Fitness Industry in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Minimizing the Risk

Year 2022, , 189 - 202, 30.07.2022

Ali Eraslan

https://doi.org/10.53434/gbesbd.1089622

Cited By: 2

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to examine the precautions taken globally for risk management practices in the fitness industry in the COVID-19 pandemic, with their reasons. At the beginning of the pandemic, the fitness sector was completely closed at first. With the reopening of the facilities, some individuals continued to exercise at their facilities for various reasons. However, the thought of exercising indoors during the pandemic period has brought along the discussion of the risk of transmission of the virus. In this context, a number of guidelines have been established in order to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission for the fitness industry, both globally and nationwide. The World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention led the industry in creating these guidelines. According to the guidelines of these organizations, the precautions to be taken in the pandemic in health and fitness facilities are "screening practices for employees and clients", "person to person contact", "reception area", "exercise area", "locker rooms and restrooms", "ventilation and air filtration”, “cleaning and hygiene”. The fitness industry, whose growth rate is constantly increasing before the pandemic, has to meet these guidelines for the long-term stability and sustainability of the business, to compensate for the losses it has experienced in the COVID-19 pandemic, to increase member participation. In summary, the fitness industry, which already has different obligations in terms of service quality, must keep up with the changing business conditions and consumer behaviors with the pandemic.

Keywords

Fitness industry, Fitness facilities, COVID-19, Risk management

COVID-19 Pandemisinde Fitness Sektörü: Riskin En Aza İndirilmesi

Abstract

Bu derleme çalışmanın amacı, COVID-19 pandemisinde fitness sektöründe risk yönetimi açısından alınan küresel tedbirleri nedenleriyle birlikte incelemektir. COVID-19 pandemisi ve yasakları ile küresel çapta etkilenen sektörlerden birisi de fitness sektörüdür. Bu etkiler sağlık ve fitness tesislerinde ciddi ekonomik kayıplar, birçok işletmenin iflasını açıklaması, çalışan iş kaybı ve fiziksel aktiviteden uzaklaşan insanlar şeklinde sıralanabilir. Fitness sektörü pandeminin seyrine göre ilk zamanlar tamamen kapatılmış daha sonra bazı kısıtlamalar ile varlğını sürdümeye çalışmıştır. Bu süreç içinde bazı insanlar hareketsizlikle başa çıkmak, bağışıklık sistemini iyileştirmek, sosyalleşmek veya yaşam alışkanlığını korumak gibi amaçlarla sağlık ve fitness tesislerinde egzersiz yapmaya devam etmiştir. Ancak pandemi döneminde kapalı alanlarda egzersiz yapma düşüncesi, virüsün bulaşma riski tartışmalarını da beraberinde getirmiştir. Bu kapsamda gerek küresel gerekse ülke çapında fitness sektörüne yönelik COVID-19 bulaşma riskinin en aza indirilmesi amacıyla birtakım yönergeler oluşturulmuştur. Bu yönergelerin oluşturulmasında Dünya Sağlık Örgütü ve Amerika Birleşik Devleti Hastalık Önleme ve Kontrol Merkezi sektöre öncülük etmiştir. Bu kuruluşların yönergeleri incelendiğinde, sağlık ve fitness tesislerinde COVID-19 pandemisinde alınması gereken önlemlerin “çalışanlar ve üyeler için tarama uygulamaları”, “kişilerin birbiriyle teması”, “resepsiyon alanı”, “egzersiz alanı”, “soyunma odaları ve tuvaletler”, “havalandırma ve hava filtrasyonu”, “temizlik ve hijyen” başlıkları altında toplandığı görülmektedir. Pandemi öncesi büyüme hızı sürekli artan fitness sektörü, COVID-19 pandemisinde yaşadığı kayıpları gidermek, üye katılımını artırmak ve işletmenin uzun vadeli istikrarı ve sürdürülebilirliği için bu yönergeleri yerine getirmek zorundadır. Özetle, hâlihazırda hizmet kalitesi açısından farklı yükümlülükleri olan fitness sektörü, pandemi ile değişen işletme koşulları ve tüketici davranışlarına ayak uydurmalıdır.

