Fresno gyms, fitness centers reopening this week at 10% capacity

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno County businesses are starting to reopen, but just at limited capacity.

As the area moves into the 'red tier' of the state's color-coded system, more non-essential businesses open for indoor services for the first time in months.

RELATED: Gyms, restaurants can open with modifications now that Fresno County is in 'red tier'

Fitness facilities like gyms, cycling studios, yoga studios, and Cross Fit centers are already allowing in customers as early as Wednesday.

Blue Moon Yoga will resume classes in the hot room on Thursday, October 1st.

And at GB3 George Brown Sports Club gyms, the phones have started ringing again.

GB3 General Manager Sean Clinton said that's the sound he's been waiting to hear for months. Clinton said he is happy to finally see members again and is anxious to make use of the more than 50,000-square-foot building.

"We are excited to finally go back to work and start servicing our members who have been waiting for so long to work out and get out of all the smoke and get out of the heat," Clinton said. "You can see how big we are, we have the capacity to take a lot a lot of people."

Clinton said the facilities have made a few changes and taken precautions.

"Everything is spaced out," Clinton said. "There's a full six foot circle around every piece of machinery so whenever someone's working out at a machine, we have already spaced it out."

GB3 will also open Thursday, October 1st.

When members come in the doors, they need to do their part, too. The signs around the building remind people what to do.

One sign read 'We are in this together' and another read 'Please sanitize your hand to help maintain a healthy environment'.

Across town, Fitness Republic owner Christopher Montoya is also just as ecstatic to reopen.

"Today I got a ton of happy emails, so it's good to hear from them." Montoya said. "I'm so excited to be back, I can't wait to be back in the club."

With only 10% of the building's capacity allowed inside, Montoya has to adjust for the demand.

"Right now we are doing an hourly workout. You can come in for the hour, we allow that group in for the hour, the next hour we put another group in," Montoya said.

One challenge they both anticipate is retaining their employees during this transition.

Clinton said, "Getting all the same people back -i t's been tough. We did get a fair amount back and we are still working on getting a fair amount back."

While both Clinton and Montoya are hopeful, there's still much work to be done, they said.

"We believe what we deliver is important; people need us," Clinton said. "We are still fighting with the cities, the counties, and the state trying to figure out how we can open this thing up a little quicker."

Montoya said he believes gyms are essential and much-needed for people's mental and physical health.

"We are just hoping every week we are going to get more and more and more. We are going to keep opening something new every week," he said.

Fitness Republic will be open Wednesday morning for a short schedule this week from 7 am - 9 pm. GB3 will reopen Thursday 4 am to 10 pm.