The Fitness Center at University Hospitals Avon Health Center is ready to get you motivated
By Laura Briedis
When the Fitness Center at UH Avon Health Center reopened on June 1, one of the first persons through the door was Karen Shellenberger. A charter member who joined back in 1999, Karen couldn’t wait to jump back into the pool for water aerobics.
“It felt so good to get back in the gym,” she says. “I had knee surgery earlier this year, so I really missed my workouts. I missed it so much that all my joints started hurting and became stiff. That shows how important exercise is for people—especially seniors.”
“I feel very comfortable with the safety measures the center has taken since it reopened,” she adds. “We are even social distancing in the pool and everything is so clean and fresh.”
While the fitness center was closed this spring, the staff was busy reconfiguring the workout areas to ensure the utmost safety. The exercise machines have been spaced out on the expansive fitness floor, and the basketball court on the first floor has been turned into an auxiliary workout room, allowing for more spacing between people when working out.
“Even prior to the governor issuing guidelines to reopen gyms, we knew we had to be proactive. We looked at our facility and found new ways to enhance safety,” says Brad Calabrese, general manager. “We knew at the very least we needed to space everything six feet apart, but we decided to take extra precautions and space our equipment eight feet apart.”
In addition to spacing out equipment, the staff looked at each machine and how people exhale during that specific workout, and then positioned machines facing toward the wall or an aisle that is not a walking lane.
“Since we are affiliated with University Hospitals, we were able to use medical resources to help get ready for our reopening,” says Brad. “We consulted with three infectious disease doctors and our plan was approved by our hospital system.”
“Between our sanitary stations and hand foam stations on the walls, we have 23 sanitizing stations throughout the facility,” adds Renee Barrett, program manager. “In addition to our regular cleaning service, we have brought someone in for an additional 96 hours, which is every hour we are open, responsible specifically for cleaning equipment and any other high-touch areas.”
The center also invested in an electrostatic sprayer, so at night all the equipment is sprayed with a mist that will get in every crevice.
All of the workout areas, walking/running track, pool, racquetball courts, outdoor tennis courts and day spa, at the Fitness Center are currently open, while group classes and Kids Club will resume by the end of the month.
“When you enter our facility, we will take your temperature and require that you wear a mask in the lobby,” says Brad. “But we leave it up to each person whether they choose to wear a mask while exercising.”
The Fitness Center at UH Avon Health Center is located at 1997 Healthway Drive in Avon. Call 440-988-6801, or visit UHhospitals.org/Fitness for details.