No gym? That’s tough for people who love to work out

WALPOLE — It’s going to be a tough ride for people who love to work out at the gym.

The coronavirus pandemic is forcing several area gyms to close for weeks.

Joe Cabral is a member at LA Fitness in Walpole.

“It’s tough. But with everything going on, it’s understandable, you want to stay safe,” Cabral said. "Lighter crowd in there for sure."

During the day, he’s a college basketball coach who deals with dozens of students.

The gym is his outlet, like many others.

“It keeps you going every day. It puts you in a good mood, clears the mind,” he said.

Steve O’Donnell agrees.

“I try to come after work, it’s a common practice,” O’Donnell said.

Avid gym goers like O’Donnell say they understand social distancing, and why many gyms are closing for three weeks.

On Sunday evening, Gov. Charlie Baker announced new restrictions on gatherings of 25 or more people.

“I’m 64 years old. This is the biggest thing I’d ever seen. I’ve never lived through anything like this, very few people have,” O’Donnell said.

Everyone is feeling the burn, especially small business owners like Sue Young who owns The Vanderbilt Club in Norwood. They’ve been in business for 20 years.

“It was so hard. I came in this morning, I had tears in my eyes,” said Young. “We are a small club, we aren’t a chain. We are family owned and operated.”

The best advice from Cabral, the coach is this:

“You have to stay positive, mentally tough through it all,” Cabral said. “We will all push through it and it should be over soon enough.”

Many gyms will be posting classes online. Gym owners say they’re carefully monitoring the situation, and will re-open as soon as health officials suggest.

© 2020 Cox Media Group