Are you ready to go back to the gym?

[Alloverthegrapevine]

I don't use the gym much but I do enjoy some of the classes and have booked a yoga class and spin for this week.

Now I'm wondering how safe/sensible that is. I've enjoyed exercising outdoors. My poor body has missed the yoga but I don't need the spin, I fancy it for the social element I suppose, I'd probably have a coffee after with people I haven't seen in a while, but I can do without and I guess if I really missed them I'd have arranged to meet before now.

Are you ready/comfortable to go back?

Yes but cautiously

I have a gym slot booked for 12.30pm and then another Monday+Yoga and another Wednesday+spin.

So yes I am very ready and I am also ready to be responisible for my own health. I carry hand gel everywhere, will be wiping down equipment before and after I use it and believe me I don't like getting close to anyone

I'm really looking forward to a gym where everyone has to socially distance 🙂
I might even start swimming again it would be fantastic if everyone had to keep away from me 🙂

Hi OP I went swimming yesterday, I know a day early but it was a training day for the local pool.

It was fine and felt better after. Quite a faff with one way systems etc but maybe other gyms are easier. This was a council one.

You have to book ahead and go at the right time. Does anyone know about the track and trace, would it be just if someone at the same activity and time tested positive for example?

I'm going to just go at quiet times I think and our booking system lets you know how many others are already booked.

I’m going tomorrow, really looking forward to it!

Am not a gym bunny but would like to swim 2-3x/week. pool remains closed. I'm ready. They aren't. sigh

No, but I am enjoying my outdoor exercise and train with a partner and get loads of variety. I'd go back - cautiously - if I really wanted to. One of the things I love about exercise is how it helps stress and anxiety - I suspect I won't get those benefits indoors at the moment. `I am pretty fit but in my 50s and have vulnerable family members I want to go on seeing when I can. I also don't want to be asked to isolate for 2 weeks so am avoiding non-essential activities that might lead to that.

Hell no. Too much like meat packing plants for my liking. Bad ventilation. Cold damp air. Areas of dead air. Lots of potentially asymptomatic healthy young people breathing hard.

Hell no. Too much like meat packing plants for my liking. Bad ventilation. Cold damp air. Areas of dead air. Lots of potentially asymptomatic healthy young people breathing hard.

I’ve been back. Luckily there were far fewer bookings than they’re actually permitting because they had turned the ventilation off (presumably in response to the theory that aircon can spread the virus about), so lots of stagnant air and it was boiling hot. I suggested they open the doors to the outside to allow some fresh air in but it took 20 minutes to carry out this simple request, by which time I was so hot I just gave up and went home. Wouldn’t have felt at all safe had the maximum number of people allowed been in there.

No, sweat and heavy breathing everywhere, no thanks.

I joined the gym end Feb and didn’t even get my induction as I was ill with a horrible bug (no idea if it was Covid) and then there was lockdown!

Yes, I can't wait to do some classes. I've got weight to lose!

What’s dead air? @chavvysexpond

Absolutely not. For this year someone more deserving braver can have my place.

I don’t understand how anyone can go to the gym ‘cautiously’ surely you’re either there, or you’re not. Reminds me of the legendary advice ‘stay alert’.

Cautiously - I guess I meant I might go in the daytime (I WAH) to use free weights area and choose the emptiest bit, but not to evening classes, for example. Not use changing rooms. Be as quick as I can. Only go for stuff I can't do outside or at home. But I am not going back any time soon anyway, tho I might start classes outside.

I'm planning on going tomorrow. I went to have a look around my gym on Friday when they were open to show people what measures have been put in place. It's a small gym in an industrial unit. It has roller shutters which will be open and a fresh air system in the studio. All other doors and windows will be open. The aircon will be off. Use of changing rooms is discouraged (arrive and leave in kit if possible). Sanitizer at entrance and throughout the gym both for hands and equipment. Everyone will be temperature checked on arrival and refused entry if temp is raised. Specialist signs all over the place reminding people of Covid safe arrangements. Classes not running for 1st 2 weeks whilst new systems bed in. Equipment well spaced - especially CV machines where people are likely to be breathing more heavily. Regular clean of key spots and deep cleaning at end of every day. So I will feel as safe as i do going into any shop/supermarket. It's a risk I'm prepared to take - and we've been very careful during and after lockdown. My fitness has definitely suffered in spite of lots of walking/cycling over the last 4 months.

