Sheffield research finds ‘extremely low’ Covid-19 risk in gyms as they prepare to close

Gyms and leisure venues will be ordered to shut from 00.01am on Thursday, November 5 as part of a second national lockdown to slow the spread of the virus.

However joint research from Sheffield Hallam’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC) and King Juan Carlos University in Spain shows that the risk of contracting Covid-19 in fitness clubs is low.

The SafeACTiVE study, commissioned by EuropeActive, analysed more than 62 million fitness facility visits since September and found that the average infection rate is 0.78 per 100,000 visits.

There were only 487 positive cases reported from operators based in Germany, France, Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Poland, Denmark, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom.

Sheffield Hallam’s findings mitigate public health concerns about the safety of gyms and confirm that fitness clubs are safe environments with relatively low risk of Covid-19 infection.

Despite the new study, leisure facilities and fitness classes will be closed from Thursday with people only allowed to exercise outside within their own household, bubble or with one person from another household.

Xercise4Less’ Sheffield gyms in Hillsborough and Lowfield will remain open until 10pm on Wednesday, November 4 and then stay shut until December 2, in line with the new national lockdown measures.

The Gym which has fitness venues in Kelham Island and on The Moor will be open until 10pm on Wednesday for the last time before the second shutdown.

Professor Rob Copeland, director of the AWRC, said: “Data from the SafeACTiVE study shows that gyms across the EU are safe places to exercise.

"The prevention of the further spread of Covid-19 has to be our primary objective but we also need to ensure that our communities are supported and have the opportunity to remain active.

"We know that being physically fit can help reduce the severity of Covid-19 infection and, moreover, being active can help us cope psychologically when faced with the challenges of a second wave of the pandemic across Europe.

"Keeping leisure centres and fitness clubs open and fully operational is critical to ensuring the health and wellbeing of our communities.

"I would go further and suggest that governments across Europe should be thinking about how we can increase access to activity, not reduce it, as we learn to live with Covid-19.”

The final report from AWRC and King Juan Carlos University is expected to be released in November and will include detailed information about the differences in infections rates across Europe.

Professor Alfonso Jimenez, head of THINK Active at EuropeActive added: “I am delighted to confirm such a low level of infection risk in fitness and health clubs, reinforcing the message that fitness and physical activity are a fundamental part of the solution during the Covid-19 pandemic in helping strengthen and improve immune functioning and lower risk of viral illness.

“The SafeACTiVE Study has been made possible thanks to the generous support of Exerp, ExorLive, Life Fitness, Matrix, Myzone and Technogym.”

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