Fitness Facilities

Fitness Facilities in Nevada include large gyms that are focused on health, sports exercise, and other physical activities. There are many challenges to starting, restarting and managing your operation during good times, but additional challenges during the pandemic need even more careful planning, oversight and management. It is important to understand the COVID-19 requirements that may still apply to your industry, suggested best practices, and resources available to help you.

COVID-19 Requirements

Nevada’s Roadmap to Recovery lays out a requirements for businesses with specific capacity limits and other requirements Starting May 1st, 2021, the state transitioned to local authority for setting specific requirements by business types. Visit the Nevada Health Response website for the latest updates on COVID-19 Guidelines in Nevada.

To learn more about Nevada’s specific requirements for Fitness Facilities, CLICK HERE.

Industry Best Practices

Some general best practices and tips that may help you comply with guidelines and help your customers and employees feel safe include: 

  • Require customers and employees to wear face masks
  • Social Distance
    • Stagger or limit arrivals of employees and guests, following current capacity limits
    • Designate – with signage, tape, or by other means – six feet of spacing for employees and customers to maintain appropriate social distancing 
    • Consider posting an employee at the entry door to greet customers and explain new protocols
    • If possible, provide foot pedals to open doors, or prop doors open to avoid contact
    • Limit class availability and reduce class size
    • Space equipment appropriately to allow for social distancing
    • Provide training/instruction by appointment
    • Limit the number of users for locker rooms, spas, saunas, steam rooms, restrooms, and any other communal facilities
    • Implement separate operating hours for the elderly and vulnerable customers
    • Install plexiglass/clear acrylic panels or barriers between customers and staff at check-in areas
  • Innovate
    • Update your website to be mobile-friendly and post your classes for guests to view on their phones
    • Install and use a touchless, non-signature payment system
    • Have customers pay through an app on their phones
  • Cleaning
    • Have hand sanitizer and sanitizing stations and products readily available for employees and customers
    • Use disinfectant on equipment between guest uses
    • Ventilation
      • Limit the use of fans – if fans are necessary, place them to blow away from members/clients
      • Open exterior doors when possible
      • If available and owner has access, open fresh air handlers
    • Establish new operating hours so you can close earlier to thoroughly clean the operation each night
    • Use cleaning products that meet the EPA’s criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) – this list of products can be found on the EPA website here: List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2
    • Read more about Cleaning and Disinfecting during a pandemic

Business Basics

Business basics are more important than ever. Evaluate your profit and loss statement. Look for ways to reduce operating and food costs. Analyze your cash flow and breakeven to evaluate the impacts of the new guidelines and best practices on your operations. As Nevada’s COVID-19 measures evolve you may need to continually adjust your operations. Here are a few things to think about:

  • Get Help
    • Contact a business development counselor at the Nevada SBDC by calling 800.240.7094 – we can help you assess your operations and decide on best strategies for your business
    • For questions about cleaning and disinfecting, strategies to control new waste streams, or other environmental questions, contact an environmental business advisor at BEP at 800.882.3233
  • Communicate
    • Keep communicating with your customers on social media and your website with announcements about your current hours and new or expanded services so your customers understand your current operations
    • Be open about the measures you are taking to meet the guidelines; consider signage at your entrance so customers can be aware of the steps you are taking to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to meet new industry guidelines
  • Expand Services
    • Offer incentives for pre-paid classes and memberships
    • Consider selling fitness apparel, accessories and equipment
    • Consider offering/selling branded reusable items such as face masks and water bottles
    • Offer gift cards
  • Potential Cost-Saving Measures
    • Reduce hours to minimize utility bills and increase time for cleaning, for example instead of staying open from 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM operate from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
    • Only turn on utilities that are needed – do not use all fans, lights, or air conditioners in the gym when there are fewer people
    • Consider energy efficiency, waste minimization and other sustainability strategies
  • Creative Marketing
    • Update or redesign your website; make sure it is mobile friendly
    • Use micro social media to focus more on your immediate neighborhood to bring in local customers
    • Advertise through local homeowner associations

Resources