Hi! 

I hope you are staying positive in wake of the news, the noise, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Promise me you will find the happy. Tonight, my happy is you.

Thank you for the feedback, support, questions, concerns, etc. All of you have helped shape our new reality over the last 8 weeks and continue to help create the plan as we move forward. As always, please reach out to us with anything you may need – groceries? A listening ear? A virtual hug? Guess what? We are all here for you! And a special thank you to all the frontline workers out there, those of you protecting our elderly and at risk populations, the essential workers ensuring we have everything we need…our gratitude is endless. 

Okay. Buckle up. I have lots to say…

The Reopening Plan: Safe, Healthy & Responsible

Governor Baker unveiled his reopening plan on Monday with gyms included in Phase 3 (which indicates a tentative June 29th opening date if all goes well.)  If you’re anything like me, you probably have a zillion and twelve questions, concerns, reactions, range of emotions, and exhaustion over it all! But, regardless of your opinion of the plan, please know that we support you all. And our only priority in the midst of the madness is YOU.

Let me state for the record: we will only open, as the Workout Club is known for doing anyway, IN A SAFE AND HEALTHY WAY.

I am passionate about reopening the doors to the club. I am passionate because my primary reason for purchasing the club was to assist in the promotion of health and wellness throughout the community. But after 5 months of meeting you, working out alongside of you, and getting to know you and your families, I am passionate about reopening, really, because of you. 

We have never, we will not, and we do not take you and your safety lightly. We want to continue to condone and ensure your good health and overall wellness. We want to help prevent chronic illness. We want to keep your minds and bodies in optimal health in the wake of a global pandemic. We want to build a healthy community. And right now, the statistics are staggering. Mental health is declining, physical health and nutrition are deteriorating, and anxiety is rising. We WANT you to stay healthy and have given you the tools over the last 8 weeks to do so – but we know that it is so much more than a workout, a virtual class, a recipe, or a Bingo game. It’s your community. 

But HOW?

I’ve given you my why. Many of you have asked okay, but how? The short answer is: in a safe and healthy way. The long answer is: If you have 8 hours I am sure I could update you briefly on the 5,012 scenarios our team has evolved over the last 8 weeks for responsible reentry post-shutdown. Like I mentioned, we are not taking your health and safety lightly – it’s what we are literally in the job to promote and protect…and it is literally what we obsess over every day. That said, just like you don’t know how things will unfold on a daily basis (except that you are going to crush a #dailyclubchallenge or virtual class, ;) ) without some semblance of guidelines from the state, it is impossible to predict which scenario or combination of scenarios will be the Workout Club’s new operational standard. 

My longer answer is: the truth is that the entire Fitness industry as a whole will not be the same – much like the rest of the world. Therefore, the Workout Club will not operate the same. Rules and regulations regarding social distancing, cleaning, interactions, and capacity limits as stipulated by the state, BOH, & CDC have not been released as they pertain to our industry specifically. And yes, we have followed what other industries, states, and even countries have been doing. But that’s not why the club won’t be the same - our primary concern has always been the members and because of that, our expectations will exceed what the CDC, BOH, and state will ask. Because we will open responsibly – with a safe and healthy approach.

Remember: we kept a clean gym before we had to, we upped our impeccable cleaning and sanitization standards before we had to, we split classes before we had to, we even closed before we were required to because we didn’t have the information that we now have. We do what we need to do to keep you safe…well before it is mandated by law.

As such, we have been collaborating over the last several weeks with a team of gyms across the state that have voluntarily joined forces to brainstorm standards, procedures, and policies that focus on our communities’ safety. The Workout Club has also contacted professionals across the health, medical, safety, and wellness industries to gain perspective on what should be accomplished and considered before opening doors. Like I said: can I give you all the specific details on what we will implement? Not yet. For example, it would be unfair to tell you I will limit the gym to 10 people at a time if Baker says I have to limit it to 8. But I can assure you that yes, like other businesses across the world, we will be looking at new cleaning procedures, social distancing rules and regulations, appointments, moving & removing equipment, touchless procedures, staff & trainer wellness checks, new waivers, touchless soap and hand sanitizer dispensers, temporarily suspending studio classes in lieu of the virtual world (albeit, hopefully on a new platform.) We have paused our Mind Body integration because we believe there may be a better platform out there to limit transactions between staff and clients and streamline appointment/check in process. The UV-C light sanitization technology will test drive this weekend, we acquired self-cleaning nanotech coatings for high-touch surfaces, and new air purifiers are en route.  So yes, efficiency policies and procedures will be implemented and there will be a period of adjustment. And we will ask more of you. But that is because our priority has been and always will be: YOU. 

