The first group fitness training session in five weeks will soon take place at F45 Wodonga, after restrictions on the industry in regional Victoria were eased slightly.
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Manager Gudi Gigliotti has organised a permit with Wodonga Council to run outdoor boot-camps at Kelly Park, after doing so in May.
Mrs Gigliotti said all gyms in Wodonga had wanted to be open sooner, but Tuesday's announcement that outdoor training could resume with nine people plus a trainer was welcome.
"I was actually quite excited, because when it was announced last Sunday that we were not going to go back until November 23, I got a little bit disheartened," she said.
"To keep people positive via a screen for that long is really hard - people need to see others.
"When they brought us forward two steps, I was happy about that.
"I hope we'll be able to open the studio soon.
"If we can go back down to what we were before the second lockdown, that would be great."
When gyms reopened after the first COVID-19 wave, group training of up to 20 people could happen indoors, but since August 5 in Victoria, only two people have been able to train outdoors.
Mrs Gigliotti has kept an optimistic attitude in adapting to changes, after taking over F45 Wodonga in March.
"I was all pumped and ready to go, and three weeks later we were shut," she said.
"But it is what it is ... we still could do things like Zoom classes, and as soon as we could, we did boot-camps.
"They've been great, the council has been really accommodating.
"Then we could do two groups of nine plus two trainers, so we basically separated the room.
"Then we got shut down again.
"Because I knew there wasn't any cases up here I thought, 'Oh my God, we've got to go through this again'.
"But there are others who are worse-off ... you've just got to fight on."
PT Fitness Private Studio owner Nic Conway said his team had put in long hours recently.
"We had the two people per outdoor space rule ... all our trainers put in an almighty effort to make sure we could see as any members as possible," he said.
"The key point is to keep the business alive.
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"We've made the most of what's been a tough time."
Indoor facilities remain closed, with the Wodonga Sports and Leisure Centre being unable to announce changes to its suspended services.
Outdoor swimming pools are allowed to open under step three, and it's understood Aligned Leisure is working through guidelines and a potential opening date.
