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Back To Gym In COVID Times
Fitness is a vital part that maintains our body at its best. And the go-to preference of the millennial is the gym. Days are long gone by when fitness was a personal affair (though the pandemic has again brought the training home).
Fancy equipment and AC facilities in the gym do make us break a sweat in a cool way. The gym provides you with the facility to explore different kinds of exercises, be it weight training or cardio. With fitness experts trained to deliver the best results, you do get your money’s worth. However, with the outbreak of the COVID-pandemic, it is a difficult task to go back to the new normal. With social distancing as the “it” factor, turning back to our previous lifestyle will be tricky. In these scenarios, what are the best ways to enjoy sweating out without risking yourself? Let us look at them at a glance.
IS YOUR GYM PREPARED?
As much you want to go back, check whether your gym is prepared for you. With months of the shutdown, the centers should get back on their feet with the maintenance of the equipment and must provide an ambiance for the members to maintain social distancing.
The gym owners can use a virtual platform for the appointments and distribution of time slots. They should also maintain facilities so that people are far apart from each other. Avoid group fitness classes. Give out instructions online and personally while in the gym.
Resuming the use of gym lockers and showers may not be feasible. Hence, an alternative for emergencies should be thought of.
CHOOSE A RIGHT TIME
While you generally opt for the local gyms, avoid booking for times when there is a rush.
Though you want to return to the normal, the pandemic cannot be ignored. Following a social distancing, the norm is just one of the precautionary methods. It doesn’t guarantee you total safety. Hence avoid and maintain least contact with others at the gym. Come at your appointed time and avoid the rush.
Hence opting for the session with the least number of members might be ideal.
BE PREPARED
You must take proper care to avoid risks. With asymptomatic patients on the rise, it is risky to trust anyone.
Some pointers to keep in mind while going to the gym are:
- Sanitize any equipment before and after using it (think of others too).
- DO NOT WEAR MASK WHILE WORKING OUT.
Do wear them outside the training area. This is because, while performing strenuous exercises your body requires a lot of oxygen. Wearing a mask limits the oxygen intake, and hence this will tire you out soon. Thus the productivity would drastically come down.
Another thing is that you will be sweating a lot. The sweat will de-sanitize the mask, and it will become a hub for microbial activity.
- Bring your accessories like towels and wipes. Carry your own water bottle. Avoid using public spaces like lockers, changing rooms, and washrooms as far as possible.
- Wash your hands regularly. Avoid touching your face without washing the hands.
- Wear clothes. You might sweat a lot, and you cannot flaunt your hard-earned abs, but cover up maximum. And after returning home, make sure to take a shower and rinse all the clothes.
EXERCISES TO CHOSE FROM
While most gyms focus on resistance training, it is advisable for you to choose exercises that involve minimum hand-to-hand contact with the equipment. Though it is impossible to avoid contact, minimize the area of contacts on shared equipment.
For example, while using sit up benches for weight training, the area of contact is too large. Other smaller equipment like dumbbells and treadmills ensure that your contact will be minimum or limited to one pace.
Perform cardio more as it will limit your use of the shared equipment.
BOTTOM LINE
Though how hard you try, every time you step out of the door, you expose yourself to the possible risk. The cases are on the rise. With asymptomatic patients, it is difficult to discern the risk free zones.
Hence if your region is seeing a surge in COVID cases lately, don’t go to gyms. If you are categorized in one of the vulnerable groups (old age, sugar patient, or any other diseases), limit your time outside.
This is because, how much we try, some risk always remains.
But don’t be disheartened. With the onset of the pandemic, everything is now delivered to your doorsteps. Browse through the internet, and you can find a lot of tutorials and exercise routines that you can do at home, sans the equipment.
Do the weight training using your own body weight (e.g., pushups and lunges). Do the cardio training with mountain climbers and jumps. There are exercises that you can easily perform and efficiently burn a lot of calories. Another interesting way is to convert your household items into gym equipment.
Make fun and fruitful periods of working out. In this crisis time, do keep your near ones and yourself safe.