Keywords

Fitness sektörü, Fitness tesisleri, COVID-19, Risk yönetimi

References

• 1. Abbott, A. A. (2011). Fitness facility orientation. ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal, 15(3), 38-40.
• 2. American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). (2012). ACSM’s Health/Fitness Facility Standards and Guidelines (4th Edition). USA: Human Kinetics.
• 3. Aggarwal, N., Dwarakanathan, V., Gautam, N. ve Ray, A. (2020). Facemasks for prevention of viral respiratory infections in community settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Indian Journal of Public Health, 64(Supplement), S192–S200.
• 4. Artrubin, D., Wiese, M. ve Bohinc, B. (2020). An outbreak of COVID-19 associated with a recreational hockey game. MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 69(41), 1492–1493.
• 5. Azuma, H., Yanagi, U., Hagi, N., Him, H., Ogata, M. ve Hayashi, M. (2020). Environmental factors involved in SARS-CoV-2 transmission: Effect and role of indoor environmental quality in the strategy for COVID-19 infection control. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 25(1), 66.
• 6. Bae, S., Kim, H., Jung, T. Y., Lim, J. A., Jo, D. H., Kang, G. S., Jeong, S. H., Choi, D. K., Kim, H. J., Cheon, Y. H., Chun, M. K., Kim, M., Choi, S., Chun, C., Shin, S. H., Park, Y. P., Park, O. ve Kwon, H. J. (2020). Epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 outbreak at fitness centers in Cheonan, Horea. Journal of Horean Medical Science, 35(31), e288.
• 7. Bedrosian, N., Mitchell, E., Rohm, E., Rothe, M., Helly, C., String, G. ve Lantagne, D. (2020). A systematic review of surface contamination, stability, and disinfection data on SARS-CoV-2 (Through July 10, 2020). Environmental Science & Technology, 55(7), 4162-4173.
• 8. Bates, M. (2008). Health fitness management (2nd Edition). Champaign (IL): Human Kinetics, 287-353.
• 9. Booty, F. (2009). Facility management handbook. UK: Elsevier, 314-317.
• 10. Can, G. (2021). COVID-19 pandemisi sürecinde spor kulübü yöneticilerinin pazarlama yaklaşımları (Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi). İstanbul Gelişim Üniversitesi Lisansüstü Eğitim Enstitüsü, İstanbul.
• 11. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2020, 18 October). COVID-19 Employer information for gyms and fitness centers. Erişim adresi: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/gym-employers.html
• 12. CDC (2021a). COVID-19 Page. Erişim adresi: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/
• 13. CDC (2021b). Guidance for businesses and employers responding to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Erişim adresi: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html
• 14. Chandrasekaran, B. ve Fernandes, S. (2020). Exercise with facemask; are we handling a devil’s sword? Medical Hypotheses, 144, 2-4.
• 15. Chtourou, H., Trabelsi, H., H'Mida, C., Boukhris, O., Glenn, J. M., Brach, M., Bentlage, E., Bott, N., Jesse, S., Ammar, A. ve Bragazzi, N. L. (2020). Staying physically active during the quarantine and self-isolation period for controlling and mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic overview of the literature. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1708.
• 16. Chen, B., Jia, P. ve Han, L. (2021). Role of indoor aerosols for COVID-19 viral transmission: a review. Environmental Chemistry Letters, 19, 1953-1970.
• 17. Chu, D. H., Akl, E. A., Duda, S., Solo, H., Yaacoub, S. ve Schünemann, H. J. (2020). Physical distancing, face masks, and eye protection to prevent person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet, 395(10242), 1973–1987.
