London after lockdown: Gyms to reduce class sizes and run open air sessions as part of 'new normal'

People exercise at a gym in Belgrade which reopened after a lockdown lifted (Picture: REUTERS)

The number of high intensity “heavy breathing” work-out machines such as treadmills and cross trainers will be hugely reduced in gyms to help make them safe when the lockdown ends.

The operators of Britain’s 4,000 gyms are in advanced plans for reopening once they are given the all-clear.

Industry body UKActive is finalising a blueprint that it is likely to issue by next week so that social distancing can be maintained in an inevitably close contact environment seen as one of the most challenging for eliminating the risk of coronavirus infection.

However, gyms are likely to be in the second wave of reopenings, along with pubs and restaurants.

Leaked draft guidelines from the Government revealed that businesses such as non-food shops, banks and offices will be the first to be able to begin functioning again — but with strict controls.

When gyms do finally open — probably over the summer — capacity is likely to be reduced by half to maintain the two-metre distancing, while personal trainers will have to offer advice from a distance.

Humphrey Cobbold, chief executive of Britain’s biggest operator, PureGym, said capacity will be between 30 and 50 per cent lower.

A man puts on protective gloves before exercising at a reopened gym in Belgrade (REUTERS)

Members will be able to use an app to monitor when their gym is quieter and plan their visits accordingly.

Gideon Remfry, wellness director at the KX and KXU gyms in Chelsea, said visits would have to be more staggered.

He said attendance at low intensity classes such as yoga or pilates could be reduced by around half.

But he said: “Something more high intensity which involves more sweat, more heavy breathing, we will have to halve again so we might only be able to have 25 per cent.”

Lenka Chubuklieva, director of Rumble Gym in Dalston, said the number of people in spin classes at any one time would be reduced by about half, while useage of its high intensity HIIT circuits would come down from 36 to eight an hour.

Members doing boxing classes will be required to wear undergloves and punchbags will be more spread out.

Every piece of equipment will be wiped down and sterilised after use and an ozone filter installed to kill bugs overnight she added.

She said the gym was also looking at conducting more classes outdoors in Dalston Square.