In the Future of Fitness survey by Beachbody (2020), a health and fitness company, 9 in 10 Americans who practice regular exercises say they will continue doing their workouts at home despite the attractive offer of fitness gyms and studios slowly reopening after being shut down amid the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. In addition, the survey also revealed drastic perception changes of Americans towards working out at home. The majority of the respondents (90%) found their workouts at home effective. Those living in cities also took advantage of doing their fitness sessions at home three times a week or more. Certainly, home and online workouts provide assurance and safety from being exposed to the virus. Companies also support the well-being of their employees by conducting engaging virtual meetings dedicated to remote workout sessions among the team. However, we cannot disregard the fact that there are people who are still looking forward to their in-location gym sessions mainly for three reasons:
- They do not have adequate gym facilities or alternatives at home.
- Have a pending membership with a gym or fitness center.
- Finds working out a home demotivating due to a lack of social support.
If you classify yourself as someone who relates to any of the three reasons above, the list below can help you achieve a COVID-19 safe workout session in your neighborhood gym.
1. Do a self-check:
Before you plan when and where you should go to do your cardio and weights, check whether your health permits you to. Days before scheduling your appointment, monitor your blood pressure and oxygen level as well as your temperature to ensure that you are fit to work out. If you are unwell or feeling down, you can defer your plans. Do not risk going to your session without doing a self-check as you might put others who are sharing the place with you at risk, too.
2. Check the gym’s COVID-19 guidelines:
You can also lean on the gym or fitness studio’s reviews and ratings. You want to check if they are following COVID-19 protocols strictly. Assess whether or not they are true to their self-imposed safety guidelines as well. If they are strict and stiff, they are most likely doing a great job to protect their stakeholders’ health as well.
3. Book an appointment:
Gyms are limiting their daily attendees and often they will require you to call in advance. This effort is to ensure they do not get jam-packed and have a pool of people coming in. A good rule of thumb is to schedule during off-peak hours so there can be less foot traffic and the risk remains low. Calling in for a scheduled appointment can also be a way for you to find out if any kind of health screening is required so that you can prepare for it.
4. Make and bring your own COVID-19 gym box:
Ditch your usual gym bag and provide yourself with a utility box where you can put all your things in. Utility boxes are easier to sanitize and disinfect. You just need to spray and wipe to make it squeaky clean. Gym bags, since mostly made of fabric, need to be washed to get them cleaned. Treat your utility box like a clean quadrant. This means that everything that goes in it should be clean and already disinfected. There should be enough space for you to put your fresh towel and clothes in it. Do not forget your soap and alcohol/sanitizer as well. You can use the top flap or the box cover as your holding space where you can put items that need to be disinfected first.
5. Keep yourself distant and limit contact:
Once you arrive, find a spot near the window and let this be yours. Unpack your gym box. You can gather all the equipment you need in one corner and sanitize them before using them. In this way, you can organize a lineup of disinfected equipment ready for you to use. If the equipment is limited and others have to share with you, do it in a few batches of sanitizing as required. Always disinfect your hands if you have come in contact with red spots like knobs, buttons, control panels, pens, and others. Never ever remove your face mask.
6. Take a bath:
Get rid of your COVID-19 anxiety by giving yourself a bath in the gym shower or if not possible, wash your hands with soap and water. You want to take a bath at home again to ensure maximum protection.
Truly, the pandemic and quarantine life forever be etched and considered in the conduct of our daily lives. We cannot always wait for the day until the virus is gone but we can find ways on how to keep going with our lives while also keeping the risk of infection at bay. Choose the right place, make the right decisions, and communicate with the right people.
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