'People are suffering' - Sheffield gym owners give their verdict on the roadmap out of lockdown

The Prime Minister’s announcement to the nation this week revealed a ‘four step’ plan, which aims to unlock the country from Covid-19 measures.

Gyms, indoor leisure centres and indoor swimming pools are set to open in step two of the plan on April 12 but only for individuals or household groups.

Gyms and the hospitality industry have endured the toughest hardships during the pandemic, with many owners reaching into their own pocket to keep businesses afloat after being locked down for months at a time.

There have been calls from gym-goers and owners alike to prioritise the opening of fitness facilities as the nation's physical and mental health could deteriorate.

We spoke to fitness and leisure operators in the city to find out what they think of the Prime Minister’s roadmap plan and how they have coped with the lockdown.

Gail Harrison, who operates Mr D’z gym in Sheffield, along with her partner Ryan Denton said: “I think gyms, from a mental health point of view, should have been open sooner. When you look at the percentage of cases that were coming out of gyms all the way through lockdown, it’s not even one per cent.

“A lot of people see the gym as a church, they don’t just see it as somewhere to work out. At this moment in time, we’ve got too much time on our hands, and that’s why I think people are suffering.

“Our gym is only a small establishment, so we are obviously going to open with the restrictions that were in place before. We only have maybe five or six people in each throughout a day, and on an evening, it might go up to double figures, but we will monitor everybody that is coming in.”

She added: “We’ve been impacted massively, both my partner and myself are self-employed, the gym basically pays for itself, and the government funding goes nowhere.

“We’ve been close on a number of occasions to wrapping it up because there is no point, but we’ve created a family within our gym; we’ve had lot’s of people during the lockdown messaging us saying they are losing their mind, they see it as a church and want to come back.

“It’s impacted everybody, and we just can’t wait to be back to some sort of normality, but I just hope along the way we haven’t lost too many people to mental health issues.”

Sheffield people give their verdict on the Prime Minister’s ‘roadmap’ plan to ease lockdown

Lee Dubois, director of Structure Sport and Fitness, said: “It's obviously been thought through, trying to correct the errors of previous lockdowns.

“It seems they have moved the goalposts again, specifically, what about the R number. It was used as the primary test in previous lockdowns, but not mentioned at all in this roadmap. They are using different metrics of success; that's confusing.

“Obviously, as one completely dependant for an income on people pursuing a healthy lifestyle, I'm all for it. I can't really have an objective perspective on this.

“That being said, even though our gym is a rather small community of athletes and fitness enthusiasts, I would say that at least 30 – 45 per cent of our members rely on their fitness regimen to help them cope with either substance abuse recovery and/or mental health challenges.”

He added: “We intend to get back to normal. I've lost a significant number of members in this lockdown period, so we'll have plenty of space for new folks.

“I believe small gyms like mine should never have closed. I know of no outbreaks in gyms, people stay relatively distanced while training anyway, we have no "cardio machines", chalk kills the virus on contact (we know from one very well done study in the midlands), we use a lot of chalk, and with the wiping down of equipment prevents spread on surfaces.

“I've lost most of my income streams, and still need to pay rent and salary. The only thing that saved us was the grants. But I dislike taking money from the government, and someone has to pay for all the borrowing in the future. I can't at all see how this will turn out good in the end.

“Secondly, while most members have stayed on through the various lockdowns, I did lose a significant number, and I do not know if they will be back. There seems to be a growing sense of defeat in many people's psyche, giving up the healthy lifestyle and habits they had before this particular lockdown. It's consistent across the board with everyone I talk to, including myself.”

Robert Riley, who runs Riley’s Fitness Gym with his son Richard said: “I think it’s absolutely imperative that they get on with it ASAP because mental health is getting worse all the time. I’ve noticed a lot of issues around my area.

“The lockdown has destroyed my business, I’m supporting it out of my own pocket now.

“I’ve also got professional boxers, but not one of them is making any money because obviously there are no shows, and they can’t box, they’re losing money, and we’re losing money.”

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever.

Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a digital subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.