R.I. YMCA locations to close; other gyms remain open

As Rhode Island ramps up its coronavirus containment efforts with widespread event cancellations and closures, some of the state’s fitness studios and gyms have announced that they are temporarily closing, while most remained open as of Sunday afternoon.

All of the state’s YMCA branches will close for two weeks (which began Sunday afternoon), said YMCA of Greater Providence CEO Steven O’Donnell.

“We believe that going to the gym is beneficial for your health and helps boost your immune system,” O’Donnell said. “But we also understand that group exercising is probably not the route to take at this point.”

He encouraged members to stay active by taking advantage of free online workouts to do at home through the website ymcahome.org.

The Greater Providence YMCA locations will be thoroughly cleaned using regular methods as well as treated with the disinfectant solution Protexus, he said. Employees will work remotely for the two-week period. After that, YMCA leadership will reassess the situation and follow the guidance of government officials, he added.

Other fitness studios and gyms remain open — at least for now. Rhode Island Planet Fitness, LA Fitness and Work Out World locations, along with several locally owned operations, were open as usual on Sunday.

“I’ve had people say, please do everything you can not to close because we rely on this to de-stress,” said Denise Chakoian, owner of Core fitness studio in Providence’s Wayland Square. “I also have employees who are relying on the income to pay their rent. But I’m keeping a close eye on the [number of] cases, and if it ends up that we have to close for a week or two, it’ll be okay.”

Chakoian, like many other fitness studio owners, slashed group fitness class sizes in half last week as a “social distancing” measure, increased sanitation protocols, and reminded students to follow COVID-19 containment guidance recommended by the state’s Department of Health, including frequent hand-washing and staying home if you are sick.

Because of those efforts, longtime client Amey Larmore, of Providence, said she felt comfortable participating in Chakoian’s group cycling classes over the weekend.

“I know we’re all supposed to isolate right now, but it’s helpful to come together in a clean, safe space and feel that that sense of community and support,” she said.

With government officials strongly recommending social distancing, but not requiring all businesses to close, the decision of whether it is appropriate for a healthy person to visit a fitness studio or gym remains a personal choice. Asked if he thought it was safe to do so, Rhode Island Hospital emergency room physician Jeffrey Feden said “it’s difficult to say.”

“It’s not an absolute no, but personally I would be cautious about going to the gym right now unless it’s absolutely essential,” he said. “I think it would probably be wise to really not participate in group classes where you’re putting several people in a room.”

As alternatives, he suggested running, biking, or walking outside while leaving distance between yourself and others and following at-home workouts posted on YouTube.

When asked the same question, Rhode Island Department of Health public information officer Joseph Wendelken responded in an email, “We are urging everyone to avoid crowded places. That means places where people will be within six feet of you for a sustained period of time.”

Based on the public health threat of the pandemic, some fitness studios, including Laughing Elephant yoga studio, in East Greenwich, have already announced that they are closing temporarily.

“While we have had no reports of any of our students and teachers showing any signs of illness consistent with the coronavirus, we agreed this was the right decision for all of us,” the owners of the studio wrote on Facebook on Saturday.

On Sunday, Joan Dwyer, founder of All that Matters yoga studio, with locations in Wakefield and East Greenwich, and owner Greg Kirwan posted a video message on Facebook saying that they are currently keeping the studio open so Rhode Islanders can have a space to do yoga, receive massages and practice other forms of self-care during this stressful time.

“We’re trying to keep our doors open, and we will until we find out it’s not safe,” Dwyer said. “So that we can come together in community. If you have no one to reach out to, reach out to us.”