Why are the gyms closed?

[epythymy]

When so little spread has been attributed back to them? I read it was 1% but if anyone has other statistics let me know.
When obesity is such a significant factor in morbidity?
When other non-essential businesses are staying open (such as garden centres)?

It just absolutely baffles me. My gym is a small, privately owned studio that is unlikely to make it through a second lockdown.

Many of us have trained hard and made good progress over the last several months. This is possible to do at home but much more difficult without the space or machines for weight training. Plus with the cold and the rain, motivation to go out won't be particularly high whereas a run on a treadmill isn't quite as difficult to talk yourself into.

And why is spread in gyms so low when they are generally closed spaces filled with sweaty, panting people?

Because they are indoors and just because your gym has amazing super duper ventilation doesn’t mean they all do, or even most of them.

(And no, I don’t believe indoor areas at garden centres should be open either).

Can someone link to the petition pls ?

I saw my PT this morning and he said he's been reading that the question of why gyms are Closing was asked and the person who responded made it clear it was basically that they couldn't spend time working out every industry so had decided on a blanket shut down rather than take the time to work out every industry one by one ...

Nothing should be shut IMO

I agree it’s disappointing but it’s not possible to say that there haven’t been any cases linked to guns, because we don’t have a track and trace system that, well, tracks and traces every single infection... As someone else said, there are numerous examples now internationally of gyms providing the perfect opportunity for mass spreading - even after social distancing and cleaning. Most (not all) gyms have little ventilation and exercise encourages heavy breathing so increased airborne particles.

I say this as a gym member (David Lloyd), but I stopped going a couple of weeks ago because it just didn’t feel safe at all.

Because they're inside. I love the gym but haven't been back (I do pay though).
Some gyms will be brilliant and have good ventilation (not air con, I think that's risky) and keep people apart. But others sadly won't.
What I do think is criminal is that local authorities don't seem to have got their act together with outdoor exercise groups. Our sports centre can't get permission from the council 🤷‍♀️.

I am gutted that gyms are closing. I’ve been going most days since they reopened up until tonight and have always felt safe.
The government should be encouraging us to all take some personal responsibility for our health and well-being and making sure we are in the best shape we can be. I am overweight and working hard to get in shape particularly knowing that obesity is a problem with Covid. I just hope they do reopen next month.

@Theredjellybean

I thought garden centres were allowed to stay open. My mother has arranged to conviently be there the same time as three friends are going to just happen to be there...

Well in that case the OP could also break the law and climb in through the window at the gym and jump on the treadmill.🙄

@Calmandmeasured1

If gyms can't be open, I don't think takeaways should be open either. In what world is there any comparison between the two?

It doesn't make any sense.
I agree, your comment doesn't remotely make sense.

Because this country is full of seriously unhealthy takeaway establishments and going back to the OP mentioning obesity, these places are a big part of the problem. Gyms are places where people go to improve themselves, the government should be pushing for people to be more healthy but they've just gyms and all leisure facilities.

@NightRiders

I am not sure what point you're making
Garden centres allowed to stay open
Its not illegal for my mother to be shopping there... If her friends are also sh there at the same time.... Still not illegal.
However yes clearly breaking into a gym is illegal
Can you clarify what you're trying to say

this is where the "local authority" approach would come in very handy as they COULD actually visit each facility and decide if it can operate based on systems in place, ventilation etc. I think the bigger private health clubs would fare less well than the one room, industrial unit with enormous open door - mine only has 12 in at a time with a marked out square and a clear routine for wiping down all equipment , plus a sort of choreography for how you move between stations to allow for SD. I feel entirely safe in there, far more so than in the classroom I teach in.

Gyms, especially in winter, are so important for wellbeing, both physical and mental and as has been pointed out many times, CV is only one of the many things that can kill you - and is far LESS likely to kill most of us than obesity, T2diabetes etc. We should not be just basing everything we do around this one thing.

