Prosper Athletic Club
Prosper Athletic Club, Keizer’s new fitness center at 5045 River Rd. N, was all set and ready to open last November. However, COVID-19 restrictions prevented them from doing so.
Even though Marion County was deemed an extreme-risk area earlier this month according to COVID-19 data metrics, the gym was still able to finally open in early-February in a limited capacity.
“To us, we’re not the ones that got shortchanged, it was the community that we didn’t get to serve. That’s why we’re here — to provide a full-service health and wellness center for everyone,” front desk manager Alan Keys said. “If you don’t work on your health, it’s not going to improve. We want this gym open to give people the power to take action when it comes to their health and wellness because we believe that this is an environment where people can come and flourish.”
Prosper Athletic Club was allowing just six people in the building at all times before the County’s risk level was changed from ‘Extreme’ to ‘High’ — members were required to call ahead of time to schedule a one-hour workout appointment.
“It felt like we (were) operating a lot like a salon,” Keys said.
As of Friday, Feb. 26, Prosper Athletic Club can operate with 50 people in the gym. Individuals that use the gym will also be required to wear masks and equipment will be placed six feet apart. Personalized tours are also available to those who interested in signing up for a membership.
“Safety is our top priority. We’re going to make sure we’re following all the CDC guidelines and make sure people are abiding by them,” said personal training manager Chris Winder.
Keys says that a lot of work has gone into preparing the fitness center over the last few months and that he and his co-workers have been playing the waiting game.
“We have prepared diligently in making this the best gym in the Salem-metro area, we have just been patiently waiting for the storm to pass,” Keys said. “We tune into the news every Sunday hoping for some good news. We are just like everyone else. We are all taking this journey together.”
While they are excited that the gym has the ability to be open, both Keys and Winder are greatly looking forward to the day where the gym can be fully open to all members.
“We are very excited for our members to be able to use our facilities. But we want this gym to eventually have a community feel to it, and it (was) hard to have a community with six people working out at a time,” Winder said.
Individuals can sign up for a membership at prosperathletic.com or call 503-991-5141 for a tour of the facility.