Gyms and swimming pools will reopen within weeks to help Britons work off their “lockdown lard”, the Government announced today.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden will confirm tonight that fitness studios will be able to operate from mid to late-July with strict hygiene and social distancing measures.
Beauty salons may reopen on a different date as part of a new relaxation of rules, subject to the infection rate not surging. Bowling alleys and casinos are hoping they will also get a date.
The new moves will delight Londoners in flats and apartments who had fewer opportunities to exercise during three months of relative inactivity - and the news comes as a massive relief to the fitness sector which complained bitterly when pubs were allowed to open before them.
Among measures required will be regular sanitising of equipment and changing rooms may be closed, forcing customers to turn up in their workout clothes.
Mr Dowden said gyms have “engaged very constructively” with the Government to “overcome some of the hurdles”.
“I hope to be able to make an announcement imminently in relation to that,” he told MPs. “As I’ve said previously, the aim has always been to get gyms back by mid-July.”
In Belfast, where infection rates are lower, gyms were opening again today.
In Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is set to announce she is moving into a new phase of relaxations for shopping centres, holiday accommodation, museums and libraries which may also include gyms..
Chancellor Rishi Sunak joked in the Commons that gyms would be more needed than ever after his announcement of £10 off dinners in restaurants.
"Perhaps alongside 'eat out to help out', we can make progress on reopening our gyms so at the same time we can deal with that side of the equation,” he said.
Government sources told the Standard that gyms, polls, casinos and beauty parlours may open on separate dates to avoid a sudden spike in infections.
Theatres and nightclubs could remain closed until next year however because both are deemed to pose a high risk of transmission of coronavirus.
Today gym owners welcomed the news, although some feared the measures would be too litttle, too late.
James Balfour, CEO and co-founder of 1 Rebel boutique gym, which has six venues in London, said: “Well I am very happy. It is very good news. But it has come a bit late in the day. It has been frustrating that Londoners have no had access to gyms during a health crisis. But this is a positive step.”
He said he feared potential plans to not allow changing rooms to open would “put people off” from coming back to the gym.
“People are going to need a lot of persuading to come back, so that kind of thing may put people off. There was no mention of gyms in Rishi Sunak’s speech yesterday of gyms, so if we have measures like no changing rooms they we might need to put the pressure on the government to help financially."
Hannah Lanel, Founder of Fore gym in Kings Cross, said: “Hallelujah. But it is a bit late. To open McDonalds and pubs before gyms in a health crisis has been so frustrating.
"My big concern is that people are frightened and so won't come back. The devil is in the detail now. The cost of opening will be astronomical and if the restrictions are too tight, we might see a lot of clubs being forced to close.”
Bhaumik Patel, Managing Director and Owner of F45 Kensington Olympia and Battersea Park, said: “We are ready to open as soon as possible. We have been ready since July 4 - so we are just waiting for the government to say yes.
"We have reduced our class sizes down by a half and increased cleaning time between classes."
Marc Diaper, CEO of Gymbox, said: "It is great news that the sector can re-open. But the next stage will be seeking additional support from the government to support the gym industry, many of which will struggle for a couple of years to get back to 'normal' pre-covid operating.
"We also have a lot of work to do to dispel the myth that covid is passed through sweat. Gyms will be one of the safest places to be post pandemic if they stick to the government advice, which all of us will."