When will gyms reopen in Australia? State by state guide

For Aussie fitness buffs missing their weekly gym sessions, you may not be waiting too much longer.

Western Australia was the first to start welcoming back fit-loving patrons into gyms, followed by South Australia, with other states all announcing tentative reopening dates for gyms and fitness centres.

In NSW, Deputy Premier John Barilaro has announced gyms will reopen on June 13, along with yoga studios, community sports centres and some indoor swimming pools and saunas.

Fitness Australia CEO Barrie Elvish has previously criticised the government for not prioritising the reopening of gyms ahead of pubs and restaurants, putting the delay down to a "misguided belief gyms are high risk".

Is it safe to go to the gym?

When gyms do reopen, they'll need to comply with guidelines set by individual state governments, which ensure customer and staff health and safety.

Guidelines will vary slightly from state to state. In NSW, fitness facilities are required to sign in all guests to enable contact tracing, in the event of a cluster outbreak, and this will likely be the case around the country.

Fitness Australia have released a COVID Safety Plan Framework, developed in conjunction with Occupational and Environment Physician Dr Andrea James.

They've designed the framework to exceed any of the current government guidelines in place, according to Elvish, and include recommendations such as restricting venues to one person per four square metres, and implementing 'fitness sessions' that require gym-goers to pre-register online.

Gyms may also look more sparse when you return, with recommendations to increase the space between fitness equipment.

For group fitness classes, measures such as a minimum 10 minute change-over time between classes, caps on class sizes, and asking customers to leave once they've completed their session or class will ensure customer maintain a safe distance from other gym-goers.

For those having personal training sessions at the gym, activities like boxing pad work and sparring may be put on permanent hiatus until jurisdictional regulations deem them safe again.

Gym facilities deemed 'unnecessary', such as saunas and spas, may remain closed, while showers and change areas may be limited for more efficient hygiene management.

Gym-goers may also be required to comply with strict new hygiene measures, such as washing hands or using hand sanitiser upon arrival, wiping down exercise equipment before and after use, using a clean towel each time they attend a session or class, and bringing drink bottles from home rather than using public water fountains.

There may also be signage communicating social distancing rules and a 'Stay at home if unwell' message.

State by state guide to gyms

New South Wales and ACT: Gyms will reopen on June 13, along with yoga studios, indoor swimming pools and community sports events. Gym classes will be capped at 10, while up to 100 people will be allowed inside the venue.

South Australia: Gyms can reopen on June 1 with a maximum of 20 people allowed at any given time, while dance studio classes will be limited to 10 people.

Victoria: Indoor gyms and fitness centres can reopen from June 22, with up to 20 patrons permitted in the venue at a time.

Queensland: Gyms in the Sunshine State are expected to reopen on June 13, allowing a maximum of 20 patrons in at a time.

Tasmania: Gyms are expected to reopen from June 15.

Western Australia: Gym are allowed to reopen from May 18, but only for small group fitness classes of 20 or less patrons. But you're still unable to use shared equipment. If you're attending a yoga or Pilates class, you're encouraged to bring your own equipment.