Tonight, gyms around the country remain closed. It's a pandemic time reality that has forced more and more health nuts onto the track or the open road. But if you're dying to hit the weights there's some good news on the horizon, gyms are finally re-opening. The only issue is when.
This afternoon Cherisse Halsall spoke to Muscle Hut Owner Darwin Gallardo who's none too happy that his gym won't get to reopen until that magical time frame when all dreams come through: "AE" - after the election.
Gyms will re-open on November 30th. It's an update that should have caused a sigh of relief from all those gym buffs who've been forced to trade their healthy lifestyle for that of pandemic time couch potato. But gym owners still aren't happy because they'd been promised a totally different reopening date, one that would have been just two days away.
Owner, Muscle Hut Fitness Club
"I have to as a business owner I am responsible for my employees, I am responsible for my trainers they depend on muscle hut as other trainers depend on their own gyms to make a living you know, it's no different that a person getting on a crowded us every morning to go to work. It's no different than a trainer or an employee coming to a gym to work."
Gallardo like many other gym owners is frustrated and believes that gyms should have been allowed to stay open.
Darwin Gallardo, Owner, Muscle Hut Fitness Club
"At the end of the day we were complying by the rules set before and they were working, we again i'll repeat it, it sounds like a broken record but we have temperature checks at the door, we have sanitizing stations all over the place, hours we're closed, paper dispensers everywhere and you know what it became such a beautiful system that we no longer even had to enforce these rules because members were willing to work with them they had no problem whatsoever. Something thing that we were trying to implement in terms of gym etiquette from years ago because of COVID made it easier and so the members were willing wiping down their equipment."
Cherisse Halsall:
"So the other point they made in the letter is that one of the reasons that you guys have been delayed is because of the elections that are coming up at the beginning of this month, I mean how does that."
Darwin Gallardo
"But what, what relationship is there, you know, as far as I know, I personally don't have any ministers or political figures, actually no I take that back I had one but that's it one."
CHerisse Halsall:
"One of the reasons that gyms have to remain closed this month is because there's been a surge, there's been the death of the child once again I have to ask you how does that relate?"
Darwin Gallardo
"That is the exact same thing that I spoke to my team as well, I spoke to my friends, my colleague. It's unfortunate what happened to the poor child but again it has nothing to do with gyms."
"I'll tell you that it didn't come from a person who went to the gym because gyms are closed so that reason right there is the one that shocked me the most, you know, to use the reason of the unfortunate death of a child to keep gyms closed."
And while the National fitness association feels slighted at the one month delay their hitting back with a 3-page press release that claims the government is holding them and their employees for ransom
Darwin Gallardo, Owner, Muscle Hut Fitness Club
"We are businesses as well. We deserve some sort of a chance as well to stay open. We've been closed since August 22nd. You know um I don't know if they think that gym equipment is cheap or if they think that the people in gyms are not worthy enough. It's getting to the point know that when I open i'm wondering if i'll have to find a whole new staff because I can't blame my staff for not holding on so I can't say hey November 30th of it's time to work, oh boss we found another job i'm like can I blame you, no. You know i'm always checking up on them to make sure they're okay but at the end of the day man I mean come on they have to work too some of them have kids you know you know."
The National Fitness Associations says that all they're asking is for the opportunity to quote "operate our businesses in a safe and legal manner, as is expected from all other businesses currently operating." End quote.
