As January comes to a close, employees with Elevation Fitness in Gainesville have noticed that not as many people are acting on their New Years resolutions this year. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic is to blame.
Over 12,000 people have died so far from COVID-19 in Georgia, and hundreds are still in Northeast Georgia Health System facilities for treatment, so it is not surprising that people may be delaying their fitness resolution.
Nicole Geringer with Elevation Fitness said business has been slow, but it is slowly picking up.
"Once the vaccine is more readily available to people and the numbers begin to go down, I think more and more people will be comfortable in coming out," Geringer said.
She said employees at Elevation are doing the best they can to make it safe for patrons.
"We're doing all we can on our end as far as having sanitization stations all over the gym, making sure we have staff that's constantly cleaning and sanitizing, making sure that all the equipment is put up and put away... [and] making sure the locker rooms are consistently cleaned and sanitized," Geringer said.
The CDC offers tips for employees and patrons alike. Since COVID-19 is mainly spread through exposure to respiratory droplets carrying infectious virus, they advise gym visitors to wear a mask and maintain six feet of separation at all times.
For those who are still uncertain about going to a gym during the pandemic, one option would be going when it is not very busy, which according to Geringer, is around 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. She said the gym is large, so there is a lot of opportunity to spread out and maintain social distancing.
The pandemic has put a lot on hold and New Years resolutions are no exception. Geringer said she expects people to truly begin acting on their resolutions later this year.
"I actually feel like March or April will be our typical January," Geringer said.
More information on how to take proper precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic is on the CDC's website.
