‘Give us a chance’: El Paso gym owner details struggle to keep doors open amid Covid

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso County data from late November shows traffic at gyms increased as coronavirus cases dropped. Between November 16 and November 23, county health officials reported mobility at gyms increased by 31%, after dropping during the recent surge in cases and hospitalizations.

It's a trend that one local El Paso gym owner has noticed too. Daniel Alvarado, the owner of PUSH Fitness, said he has seen more customers lately as individuals become more comfortable with new safety measures being implemented.

Alvarado has invested in new equipment to minimize shared surfaces during workouts and has separated workout stations to ensure more social distancing.

Still, he only expects about half of the number of customers he saw last year during the upcoming 'new year surge.' He hopes El Pasoans continue to support local gyms in any way they can.

"It does help when people value that and see how hard we're working to stay open, adhere to guidelines and try to make the necessary guidelines so that we can stay operating and in business," Alvarado said.

One of the ways Alvarado has continued to attract customers during the pandemic is through emphasizing online options. Alvarado uses a mobile application to deliver workouts to members each day based on what equipment they have at home.

"For a lot of us owners, this is our livelihood," he said. "We're not a franchise or anything like that, so all of our investment comes out of our own pocket."

"Give us a chance," he added. "Give local gyms a chance and see how much we're trying to adapt to stay afloat."