FOUR city council leisure centres in Leicester will reopen to the public on Monday (14 September).
The gyms at Braunstone, Evington, Leicester Leys and Spence Street are ready to welcome their members again, with new systems in place to help keep customers and staff safe.
Hour-long sessions in the gym must now be booked in advance, with each workout restricted to 50 minutes to allow time for changeover.
A limited number of people will be able to use the gym at any one time, and gym equipment has been spaced out so that users can maintain social distancing at all times.
Gym users are asked to arrive and leave in their gym kit, as changing facilities may not be available, and they are also advised to bring water with them, as the water fountains will not be available.
Deputy city mayor Cllr Piara Singh Clair said: “After six months of lockdown, we’re looking forward to welcoming people back to our gyms.
“Our staff have been working hard to get our facilities ready, and we now have the systems in place to help keep our customers safe, while they work out.
“Although your first visit back may feel a little different, our staff are ready to help you get used to these new ways of working so that a trip to the gym becomes part of your daily routine once again.”
Exercise classes at the four centres will resume on Wednesday (16 September), with badminton and table tennis also bookable from next week.
Swimming and climbing will resume shortly afterwards, with lessons and courses re-starting in October.
Anyone wanting to book a gym session at a city council leisure centre must be an Active Leicester member. Active Leicester card-holders can use the facilities on a pay-as-you-go basis, or can sign up for a competitively priced membership scheme.
The city council’s other leisure centres will be reopening on a phased basis.
The refurbished facilities at Cossington Street will open later this month, with Aylestone Leisure Centre and New Parks Leisure Centre due to reopen in October.