Important Recap for the Return to Fitness Classes

 

WOW! How wonderful to be back to teaching actual in person classes last week! It’s been amazing to see you all again and I hope those of you who managed to get back last week enjoyed it.

It’s been a crazy six months and whilst I’m over the moon to get back to teaching, the whole Covid-19 situation has inevitably left me feeling quite apprehensive and stressed about ensuring I get everything right whilst still making classes effective and safe! I’m sure we’ll all get used to the rules and restrictions in place within a week or so, but I just wanted to remind you all of the really important information.

The Covid-19 policies I asked you all to read in my last email (13^th September) are genuinely so important to be aware of so that we can adhere to these each week. There’s a lot to remember, so I’m asking that you all take the time to read through them again which will hopefully mean I don’t have to keep reminding everyone each week. The rules are mainly here to keep us and the other users of the school safe, but also to ensure that I am able to continue running Covid secure classes for the foreseeable future.

I can’t thank you all enough for sticking to the most important rules this week, I just want to mention a few things below which will hopefully improve classes even more!

1. Please try to arrive as close to the start time as possible. If you arrive early, please wait in your car (or away from the main entrance) until a minute or two before the class start time as this will prevent people from congregating in groups. Please remember you are not permitted to mingle in groups of more than six. Not arriving early also ensures Liam and I have enough time to clean the touch points and open windows and doors.

2. With this in mind, I also need to be strict on class start times. At Epiphany, the front door will be locked and curtains closed once the session starts, this is to stop passers by trying to access the premises without authorisation. If you are running late it is important that you TEXT me (not Facebook) and within reason I will wait a few minutes before starting the class and locking the doors.

07791 605150

3. Please remember to sign in to EACH CLASS you attend, this opens 48 hours before the class start time and replaces our paper sign in methods. I recommend setting reminders on your phone as I will no longer be sending personal reminders. I am using this as a fire register, a method of planning class spacing and also for track and trace data collection. Therefore, this information will be held securely for 21 days after the class has ended. If you can no longer attend the class please log back into your “booking” and cancel your place otherwise you will remain an attendee for this class. As of Thursday 24^th September I will also be displaying a QR code for the NHS Test and Trace app and you have been encouraged by the government to download and use the app where possible. If you cannot do this your online sign in provides all of the required information.

www.bookwhen.com/fitnessquest

4. When you arrive at class, you may be guided to a certain area of the hall by either Liam or myself. This is so we can fill the hall, based on anticipated numbers, as far away from the entrance as possible. You may notice we’ve laid out bright pink discs in some of the busier classes, these are 3m² boxes and the corners mark your boundary. Please keep your personal belongings within your area and avoid touching school furniture or placing your belongings on tables/chairs etc. Sanitiser (70% alcohol) is available for you to use. If you need to move around the hall (e.g. to access toilet) please just be aware that you must maintain 2m distance from any other member.

I’m aware this all seems quite regimented to read (and definitely a little strange in practice too), but I’m confident we will get used to it soon.

I hate having to mention all of the rules in person, it’s awkward and certainly isn’t the most fun part of my job but I do really appreciate your support, acceptance and understanding each class. If I notice anything which goes against the policies, whether that’s potential symptoms or gathering in groups larger than six, I will need to ask people to leave or change their behaviour otherwise I am facing huge fines and closing classes; please don’t put me in this situation. If you are unsure about any of the policy please email me and I will be happy to clarify.

We are extremely lucky that fitness classes are exempt from the rule of six, but this only works with your co-operation, (GOV.UK 2020) point 3.15.

If you have ANY of the Covid-19 symptoms, please do not attend class:

·         A high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)

·         A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)

·         A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

(NHS 2020)

Thank you so much for your continued support, it may not seem like it with all my nagging but I am beyond grateful. Without everyone keeping themselves in credit, adapting to online memberships and signing up to the in person classes at the earliest opportunity, Fitness Quest would not have survived to this point. You may not be aware of the impact you have individually had on so many local businesses over the past six months, but without even the smallest of gestures, even more families across the World would have felt the impact much more severely. So on behalf of all the small businesses you’ve been able to support, thank you.

I look forward to seeing you all again this week.