Northampton's gyms prepare for a longer wait under lockdown as other restrictions lift across the country

Gyms will have to wait longer for their lockdown to end.

Northampton's independent gyms have been told they will have to stay shut longer than first hoped under the plans to ease off the lockdown.

PM Boris Johnson yesterday, Tuesday, announced the most substantial easing of lockdown measures to date, and told salons, restaurants and hotels they could reopen on July 4.

However, despite an early indication that the fitness industry would be included in the 'phase three' plan, gyms and exercise studios have been told they will have to wait longer to reopen.

Trilogy has asked for their members to contact their local MP and ask for leisure centres to open again.

Today (June 24), Northampton's gyms told the Chronicle & Echo how it felt to have their livelihood still up in the air.

"It's frustrating," said Faraj Elfakir, of Better Bodies Gym, in Freehold Street. "We have loyal members but we need to be open for them or we're going to lose them.

"We have a large floorspace. We've worked out how we can space people out and disinfect equipment. It's possible and we're ready, so it's frustrating.

"The main thing is the health of the people - but at the same time it's our livelihood.

The team at Better Bodies Gym says they are "frustrated" at putting their livelihood on hold for longer.

"We're optimistic they will retract their decision maybe a week after July 4."

Nationally, the chief executive of PureGym Humphrey Cobbold has stated he is "bitterly disappointed" by the decision and claims it is a "strange war on obesity that sees pubs and restaurants open before gyms."

While pubs and restaurants have been given the go-ahead, swimming pools, nightclub dance floors and manicure salons have been told to wait, prompting accusation of inconsistencies.

But Ali Wilson, of Northampton's PTS gym said: "My colleagues in the fitness industry and other gyms have been embarrassing today.

Meanwhile, Ali Wilson at PTS Gym says the fitness industry ought to adapt and overcome the same way they teach their clients.

"As an industry, we are supposed to be helping people look after themselves and lead by example, and show emotional fortitude.

"My take is I own a gym and the lockdown has been savage - I don't even know if I'm going to have to close my physical gym. It's 5,000 square feet.

"But we as fitness instructors are meant to teach people to adapt and overcome, and use stress to better ourselves.We have to look after our clients and look at thee avenues available to us through technology to overcome this."

Meanwhile, Trilogy Northampton - which owns five locations across the town - is calling on its members to write to their MPs and ask them for support to reopen leisure centres and gyms.

In a Facebook post today, the gym's managing director John Fletcher wrote: "We were very disappointed to hear the Government announcement on the continued closure of our centres, our gyms and our swimming pools.

"While we appreciate the need to place the health of our members at the forefront of what we do, we now have in place measures to ensure that we can re-open in a safe way."