Studio owner makes his case for reopening small gyms on the Central Coast

CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, Calif. (KION) The owner of a Central Coast fitness studio said that he should be able to open his facility because its small class size allows for social distancing. But the Monterey County Health Department said there are too many risks involved.

Laura Bowling has gone to her trainer, Dave, for two years. When she she was injured, he got her back to business.

“Without Dave there to guide me when I’m lifting weights, even using an exercise ball or bands, there’s an opportunity for me to get hurt,” Bowling said.

Bowling said she believes it's time for his business, Synergy Total Fitness, to return despite current coronavirus concern.

“The space that Dave has his clients come to is really roomy and there’s ample opportunity for social distancing,” Bowling said.

Dave said there are only six people, at most, in his studio at a time, and people need his service.

“Two months of, you know, not being able to work out—you lose a lot of your results and your muscle,” Bowling said.

And local leaders in Carmel also want to see businesses that can social distance reopening as quickly as possible.

“I agree with that," Carmel-By-The-Sea Mayor Dave Potter said. "I think that we could do that quite a while ago, actually.”

But the decision isn't Dave the business owner, or the mayor's, to make.

It comes down to the county. Monterey's current shelter-in-place order lasts until May 31st. And gyms still aren't allowed. They're not even part of Governor Newsom's new relaxed recommendations expected to start Friday.

Health Officer Dr. Edward Moreno told KION that fitness facilities, no matter the size, pose more of a challenge than you might expect.

The six feet of social distancing might not be enough because of shared surfaces and heavy breathing. Droplets could travel ten or twelve feet.

“The virus lands on dumbbells or weights or mats and someone touches it," Moreno said. "They can contaminate themselves.”

The gym owner asked why more crowded locations like grocery stores were allowed to stay open, but his business was not. Dr. Moreno said that grocery stores are essential to everyday life.