With gyms reopening across Melbourne at 6pm tonight, some owners are urging fitness junkies to take it slow on their return while others warn that some of the damage from lockdowns will be permanent.
Zanelle Marama owns the Goodlife Health Club in Glen Iris, east Melbourne, where special hygiene stations and socially distant devices welcome members on Friday.
Zanelle Marama says gym goers shouldn’t go too hard too soon.Credit:Justin McManus
Her advice to sport bunnies returning for the first time in nearly three months is to avoid getting too tough too soon.
“Start slowly, keep it simple, and focus on recovery between sessions to avoid injury,” says Ms. Marama.
Tim Schleiger owns gyms in the inner-city suburbs of Kew, Prahran, and St. Kilda, and founded a top industry group, Vic Active, last year to represent about 600 gyms in state government discussions on restrictions.
He warns that some of the effects of the bans will be permanent: in the Victoria area in particular, many have canceled their gym memberships and bought equipment to exercise at home.
“Many personal trainers have said: ‘I’m going to look for a job in the construction industry because I can’t work one minute and won’t work the next,'” he says.
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