AN Oldham gym owner has been left “gutted” at the news gyms will not re-open until April.

As part of his four-part plan to ease lockdown Boris Johnson has said gyms will not be allowed to open until April 12, alongside non-essential shops, hairdressers and outdoor hospitality.

Tyler Mullings, 30, owns the Real Life Health and Fitness in Halliwell Business Park, in Bolton and has a new gym in Oldham ready to open.

Mr Mullings said: “I’m gutted I thought it was going to be March.


“You’ve got to be positive but it’s just a let-down to see we’re being classed in the same category as nonessential shops as places that don’t benefit the public health at all and the fact is that we can’t do classes until May, but you can have 10,000 people in a football stadium, it’s a shame.”

From April 12, wider social contact rules will continue to apply, meaning no indoor mixing between different households will be allowed, and no group gym classes.

Mr Mullings added: “I feel like the people running our country are just so cut off from modern society that they prefer the pub. It’s like an old English way of living without taking public health or modern perception into account.”

The business owner, who previously campaigned for gyms to be considered “essential premises” under Tier 3 regulations, moved his team to online classes to keep the gyms afloat. The online platform now has more than 3,000 members.

“Every single penny of what I’ve earned has had to go into paying rent for gyms that are shut. There are no words to explain it. We just hoped we’d still be here when it’s all over, it’s just terrifying,” he said.

As the Oldham gym was not yet open ahead of the latest lockdown it wasn’t eligible for government grants.

“I was expecting my members to come in and then we got told three months. That first week I was a mess, I broke down,” he added. 

Once the gym opens in April free kid’s classes will be available, as well as weekly community classes for the elderly who can’t afford a gym membership.