As gyms across the island spring back into life, welcoming members eager to get back into workout routines, personal trainers are advising their clients to start slow.

Monday marked a new phase for the lifting of measures designed to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Gyms can now reopen although classes cannot be held.

Contact sport for people aged 17 and over can also resume and pools stay open until 8pm, for swimming only.

After being closed for nearly two months, yesterday was a busy day from the word go for the manager of StudioFifteen, a fitness gym in Swieqi.

“I arrived to open the place at around 5.30am and was greeted by a couple of our regular members who were waiting outside and all very excited to get back in,” Matthew Towns said.

It was “rewarding” to be back, he said, both instructors and members having missed the gym.

All the safety protocols were being respected so members felt safe, Towns added.

Like other gymnasiums, StudioFifteen was running online and outdoor classes but could not replicate the “social” side of the gym.

“You can see that our members missed the social community we have here and were ready to return,” he said.

However, while fitness instructors are happy to welcome members back, they also are urging all athletes to take it easy at first.

“It’s a bit of a mind-game. We know people will try to give 100 per cent on their first day but you need to start slow and make progress every day,” Kyra Poland, personal trainer at StudioFifteen, said.

You need to start slow and make progress every day

Many of the “diehard” members who used to come in every day did manage to keep up a fitness schedule of sorts during lockdown, she noted.

Some members might have lost a bit of muscle gain and it was understandable for people to feel demotivated  but they should not worry: “With time and effort, you will gain what was lost during lockdown.”

24/7 Fitness Gym trainer Daniel Kolovic stressed the importance of consistency.

“We had many eager members coming back and we could see that, while some managed to keep in shape throughout lockdown, there were a few who did let go of their fitness a bit.”

The gym had “very good vibes” and some members dived straight into weight training but this was not ideal, he said.

“We would advise people not to jump straight back into difficult or crazy routines but start slowly and gradually work their way back. Consistency is key.”

Some gym managers did raise concern about the ban on classes.

“Apart from being a good source of income, classes help those members who wish to work out but are not sure which machine to use or are shy to ask,” Sliema FortFitness manager, Paul Zammit, said.

“For now, we will provide more fitness guidance for those who usually go for classes.”

Shane Abela, owner of Lords Gym, in St Julian’s, said: “We mainly provide classes for our members, so we had to change the whole set-up of our gym. Now people book a time slot and do a workout on their own.”

Before the lockdown, he would hold classes of eight people. Controlling the situation now meant double the workload.

“It’s not ideal but it’s better to have a controlled environment during this time.”

Asked about the fitness levels of returning members, he said that the “dedicated ones” did lack some weight training since a lot of people had resorted to running and cardio to keep fit during lockdown.

His advice on weight training was the same: “Ideally, take a week or two to slowly get back in. Don’t go into heavy weights straightaway. If you are fit, it will come back to you and there is no rush really.”

There was relief among his members that gyms had reopened, he said.

“Some are still a bit scared  but a lot of people are happy and ready.”