I don’t really understand how it’s safe. If the virus lives in the air for a few hours, possibly longer, then surely you will be catching it. Same goes for anywhere indoors really. But then we haven’t all caught it from going shopping. I don’t really get it!

If the virus lives in the air for a few hours, possibly longer, then surely you will be catching it.

It makes you think it can’t be airborne to that extent otherwise surely we’d have had far more csses/deaths?

I am looking forward to a swim but I am not going to be an early adopter. Can anyone tell me how it works? I know you are meant to come with your cossie on (I already do this), have shower and then leave stuff at side of pool, so no changing, but are you meant to take off your cossie and dry off / put your dry clothes back on at the side of the pool or have I misunderstood and will get arrested for exposing myself?!

@MrsFezziwig

Hell no. Too much like meat packing plants for my liking. Bad ventilation. Cold damp air. Areas of dead air. Lots of potentially asymptomatic healthy young people breathing hard.

I’ve been back. Luckily there were far fewer bookings than they’re actually permitting because they had turned the ventilation off (presumably in response to the theory that aircon can spread the virus about), so lots of stagnant air and it was boiling hot. I suggested they open the doors to the outside to allow some fresh air in but it took 20 minutes to carry out this simple request, by which time I was so hot I just gave up and went home. Wouldn’t have felt at all safe had the maximum number of people allowed been in there.

I love air con normally. I can work so much harder if I'm not getting stupidly hot. I've never been in a gym that was well ventilated, though, and all that breathing hard is a definite risk.

I'm just going to have to continue exercising at home on my own,

Splodge second video explains www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53534919

I went to the gym this morning, it’s a small gym in an industrial estate, big doors open to keep air flowing. At 8am I had the place to myself other than the owner, it was lovely!

I am booked for a class and a PT session later in the week.

@Realitea

I don’t really understand how it’s safe. If the virus lives in the air for a few hours, possibly longer, then surely you will be catching it. Same goes for anywhere indoors really. But then we haven’t all caught it from going shopping. I don’t really get it!

Having air propelled at you fresh out of someone infected's lungs because they're breathing hard or singing or shouting or the air con blows it at you is the worst thing I believe.

But the fewer contacts with other humans, the lower risk and we've all had vastly fewer contacts since March haven't we?

The full force of the virus was pre lockdown when we were all carrying on as usual largely unaware. That lead to the 22 over 1000 deaths a day during April. And then due to a month of lockdown it began to slow down.

Lockdown, reducing contacts, social distancing etc work. That's why we're down to an avg of less than 100 deaths a day at the moment.

I love air con normally. I can work so much harder if I'm not getting stupidly hot. I've never been in a gym that was well ventilated, though, and all that breathing hard is a definite risk.

My gym is in a warehouse sort of structure so the ceilings are really high, so I feel just a few open doors would have ventilated it adequately given the small number of people present.

I wasn’t the poster who used the term “cautiously” but I can understand the meaning - for me it would be:

• book when there are fewer people going (we can see this in our booking system and I’m lucky enough to be able to make a last minute decision to go)
• choose a machine that is at a decent interval from any in use (they’ve put the machines two metres apart but with no thought that quite often you need to access them from the side)
• in general over-compensate with distancing.

I also would have thought that with the mainly low prevalence of the virus at the moment now would be a good time to go (given that I’m not one of the “let’s all hunker down until 2021” types).

I am a little bit of a hunker down type. I have vulnerable family and friends and really do not want to be the person who gives it to them because I was a bit bored working out on my own.

I love a class, but I just don't want to take the risk just now when things could be loads better in a few weeks and I'll be glad I waited.