Page 24 - BusinessWest January 6, 2021

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK 2021 >>
Fitness
FBusiness Owners Grapple with an Industry Battered by Restrictions
or a year and a half after F45 Training check upon entry, and even change shoes; Hampshire Meadows opened in from reformatting space for physical dis- Hadley, owner Danny Deane knew tancing and barring shared equipment to
what members wanted — to get fit, sure, sanitizing all surfaces, floors, and equipment
but also to cultivate a sense of family and community with their fellow goal-setters.
“We were sharing equipment, people were shoulder to shoulder, giving sweaty high fives,” he said, noting that none of that has been possible since the pandemic began.
In fact, the fitness center, like all others in this industry, closed its doors for almost four months, a casualty of Gov. Charlie Baker’s sweeping lockdowns in March, following by
a slow, gradual, phased approach to reopen- ing — during which time F45 launched online programs and later ran outdoor boot camps before getting the all-clear to invite members back inside.
These days, the Hadley facility — and
a second F45 location Deane and his wife, Jessye, opened in West Springfield over the summer — have implemented a series of strict safety protocols, from reducing ses- sion sizes and mandating masks to requir- ing everyone to sanitize, pass a temperature
every 45 minutes. Both studios — and their HVAC systems — have been fitted with the hospital-grade PermaSAFE disinfectant and antimicrobial system and are electrostatically fogged weekly.
The result? Out of 20,027 member vis-
its since July, the two studios have been responsible for exactly zero transmissions of COVID-19.
“Making health everyone’s priority is real- ly why we opened this,” Danny said, which is why he and Jessye considered CDC and state safety recommendations and not only met, but exceeded them, at both locations.
It’s certainly a bold move to expand dur- ing a pandemic, especially in an industry as hard-hit as this one by COVID-19 and the associated lockdowns and restrictions.
“The industry is hurting, significantly,”
Fitness
Continued on page 30
Danny and Jessye Deane, owners of two local F45 Training franchises.
Staff Photo
24 JANUARY 6, 2021
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK 2021
BusinessWest