• 18. Chu, D. K., Gu, H., Chang, L. D., Cheuk, S. S., Gurung, S., Krishnan, P. ve Poon, L. L. (2021). SARS-CoV-2 superspread in fitness center, Hong Kong, China, March 2021. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 27, 2230–2232.
• 19. Cotts, D. G., Roper, K. O. ve Payant, R. P. (2010). The facility management handbook (3rd Edition). The USA: Amacom, 376.
• 20. Czypionka, T., Greenhalgh, T., Bassler, D. ve Bryant, M. B. (2021). Masks and face coverings for the lay public: A narrative update. Annals of Internal Medicine, 174(4), 511-520.
• 21. Donthu, N. ve Gustafsson, A. (2020). Effects of COVID-19 on business and research. Journal of Business Research, 117, 284-289.
• 22. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (2021). Can I use fogging, fumigation, or electrostatic spraying or drones to help control COVID-19? Erişim adresi: https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus/can-i-use-fogging-fumigation-or-electrostatic-spraying-or-drones-help-control-covid-19#:~:text=Unless%20the%20pesticide
• 23. Eraslan, A. (2021). Sağlık ve fitness tesislerinde risk yönetimi (Yayınlanmamış doktora tezi), Gazi Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Ankara.
• 24. Eraslan, A. ve Çimen, Z. (2016). The service quality of recreational sports centers on university campuses: perceptions of students. International Journal of Recent Scientific Reserach, 7(7), 12641-12648.
• 25. Fuls, J. L., Rodgers, N. D., Fischler, G. E., Howard, J. M., Patel, M., Weidner, P. L. ve Duran, M. H. (2008). Alternative hand contamination technique to compare the activities of antimicrobial and nonantimicrobial soaps under different test conditions. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 74(12), 3739–3744.
• 26. Goldhammer, H. A., Dooley, D. P., Ayala, E., Zera, W. ve Hill, B. L. (2006). Prospective study of bacterial and viral contamination of exercise equipment. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine: Official Journal of the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine, 16(1), 34–38.
• 27. Honda, H. ve Iwata, H. (2016). Personal protective equipment and improving compliance among healthcare workers in high-risk settings. Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases, 29(4), 400–406.
• 28. Hudges, D., Saw, R., Perera, N. K. P., Mooney, M., Wallett, A., Cooke, J., Coatworth, N. ve Broderick, C. (2020). The Australian Institute of Sport framework for rebooting sport in a COVID-19 enviroment. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 23, 639-663.
• 29. International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA). (2020, 26 June). The 2020 IHRSA global report: Clubs post record numbers in 2019. Erişim adresi: https://www.ihrsa.org/about/media-center/press-releases/the-2020-ihrsa-global-report-clubs-post-record-numbers-in-2019/
• 30. (IHRSA) (2021). COVID data & research for health clubs. Erişim adresi: https://www.ihrsa.org/industry-leadership/covid-data-research-for-health-clubs/
• 31. Jang, S., Han, S. H. ve Rhee, J. Y. (2020). Cluster of coronavirus disease associated with fitness dance classes, South Korea. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 26(8), 1917–1920.
• 32. Jiménez, D., Carbonell, A. ve Lavie, C. J. (2020). Physical exercise as therapy to fight against the mental and physical consequences of COVID-19 quarantine: Special focus in older people. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, 63(3), 386-388.
• 33. Jones, N. R., Qureshi, Z. U., Temple, R. J., Larwood, J. P. J., Greenhalgh, T. ve Bourouiba, L. (2020). Two metres or one: What is the evidence for physical distancing in COVID-19? BMJ, 370, m3223.
• 34. Kampert, M., Singh, T., Finet, J. E. ve Van Iterson, E. H. (2020). Impact of wearing a facial covering on aerobic exercise capacity in the COVID-19 era: is it more than a feeling? Clinical Reearchs Cardiology, 109, 1595–1596
