In the weight area, certain equipment will be unplugged and clearly marked to increase distances between clients; 30-minute time limits may be imposed, if necessary. Such amenities as showers, steam rooms, saunas, and pools will be closed entirely.

“We have done absolutely everything to ensure the safety of our clubs,” Turchin says. “I do feel that it is safe.”

Despite the changes, there is currently no plan to alter membership fees. Monthly memberships start at approximately $190 in New York for select access and increase for all-access, destination, executive, and E memberships. 

Helaine Knapp, founder and CEO of City Row, says its studios have spaced rowing machines to enable social distancing and are asking clients to sanitize them before and after workouts, in addition to disinfection by designated staff as well. Showers are not available, and there is limited locker capacity. (At Barry’s, showers and locker rooms are temporarily unavailable; locker rooms are open only for hand-washing and bathroom use.)

In addition to Boca Raton, City Row locations in Atlanta and Allen, Tex., have reopened. Sites in Portland, Ore., and Denver are next, Knapp notes. She says they’re learning that different areas of the country have varying virus situations and concerns. “Each of our 11 studios have their own local community, and our goal is to listen and make sure that our members feel safe and comfortable about returning,” she says.

Despite allowance by several state governments for gyms to reopen, Barry’s isn’t rushing back. Its Texas studios reopened on June 1, but there aren’t any concrete plans to reopen others. 

Although returning to a gym or fitness class entails risk, health experts say there are ways to minimize the danger to yourself and others.

Dr. Marybeth Sexton, assistant professor of infectious diseases at Emory University School of Medicine, recommends wearing a mask whenever possible, although she recognizes the difficulty of doing so while exercising vigorously.

“Anytime you can have a mask on and tolerate it, you should,” she says. “People can spread Covid-19 before they know they have it, and sometimes people who have it have no symptoms at all and are contagious.”

Avoiding locker rooms and showering at home instead might be a good idea for now, even if they are open, she notes, especially because those tend to be in high-density areas.