Gym owners in Kirkcaldy: ‘September is too long to wait – we need to open our doors’

This is the view of some gym owners in Kirkcaldy with many claiming their business will not be able to survive if they cannot open soon.

Their comments came as First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, set September 14 as the date Scottish gyms can re-open after they were forced to close during the coronavirus pandemic.

Ms Sturgeon said the decision to delay their return was due to fitness centres posing a “particular risk” although she did insist that the date would be kept under review, and may be moved forward at the next review date.

The impact of the long closure has hit the owners of the town’s newest fitness facility particularly hard as they were preparing to launch their business just as the country went into lockdown.

Sam and Huw Davis own Strength Lab Crossfit in Randolph Industrial Estate and they have made all the preparations to ensure the safety of their members - they now just need to open.

Sam and Huw said: “For the date set at September 14, as a gym we have been given no government funding to help us. This has created a lot of stress and anxiety for us as owners. We are having to put ourselves into debt in order to stay afloat.

“We feel that as a gym, we have honestly given our all to support our members throughout lockdown. We have given everyone the contents of our gym to be able to train from home and we have put in five online coaches classes per day and also organised a lot of social events online for everyone to get involved with.

“But over the past few weeks we have felt a huge drop in morale. The frustration from our members not being able to get back in the gym but the rest of life returning to normal such as being able to go to the pub, a sunbed or even out for dinner.”

They continued: “A lot of people rely on physical exercise to help with mental health, and this inability to open is now having negative effects on everyone’s mental health.

“We are lucky, we have 4000 sq foot of space to accommodate nine people training, and safe working stations with members using their own equipment in their own designated workout zones.

“There is good airflow when all of the doors are open. We have automatic hand sanitising stations on the walls at key points and everything will be wiped down.

“The quicker we can open the doors, the better the mental health of not only our members, but ours as the owners of a business.”

Sam and Huw added: “We moved in mid March so as yet everything is brand new and no one has been able to use the facility. We opened to fulfil our life long dream of owning our own gym and we have worked four years straight with very little time off - this could all be lost if gyms are not allowed to open soon.”

Meanwhile the owners of Priory Park Gym in Victoria Road say they are ready to open before September 14.

Margaret McLean, who has owned the gym with business partner Mike Clarke for the past 21 years, said: “This has been a long and worrying time for all involved in the fitness sector, especially being last to open!

“The Scottish Government has yet to publish guidance for the re-opening of gyms so, at the moment we are following the UK guidelines to ensure that the club is Covid-19 secure.”

The venue will have an access control system in full operation, sanitising stations have been installed and all of equipment has been sterilised and spaced out. We will be offering a range of pre-bookable instructor lead classes and again await Government guidelines on this. Members will be advised to arrive in sportswear and where possible to shower at home.”

But it waits on the green light from Holyrood.

Margaret said: “September 14 is too long to wait.

“We need to open to get the staff back as furlough is changing next month.

“If the opening is delayed beyond September 14 we can’t survive unless more funding is given.”

Susan Simpson, owner of Mind & Body Studio in Kirkcaldy’s Kinghorn Road, said the studio has three indoor studios where group exercise takes place.

She said a full risk assessment has been completed, a one way system was in place with physical distancing signage, enhanced cleaning and hygiene protocols as well as hand sanitisers.

She said: “We have a fully automated booking system for when we are able to open our doors for group exercise classes, our expectations are that all clients will book their class in advance. By doing so, we can issue them with guidance on what to expect when they arrive at the Studio for the first time, for example the one way system and the hygiene protocols.

“We offer Fife’s largest Reformer Pilates Studio, however due to the guidance we are also planning to reduce the number of participants in this class. “Class times will be staggered to limit the number of people in the building and time will be given between classes to allow a thorough clean of any equipment used and the studio itself. We’ve also established studio space for clients who prefer one to one sessions or one to two sessions, and this also complies with the current physical distancing measures.”

She said: “We will have been closed from a health and exercise perspective for almost six months. A gradual return will exacerbate the significant financial impact we are facing.

“I believe exercise venues, particularly studios, which serve a much smaller number of clients than the large chains, could have opened with a limited offering by now.”

Pure Gym Kirkcaldy was on the verge of opening in the town’s Abbotshall Road before lockdown happened at the end of March. Company bosses say they are “extremely disappointed” they will not be able to open their Scottish branches until September.

A spokesman said: “We are extremely disappointed that the possible opening of gyms in Scotland has been delayed until September 14. We know that the majority of our Scottish members are desperate to get back to their gyms to improve their physical and mental wellbeing and they, and the whole gym and fitness centre industry in Scotland, will be as disappointed as we are.

“We have a vital role to play in the fight against obesity which is a public health challenge in Scotland and right across the UK.

“We and the entire gym and fitness industry have invested huge effort in devising safety protocols and procedures that materially reduce the risk of viral transmission.

“We urgently call on the First Minister to re-examine the current, factual evidence, engage with us and our industry bodies, and allow the Scottish people back into gyms as soon as possible so that we can support them in living happier and healthier lives.”