Anytime Fitness in Bushey says clients are ready for gyms reopening

The Anytime Fitness Branch in Bushey opened on October 19 last year, after having delayed its planned June opening due to the pandemic.

But it barely had time to be open to its members after being instructed to shut under restrictions of the second lockdown in November, and the current third lockdown.

Now club owner Birju Ladhani and general manager Colin Walker says they are optimistic things will be back on track once reopening on Monday (April 12).

Anytime Fitness in Bushey

Mr Ladhani said: “It (the lockdown) hasn’t been easy to say the least, but I’ve always been optimistic about the project itself, we’re absolutely in this for the long game. We will invest what we need to invest to get this to succeed.”

The planned opening for around June 2020 was delayed in reaction to the pandemic, and Mr Ladhani said that the delay meant they could design the new venue in a “future proof” way designed with Covid-19 in mind.

Despite the delay, 70 per cent of clients were quick to rush in for the October opening, and after just a month of operating the owner believes clients will be likewise eager to return after the long third lockdown.

The manager, Mr Walker, said: “At the moment, these last ten days, the market is picking up and people are inquiring more. Particularly in the last few days we came back as a team and we’re speaking to members and prospects that were enquiring between lockdown two and three.”

Anytime Fitness in Bushey

He believes for returning customers, it will be business as usual with people clocking in, sanitising their hands and wiping equipment before and after use.

Around 83 per cent of their members have remained engaged with an Anytime Fitness app to keep active over lockdown, which is the highest out of all Anytime Fitness branches.

It appears that people, many who have never even been to the gym before, are looking to sign up to the gym for its health benefits – with a higher percentage of people in their 40’s and 50’s looking to sign up.

Mr Walker suggested this is due to the health concerns over the pandemic, saying gyms will help boost people’s general physical health and mental health.

He said: “One chap in particular he used to walk for miles, but during lockdown he stopped that and he just struggled. But now he’s looking forward to coming back and getting his fitness back to what it was.”

And Mr Ladhani says that while new equipment will be in place, looking to the future it appears certain Covid measures such as sanitising stations and more encouragement to wipe equipment than pre-Covid will be here to stay.

“Any action we take from now onwards is always going to consider the impact of Covid,” he said. “I don’t see us ever removing it, if anything it’s added an extra benefit to the club.”

Anytime Fitness Bushey is offering a free day pass, to sign up, visit: https://secure13.clubwise.com/bushey/enquiry.asp