The Kinston Community Center is meeting and exceeding the COVID guidelines to offer a safe and enjoyable way to meet the New Year's resolutions set by incoming and continued members.

“Here at the Kinston Community Center, we have created an atmosphere that is extremely safe. We clean multiple times a day,” said Kinston and Lenoir County Parks and Recreation Director Corey Povar. “We provide an environment where you can come and exercise and feel good to move into the new year.”

Masks are required to enter the building as well as during workouts except for in the pool and temperature checks are done on every person coming in, staff and members. There is also a new waiver required at the first visit to the center.

“We’re excited that we are entering January where everyone is working to get fit,” said Kinston Community Center Director Kelly Cannon. “We want to make sure you are aware of all the safety protocols that we’re doing to have a safe environment for you to exercise with us.”

To meet the six feet for social distancing, the fitness classes were moved into the gymnasium with spaces marked six feet apart.

“Now more than ever it is important to focus on your health and wellbeing and taking care of your physical self,” said Povar. “Part of taking care of your physical self is working out, exercising, getting that heart rate up, and doing so in a very safe way.”

The building closes throughout the day to allow for facility sanitation and in meeting Governor Cooper’s executive order, the Kinston Community Center is operating with 15% capacity limits.

“Another great thing we incorporated at our center is we are cleaning multiple times throughout the day. We have hand sanitizing stations,” said Cannon. “We have misting machines that we’re cleaning all of our equipment with several times a day.”

The Kinston Community Center is located at 2602 West Vernon Avenue in Kinston. More information about membership and the services provided can be found by calling (252) 939-1330 or by visiting kinstoncommunitycenter.com.

This story is sponsored by the Kinston Community Center.