FORT SMITH, Ark. — Indoor venues such as gyms have been mandated by Governor Asa Hutchinson to "close to all non-essential functions."
One gym in the River Valley stayed open because the owner says he doesn't have much choice.
The owner of River Valley Fitness said they had taken steps to keep everyone safe.
"We try to limit ten people or less in each room. We've got several rooms that are all big rooms. Normally, there's a trainer depending on how many are in the room. We try to keep one there at all times," Randy Hilmer, the owner of River Valley Fitness, said.
On Monday, Mar. 23, the Arkansas Department of Health directed Hilmer to close River Valley Fitness.
Hilmer said he is looking for ways to operate his gym online.
Before being forced to close, the gym ceased all group classes, such as Zumba and yoga.
"What we've gone to is training sessions. People can call or they can check-in, we have several trainers they can get on a list of our time schedule," Hilmer said.
5NEWS was able to speak with individuals still going to the gym before the forced closure to workout. They say the coronavirus has impacted their ability to work out, but they felt safe at River Valley Fitness.
"I had to switch gyms because my other gym shutdown," said Preston Bailey. "It's a clean environment. Everybody washes their hands so, it's completely fine. Most people keep their distance anyway so, social distancing still works out."
The owner of River Valley Fitness hired additional cleaning staff to keep everything inside sanitary.
Hilmer said he reached out to the governor's office for guidance about guidelines after hearing about the mandatory closures but never heard back. So, he interpreted "close to all non-essential functions" the best he could.