• 35. Korean Institute of Sport Science (2020). Special issue of a desirable direction of sports policy in the era of Corona19. Erişim adresi: https://www.sports.re.kr/pyxis-api/1/digital-files/a27be167-f6bc-4b91-9033-0bd701f3e702
• 36. Leclerc, Q. J., Fuller, N. M., Hnight, L. E., Funk, S. ve Hnight, G. M. (2020). What settings have been linked to SARS-CoV-2 transmission clusters? Wellcome Open Research, 5, 83.
• 37. León-Quismondo, J., García-Unanue, J. ve Burillo, P. (2020). Best practices for fitness center business sustainability: A qualitative vision. Sustainability, 12, 5067.
• 38. Li, T., Liu, Y., Li, M., Qian, X. ve Dai, S. Y. (2020). Mask or no mask for COVID-19: A public health and market study. Plos One, 15(8), e0237691.
• 39. Li, Y. Y., Wang, J. X. ve Chen, X. (2020). Can a toilet promote virus transmission? From a fluid dynamics perspective. Physics of Fluids, 32(6), 065107.
• 40. Liu, Y. C., Huo, R. L. ve Shih, S. R. (2020). COVID-19: The first documented coronavirus pandemic in history. Biomedical Journal, 43(4), 328–333.
• 41. Liang, M., Gao, L., Cheng, C., Zhou, Q., Uy, J. P., Heiner, H. ve Sun, C. (2020). Efficacy of face mask in preventing respiratory virus transmission: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease, 36, 101751.
• 42. MacIntyre, C. R. ve Chughtai, A. A. (2020). A rapid systematic review of the efficacy of face masks and respirators against coronaviruses and other respiratory transmissible viruses for the community, healthcare workers and sick patients. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 108, 103629.
• 43. Michels, H. ve Michels, C. (2016). Copper alloys – the new “old” weapon in the fight against infectious disease. Current Trends in Microbiology, 10, 23-45.
• 44. Morawska, L., Tang, J. W., Bahnfleth, W., Bluyssen, P. M., Boerstra, A., Buonanno, G., Cao, J., Dancer, S., Floto, A., Franchimon, F., Haworth, C., Hogeling, J., Isaxon, C., Jimenez, J. L., Kurnitski, J., Li, Y., Loomans, M., Marks, G…, Yao, M. (2020). How can airborne transmission of COVID-19 indoors be minimised? Environment International, 142, 105832.
• 45. Mukherjee, N., Dowd, S. E., Wise, A., Kedia, S., Vohra, V. ve Banerjee, P. (2014). Diversity of bacterial communities of fitness center surfaces in a U.S. Metropolitan Area. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 11(12), 12544-12561.
• 46. Nardell, E. A. ve Nathavitharana, R.R. (2020). Airborne spread of SARS-CoV-2 and a potential role for air disinfection. JAMA, 324(2), 141–142.
• 47. Nazarenko, Y. (2020). Air filtration and SARS-CoV-2. Epidemiology and Health, 42, e2020049.
• 48. Nielsen, A., Kligler, B. ve Koll, B. S. (2012). Safety protocols for gua sha (press-stroking) and baguan (cupping). Complementary Therapies Medicine, 20(5), 340-344.
• 49. Nieman, D. C. ve Wentz, L. M. (2019). The compelling link between physical activity and the body’s defense system. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 8(3), 201-217.
• 50. Noorimotlagh, Z., Jaafarzadeh, N., Martínez, S. S. ve Mirzaee, S. A. (2021). A systematic review of possible airborne transmission of the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) in the indoor air environment. Environmental Research, 193, 110612–110612.
• 51. Ong, A. K. S., Prasetyo, Y. T., Picazo, K. L., Salvador, K. A., Miraja, B. A., Kurata, Y. B. ve Young, M. N. (2021). Gym-goers preference analysis of fitness centers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A conjoint analysis approach for business sustainability. Sustainability, 13, 10481.
• 52. Qureshi, Z., Jones, N., Temple, R., Larwood, J. P., Greenhalgh, T. ve Bourouiba, L. (2020). What is the evidence to support the 2-metre social distancing rule to reduce COVID-19 transmission? BMJ, 25(370), m3223.
