Gyms reopen in Montreal

MONTREAL – Fitness centres in Quebec’s red zones were allowed to reopen, for the first time since October, Friday.

However, there are a few conditions for those itching to get to the gym.

Whether you’re there for yoga or high-intensity training, you have to wear a mask, sanitize your hands upon entry and grab a bottle of cleaner to be used on equipment before and after you’ve used them.

You will also have to keep your distance from one another.

But even with all the additional rules, trainers and fitness buffs alike are happy to be getting back to the real deal.

“It was rough. Obviously, we were working online one-on-one. People were getting fed up, to be honest. We’re really happy to be open again,” said Luis Argumedes, the owner of Centre U Fit.

Thy gym in Montreal’s Anjou can safely welcome eight to 12 people with public health measures in place.

“When you walk from one station to another, obviously, you need your mask too. But apart from that, when you train, you don’t need your mask. If you’re comfortable wearing it, you wear it. Most of the people don’t. Always try to keep the two-metre distance,” said Argumedes.

For those who’ve eagerly awaited for gyms to reopen, the added safety measures are an easy pill to swallow.

“Wearing the mask is fine, sanitizing is fine. At least we have a space we can train appropriately,” said Centre U Fit client Sabrina Arasimowicz.
Clients like Arasimowicz have away from this environment for more than half a year.

“I hated it. For me, it was pretty horrible. The gym is how I destress so it definitely wasn’t easy,” she said.

“It was hard to train at home. The motivation wasn’t there. Not easy,” agreed fellow gym-goer Joshua Rovira.

“It was really hard for my mental health,” echoed client Aurelie Legras.

#WATCH “It’s been a long time I didn’t feel that good,” says Montrealer Aurelie Legras, on her first day back in the gym, after they reopened in Quebec’s red zones. She says she did what she could working out at home the last six months, but says it wasn’t the same. @CityNewsMTL https://t.co/FAmRbu0YxK pic.twitter.com/wmvwLW0XXE

— Alyssia (@rubertuccinews) March 26, 2021

Concert halls and spas also reopened in red zones with restrictions on Friday, as Quebec’s Public Health Institute released projections that variants will dominate new cases in the province by April.

The province is combining confirmed and presumptive variants cases as one now, with new data showing more than 5,000 variant cases Quebec-wide.
The bulk of cases are in Montreal with all four variants detected on the island.

Premier Francois Legault received his first shot Friday at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium vaccination site as those 60 and older are eligible for vaccines.

WATCH: Premier François Legault gets vaccination

“I almost do not feel anything,” he said as he got his dose. “It’s important that you set a date to come and be vaccinated. It’s a kind of liberty.”

As of Thursday, Quebec administered almost 55,000 vaccine doses, covering 13.2 per cent of the population with at least one dose.

“I really hope everyone is going to get vaccinated so that we can continue to have this lifestyle of going back to the gym,” said Legras.

With a third wave possible as variants continue to spread, many are hoping gyms won’t be forced to close again.

“This is a routine, it’s part of life, training, being healthy. And please don’t close us down again,” said Rovira.

“I just want to enjoy today, tomorrow, and after tomorrow and we’ll see how it goes from there,” said Argumedes.