Hyderabad: Gym fraternity welcomes government's decision to reopen establishments

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], August 10 : After more than four months of complete lockdown due to COVID-19, the Telangana government has allowed the gyms to reopen on August 5, and the decision brought a sigh of relief for gym owners and fitness freaks in the city.
Talking to ANI, gym owners of Hyderabad said the past four months had been tough for the fraternity and thanked the government for allowing the gyms to reopen.
"Most of the people in gym fraternity was facing financial problems due to the lockdown. The lockdown was tough on us, but after the relaxation was announced, it brought some relief. The government has taken several steps to contain the spread of the virus, which is appreciable," said Syed Zaki, the owner of 'Fitness King' gym in Hyderabad.
Zaki added that he is making sure all the hygiene precautions are followed in the gym premises and the place is sanitised properly.
"It is our duty to maintain safety precautions, hence we are sanitising regularly. Time slots are given to the customers for hassle-free and safer exercise. In our gym, we are allowing only 10 members per hour. The business is very low, but better than shutting down as done during the lockdown period," he said.
Arjun, owner of 'H2O Fitness Pro' gym in Hyderabad also echoes Zaki's thought. Talking to ANI, he said the period of lockdown was tough for the gym industry. It was not only difficult to pay the rent for the establishment and salary of the trainers, but the moral of exercise enthusiasts also went down.
"Because of the lockdown, the gym industry had suffered a lot. We were unable to pay rents and the salary to our trainers. I want to thank the government that they have reopened the industry. Finally, clients are coming back. We are sanitising the establishment and the people who are coming from outside. We are also monitoring their temperature. For social distancing, we have created distance between the equipment," said Arjun.
He further requested the government to not to close gyms in the future if the need arises and instead provide guidelines and precautionary measures that could be followed while keeping the gyms running.
"Exercise helps in strengthening the immunity system. I want to request the government to not completely close the gyms in the future and instead give us guidelines and we'll follow it with proper precautions in place. This way our business will be secured and the clients won't get demotivated, "added Arjun.
Fitness freaks have also welcomed the decision of the government to open the gyms.
Pallavi a regular gym-goer told ANI that she's happy that gyms are finally open and the establishments are following all precautionary measures to control the spread of COVID-19.
"The authorities are taking every precaution. They are monitoring our temperature and only allowing people if the temperature is under control," she said.
Another gym enthusiast Raza Hussain shared Pallavi's sentiments and told ANI that during COVID-19 lockdown, it was quite difficult to maintain fitness and he's happy that gyms are finally open.
He said, "We had a lot of trouble during lockdown because gyms were closed. Now that gyms have reopened, the management is taking all precautions. They are sanitising the place and not allowing more than 10 people at a time. We are also made to bring our own towels and water bottles, which is hygienic."