Rapid City gym practices safety precautions for all their members

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - Going to the gym can benefit health, mood, and weight, and give you more energy.

However, when people go to work out they don’t expect to get harassed.

In a survey taken by BarBend, of 1336 women, in South Dakota, women get cat called an average of two times per week.

On the same survey, overall harassment of women in gyms happens all over the United States and has a negative impact on them emotionally and physically.

However, one gym in Rapid City has safety practices in place to make sure all their gymgoers feel safe.

“We have 24-hour surveillance, we have a secure door lock that’s brought in either by key fob or your phone that is tied to your account, and everything is documented so we know who’s coming and going. When people sign up, we take a picture of them so that goes into the system as well,” said Derek Cook, owner, of Ultimate Fitness.

Cook said they have security measures in place to make sure their gym members aren’t opening the door for anyone, by having a 24-hour phone number accessible for gym goers if they get locked out, so people in the gym don’t have to open the door.

A survey was taken in 2021, 56.37% of female gym members have experienced harassment which is 2.68 more than male gym goers who have experienced 21%.

“We want everybody to feel comfortable, we want to make sure that they know they can come here get their good workout in and go home, and not have any problems, just pretty simple,” said Cook.

“Yeah, not feel bothered by anything or intimidated, just a good safe community feeling here,” said Barbara Ewean, manager of Ultimate Fitness.

Ultimate Fitness also has panic buttons placed throughout the gym that will send over law enforcement.

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