Boutique fitness centres eager to reopen in Alberta

Small gyms and fitness studios are among the final businesses that will be allowed to reopen in Alberta, and some trainers are asking the government to reconsider, by separating smaller fitness centres from the large, "big box" gyms.

About 9,500 people have signed a petition asking the province to allow small gyms and fitness studios to open earlier than scheduled. As it stands, they're part of the final stage of Alberta's relaunch strategy.

Emily Slaneff, the owner of CrushCamp, which offers yoga and strength classes in Calgary, and Geoff Starling, an exercise physiologist and owner of Every Body Stronger, signed the online petition asking the province to reconsider.

"I think when the plan came out we were surprised that we were lumped together with big box gyms," Slaneff told the Calgary Eyeopener.

"The glory of a small fitness studio and locally owned studio is we can be very flexible, we can change the number of people in our classes, the distancing that we have between members."

Starling points out the limitations of online training versus a personal training session.

Yeah, there's a lot of benefits of meeting someone in person," he said. "There's the physical benefits of doing exercise and there's also the mental health benefits, and, you know, there's a lot we can do from home and over video, but there's a lot more we can do in person."

But can people gather to sweat together safely? The province doesn't think so, placing all gyms in the final stage of any reopening.

Slaneff has formed the Alberta Boutique Studio Alliance with other small business owners across Alberta, launching a website and video May 11 with the goal of allowing boutique fitness studios and gyms under 5,000 square feet to reopen during Phase 2 of the relaunch strategy.

"We'll reduce the capacity in our classes, we'll ensure there's proper space and no contact and no shared equipment to just really mitigate that shared transfer," she said. "We've already proven through this pandemic that we can turn on a dime and alter our business strategy. So we just are looking for the same opportunity to be able to do that again."

Slaneff says she has been offering online classes during the shutdown but knows her clients — and frankly, her own bottom line — need more.

"March 16, we started doing three online classes a day, we also have an online challenge and online personal training," she said. "It's been a great way to keep our community involved and our team working, at least some of them, but it's not a replacement."

Slaneff says people need people.

"I think they come to our studios to forget about the outside world for an hour," she said of her two locations, which offer HIIT yoga and strength training.

"There's the support and the accountability of the coaches and the fellow members around them. And that's really hard to replicate when you're in your living room with your kids and your puppies crawling all over you."

Not everyone in the community agrees.

Kim Rothenberg, one of the owners of Lagree YYC, told the Eyeopener that even though her own fitness classes are never more than 13 people, she doesn't agree with a quick reopening.

"Our hesitation is that we didn't want to be in a rush to open and push to open in Stage 2, and then be forced to close," Rothenberg said.

"What we found out is in Singapore, fitness studios were allowed to open, and then unfortunately 11 days later they had to shut their doors, again, and it would be really unfortunate for that to happen to boutique fitness studios in Calgary."

Starling says he just wants to have the choice, and is willing to work within any new restrictions.

"We can do this. I think the beauty of having a smaller space, too, is you have much higher ability to regulate volume, you can screen clients on their way in, and your ability to clean," he said.

"In a personal training environment, you could have, ideally, very small numbers in the large space with gaps in between clients arriving and leaving to clean appropriately. You know, I would even invite some inspection protocol and stuff in there as well, so we're making sure that everyone coming in and out of the doors is being safe."

They come to our studios to forget about the outside world for an hour.- Emily Slaneff owner of CrushCamp

Having said that, Starling added there are no guarantees.

"I don't know if any of us can guarantee anything at the moment," he said. "But we can sure do our best."

Slaneff admits the motivation is partly financial, that boutique fitness studios are businesses, too.

"Yeah, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a mix," she said. "For sure, the incentives help, but there are still costs, there's still overhead every month. And there's that question of how long can you sustain."

As the weather improves, fitness trainers will have more options to work outside. But Starling points out that has its limits in Calgary — adding that all organized recreation, including in-person fitness training, is still banned, indoors and out.

"The beauty of Calgary is that it's a wonderfully unpredictable environment. This morning is one degree, tomorrow it could be 15," he said.

"There's also the safety element, when you're outside in the elements, and then there's privacy, too. So we can do a lot outside with minimal equipment, but there's a lot more predictability and safety and access to equipment when we're indoors."

The online petition is directed at Premier Jason Kenney.

"We have some meetings this week with the minister of health, some of the MLAs and Mr. Kenney as well," Slaneff said.

"All we're asking for is a response, is a consideration — and with some restrictions, for the choice to be to be able to go forward."

With files from the Calgary Eyeopener.