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Before you hit your gym once again, make sure you follow these guidelines issued by the government. Gyms and Yoga centers will reopen from August 5.

As a part of Unlock 3.0, the ministry of Health and Family welfare on Monday issued guidelines for reopening of gyms and how should they function.

It is important to heed to the point that Centre doesn’t recommend people to step out of their houses except for essential needs.

Here are the new guidelines you need to follow to make sure you could stay away from contracting COVID-19.

• All the gymnasiums and yoga centers will remain closed in the containment areas of the country.
• Only asymptomatic people will be allowed to enter the premises of gyms and yoga institutes.
• People above 65 years, people with ailments, pregnant women and children below 10 years will not be allowed.
• Those people either staff or the members not wearing face masks will not be allowed to enter the gyms.
• Individuals must maintain a minimum of 6 feet distance inside the centers.
• Everyone must practice hand washing frequently though there is no presence of dirt.
• Face masks can be removed while performing exercises or doing yoga as the use of masks while exercising can cause breathing difficulty.
• Spas, steam bath and swimming pools will be closed.
• The floor area of 4 square meters per person must be planned.
• Equipment including cardio and strength machines must be placed 6 feet apart to ensure social distancing.
• If feasible, try to relocate the equipment to outdoor areas.
• All the surfaces and areas shall be disinfected with using clinically approved disinfectants every now and then.
• Ensure 6 feet distance between trainer and customers during the training sessions whenever feasible.
• Ensure to conduct sessions that do not include personal contact between trainer and the client including the set up and the use of equipment.
• Limit the number of clients per session to ensure adequate distancing.
• The temperature setting of all air conditioners inside the premises of gyms must be between 24 to 30 degrees Celsius.
• Relative humidity should be in the range of 40 to 70 percent.
• Intake of fresh air must be allowed as much as possible and cross ventilation must be enabled.
• While group classes are also allowed, the gyms and yoga centers must provide online classes whenever possible.
• A minimum of 15 minutes gap must be ensured between sessions to avoid overlap between members coming and leaving.
• Restricted number of people must be allowed per class based on size of the room and the nature of the physical activity.
• Hand sanitizer dispenser should be made available at the entry and exit points and temperature checks must be done before allowing the clients and staff into the interiors.
• Equipment must be sanitized before and after the session.
• Before using the equipment, mainly cardio equipment, clean your middle finger with alcohol swab and measure the blood oxygen level using pulse oximeter.
• If the reading is below 95, the client must not be allowed to exercise.
• If feasible, separate entry and exit routes must be provided to the clients.
• Anyone showing mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19 must be sent to medical care facility as soon as possible.

By Gayatri Yellayi