Please, we ask for your patience. Your memberships are still on hold and you will be updated with the new policies and procedures as soon as we are given a go ahead to implement them. 

But, will it still be the Workout Club I love and adore? 

Absolutely. While the logistics of gym operations will be different – the core will not be. Why? Because all of these changes are made with our mission in mind: to affect health and wellness in our community both in and out of the club through impeccable customer service and safe program delivery for our clients.

We want you to know: 

1.     We are acting as responsibly as possible out of an abundance of caution and concern for you all. 

2.     We will always be transparent with you. Have a question? Let us know. Have a concern? Reach out. Need a laugh? I bet I can come up with a good joke.  

3.     Don’t know how long this will last, but we will look to continually evolve and adapt within our new reality. That’s our job. TO KEEP YOU SAFE. 

4.     We, too, are waiting for marching orders: if Governor says okay to small, outdoor classes, we have reimagined those for you in the most responsible way possible. (And what a better time to imagine and create? When the time allows, can you just see spinning outside? A boot camp on the beach? What about a new membership opportunity that combines small group work, nutrition counseling, and accountability with our trainers both in and out of the gym to keep you healthy and connected?) Even if the inside of the four walls of the gym look different, we got your back. 

5.     Let’s all dream big, because, why not? 

Advocacy

All this brings me to how I am advocating and how you can help if you believe that our gym should open sooner. My letter to our local representation can be found in the last blog post. It was well-received by Representative Kearney and Senator O’Connor.  The short of the long of it is: 

-       Privately owned gyms with a small membership base are in a better situation to open safely and responsibly than most major businesses and industries. We can control our environment. 

-       We are in the business of keeping a clean gym. We will exceed all requirements from the powers that be. 

-       We can account for traffic. We can monitor capacity. We can even bring our programs outside. We will offer a safe environment for program delivery and responsible community involvement. 

-       The statistics of the declining health of our community are grim. And they are only worsening. Let’s nip it in the bud through health and wellness. The track record of eating well and working out regularly speaks for itself. 

-       COVID IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE. Our gym is in the fortunate position to adapt because of our amazingly creative, thoughtful, and intelligent staff and trainers. And because of our willing and committed members. And because we have always operated with your health and safety in the forefront of our minds. 

If you agree and feel motivated to do so, please read below on how to reach out to Representative Kearney and Senator O’Connor. After my discussion with the Gym Task Force this morning, we will continue to advocate for gyms to not only open before Phase 3, but to continue to operate safely as an entire industry. 

Exist in the Moment

Last night, while I was preparing what I wanted to say to you, I set an intention to wake up with a clear head. And you know what I saw when I first logged in to Facebook? A post from our very own Paula. It said: “Stay in the moment. The practicing of staying in the present will heal you. Obsessing about how the future will turn out creates anxiety. Replaying broken scenarios from the past causes anger and sadness. Stay here, in this moment.”

In this moment: I am concerned about and for all of our clients. In this moment: I prioritize your well-being. In this moment: I prepare for the future the best I can with the information I have. In this moment: I thank each and every one of you for giving me something so worthwhile to work for. In this moment: I can see each of your faces and I am grateful. In this moment: I advocate for our gyms to reopen because I know The Workout Club can operate in an exceedingly safe, healthy, and responsible way..

So, on that note: maybe go take Paula’s class ;) Continue working out, be healthy, and stay tuned. Send us your email. As we learn and identify more, you will hear more. Miss you all. 

With love & gratitude, 

Colleen 

Special thank you to Chris O’Brien of Pembroke’s Crossfit Magnitude for his tireless efforts in collaborating with the Workout Club throughout the pandemic and advocating for a responsible reentry for the Fitness Industry. 

Local Representation Information can also be found here

Email Patrick O’Connor (Senator, Plymouth & Norfolk) 

Call (617) 722-1646

Email Patrick Kearney (Representative, 4th Plymouth)

Call (617) 722-2014