Abu Dhabi fitness enthusiasts happy to be back in the gym – The National

Abu Dhabi fitness enthusiasts happy to be back in the gym – The National

Gyms reopened for the first time in months on Wednesday, with measures in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus













Fitness enthusiasts woke up as early as 5.30am on Wednesday to visit the gym for the first time in three months.



Excited gym-goers donning mandatory face masks streamed into fitness centres and had their temperatures checked on entry.



Gyms do not have set capacity limits, but to prevent the spread of the coronavirus they must limit the number of visitors they admit.



The routine was familiar to most but the layout had changed.



Stickers placed at two-metre intervals on the floor kept people apart, while sanitiser dispensers dotted the walls, with visitors encouraged to frequently disinfect their gloved hands.



The authorities that closed the centres in March to reduce the number of Covid-19 infections said face masks could be lowered slightly during intense exercise.



"All right, we're back. Good to see you all again,“ said Patrick Hegarty, co-owner of Vogue Fitness, as he welcomed members to the Yas Marina branch for the first time since the gym closed 100 days ago.



Before beginning the session, he asked members whether they had trained over the