Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours regarding COVID-19 among gym/fitness centre members

An outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 forced many gyms/fitness centres to close during the initial phases of the pandemic. When government authorities allowed the reopening of gyms/fitness centres in the summer of 2020, the industry faced many challenges in providing a reasonably safe environment, as well as overcoming the public's fear of exercising in communal spaces. This cross-sectional, exploratory study examined Florida gym/fitness centre members' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours associated with exercising at gym/fitness centre facilities during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. The overall findings revealed most gym/fitness centre members had sound knowledge about COVID-19 (e.g., preventative/safety measures, risk factors, symptoms) and positive attitudes about exercising at the facility during the pandemic (e.g., less worry about the virus, valuing the benefits of exercise over the risk of the virus). Additionally, most respondents' behaviours were aligned with COVID-19 safety guidelines and recommendations, such as sanitising/disinfecting fitness equipment and adhering to social distancing guidelines. Based on a regression analysis, COVID-19 attitudes were a strong predictor of related safety behaviours (p < 0.001). Practical recommendations are discussed in an effort to assist the gym/fitness industry better understand and accommodate the public in the current and future pandemic-related scenarios.