Corona virus: gyms and their protection concepts

You’re sweating again: There are special rules for seniors in some gyms

After a two-month break, sports enthusiasts can regain their endurance and strengthen their muscles. The pioneering fitness chain Kieser has developed a new concept for high-risk groups.

Benjamin Weinmann / ch media

Now there is sweating again. Today, around 1,200 fitness studios are opening their doors again, provided they comply with Federal Office of Public Health regulations. Every tenth Swiss is a customer in a gym or health center. Members had to do resistance or strength training for the past two months outdoors or on their own four walls.

The Swiss Association of Gyms and Health Centers has developed a hygiene concept for reopening. These include recommendations on how to maintain social distance, or that employees and customers with symptoms of illness should stay away from training. Devices are regularly cleaned and centers are increasingly ventilated.

Kieser’s strength training group with 280,000 clients and 160 branches in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Australia and Luxembourg is particularly challenged, three-quarters of which are managed in the franchise system. Because the chain has a higher than average proportion of older customers. The company has developed a special concept for them.

Separate time windows for seniors

“For clients 65 and older and those with prior illnesses, we offer separate slots for training.” Four days a week, you can train early in the morning when the door is open until 11 a.m. “Then the center is recently cleaned and the number of admissions is reduced,” says managing director Michael Antonopoulos. Younger customers should be satisfied with the remaining opening hours. “If necessary, we would consider extending opening hours.”

Kieser is considered a pioneer in the local fitness industry. Werner Kieser (79) founded a first strength studio in Zurich in 1967 and built a large chain in the years that now generate 160 million CHF. The success earned him the name “Fitness Pope of Switzerland”. There is no sauna, juice bar, or modern background music in the Kieser studios. The focus is on devices to strengthen muscles.

Antonopoulos, who took over the company in 2017 along with businessman Nils Planzer, expects a large crowd. Many clients have reported and complained of knee, back, or neck pain. “There are many apps and exercises on YouTube, but you probably train less disciplined at home than in the studio,” says Antonopoulos.

But the spontaneous visit to the studio is no longer so simple. Customers now have to register online or by phone because the number of students is limited. About 25 percent of the machines are turned off for the required distance. The studios would be thoroughly cleaned twice a day, says Aargau, 48. Disinfecting wipes are also available to clean exercise machines before and after use. Disinfection dispensers are at the entrance. “They are likely to remain because of the crisis.”

A mask requirement does not apply to centers unless the 2 meter distance is not observed. Then employees wear a face mask, customers don’t have to, but they can. Some lockers are locked in the changing room for the necessary distance. In addition, clients are requested to show up for training already done. The industry association does not provide for the measurement of entrance fever, as large corporations sometimes do.

They are not the same rules everywhere

The situation is more complicated in Germany and Austria, where Kieser operates most of his studios and opens the doors again from today, says Antonopoulos. “Regulations vary from state to state.” In Bavaria, for example, the number of new customers must be restricted. And in Austria there is a mask requirement for clients and staff. In Australia, where there are 17 franchise studies, the virus did not arrive until later, so the companies still remain.

Of course, this crisis is going to cost money, says Antonopoulos on behalf of the industry, which, according to the association’s numbers, generated around 900 million Swiss francs in 2018. Because like many other chains, Kieser extends customer subscriptions. “These two months of sales were lost, they just disappeared.” Of course, some scared customers may not renew their subscription. However, Kieser has an extremely loyal clientele, he is confident.

Thanks to short-term work, no layoffs or price increases are planned. To do this, clients have to train longer with existing equipment. “We wanted to bring some innovations to the studios, which now have to wait a bit,” says Antonopoulos. However, he is confident. Everyone talks about health due to the pandemic. “In this regard, health training may be more important in the future.” Incidentally, founder Werner Kieser, who will soon celebrate his 80th birthday and only accompany the company as a mentor, is fine, says Antonopoulos. “He kept fit with a lot of dumbbell training at home.”