Oh they opened back up since March? Looks like I missed the gym again

It's completely ass backwards. I picked up a prescription today and got handed a leaflet about losing weight to protect against covid yet people's means of keeping fit through crappy autumn weather are being restricted. I'm lucky enough that I live somewhere that is hilly enough that the regulation walk can give you a decent, low impact, workout but I've lived in plenty of places where you can plod along for miles and never break a sweat.

Its not about killing you though is it, it's about spreading the virus to people more vulnerable.
And the local authorities are too cash strapped to be in a position to visit every gym and vet them for adherence to guidelines. Dp went to his gym (very basic, full of guys pumping iron) and he felt very unsafe, no hand gel, people crowded round equipment, equipment not sanitised and not spaced out sufficiently.

Tbf it's a month hopefully, doubt you'll lose your fitness in 4 weeks.

Surely the solution to gyms that lax is to have requirements and enforce them.

The government should be encouraging us to all take some personal responsibility for our health and well-being

They are. Where people can’t be trusted, venues have been closed. Pubs, restaurants and yes. gyms.

I cancelled my membership in March after seeing how pathetic the controls were (a national chain, not a cheap one). Instructors asking people to wipe down gear after classes and less than half bothering. poor ventilation in studios, no control over class numbers, no enforcement of wiping down equipment so that you’d get to eg an exercise bike and find it drenched in some selfish man’s sweat. No thanks!

When obesity is such a significant factor in morbidity?

I don’t want to burst your balloon OP but the obese people are not, generally speaking, the people beating a path to the gym.

@Deux
I sympathise with you about church.I am a volunteer there twice a week and the diocese I am in is very very strict about hygiene and social
distancing.Even automatic spray things in mine on entering and leaving, masks worn at all times, just lower them to receive Holy Communion on the hand only, and the floors marked with arrows two metres apart, and stewarding when getting up for Communion.Separate ambos for priest and reader alternate pews taped off and restricted numbers at all masses.Still having to close in lockdown for all public masses, although remaining open for restricted hours for private prayer.

Because it's not about health, it's about control.

I know, it’s crazy. My church is similar. It’s a really tightly run ship. We have to book, sanitise hands, have temperature taken, must wear a mask, separate exits, scan QR code, no mingling and don’t even think about moving a chair so much as an inch as the warden gets discombobulated. 😀 The vicar drinks the wine on behalf of all of us 😂. I’m going to miss it so much and just hoping we’ll be back in December. Surely they can’t close churches in December?

@nildesparandum

My riding school has also had to close. I have been riding with just the instructor on his horse, me on mine Outside, a lot more than 6ft apart. It's frustrating. Even schools I know that have covered arenas are usually open at the sides. But, as a PP said, there is just not the manpower to send round every establishment to check on their situation.

The gym has also closed. Sometimes I was the only one there, sometimes there could be the maximum of 8. When the majority were on cross-trainers and treadmills breathing hard it didn't feel quite so safe. It's (hopefully) 4 weeks.We just have to go with it, no point in getting wound up.

Thankfully they're still open in Scotland but classes are cancelled.....which makes even less sense because that was a more controlled space than in the gym where people are moving around and changing equipment. And the kids can still have swimming lessons but the adults can't unless it's 1-1 and they can't do aquafit classes, but they can swim in a lane with random strangers.....go figure?!?

It doesn't make sense and usually the people who are happy to see the gyms close are those who don't use them. For mental and physical health gyms are important, up to a 50% less chance of type 2 diabities with regular exercise, one of the major risk factors for Covid.
A study recorded 485 cases of Covid in 62 million recorded gym visits. That's a tiny fraction compared to the health benefits. I've signed the link previously but anyone who wishes to the link is here:
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/333869

Because the virus spreads much more easily inside.

A prolonged period of being inside with other people (even spaced out) is a lot more risky than being outside.

You can still exercise but it needs to be alone and outside. Going to a gym really isn't as essential as food shopping. There are other options for exercise.