You probably heard the murmurs about this coronavirus thing happening in China in January and February.

…But many people did not think it would grow to what it has up to now, and possibly for more than a year from now.

Unfortunately, if you operate a gym or health club, your business may have gotten hit hard by coronavirus for a little while.

Now that restrictions have eased and you can open at some capacity, consider these tips:

1. General Social Distancing Guidelines

SELF interviewed Dr. Amesh Adalja to find out exactly what gyms can do to make social distancing work.

The particular concern at gyms is in regard to the 6-foot social distancing rule. Breathing heavier during a workout might cause the droplets released from your body to spread further. No proof of that has been found. But it is a possibility.

However, at minimum, machines should be at least six feet apart, some lockers should be closed so people don’t have to come within six feet of each other, and you might want to limit the number of people in your locker room.

You should also have spacing marked out every six feet in the areas of your gym that customers frequent most so they know the appropriate distance at all times.

2. Review Health and Safety Measures with Your Staff

Your staff should be trained on how they can protect everyone’s health and safety too. They should know how to monitor themselves and customers for signs of coronavirus infection. This should be done regularly via a simple self-assessment.

They need to understand what personal protective equipment to wear. This depends in large part on your state and local regulations. And they need to know the proper disinfecting procedure for all gym equipment as it’s used.

3. Re-Engage Customers

Some of your more dedicated members will be itching to get back and you won’t have any problem convincing them to do so.

But many will be hesitant. You may want to create new member offers or special pricing for those who have paused their memberships.

You’ll need new email campaigns, phone scripts, and in-person sales processes. And you must integrate health and safety messaging regarding coronavirus.

It Won’t Be Easy, But You Can Do It

You can’t create demand if your customer base simply isn’t ready to come back to your gym yet.

But, you can be prepared by having safety and cleaning protocols in place to make members feel comfortable when they do return.