With six months of social distancing forced by the pandemic, gyms and pilates studios face several restrictions. Even after the resumption of services, the spaces did not return to service in the normal way and are dedicated to special hygiene care and cleaning of the environments, in addition to measures to avoid contamination, such as the use of masks by students and employees even during exercises.
Before there were four patients per hour and now, only one – or at most two, if they are cohabitants. “The movement has not returned to normal, and I ended up increasing my costs with this limited number of appointments per hour. I have several patients wanting to return, they are on the waiting list for when the limitations decrease. I hope it’s soon”,
“We are resuming growth every month. Both our clients who left are coming back as new ones are starting pilates and other services at the clinic. People are increasingly aware that taking care of physical and mental health is essential to guarantee good immunity”.
The decree’s guidelines are strictly followed, such as checking the temperature and hand hygiene when entering the clinic and at the end of the service, in addition to wearing a mask. The distance between customers is guaranteed in two environments for pilates.
The clinic also registered an increase in demand for other services, such as chiropractic care and massage. “People are stressed, anxious, tense. As a result, the pain conditions increase.”
Extra care with cleaning
Even though the return of gyms and pilates studios is not complete, many changes have become part of the professionals’ routine. Care with cleaning and hygiene was redoubled after the resumption, to ensure everyone’s safety and prevent coronavirus contamination.
Measures include sterilization of objects, furniture, doorknobs, and equipment between appointments. Physiotherapists and patients remain in masks, and the next person does not enter until the other person has left.
Many of the precautions present in the decree were already part of the routine, such as cleaning environments with alcohol 70 at each visit. The main adaptation was the use of masks, as the assistance was always individual.