because they can tear up and cause slips when working out walking. Instead, you should install hard-surfaced and bare floors that are easy to clean. Moreover, the flooring must be robust against wear and easy to maintain.
Areas within the gym that face water hazards such as the showers, locker rooms, or near swimming pools should have a rough floor that provides a grip to minimize slips. These rooms can also have nonslip mats to reduce falling accidents. Additionally, personnel should make rounds in the gym and remove clutter, drain water, spills, or remove soap from the floor that can cause falls.
Keep a clean environment
All fitness equipment must undergo thorough cleaning to ensure a safe and friendly environment. Therefore, regular gym disinfecting of machines, gear, rooms, and towels is essential in minimizing disease spread in your fitness facility. If possible, clients should carry the exercising materials that they can clean at home, such as yoga mats. You should wash frequently used gym equipment with water and soap, and use a disinfectant afterward to decrease the microbial load in your facility.
The gym management must provide clients with disinfectant wipes to clean any equipment before and after use. The wipes should be appropriately disposed of in the trashcans nearby to avoid clutter that increases fall hazards in the gym. Towels should undergo cleaning daily and separation between a clean and dirty deposition area.
Proper use of equipment
Many accidents and injuries in the gym occur from improper use of fitness equipment. Therefore, you should provide instructions on the use of the fitness equipment to ensure safety. Gym members should know that trying new weight loads, equipment, and routines is dangerous, and thus they should make have a fitness trainer. Additionally, the machine must have instructions near it that explain how to use it correctly.
Regular maintenance and organization of fitness gear are essential in maintaining safety. The inspection should occur daily to ensure that the machines operate optimally and those that malfunction be put out of service. The arrangement of equipment is essential in ensuring the safety of the members, like placing padding behind a treadmill. Additionally, members return small gear such as dumbbells and skipping ropes back to designated areas to avoid stumbling when moving around the gym.
Gym owners and members should recognize that maintenance safety while using equipment is essential and influences the effectiveness of an exercise. The above tips ensure that a fitness facility maintains a safe environment for all its users.
