RTV Utrecht: Gyms Reopen After the Coronavirus Pandemic

Today, COVID-19 restrictions in the Netherlands are being further eased: venues with a high turnover of visitors, such as zoos and amusement parks, are allowed to reopen, as are sports, dance, and music schools.

Watch Ulrike Nagel’s report on RTV Utrecht.

Summary of this news item

This report by Ulrike Nagel discusses the reopening of gyms and other recreational facilities in Utrecht following a period of COVID-19 restrictions, focusing on the joy and challenges this brings.

• Easing of Restrictions and Reopening: Starting today, various facilities, including zoos, amusement parks, and gyms, are open again. The operating hours for outdoor dining areas have also been extended.
• Gym in Utrecht [00:17]: Reporter Ulrike Nagel visits a gym in Utrecht, where she experiences the atmosphere of renewed activity.
• Challenges and Responsibility [00:42]: Willem Hilbink, the gym’s owner, explains that they won’t be opening until the next morning because they only offer group classes and haven’t received specific guidelines for indoor group classes. He finds it “strange” that, after five months of closure, so much personal responsibility is suddenly expected. The gym has chosen to take responsibility for safety itself, focusing on social distancing, personal equipment, and proper ventilation [03:00].
• Arbitrary Rules [02:39]: Hilbink points out the arbitrary regulations, such as the limit of 30 people, regardless of the size of the space. This stands in contrast to the possibility of attending a soccer match with 3,000 fans [01:41].
• Indoor Options [03:45]: Coach Edward is busy with preparations indoors, where there are more training options than outdoors, such as using a “rig” for pull-ups and a wall for “ball shots.”
• Relief and a Look to the Future [04:06]: Hilbink describes a “bittersweet” feeling, given the difficult situation in the healthcare and hospitality sectors, but is personally very happy about the reopening. He expects many members to be at the gym early to start working on their endurance again.

Background

There was already a line at Theo Meijer Sport in Leusden this morning before the gym even opened. “I did keep working out while the indoor gym was closed, because we had the option to train outside here,” one of the gym-goers said this morning. “At first, I found that a bit annoying, but since we ended up doing it for half a year, I actually came to enjoy it.”

Owner Theo Meijer: “We were ready for this. It’s been a year of being like a chameleon. We had to constantly adapt, and there were always new rules dictating what we were allowed to do—sometimes more, sometimes less. We’ve been more like construction workers than fitness instructors, because we’ve been constantly renovating. We set up tents outside where people could work out; then we had to adapt those tents, and now we’re hoping to gradually move back indoors.”

The Leusden gym has suffered significant financial losses recently, despite the various government relief packages. “A 30 percent loss is actually minimal, but I’m glad that, thanks in part to our loyal members, we’ve been able to stay afloat,” he said, referring to the people who kept their memberships active.