A lot of people are stoked to get back to the gym now that Toronto has finally entered Stage 3 of the provincial government's reopening plan. Too stoked, say some, including me.
Lineups are now forming outside gyms in the downtown core, similar to what happened in Markham and Vaughan when York Region hit Stage 3 on July 24.
Toronto, which advanced to Stage 3 one week after York Region on July 31, has considerably more people than the cities above — but also more gyms. Unfortunately, fitness buffs can't just walk into their local club and work out as they would have before the pandemic.
Driving by LA Fitness and there’s a lineup to get in.. in the rain... lol fit4less and GoodLife would never
— FLAME GRETZGY (@FlameGretzkyy) August 4, 2020
Only 50 people are allowed to gather indoors at any given time under Stage 3 of the reopening process, meaning that gym capacities are highly limited.
For members of GoodLife Fitness, the country's largest gym chain, reservations are required to work out.
Even with an appointment, customers can only be in the club for one hour before they vacate and allow staff to perform a 30 minute "reset" between every group.
Just counted two dozen people waiting in line to work out at the gym. Welcome to Stage 3, Toronto. pic.twitter.com/vB7vjiUQTo
— Adina Bresge (@abresge) August 4, 2020
The people seen lining up outside the Bathurst and Richmond Goodlife location in Toronto this week, pictured above were probably just waiting for their designated exercise hour to begin.
Still, it's quite something to see dozens of people lined up outside on a sunny day to go indoors for exercise.
"There's a line around the corner for the gym... and there's no wait time for sushi. You already know where my priorities lie," wrote one Toronto resident of the phenomenon.
"Booking gym appointments is the most annoying thing about Covid," wrote another.
LA fitness tryna have Mans line up for the gym like a shoe release instead of making mans just book appointments. Foolishness
— Focus On Yourself🇹🇹🇧🇧 (@Relly_95) July 31, 2020
While public health officials have okayed gym use in Ontario with proper health and safety measures in place, outbreaks linked to fitness clubs have been seen in other jurisdictions recently.
More than 40 people in Calgary are thought to have contracted the 2019 novel coronavirus from an indoor cycling studio between June 6 and June 13, according to the Government of Alberta.
Some people would rather just stay home than risk waiting in line to contract the virus.
"I can't bring myself to go to the gym at the best of times," noted one local. "I'm not going to WAIT IN LINE to lift weights in the middle of a pandemic."
by Lauren O'Neil via blogTO
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