Kentuckians Return to Gyms

Retired Army Col. Reese Turner learned leadership at West Point, the Army War College, and in more than 30 years as a commissioned officer. Since his retirement, Col. Reese Turner has spearheaded an IT training operation for people transitioning out of the military and those with disadvantaged backgrounds. Today, he directs the operations of Proformance Health & Well-Being in Louisville, Kentucky.

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in the United States caused most states to shut down commercial enterprises for as long as possible. When they learned more about the disease and how to limit its spread, states began permitting establishments to reopen cautiously with limitations to minimize the transmission of the virus.

Minimizing the risk of transmission, especially in fitness centers, is a challenge. When fitness centers reopened in Kentucky on June 1, 2020, after more than two months, they could operate at only a third of their normal capacity, and they had a long list of state mandates.

Despite the risk, the restrictions, and the mandates, people returned to fitness centers and gyms. Participants and facility staff members are health-conscious and generally observant of social distancing and personal protective equipment requirements.