FENTON, Mo. — It's the first day of in-person classes for Fenton gym CrossFit Xtra Mile. They've cut class sizes to 15 people — instead of the usual 25 max — but there have been no problems filling the spaces; classes have been fully booked.
“I am kind of happy that we have all the precautions, and we all can still work together as a family, but it is nice that they really care about our health and safety as well,” said Tim Gann, a member of the gum for five years.
Immediately, customers will see the changes: signs on the doors direct one-way foot traffic and require face masks for entry.
Inside, there's yellow tape closing off access to the cubby holes. Instead, customers are bringing all their belongings to one of the taped off boxes, which are about 10 feet by 12 feet, social distances larger than required by the county.
The gym was able to keep busy during stay-at-home orders by offering online classes and loaning out some of the smaller equipment.
“Any of our members could take equipment. So, we loaned out dumbbells, kettlebells and all kinds of stuff,” said owner Corey Lewis.
Lewis said customers returned equipment Saturday, and crews been cleaning in preparation ever since, using whatever supplies they could find since stock is still low.
“We definitely stocked up because we're doing a little more than we used to do,” Lewis said. “But we are doing well with that, and we are just trying to overcome the hurdles of gym wipes being out and finding replacements for that. It’s hard to come by, but we're definitely making it work.”
After months of sweating it out, Lewis hopes these safety precautions are enough to prevent a second round of closures.
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