Former Mayo star Andy Moran says that while much remains up in the air for gyms across Ireland, owners have been able to engage in small amounts of planning for what is to come.
The 2017 Footballer of the Year owns The Movement Gym in Castlebar, and he joined Eoin on OTB AM. Moran discussed what protocols he and other gym owners have been putting in place for a potential opening at the end of this month.
"We got good news last week if I'm honest. We were originally set for Phase Five which was August 10th, and we definitely got pushed forward one phase, but we're hoping we might have got pushed forward two phases which is the end of this month.
"We have three gyms, two class-based gyms, one in Claremorris and one in Castlebar, and then we're part of a big commercial unit which is a gym and swimming pool unit in Castlebar.
"The swimming pool was supposed to be involved in Phase Four and the gym was supposed to be Phase Five. If the gym moved up we're still wondering has the pool moved up to Stage Three.
"We're just waiting for confirmation really of where we're going to sit. I know Fáilte Ireland have been making recommendations towards pools and gyms in hotels, so do we fall with them? We're not quite sure just yet."
Social distancing is a huge headache for gym owners to get around and Moran suggested a possible reduction in guidelines to one metre could prove huge.
"We're lucky to have three or four rooms that we used to use as physio rooms and now we've put equipment in. We've equipment lined out in a two-metre zone, and we have a [one-way system] direction.
"Everyone is going to be moving in a pattern, so it's going to be a one-way system essentially. You go left to cardio, right to strength, and then you come out the middle and away you go."
Moran says class-based gyms are easier, with everyone working out in their own individual zones.
10 August 2019; Andy Moran of Mayo looks on from the sideline during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final match between Dublin and Mayo at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile"We used to be be able to fit up to 50 in our classes, now we're just going to fit 16 and run more classes throughout the day.
"It really works well - because if I have an assault bike or a rowing machine or a VersaClimber in one part of the zone, I can have the VersaClimber in another part of the gym at the same time. They're always moving around, they're never in the same zone.
"There are going to be bigger gaps between classes because we have to clean all the equipment, but essentially it works.
"This literally is changing every 24 hours. Perspex and all the little signage... I know businesses that have bought two metres everything, and it could go to one-metre.
"And all of a sudden that's a massive cost to a business. In terms of sanitising there's going to be huge responsibility on the customer to wipe equipment down after use. We'll have an extra member of staff to make sure of that.
"There's huge controversy about towels, should you be allowing people to bring their own towel into a gym? All that needs to be ironed out before we start back."
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