Hitting the Gym amid a Pandemic; How to Stay Safe & Corona Free
When the fireworks illuminated the sky to depict the commencement of 2020, no one could have foreseen what came next.
COVID-19.
Caught by contact with respiratory droplets, the arrival of this pandemic has confined most of us to our homes and disrupted our daily routines. However, as time passed and its intensity simmered, now – the lockdowns have begun to lift.
For fitness enthusiasts who spent these last few months stuck at home, now can hit the gym again!
Why are the gyms potentially safe for the visit?
Going to the gym means performing physical exercise. Anybody who is not feeling well in the slightest will probably stay at home – not proving a danger to the gym and its members.
Gyms are generally less crowded than; let’s say, a subway or a bus. Gym-goers do not perform their exercises in very close proximity (as that can prove a hindrance), thus social distancing is relatively maintained.
If you are a fitness enthusiast by heart and simply can’t wait to revisit your gym; take a few preventions and off you go!
Let’s have a look at the simple steps you can take to stay potentially safe and corona-free when visiting the gym:
1. Keep Alcohol Wipes With You
Alcohol wipes are a must-have wherever you go, especially in the gym. When you enter the gym and are beginning to settle in your favorite machine; stop!
Take out your alcohol wipes and wipe down the sides of your machine. You need not clean the entire machine. Simply disinfect the areas you are bound to touch with your hands e.g. the handlebar of the pulley machine or your dumbbells.
Cleaning down the handle ensures the surfaces are disinfected and safe to establish contact with and exercise.
2. Ask For Socially Distanced Equipment
Although gyms have opened after following strict standard operating procedures (SOPs), if you find your gym is not maintaining the mandatory 3-6 feet distance; have a talk with the gym management.
Ask for socially distanced equipment as this would ensure you are not in close proximity of another gym user. Thus, limiting the chances of contracting the virus.
3. Avoid Equipment That Is Difficult To Clean
The gym is a haven for a variety of equipment and machinery. While you might wish to use all of them after such a long corona-induced break from the gym – this might not be the right time to do so.
Remember, the virus may have reduced its spread, but it is not alleviated. Therefore, avoid usage of the type of equipment that is fairly difficult to clean. This includes foam rollers and yoga blocks, etc.
4. Visit the Gym During Less-Busy Hours
Another way to maintain social distancing and avoid a lot of people in a single gym at a time – visit during the off-peak hours!
Usually, gyms are full to the brim in the mornings, for a pre-office workout. Or they are busy after work timings, as people make their way to the gym post-work.
If you want to avoid contact with a lot of people and stay safe from contracting the novel coronavirus; visit the gym when there are fewer people. Go during the afternoons, or perhaps during your lunch break.
5. Avoid Showering in the Locker Room
While the gyms are slightly safe, the locker rooms are a complete danger zone for showering right now. The corona-affected respiratory droplets can stay on surfaces for a long time and be contracted if established contact with.
As gym users walk in for a shower barefooted, unaware of the health situation of the previous shower-user, contact can be made with such droplets via scrapes or cuts on the foot and gain direct way into our system.
This is an alarming situation – thus asking for avoidance from showering in the locker room until the pandemic calms itself.
6. Pump Up Your Immunity courtesy Herbalife Products
Taking all these precautions can help minimize your chances of contracting the coronavirus. However, what happens if there is a breach and you test positive? Your immunity is put to the test.
Therefore, it is best to prepare your body for all possible situations amidst this outbreak. The only way of fighting against this virus until a vaccine isn’t developed is via a strong immune system.
Enhance your immunity with the Immunity Essentials by Herbalife packed with key micronutrients. Or, introduce vitamins to your workout sessions courtesy of the H³O® Fitness Drink. Consume it mid-exercise for hydration and energy.
Takeaway:
As gyms have opened, the fitness enthusiast within us shrieks in excitement.
Now, hitting the gym in the midst of a pandemic certainly seems a possible feat with all these preventions and immunity boosters!
The author of this post is, Alberto Gonzalez (NFPT Certified Personal Trainer and Health Coach). Please contact me for your free wellness assessment at 786-370-0318.
