BOSTON — After a one-week delay, the city of Boston will begin its Step 1 of Phase 3 reopening on Monday, July 13. Businesses that will be allowed to open include museums, movie theatres, historical sites and fitness centers.
On Sunday, owners of many fitness centers in the city spent the afternoon making final adjustments to their studios in anticipation of their reopening.
“We worked really hard to make sure that everything was spread out properly. We had all the protocols, policies and procedures in place to make sure that people stay safe,” said Billie Najam, the general manager of Lynx Fitness Club on Arlington Street.
>>>MORE: What to know about Monday’s Phase 3 reopening
Najam added that he was confident the gym met all the state’s and city’s Phase 3 requirements.
“We’re just really excited to get open,” Najam said. “It’s been about four months in the making now.”
Some of the mandatory regulations include:
- Equipment spaced 14 feet apart, or 6 feet apart if barriers are installed
- Signage showing people where to walk to maintain a 6-foot distance
- Masks worn at all times, unless a person cannot due to a medical condition or disability
- Capacity capped at 40% or eight persons per 1,000 square feet
For more information on the city’s Phase 3 reopening guidelines for Fitness Centers, click here.
“People are booking time in order to come into the club. We have a mobile app. It’s super easy to scroll through, find the time you want to book and book time. What that allows us to do is spread out the amount of people that we have in the club at a given time,” Najam said.
Boston’s Step 1 of Phase 3 was delayed a week longer than the majority of Massachusetts after Mayor Marty Walsh announced more time was needed to prepare for the city’s unique circumstances.
Officials also rolled out city recommendations for fitness centers, including a push to install barriers wherever possible and establish workout zones to keep people at a safe distance apart.
Najam said that his gym faced another challenge, noting that since many members are no longer commuting to their city offices to work, some have delayed their return even longer.
>>>MORE: Staged reopening frustrating some business owners as Phase 3 begins Monday
“If they live outside the city, it’s tough for them to make the commute into the city to get a workout in if they don’t actually have to go to the office,” Najam said. “So I think as soon as offices start reopening again, hopefully in the near future, those folks will be ready to come back as well and we’ll be rocking and rolling.”
Lynx Fitness Club is scheduled to reopen on Monday at 6 a.m.
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