Outdoor gym sessions are here to stay despite the reopening of fitness studios on Wednesday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Ararat gym owner Kelli Holtham-Felini said her studio could fit only eight people with the new density limit.
"If I was to move my group sessions inside I would have to cull people because of the density regulations," she said.
"I can't fit 10 people in my Felini Health and Fitnes studio under the new rules. I don't want anyone shoved out ... I don't think that's very fair."
IN OTHER NEWS:
Indoor gyms can now have up to 20 people, with a density of one person per 8 square metres.
"I have been doing workouts at the Alexandra Gardens and using my capacity number of 10 outside," she said.
"We have had good numbers for the outdoor sessions. There are hills, steps that we can utilise without having to cart a lot of equipment.
"At this point, I think we are going to stay outside ... but I am excited that I can get my one-on-ones back indoors."
Mrs Holtham-Felini said the announcement for gyms to reopen left businesses with little time to prepare.
"It was very short notice, there was no heads up. I need to deep clean and work out the timetable," she said.
"At the minute I am trying to work out what's the best way to attack it. But I am working on a new timetable to see if I can open up more classes to make the groups smaller.
"I will certainly be having a lot of private training classes filter back through this week, that's not an issue."
Mrs Holtham-Felini said she has lowered the price of group classes to make them more accessible.
"It will be at a cheaper rate through to the end of the year ... so people can go back to exercising to look after their mental health," she said.
"I don't want people who have lost their jobs and have been working shorter hours, to not exercise because they can't afford it.
"This year is not about the profit margins - it is about trying to keep everyone engaged and balanced."
Mrs Holtham-Felini currently runs pilates in her backyard and gym sessions at Alexandra Gardens.
"I will touch base with my clients and see what we can do. The sessions have been full, so how do I fix that if I want to move them inside?" she said.
"I am holding my breath a little bit. At any point, if things go pear shape we will be the first to close again.
"I don't think we can be too complacent just yet. We have been through it twice, and a third time is not something I want to do again."
If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Ararat Advertiser, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thank you very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling Ararat's story. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great city.
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from The Ararat Advertiser. To make sure you're up-to-date with all the news from across the Ararat shire, sign up here.