Grove City College provides its students with an excellent workout facility that has flexible hours to accommodate each student’s schedule. But what happens when a global pandemic hits and harmful germs can possibly be spread through the air?
After pivoting and adjusting to the new normal, Grove City College has done an exceptional job of shifting its workout facilities to make sure we are socially distant compliant and germ-free. Though this disease has impacted shared spaces, the College has still been able to monitor and continue to provide students with an area to work out and relieve stress.
The gym facilities here have undergone quite a few changes, with the biggest being the location switch. Formerly located in two separate rooms, the mechanical and free weights machines have now moved into the College’s Intramural Rooms. The IM Rooms are composed of four basketball courts, each separated by curtains, that allow for students to participate in various activities. The new workout facility has now consumed one of the basketball courts, which unfortunately has limited the number of participants that can play sports in the IM Rooms. Another change that the gym has undergone is a new set of block times to allow for cleaning and sanitizing the equipment after participants have finished.
There are numerous rules now in place for the new workout facility to ensure that everyone can use them safely. The first of these rules is that workouts must be limited to 40 minutes or less. Along with limited workouts, there is also a limited number of participants allowed in the gym at one time. No more than 25 people may workout simultaneously, which allows for social distancing. Masks must be worn at all times in the workout facilities, and equipment must be sprayed down before and after each use. Lastly, student IDs are now being collected upon entry for tracking purposes, in case there is a COVID case reported in the gym. These restrictions may seem aggressive, however, they are vital to ensuring that gym-goers and those that they come into contact with around campus are safe. Grove City is putting their students’ safety at the forefront of their minds, and it shows through the precautions they are taking with the gym.
This is the former free weights workout room.
This is the former mechanical weights room.
After undergoing COVID adaptations, this is the new combined workout room. Free and mechanical weights are offered here.
