Gyms . . . What's the problem?

[AllesAusLiebe]

Just discussing this with DH and neither of us can understand why gyms cannot operate from mid June, along with non essential shops.

Am I missing something?

I think it would be pretty easy to restrict numbers, place additional sanitisers, make wearing face masks compulsory and close changing rooms/showers etc.

It would be a big help for those who are struggling a little with mental health and also, many trainers at my gym are self-employed so I'd imagine that they're under great financial strain at the moment.

I understand the concerns about sweat flying around but if users are all wearing face masks, I'd imagine it would be difficult to do intense cardio work anyway. It would, however, be very possible to still do weight training.

Lots of hot, sweaty people dripping over equipment, wiping their faces and coughing on everything

No I can't see why they haven't opened yet

@profpoopsnagle. I'm guessing you've never been to Egypt or anywhere and seen ladies swimming with full face burkhas on

My yoga studio is closed and is offering a limited selection of classes on Zoom. They've halved class prices and membership fees. This might be a way for gyms to go

You can get free yoga and fitness lessons on Youtube. I can't see too many people wanting to pay for them. Besides, I think people are sick of Zoom classes at this stage and will want to get back to the real thing. Though how that can be managed in a way that's safe and worthwhile for the customer and profitable for the business remains to be seen.

I agree. Gyms generally full of younger healthy people as well. You don’t generally work out if you’re not feeling great so symptom-showers unlikely to be there as well.

Easy to sanitise gym equipment.

Chlorine kills viruses so I don’t see the issue with pools either.

I’ve thought all along how fortuitous it was this pandemic and lockdown came along in spring because imagine locking down a population at the start of winter and telling them to exercise outside...

I already do yoga at home, I have always practiced yoga at home.
I need a leg press, a power rack, Olympic bar, 25 kilo discs etc
can't do that at home, I could move to a place with a garage and kit it out for a proper home gym but is it worth doing that when there's a perfectly good gym just down the road which surely to God will open again in the next few months 😳

I agree that gyms are basically one of the worst places for spreading coronavirus. Heavy breathing in a confined space...in the same way as choirs, certain places of worship, are now notorious for infecting large amounts of people.

The very worst places have got to be theatres, busy pubs, nightclubs
Gyms are quite bad but people tend to be a certain distance apart because of the spacing of the equipment also they are often quite large warehouse sized buildings

Sweat and heavy breathing

Would you really want to exercise in a face mask?! Gyms aren't that essential as you can exercise at home and outdoors.

I'd love my gym to re-open, but for now I'll be happy with just outdoor classes resuming (I train outdoors in all weather and my class instructor runs outdoor classes throughout the year anyway). Atm my gym is preparing to re-open in July and is using this time to prepare and refurbish.

I have a lot of home equipment, I train with a PT, I run and I cycle. But I still need some equipment, such as a squat rack, olympic bar, heavy plates, etc. I've been making do, but as I used to train in one form or another for up to 3hrs a day, I miss all the options (plus the gym/classes were my social life)

Think about it. Every piece of equipment used would have to be deep cleaned after each use. A quick antibac wouldn't do anything. You couldn't shower, changing rooms would have to be deep cleaned after every group of people. Let alone the sweat flying everywhere.

It isn't feasible

I agree it's difficult to argue that gyms are essential because there are other 'covid safe' ways to exercise without a gym
But for the enthusiasts who are seriously into strength training, this is such a bummer ☹️

I can’t see how the swim pool will ever reopen for the DC lessons. It’s a hot humid environment with no space and parents milling closely. Grim changing rooms and loos.

You're touching all the equipment that everyone else is touching. You're quite possibly touching your face to wipe the sweat too. You're quite possibly not going to wear a mask because you need to breathe freely. It's easy to see that gyms would be a very high risk environment.

A while ago I read a study from Austria (cannot find it now) that tried to understand the spread among the early cases in Austria. They found no transmission in shops or schools but plenty superspreading events in choirs(!), gyms and (ski)bars.

I think that is your answer.

Swimming pools are often grim and dirty
I used to love swimming but now I just can't face being in a bath full of other peoples skin and hair and the rest ☹️🙈

I don't think some on here have ever set foot in a gym, based on some of the responses I'm reading!

Agree with a pp - weights at home are really no substitute for using gym equipment.

It would be strange having to wear a face mask and I think that would definitely compromise your workout to the extent of not being able to engage in high intensity exercise, but at least some equipment could be used.

I like the idea of using an app to book a slot. That way, numbers could be limited.

I get the cleaning issues, but when non essential shops open, fact is that the exposure to the virus from touching doors, baskets etc will increase. I thought that ensuring cleanliness of gym equipment would be much more straightforward if numbers in the gym are restricted.

Oh and, I'm not part of a focus group. If I could join one to help get the gyms open again I'd do it, though!

Is there evidence proving the virus can spread through sweat? Coughing & heavy breathing is fair enough, but sweat?

@dadandtwokids i think I read the same article. I don't doubt that those activities helped the spread of the virus, but there was more going on than people catching corona at the resort gym. There was a huge cover up and the resort (I think it was Ischgl, but would have to check) didn't inform the authorities quickly enough, leading to more and more people becoming infected.

What is it with this passive aggressive "HTH"?
Just engage with the conversation or hide the thread?

It’s a hot humid environment with no space and parents milling closely

Hot humid conditions are generally unfavourable to the spread of coronaviruses though. But yes, people crowded together in an unventilated space is bad news. I'd run down to my swimming pool tomorrow if it were opened, but given that it's in a hotel and the changing rooms were already pretty cramped, I can't see it happening for quite some time.

I think swimming pools will open before gyms.

Not in the UK, but I have used an outdoor gym before. That could be a lot safer.

Masks - in a gym?? seriously - they can hinder breathing you know.

Oh, how I miss the gym.

You can't stabilise inflamed joints and tendons enough to make walking or running safe. You can't guarantee those buggered tendons stay within the safe range of movement with free weights. You don't get the joint cooling and support of a pool.

But in view of arsecrack sweat on machines, the constant risk of Athletes Foot and Verrucas that make it necessary to wear sliders all the time, the coughing, hawking up of phlegm, the aircon having to be checked for legionella and other such wonderful things that you have to evade outside pandemic situations, I accept that gyms are a very high risk for spreading respiratory diseases.

In the meantime, I'll sit here and get fatter, less mobile, more unfit and weaker. Hopefully gyms will be deemed safe soon before I turn into the Blob