(submitted photo/S2DIO)

By Jeff D'Andrea

Spinning in a pandemic

Local spin S2DIO hopes to avoid a second shutdown

Nov 18, 2020 | 4:05 PM

The first two years have been a whirlwind for the Spin S2DIO in Prince Albert.

In that short time, they’ve already experienced the turmoil of moving buildings and getting shut down by a global pandemic six months later. And now, owner Desiree Hesson is worried about the prospects of a second shutdown.

“For a new business to go through this, for any business to go through this at all, it’s terrible,” Hesson said. “As a new business, it’s been super hard to try to navigate.”

The Saskatchewan Health Authority put additional restrictions on spin studios and other group physical activities last week. Classes have a new maximum of eight, machines must be at least three metres apart among other new guidelines. And on Tuesday, the SHA said staff will be in talks with gyms, group physical activity groups, and team sports organizations to see what more can be done to limit the spread.

There is also increasing pressure on the government to do more. On Wednesday morning, NDP leader Ryan Meili called for a three-week “circuit breaker,” or a near lockdown with exceptions made for schools and essential businesses. The Saskatchewan Medical Association and other organizations have also called for the government to do more on several occasions.

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Hesson said S2DIO has not had any COVID-19 cases through her business. She added other spin studios and boutique studios across the province have had numbers close to zero, and have avoided super-spreader situations.

Saskatchewan gym owners Jolene and Edward de Vries conducted a survey through a group they created, the Saskatchewan Fitness Council. They found there was a 0.006 per cent rate of exposure and a 0.00075 rate of transmission for participating gyms around the province as of last Friday.

“For us to be potentially on the verge of a shutdown again when we are really not causing any rise in COVID numbers, is extremely frustrating,” Hesson told paNOW. “What we’re doing is working. We’re keeping it safe, we’re keeping it maintained. Knock on wood, I have not had a COVID case come through my business yet, so it goes to show that what we’re doing is working and there’s nothing more we can do.”

The group of S2DIO’s leaders. (submitted photo/S2DIO)

Hesson said she was running 20 bikes in each of her classes before the pandemic, and up to 10 shortly after they reopened on Aug. 5. Now, her classes are capped at eight participants as of the restrictions announced last week.

Although the class cuts affect her business and her bottom line, Hesson said her riders are hurt just as much. People go to spin studios and other gyms for exercise to improve their mental health just as much as their physical health, she said.

“Being able to only get in 50 per cent or less of people throughout a day, a lot of our riders are extremely frustrated and extremely upset, with me by my side, because this is such an outlet for them,” Hesson said. “For moms, this is their 45 minutes of ‘me time.’ And P.A. is such a correctional and policing town and we get a lot of police officers and correctional officers and nurses that are under a lot of stress right now, coming in for stress relief. And now that’s being taken away from them.”

Hesson said the leaders on her team have been a big help in the difficult situation, making sure S2DIO is adhering to each guideline.

“I will go to the ends of the earth for my team because they are by my side through this whole thing, and for our riders,” Hesson said. “Without my team, there is no S2DIO and they’re just helping us and this community the best they can right now.”

With files from CKOM.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW