Your Gym Membership and Coronavirus
At the moment, with the Coronavirus epidemic happening worldwide, we are being told by experts that gyms are ‘high risk’ environments. Keeping healthy and looking after yourself will help your immune system’ but gyms (especially right now) are not the place to be.
We need to increase our body’s immune system, not increase the odds of infection by putting it in a ‘high risk’ environment and the risks of ill health. Many gyms at the moment are closed due to Coronavirus.
However, we need to keep healthy, keep exercising and moving but is having a gym membership now or indeed in the future the answer?
7 reasons to cancel (or indeed, not renew) your gym membership.
- The very environment of the gym is such that Coronavirus (or any virus for that matter) can spread quickly because of high levels of sweat that, unfortunately, are a by-product of the environment.
- At the moment, the experts tell us even though they believe the virus does not spread through sweat, it definitely can if a person touches hard surfaces that are infected and gym equipment is ideal for this, especially if someone coughs or sneezes and then contact the surface of the gym equipment.
- You may be thinking well, ‘I don’t sweat,’ and this may be true. However, others will, and their sweat and the possibility of spreading the virus can go onto the equipment you will be using next.
- Experts tell us this virus survives best on hard and plastic surfaces, and again, unfortunately, gym equipment is an ideal breeding ground for it, so sharing gym equipment, may increase the likelihood of transmitting the infection from person to person.
- Gyms are a perfect place for any virus because they are typically humid and damp and dampness is a bad thing when it comes to germs spreading.
- During a gym workout, you are close to others, especially in set classes where the likelihood of transmission can be high, mainly depending on the gym, it’s layout and class sizes.
- If your gym has a steam room again, you are currently advised not to use it because of the high humidity levels in them. Ask yourself the question is it worth it?
If you do decide to go back to the gym – remember you owe it not just to yourself but your Loved Ones to keep washing your hands and maintaining a high standard of hygiene at all times.
However, we need to stay active, and we still need to exercise; it’s an essential part of good health, especially right now, when you need to be increasing your levels of immunity to fight disease.
Below are some tips on what you can do if you do still want to go to the gym when they re-open (if they have not already based on where you live).
Make sure in future you wipe down all the equipment you use before and after each workout.
- If there are sanitizers (and there should be), use them.
- Wash your hands as often as possible, especially after each workout session.
- Use paper towels.
- Be super careful at the gym and more conscious of your hygiene routine than you usually would be.
- Keep washing your hands regularly, even when you get home.