Ohio Governor, Mike DeWine, has ordered all Ohio gyms to close until further notice.

DeWine closed gyms and other sporting facilities Monday to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The closure of gyms is going to affect athletes and gym owners alike.

“I just hope it doesn’t affect my progress too much,” Claudia Apaestegui, Senior Nutrition major at Kent State University, said. 

Apaestegui is currently prepping for a bikini competition.

“I will be doing at home workouts and keeping up with cardio,” Apaestegui said, “It is not the same as going to the gym but something is better than nothing. I am still following protocol assuming my competition is going on in 10 weeks.”

The owners of Kent Barbell Club, Phillip Roberts and Toni Tokie, responded to the closing of gyms on social media. 

“Our members mean the world to us. Nothing matters more than your safety. With that being said, we will be closing Kent Barbell Club at 9 p.m. tonight to comply with the governor’s orders,” Tokie and Roberts said.

Kent Barbell Club will be placing a hold on all memberships until they are able to reopen, Tokie and Roberts said. 

“This is a difficult time for fitness boutiques,” John Wood, Owner of CycleBar in Hudson, OH, said. 

“We will be back in our studio the minute we re-open, whether that be two weeks or two months,” Wood added. 

“I think I will lose some strength since I am not the most motivated to do home workouts,” said Kent Barbell member Rachel Gottfried

However, Gottfried said she went a month without the gym in the past and actually came back better than ever, so she is optimistic.

“I will clean my house, workout from home, walk my dogs a lot and work on yoga and mobility,” Gottfried said. 

CrossFit Cadre, located in Hudson, OH, sent out an email to their members regarding the closing of Cadre. 

“You’ve done everything you can to prepare yourselves for a sickness. Strong, fit people are harder to kill, and they bounce back fast. You’ve taken care of yourself, you’ve eaten well, and you’re tough as nails”, CrossFit Cadre said in an email, “We are Cadre strong!”

Plus, Cadre added they are going to post at home workouts and even check-out equipment to their members until they are able to re-open.

“We promise we will be the first gym to re-open,” Tokie and Roberts said.

 Hannah Burkey covers recreation and fitness. Contact her at [email protected].