When the governor lifted restrictions on gyms and salons, it was a bit of a game changer for operators.

COVID-19 effectively stopped people in their tracks, figuratively and literally. When Ross Suozzi closed Peaks Athletic Club, he had already been isolating himself.

With a second round of cancer, Suozzi has self-quarantined since last September. And as a result of his illness, he said he has gone “above and beyond” the requirements put in place by the governor when reopening the local gym.

Two other fitness facilities in Fountain Hills have also stepped up their game in reopening their clubs.

Mari DeGroote, owner of Snap Fitness, a 24-hour facility, took advantage of the time away to do some upgrades to the gym.

“I had the carpets cleaned, did some painting, rewired some of the remote cameras and just did all the things that have needed to be done,” she said. “It is absolutely spotless here.”

She added that customers are required to wash their hands with soap and water when they come into the gym.

Gina Morkel, who owns Anytime Fitness, said they have always prided themselves in being a “very clean gym.”

“The reopening is raising awareness more,” Morkel said.

She said she is welcoming back all members, but some have been reluctant to jump back in.

“We’re so happy to have people coming back, and we will be glad to have everyone back when they’re ready,” Morkel added.

Morkel said that business has been steady, and it has been easy to pace the number of people in the gym at any one time.

“We are following standard protocols as outlined by the CDC and the governor’s office,” she said. “In addition to monitoring protocols at the gym, we can also monitor them online.”

Anytime Fitness also is a 24-hour gym, and employees stay busy cleaning equipment and high-touch surfaces.

“We are really constantly cleaning,” Morkel said.

She added that before the pandemic closure, Anytime had four sanitation stations. It now has 25, and provides customers with dedicated bottles of cleanser so they are able to clean equipment before and after using it.

Morkel said masks are optional, and she has heard mixed reviews about using masks while exercising.

“The CO2 can be an issue, apparently,” she said. “So we let people decide whether or not they want to use a mask. They are recommended but not required.”

Suozzi said before he was diagnosed for the second time with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, he had begun educating himself about viruses and contaminants.

Simple practices of staying home, social distancing and avoidance have helped him cope with the lockdown.

“But an important thing for people to know is that we have choices in our lives,” he said. “When the fear factor gets going, you lose quality of life. So you have to make smart choices, stick together and support each other.”

Suozzi has done quite a bit of work at Peaks to create a safe space for his customers.

He has installed a sink outside the doors of the facility and requires people to wash their hands before entering. Staff takes the temperature of customers as they enter the building. Equipment has been moved to establish proper distancing, and some of the amenities including the sauna and steam room have been closed. Customers also are not able to use lockers.

“We’ve basically removed or reduced the number of accessories that have a higher potential of [holding] contaminants,” Suozzi said.

Equipment has been rearranged at Anytime Fitness to ensure social distancing. Morkel said group classes will slowly reopen, but there will be limits to the number of people who can take a class at any one time. She said the cycling classes reopened May 22, but the bikes can be positioned so people are distanced.

“That is an easy one,” she said. “Others require a bit more organizing.”

The size of group classes at Peaks has been reduced but will grow as time goes on.

“That is subject to change, but at the moment, we’re keeping classes small,” he said.

DeGroote opened May 13, when the restrictions were lifted.

“We now restrict the number of people who can be here to 15 at any one time,” she said. “When customers come in, we have them wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.”

Her cardio equipment has been spaced six-feet apart, and there are shields between other equipment.

She promotes the use of masks, but they are not required.

“They are encouraged, but not mandatory,” she said.

Her customers are slowly returning to the gym, and they have called or stopped by to see what has been done to ensure safety.

“After talking with us, people have said they feel ready to come back,” she said.

DeGroote said the facility lost a lot of money during the shut down and received no government help.

“It’s going to take a while before we are back to normal,” she said. “But by reassuring our customers and constantly cleaning, sanitizing and making sure everybody is doing what they are supposed to do, I think we’ll be okay. We’re just so glad to be back.”