What are your opening hours? If changed, how long for?
London Bridge and Strand gyms to operate 07:00 – 2200
Monday – Friday and 10:00-18:00 Saturday/ Sunday.
Our Waterloo Gym is open 08:00 – 20:00 Monday - Friday
How can I stay connected and active during this period?
We launched our Move Your Mind programme over the course of the national lockdowns, to keep our community active whilst aiming to support in improving wellness across the University.
You can see our timetable and events here.
Our King’s Move platform also enables you to stay connected and earn rewards for keeping active.
I will be living in Student halls, will the gyms be open and if so what safety measures will be taken?
Yes, The Halls gym will open in line with the gyms. To help prevent the spread of infection around the UK we will support the NHS Track & Trace system.
Is the gym safe?
As always, the safety of our members and staff is our main priority.
As such, we are going above and beyond to ensure the gym is clean and sanitised for your every use by increasing our cleaning schedules to include more regular sanitisation of the gym equipment, studio equipment, all doors, handles and surfaces.
We’re confident in our ability to minimise the risk of infection and keep our members safe. We will be providing hand sanitiser for our members to use as they enter and exit the gym.
To help us keep our members safe, we ask that you respect the social distancing rules, and regularly wash your hands.
How will you keep the gym clean?
King’s Sport Gyms are cleaned prior to opening each day and regularly through the day, using high-grade disinfectants that will kill the virus.
It is impossible to keep any environment 100% clean, as evidenced even in hospital operating theatres. However, it is possible to make environments ‘safe’ by undertaking the appropriate cleaning and disinfecting measures.
COVID-19 is easy to kill with most readily available domestic cleaning agents and with thorough hand washing with soap for 20 seconds or more.
Coupled with safe distancing and avoidance of touching the face, together with other building environment measures, including good ventilation, a safe environment can be established and maintained.
Can physical activity help against COVID?
Being physically fit is highly protective against a range of illnesses. It also boosts the immune system. COVID-19 particularly affects those with underlying health conditions, diabetes etc. and those overweight. Given that the virus is now considered to be ‘endemic’ within the community, it is more important than ever to maintain one’s fitness.
Can you catch COVID-19 from sweat?
No, COVID-19 cannot be transmitted through sweat, although the virus can be transmitted through touching your face so (or wiping sweat from your head), so please ensure to use hand sanitiser and avoid touching your face as much as possible.
Are gyms at higher risk?
No, there is the same chance of getting COVID-19 in all areas indoors, the key is keeping social distancing in place, follow cleanliness guidelines and aerosolization guidelines.
Can I get COVID-19 from the air?
COVID-19 survives in droplets or possibly aerosols (very fine particles) and can be transmitted person to person via close contact.
At 2 metres distancing most droplets fall to the ground and thus risk is greatly reduced and therefore we have implemented a 2m distance between equipment and machines to keep our team and members safe.
Should I wear a mask to the gym?
Government guidance does not currently require gym users to wear face coverings during exercise, however members are required to wear masks when moving around facilities and throughout common spaces on campus. Our staff will also be wearing masking when on the gym floor.
Should I wear gloves to the gym?
No, there is no need to wear gloves to use the gym and these are reserved for undertaking certain tasks. Our team will be wearing gloves during cleaning which will of course be disposed of and changed between cleans.
Can clothing be contaminated?
Clothes are a low-risk source of infection from COVID-19 and washing at 60c + kills the virus. However, they can become contaminated so should be handled with care and as always wash hands thoroughly after touching. Do not hand wash clothes. Changing clothes immediately after reaching home is strongly advised.
How can I reduce the spread of infection in the gym to keep myself and others safe?
Firstly, if you have any symptoms of COVID-19 please stay at home in line with government guidance, this is also the case if you have come into contact with anyone who has confirmed COVID-19.
When using the gym, ensure to keep a safe distance and do not move equipment from its designated area, wash your hands regularly and clean down the equipment before and after use.
Will members be able to clean equipment themselves?
Yes, our gyms are fitted with wipe dispensers, and we have increased these throughout the facility. Please ensure to wipe down all touchpoints of the equipment before and after use.
Can I freeze my membership until the King’s Sport Gyms re-open?
Our gyms are now open again and our standard terms and conditons apply
Do I need to do anything to freeze?
Yes, If you would like to freeze your membership, please complete this form.
I have a paid in full membership, what do I do?
All paid in full memberships will be extended by the period of time that we have been closed. Our facilities closed on the 5th November and will be fully open for 1st May so memberships will automatically be extended by this period.
It’s my final year and I’m leaving King’s
In the event that this is your final year, you are leaving King’s or you are a study abroad student who has purchased a membership in full, we will refund for the period of time you have left on your membership. In order to do this, complete this form.
I’ve cancelled my pay monthly membership instead of freezing, what should I do?
We’ll be waiving the joining fee for the first week that we re-open for those of our community who may have cancelled their direct debit instead of freezing their membership for the period.
There is now no need to book your gym visits, in line with government guidance.