I recently started working at a group fitness studio in Santa Monica called BoxUnion and it has been a blast! I was a member of the studio prior to applying for the job and a lot has changed since I started attending classes back in 2019. COVID-19 has led to a whole new realm of cleaning procedures and more across fitness studios in LA.
First, all of our cleaning supplies are now medical grade. This means that they are similar to supplies used in hospitals and doctor’s offices. Obviously, prior to COVID-19, the studio was always cleaned, but not as often and not with such strong cleaning supplies. Restrooms are still available, but we no longer have shared toiletries or showers available (for now). We also no longer rent out towels, weights or anything other than what is essential to the workout.
The boxing glove rentals used during workouts are on a 24 hour rotation so we have time to clean them before they are used by another member, and we even have gloves on sale to encourage members to buy their own pair. Every other locker and every other boxing bag is used during classes so we can (1) provide enough space to socially distance each member and (2) have enough time to thoroughly clean everything. Our class capacity has also been reduced by half and everyone is required to wear a mask at all times in the studio (including during their workout).
Although a lot has changed over the past year, it has been amazing to bring the BoxUnion community together again! We were only able to reopen for indoor classes recently and things are only going to get better from here.