Local Gyms Resume Offering Workouts — Now In Parking Lots

PORT WASHINGTON, NY — With an uncertain place in New York State’s coronavirus pandemic reopening plan, local gyms and fitness studios have had to find creative ways in order to survive. For some, that means offering outdoor, distanced classes and fitness opportunities for the communities they serve.

“We're trying to stay connected, provide a service, provide a value and be there for our clients,” Steve Panzik, owner of Power 10 Fitness Club in Port Washington, told Patch in a phone interview.

Over the past few months, in preparation for an eventual reopening, Panzik worked with his team at Power 10 to set up individual, social distanced weight lifting and fitness stations in the gym’s parking lot. The idea to offer outdoor facilities arose when someone on the team saw a photo of a homemade, backyard weight rack during the coronavirus lockdown. From there, Panzik decided to build outdoor stations in order to accommodate any overflow from the modified indoor space when gyms were eventually allowed to open.

But with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic limiting all forms of Power 10’s revenue for the past four months, in addition to a continued uncertainty regarding when fitness studios can reopen, the gym had to find some way to function without violating state guidelines. So beginning Wednesday, July 8, Power 10 members were able to reserve stations for their own, individual hour-long sessions.

To participate in these sessions, members are asked to reserve their station beforehand, as walk-ins are allowed only if there is available space. Masks are also required during check-in and if members stray from their individual stations. All equipment is disinfected between each use.

The community response has been largely positive, Panzik said. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran visited Power 10 last week to survey the modifications the gym has made to ensure the safety and health of its members.

CrossFit Total Empowerment in Carle Place and Power 10 Fitness Club in Port Washington are just two of many Nassau gyms that are in high gear making smart modifications.

Working this out now ensures that members can safely workout when they reopen.
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— Laura Curran (@NassauExecutive) July 17, 2020

Power 10 has even attracted new members from surrounding communities to whom Panzik said it does not normally cater. As the gym offers an opportunity for people to return to fitness routines disrupted by the pandemic, for many, he said, “getting back and seeing other people and supporting and motivating them … has been a lifeline, emotionally and physically.”

Members who have begun using Power 10’s outdoor space are “just grateful for the chance” to get back to fitness, Panzik said. “It’s more than going to a gym. It’s a culture, it's a lifestyle. And it's a big part that was taken away from them for four months. So they’re very grateful in that regard and we’re very grateful to them for coming."

Depending on the continuously changing nature of the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing state guidelines, Panzik said the gym may offer personal outdoor training and add more weight stations and tents.

In the meantime, Power 10 is also prepared for a return to indoor fitness when permitted by the state. While the shutdown was still in place to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, the Power 10 team renovated the indoor facility by rearranging the space to allow for social distancing, adding barriers in between machines and installing more sinks to promote regular hand washing.

“There’s not enough credit given to small business owners,” Panzik said. “We're willing to do whatever we can to keep our customers safe. We're a community gym and I tell people, this is like family, the people who come in here. … So when you walk into here, we're going to do everything we can to make it as safe as possible.”

Firm Athletics in Locust Valley has also worked to adapt in order to function safely during the ongoing pandemic.

The studio shut down March 16 and began offering online content, “but at the end of the day, there's nothing like being with your peers in a class,” General Manager Sofia Christopoulos told Patch in a phone interview.

When Gov. Andrew Cuomo released the state’s guidelines for reopening, Christopoulos said that the team at Firm decided it would offer outdoor classes once Phase 3 was implemented in Nassau County.

“We were trying to figure out what we could do that was safe and also, we really wanted to get all our members back into fitness,” Christopoulos said. “Our top priority was that everyone, including our staff, felt safe and that it was the right time.”

She added that, “we feel that fitness should be your choice. If you feel comfortable going to a gym and working out, you should be able to do so as long as all the precautions are taken.”

At Firm, which has begun offering outdoor distanced spin classes for the past several weeks, those precautions are robust, according to Christopoulos. Stationary bikes are spaced out 10 feet apart in the parking lot; all class participants have their temperatures taken upon arrival; each bike is sanitized by the studio’s maintenance team before and after use; and all staff members wear masks and gloves while moving around the space. In addition, classes are charged on an individual basis, so studio members and nonmembers alike are welcome to join.

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A post shared by FIRM Athletics (@firmathletics) on Jul 5, 2020 at 8:49am PDT

“It’s really up to you,” she said. “And that’s what we really believe in, that fitness should be a choice.”

Starting this week, Firm is also offering spin and strength training combination classes, during which participants will do a spin session and a dumbbell workout on their bikes. Before the start of each class, Christopoulos said that the studio will reach out to everyone signed up to determine the two dumbbell weights they would be most comfortable with so that as soon as they arrive, their stations are set up with their weights.

“We’re slowly peppering in new elements to see what everyone is comfortable with,” Christopoulos said, adding that the studio has sought feedback from members to gauge what they would like to see offered.

So far, the studio has seen strong support from community members for its initiatives. Spin classes have been completely full for the past three weeks, Christopoulos said, and this week’s classes are also totally booked.

“People are craving camaraderie and craving fitness and craving the exercise environment however they can get it,” she said. “Everybody just wants to work out and do the best that they can to keep their bodies healthy. I think the best way to combat everything that's going on, whether it’s stress-related or this sickness, is to make sure your body is in the best shape and health that it can be. So the feedback has been phenomenal."

The shift to outdoor classes has also allowed Firm to reemploy its instructors, most of whom are independent contractors, Christopoulos said. “Now that we’re able to do things outdoors, we can run a schedule and we can give them back their jobs.”

“Everyone just has a great time outside. It’s a different energy, blasting music in the parking lot, and everyone just having fun and happy to be there. We take the gym for granted sometimes,” she said, but “we’re really lucky with our community. They’re super into the gym and just happy to be back in whatever capacity that they can be.”