• 53. Rutala, W. A. ve Weber, D. J. (2016). Monitoring and improving the effectiveness of surface cleaning and disinfection. American Journal of Infection Control, 44(5 Suppl), e69–76.
• 54. Samaranayake, L. P., Fakhruddin, H. S., Ngo, H. C., Chang, J. W. W. ve Panduwawala, C. (2020). The effectiveness and efficacy of respiratory protective equipment (RPE) in dentistry and other health care settings: a systematic review. Acta Odontologica Scandinavica, 78(8), 626–639.
• 55. Silveira, M. P., Silva Fagundes, K. K., Bizuti, M. R., Starck, E., Rossi, R. C. ve Resende e Silva, D. T. (2020). Physical exercise as a tool to help the immune system against COVID-19: an integrative review of the current literature, Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 21, 15-28.
• 56. Spengler, J. O., Connaughton, D. P. ve Pitmann, A. T. (2006). Risk management in sport and recreation. The USA: Human Kinetics.
• 57. Tang, S., Mao, Y., Jones, R. M., Tan, Q., Ji, J. S., Li, N., Shen, J., Ly, Y., Pan, L., Ding, P., Wang, X., Wang, Y., MacIntyre, C. R. ve Shi, X. (2020). Aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2? Evidence, prevention and control. Environment International, 144, 106039.
• 58. The New York Times. (2021). See coronavirus restrictions and mask mandates for all 50 states. Erişim adresi: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/states-reopen-map-coronavirus.html
• 59. Ueki, H., Furusawa, Y., Iwatsuki-Horimoto, H., Imai, M., Habata, H., Nishimura, H. ve Hawaoka, Y. (2020). Effectiveness of face masks in preventing airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2. mSphere, 5(5). E00637-20.
• 60. Ulusoy, Y. (2021). The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on gym, indoor and outdoor sports. Fenerbahçe University Journal of Sport Science, 1(3), 17-23.
• 61. van Doremalen, N., Bushmaker, T., Morris, D. H., Holbrook, M. G., Gamble, A., Williamson, B. N., Tamin, A., Harcourt, J. L., Thornbug, N. J., Gerber, S. I., Lloyd-Smith, J.O. Wit, E. ve Munster, V. J. (2020). Aerosol and surface stability of sARS-CoV-2 as compared with SARS-CoV-1. The New England Journal of Medicine, 382(16), 1564–1567.
• 62. Veiga-Malta I. (2016). Preventing Healthcare-associated infections by monitoring the cleanliness of medical devices and other critical points in a sterilization service. Biomed Instrum Technology, 50(Suppl 3), 45-52.
• 63. Wang, J.-X., Li, Y.-Y., Liu, X.-D. ve Cao, X. (2020). Virus transmission from urinals. Physics of Fluids (Woodbury, N.Y. : 1994), 32(8), 081703.
• 64. West, A. M., Nkemngong, C. A., Voorn, M. G., Wu, T., Li, X., Teska, P. J. ve Oliver, H. F. (2018). Surface area wiped, product type, and target strain impact bactericidal efficacy of ready-to-use disinfectant Towelettes. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control, 7, 122.
• 65. Westcott, W. L. (2019). Staying healthy while you get fit: a new perspective. The Gamut of Life, 68, 8-10.
• 66. World Health Organization (WHO) (2021a). COVID-19 vaccines. Erişim adresi: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavi rus-2019/covid-19-vaccines
• 67. WHO. (2021b). World Health Organization coronavirus (COVID-19) dashboard. Erişim adresi: https://covid19.who.int/
• 68. Wiktorczyk-Hapischke, N., Grudlewska-Buda, H., Wałecka-Zacharska, E., Hwiecińska-Piróg, J., Radtke, L., Gospodarek-Homkowska, E. ve Skowron, H. (2021). SARS-CoV-2 in the environment–Non-droplet spreading routes. The Science of the Total Environment, 770, 145260.
• 69. Xi, J., Si, X. A. ve Nagarajan, R. (2020). Effects of mask-wearing on the inhalability and deposition of airborne SARS-CoV-2 aerosols in human upper airway. Physics of Fluids, 32(12), 123312.