Nov. 19, 2020

This paid piece is sponsored by GreatLIFE Golf & Fitness.

GreatLIFE members who prefer to wear a mask while working out now have new designated areas just for them.

There are spaces set aside at Woodlake Athletic Club as well as the GreatLIFE fitness center at 39th Street and Phillips Avenue where masking is required.

“It’s just a place for people who feel more comfortable working out in a mask, and at Woodlake you can use the west entrance, so you don’t have to go through the rest of the facility, and then go right to that area,” GreatLIFE assistant general manager Krista Youngberg said.

“And at 39th and Phillips, you don’t have to walk very far to get to it either. When we announced we were offering it, people were really responsive.”

The mask ordinance passed by the city of Sioux Falls this week shouldn’t have major impacts on GreatLIFE members, president Nick Ovenden said. The measures GreatLIFE has had in place for the past eight months largely should allow for enough distancing that masking won’t be required while working out.

“There also will be some areas where it may be challenging to keep your distance, so we’ll continue to strongly encourage you to wear a mask in those spaces,” he said.

Need a mask? You can pick up a GreatLIFE Cares mask at any fitness center. The biggest thing to keep in mind if you wear one while working out is to make sure it fits your face well, to allow for good oxygen flow and reduce irritation on your face, Ovenden said.

GreatLIFE already put in place several measures for mitigation, including requiring team members to wear masks, adding shields at support desks and marking off space for distancing at multiple areas around its golf courses.

“We’ve taped off individual spaces on the floor and created pre-registration for group fitness classes, we spread out our cardio equipment to 6 foot or more, and we’ve roughly doubled the amount of sanitizing stations within the facilities,” Ovenden said.

“As a GreatLIFE family, we will continue to do everything in our power to provide a safe and inviting atmosphere.”