Many Gyms Close In Riverside County Due To Coronavirus

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Gyms across Riverside County have announced they are temporarily closing due to the latest order from the county's top health official.

LA Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness and some Orangetheory Fitness locations announced they are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Fitness 19 and Planet Fitness have yet to make company-wide announcements, and some CrossFit locations have announced closures or severely restricted class schedules.

In some cities with local emergency declarations, such as Palm Springs, all gyms have been ordered shut down.

Countywide, public gatherings of 10 or more people are ordered cancelled, effective immediately, it was announced Monday night by Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser. The order also states that gatherings with fewer than 10 people must have enough available room to maintain six feet of space between attendees — known as "social distancing."

The order is in place through April 30.

SEE: Coronavirus Kills 2 In Riverside County, New Order Issued

While some gyms can't accommodate social distancing, some are trying to remain open during the order.

Turn2CrossFit Murrieta is still holding five classes per day, but each session is limited to nine people. Social distancing of 6-9 feet will be in place during the workouts — and hugs, high fives and body contact can't happen, according to the gym's website.

Many gyms are franchise operations, including CrossFit, so it remains to be seen how each location will respond. Planet Fitness and Fitness 19 are franchise operations.

Orangetheory is also a franchise, but the company stated that all its corporate-owned facilities are closed.

LA Fitness is also a franchise operation, but the closure is across all of its locations.

Best to check your gym before heading out for a workout.

At press time, running, biking, hiking, dog walking and other outdoor activities are allowed in the county, provided there is social distancing per the latest health order. Some parks are closed, however, so you may have to take your workout to the streets.

Fortunately, we live in an online age, and there are countless home workouts available online — some gyms are even promising home training sessions via the internet.

You may to get creative if you don't have a good assortment of free weights, resistance bands and equipment at home. Those garden boulders, that steep street and the old heavy-duty extension cord that doubles as a jumprope might be your new normal for a while. For those with special needs or who are recuperating from injury and require specific low-impact, low-resistance training, there's a good chance an online workout exists (dry-land swimming is a thing!). This might even be a time to explore some new fitness options.

As for gym fees, Orangetheory is offering a membership freeze, and others might do the same, but regardless, it takes a phone call or an online process. Ugh.

Through it all, you can do it. As the famous Nike tag goes, "Your only limit is you."