California gym owner says plastic workout pods are a hit amid pandemic: 'Everybody was super excited'
REDONDO BEACH, Calif. - If you’ve ever wished for a little more personal space in the gym, one California fitness facility may have debuted your dream come true.
As gyms grapple with establishing a new, socially-distanced normal when reopening after coronavirus closures, the owner of Inspire South Bay Fitness said that his clients are loving the Redondo Beach club’s new plastic pods for individual workouts.
Inspire South Bay reopened on Monday, and owner Peet Sapsin was ready with clear workout pods made from shower curtains and pipes, KTLA reports. It took three days to construct the pods, a cheaper alternative to Plexiglas partitions.
Peet Sapsin leads a class at Inspire South Bay Fitness with students behind plastic sheets in their workout pods on June 15. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
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Though the facility can only currently accommodate nine gym-goers, a fraction of its former capacity, Sapsin said that the capsule contraptions have been a hit with all who have visited.
“When we built the dividers, we were like, ‘OK what can we do so that our clients don’t have to wear a mask?’” he told Today on Monday. “Everybody was super excited. Our classes were maxed out this morning.”
People exercise at Inspire South Bay Fitness behind plastic sheets in their workout pods while observing social distancing on June 15. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
While Golden State fitness fanatics heed extensive state guidance when returning to the gym once again, from physically distancing to wiping down equipment after use, Sapsin said his clients have been in good spirits as they work it out in the personal pods.
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The gym will also continue offering virtual Zoom fitness classes “until we have a vaccination,” he wrote on Instagram.
“This effort is to accommodate our members who prefer to stay at home but still get a good workout if they are not ready to come back in person,” Sapsin explained. “No matter what, we've got your back.”