Pandemic hasn't dampened most fitness classes at Sioux City's Four Seasons

"We haven't really taken too many classes off the schedule. We've been able to maintain them," said Tim Clark, Four Seasons' corporate sales and marketing manager. "Some classes that were predominantly with seniors, those are still on hold. Based on feedback from members in that group and the instructors, we just felt that was the best thing."

That doesn't mean members who take fitness classes at the 85,000-square-foot facility haven't noticed some big changes. The health club uses an app for contactless check-in and class sizes have been scaled back to allow for a distance of more than six feet between participants.

"Another big change is, in between each set, before you're going to go to the next station in a circuit class, for example, the members have to stop, sanitize the station where they are, and then they can move on to the next station," Clark said.

Clark, a Johns Hopkins certified COVID-19 contract tracer, said it was "a mistake" for the state to lump health clubs in with bars and restaurants when it came to COVID-19 mitigation efforts, as health clubs are "safe environments." He noted that Four Seasons' HVAC system refreshes the air 12 to 24 times every hour.

"I think you'd be hard-pressed to find any other business in the tri-state area that has that certification," he said. "When it comes to contact tracing, fitness centers should be held up as the example. We know exactly when somebody was here and who else was here and around them, potentially." 

For members who don't feel comfortable attending classes in-person, Clark said Four Seasons offers Fitness on Demand, a virtual library with roughly 1,000 professional fitness videos, which they can stream on phone, laptop or smart TV. 

"There are many who are not going to feel comfortable going anywhere until they have the vaccine. People with chronic illnesses were just basically becoming very sedentary, so now there are health issues worsening that were under control or managed better when they coming in and working out or just moving," he said. 

In fact, Clark said Four Seasons even now offers a virtual-only membership. Virtual offerings range from mindfulness to high impact exercise videos, which are led by professional instructors. While Clark said the health club has the ability to livestream classes, he said the demand isn't quite there yet. To take advantage of a virtual members, there is no need for a home gym or a bunch of equipment, according to Clark. 

"The videos tell them upfront approximately how many calories you burn, what level -- if it's beginning to a seasoned person who has been working out for years, and what equipment, if any, you would need at home," he said.

Clark said maintaining fitness during the pandemic really comes down to moving your own way. He understands that coming into a fitness center is "intimidating" even in normal times, but his advice is to "just show up." 

"The people who come here, they're not stick-thin. We're normal and we're all works in progress. We're a community that will help people on whatever goals they want to achieve." 

Clark also cautions against comparing the beginning of your fitness journey with someone who is in the middle of theirs. He encourages newcomers to try out some of the classes, make some friends and stick with it. 

"As we say around here, fit is fit and that looks different on everybody," he said. "Just get out and move, whether that be coming to a facility like ours and you use the open air upper deck for brisk walking three times a week at 20 minutes."