ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — "I'm beyond pissed," says Davor Fetahovic, owner of Body Control Gym in Bartram Springs in St. Johns. He believes it's unfair hair and nail salons got to re-open already.
Yet gyms, and clients focused on their health, are still shut down.
Fetahovic says he's spent six years building up his business.
When the pandemic began, he was excited about a new way to reach his customers: Zoom virtual workouts. He says it could "spread positivity" around our community and keep people healthy, people feeling "trapped at home."
Now, however, he's worried about the survival of his business. "We've lost over 80 percent of our business," Fetahovic says.
He's hoping Gov. Ron DeSantis will announce on Friday a re-opening of gyms very soon.
Fetahovic realizes people are worried that in a gym there's a lot of sweat flying around and other respiratory droplets.
He has a plan to re-open safely, he believes. And he says he can be just as safe as a hair salon.
First, he would not re-open until two weeks after an announcement is made giving the okay for gyms to open their doors. He wants to thoroughly enact the requirements to be safe.
Second, no cardio workouts will be allowed.
Third, he is marking 8X8 areas on his floor --- six feet apart -- for workouts. "No equipment would be shared, and no one will be in close contact with each other," he explains.
Fourth, for sanitation, customers must use hand sanitizer before they come into the gym area, personal trainers will wear masks, and all equipment will be wiped in between the small classes of people.
Fifth, he'll follow the guidelines set out by both the city and the state.
"We want to do it right," Fetahovic says. He wants to continue being a positive force in the community. Through Fetahovic's leadership, Body Control Gym has supported fundraisers for breast cancer and veterans with PTSD.