AS THE CLOCK HIIT MIDNIGHT

- David Lloyd Clubs hosts the UK’s first post-lockdown indoor exercise class at midnight on the day gyms and health clubs officially reopened -

24th July 2020

During the last few months looking after our health and fitness has never been more important. With health clubs and gyms being closed since 20th March people up and down the country have been forced to exercise in their living rooms, bedrooms and gardens. However, this weekend puts a stop to that, and one health club in particular couldn’t wait to get back to reopen its doors.

The UK’s leading health and fitness group, David Lloyd Clubs opened the doors of one of its 87 clubs in England at exactly midnight on Saturday 25th July to hold what is believes to be the nation’s very first post-lockdown indoor exercise class. 

Eager fitness fanatics queued up in the night to be welcomed back by staff at David Lloyd Hampton for the first time in 126 days. Once through the doors, members were invited to take part in a BLAZE class: a dynamic HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout which combines mixed martial arts, intense cardio and strength training. They were also given free reign of the facilities in the early hours, which have all been redesigned to operate under the new health and safety guidelines. 

Joining the members was celebrity, TV presenter and David Lloyd Clubs member Jeff Brazier. Jeff spent lockdown with his wife Kate and two boys Bobby (17) and Freddie (16) and like parents up and down the country was juggling working, home-schooling and trying to keep his family safe and healthy. 

TV Presenter and celebrity, Jeff Brazier said: “Coming back to David Lloyd Clubs has been a much-needed return to normality for me, even if it was at midnight! We of course did what we had to do over the last few months and while it was so important to me and my family to stay fit and healthy, both physically and mentally, there’s nothing like returning to the club and getting to use all the proper equipment these guys have here.  

It’s also so nice to be around people again. Everyone’s being sensible and sticking to the rules, but just being able to see everyone’s faces and have a chat about how they’ve been over these last four months makes such a difference.

I’ve taken up tennis during lockdown and have been playing with my wife Kate, and so we’re really looking forward to playing regularly at my local David Lloyd Club.”

David Lloyd Leisure which operates 100 clubs in the UK, is uniquely placed to operate within the new safety guidelines, as its clubs are predominantly located in suburban areas, many spread over 100,000sq ft with large outdoor areas.  In addition, many David Lloyd Clubs have already been open for the last few weeks, offering outdoor gyms, group exercise, tennis and kids clubs, and its teams are experienced and well-placed to implement those measures in the clubs’ indoor areas.  

Glenn Earlham CEO at David Lloyd Clubs said: “We’re delighted that we’re finally able to open the doors to our spacious and safe clubs – it’s been a long time coming. We didn’t want to wait a second longer than necessary to mark this moment, and that’s why we’ve held what we believe is England’s very first post-lockdown indoor exercise class – which has taken place at midnight on the day health clubs, gyms and leisure centres have been allowed to reopen and exactly 126 days since our last classes. To see our members back in the club at David Lloyd Hampton after all this time was a fantastic moment and we can’t wait to see the rest of our members now return to enjoy our premium health, fitness and wellbeing facilities.”
        
From today (25th July) there will be outdoor and indoor exercise spaces for gym and group exercise and most clubs have added a second gym allowing ample social distancing in all areas of the club. There will also be a longer gap in between classes to allow for a deep cleaning process. Numbers of people in the clubs’ indoor, outdoor and kids swimming pools will carefully monitored and limited, and lane swimmers will be asked to keep 5ms apart. 

Other measures include significantly increasing the number of cleaning staff who will clean throughout the day and clear social distancing measures will be introduced in all areas of the Club. Personal protective equipment (PPE) will be provided for teams, and company has sourced cleaning materials and hand sanitiser, both of which exceed the recommended grades suggested. Plastic screens have been installed in reception and there is restricted access to turnstiles to manage capacities. 
 
Every member of the team will be trained to be aware, and take personal responsibility, for ensuring the quality and maintenance of the highest standards of health and safety within the clubs.  

For further information please visit  www.davidlloyd.co.uk/new-normal.

- ENDS -
Notes to Editor

Summary of measures implemented:
We are closely following government guidelines in each country we operate in and working with the industry body UKActive, to provide a safe environment to train in and facilitate social distancing. 
In England measures are:
• Using our ample space effectively - 80% of clubs will operate with a second gym area on indoor tennis courts allowing for generous social distancing, workout areas of 3m x 3m providing maximum safety and a comfortable experience. 
• Where we are not able to move equipment, will take a proportion of equipment out of use to ensure social distancing. .
• We are limiting bookings/numbers for group exercise classes to adhere to social distancing guidelines. Members will be spaced at 2.5m apart. 
• We are reducing the number of members in certain areas of the club to minimise congestion and ensure members and team members can practice social distancing.
• We have introduced plastic screens to reception desks 
• We are asking members and team members to remain a safe distance apart in line with current social distancing guidelines.
• We are using signage, including clear floor markings to help members to remain apart, and team members will be on hand throughout our clubs to support.
• We are installing thermal imaging camera technology in some of our Clubs.
Upweighted our cleaning processes:
All cleaning is carried out with a fully viricidal disinfectant cleaner, certified to kill enveloped viruses (including Covid-19) within 60 seconds.
• We have increased the number of cleaning staff we employ,  with particular attention being paid to areas of high traffic.
• We have introduced sanitisation stations across the Club, and have increased the amount of sanitiser spray and disposable blue paper available to members to further encourage them to wipe down and clean equipment before and after use.
• We have introduced extra time between classes to allow us to fully clean all areas between classes.
• All team members have been trained on our new ways of working for cleaning and social distancing and all will be responsible for cleaning and sanitising around the Club.
Safety of our team:
• We have completed Covid-19 workshops so the whole team is on board and understand what is required of them for us to safely run our Clubs.
• Team members have been told they should not leave home if they display any Covid-19 symptoms
• The team will be washing their hands before their shift, after completing cleaning tasks and frequently throughout shifts.
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) will be provided to team members. Disposable gloves and aprons will be worn when completing any cleaning.
• Social distancing rules apply to team members too. We have re-organised offices and rotas to ensure social distancing can be achieved.
About David Lloyd Leisure Group:

The David Lloyd Leisure Group has 123 clubs - 100 clubs in the UK and a further 23 clubs across Europe, comprising its two brands David Lloyd Clubs and Harbour Clubs (of which there are three - Chelsea, Notting Hill and Kensington). In January 2020, it exchanged contracts on eight clubs from the Meridian Group in Germany. In March 2020 it announced it had exchanged contracts to acquire Geneva Country Club, its second club in the Geneva region.
It has over 660,000 members and employs around 8600 people. This includes an expert health and fitness team of over 2000 while it contracts the services of more than 680 tennis professionals.

David Lloyd Club’s racquets facilities are unparalleled with over 1080 tennis courts as well as over 400 badminton and squash courts. Additional facilities include health and beauty spas, club lounges with free internet access, crèches, nurseries and specialist sports shops. 

www.davidlloyd.co.uk