ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A Rockford gym says a newly installed piece of equipment can help keep people safe from COVID-19 and other airborne viruses.

Doug Young has been going to Fitme Wellness, 5825 E Riverside Blvd, for eight years, and says the gym’s constant focus on keeping its equipment clean leaves him feeling safe from catching something.

“Whenever I come, it is always clean. It’s nice. The fresh air part, the openness [are] all part of the reason we stayed all these years,” Young said. “We feel that we don’t need to wear a mask in here, because it’s so clean and because of the environment and what they’ve done.”

Owner Greg Georgis said he installed computer-controlled carbon dioxide (CO 2) monitoring systems throughout the building’s ductwork to filter the air.

“[It lets us know] in real-time how many people are here in the club, how many are in a class, for example, how hard they are working out, how much CO 2 they are exhaling,” Georgis said. “What the system does is, it will open up and bring more fresh air to flood the space, so we are constantly counteracting the exhalation.”

And since it is currently winter, Young says he’s happy for the new feature, which allows him to breathe in fresh air while he’s working out.

“They added the fresh air feature. They got the door so you can open up the doors. In the spring, it’s going to be so nice, you can feel like the outdoors,” he said.