To think that we need to Reopen Gyms

[Coconut1978]

With the weather this time of year it’s so horrible to exercise outside and the parks are packed making it difficult to run.

It’s really hurting my mental and physical health not being able to adequately exercise.

I’m at a low risk of covid if I was infected and have already had the virus and recovered.

We know that obese nations like the US, UK and Mexico have done worse with the virus than nations like Japan and the Netherlands who are healthier.

I think as long as numbers are managed you should be able to book to use the gym and social distance and clean in there.

There are so few cases linked to gyms and they are a really low infection risk but are so beneficial to many of our mental and physical health.

Aibu to think gyms should be included in our daily exercise given our climate and poor health.

@Coconut1978

But exercising outdoors is not enjoyable given the weather and sheer volumes of people out. It means I cannot really run because I’m constantly stopping and moving into the road or grass.

I managed to walk today and only saw one other person. I think it depends what time you go, it’s always busy first thing and early afternoon (after lunch) so I go around 12ish which seems to be a quiet time. It’s not ideal and it does get boring doing the same routes.

It might not be enjoyable but a lot of things people are experiencing during the pandemic are not, it's about health and safety.

I do realise mental health is important and I had to stop going to the gym due to covid too. I started doing classes on YouTube and Les Mills. Is that an option for you?

Would you really not feel safe walking around in the day? It's not dark now til after 5ish (nor sure). You could go for a lunchtime walk.

You've simultaneously claimed you don't like exercising outside because there are too many people, and also because you don't feel safe as it's too quiet ...

Essentially you like going to the gym, they are your preferred place to exercise, and you want them to reopen. There's nothing wrong with that. We all have our priorities for things we want to reopen. But they are not the only way to exercise - you just don't want to do the alternatives.

Wfh means I can only exercise after 5 or in my lunch hour now :(. I’m inner city so parks are packed at this time.

Yabu. Getting to visit a gym is a luxury that we can ill afford at the moment. Essentials like small children's education are massively compromised so I would be unhappy that gyms were opened and schools closed.

@Coconut1978

Not everyone can exercise at home. I personally don’t have the space to be able to exercise in a 1 bed flat.

I go out for a run however the amount of people I have to pass in our local park means I would probably be in less contact should I go to the gym and go on a treadmill.

Of course you have room to exercise at home - you can follow all sorts of exercise tutorials on youtube that only need a tiny bit of space.

Also if you are exercising outside then you'll be running past people in the open air so unless you intend run on the spot a metre away from someone with Covid your risks are much lower.

We all want things to be open for the sake of our mental health so and I dont agree that gyms should take priority

@Coconut1978

Wfh means I can only exercise after 5 or in my lunch hour now :(. I’m inner city so parks are packed at this time.

I am sorry you are struggling. There will likely be adults on this thread who have to use their wfh lunchhour to do homeschooling with their kids and then use the after 5 time to then go back online and catch up on work.

It’s really hurting my mental and physical health not being able to adequately exercise.

In what way? If you mean very seriously then you need to find any kind of work around- surely exercising outdoors has got to be better than a decline in your health and if really was that serious I'm sure you'd be doing that.

If you mean you're a bit fed up that you can't go to a gym for a bit then its difficult but tough, otherwise where do you draw the line?

Person A not going to the cinema really hurts my mental health- cinema's should open...
Person B not being able to meet for a coffee with why mates in a cafe really hurts my mental health- cafe's should be open...and so on

Before you know it there's no restrictions and we have a 3rd peak.

Climbing walls could open. Ours had so many safety measures. It saved our son's mental health and it's part of his life, not just a "hobby"

I’d love it and there were no outbreaks when we were using them for months on end but and it’s a big but who knows what would have happened in terms of the new variant and its transmissibility. I’m sorry you feel so low OP and some people have just lost their humanity during this.

@Frozenintime

Climbing walls could open. Ours had so many safety measures. It saved our son's mental health and it's part of his life, not just a "hobby"

Why should they? No one should be doing anything bar the essentials and a bit of outdoor exercise.

I wish OP. I really do. My mental health got such a boost when I could go swimming again.

I think also you don’t need much space to exercise inside.

I train clients and they are often doing the workout in kids bedrooms.

FYI OP Joe Wicks has a good “no noise hotel room workout” on his YouTube channel which might work for you.

I miss the gym but until schools reopen to all children I don’t think anywhere else should reopen.

YABVVVU.

A bracing jog outdoors leaves you feeling far better mentally than using a treadmill in a hot and sweaty gym IMO.

Driving a short distance for a long walk - allowed in lockdown 1.

Allowed under the Guidance (look at the Outdoor exercise section under the Travel heading).

But the fear of getting stopped/fined is putting people off because the police refuse to accept it is allowed, or haven't read the Guidance, or think it's OK to just make up 'rules'.

We'd be fitter and less depressed without this intimidation and harrasment and I can't imagine the magistrates court are thrilled by the extra work of overturning hundreds or thousands of fines issued for activities that are permitted.

Totally agree @Coconut1978

@Dongdingdong

I don’t use treadmills. I don’t run actually.

Agree 100% OP.

@Dongdingdong

YABVVVU.

A bracing jog outdoors leaves you feeling far better mentally than using a treadmill in a hot and sweaty gym IMO.

Unless you have an injury that prevents that. Humans have weak ankle and knee joints, it's not a rare thing.

I work at a gym. A lot of ppl think its for meeting friends rather than serious work outs. especially when it was one of the only things open.

I completely agree OP. I was a regular gym goer 4/5 times a week for the mental health benefits as well as physical. Unless you are that way inclined you will always get people who think they are not essential but they a really are, working out at home with no equipment makes it very difficult to maintain the same level of fitness you get from the gym and running outside in January is not easy. I also really feel for people who were using swimming as a form of rehab from operations etc. as there is literally no alternative.

I am also starting to get really annoyed with the nothing can open before schools brigade. Schools are hotbeds for spreading covid social distancing is impossible. Gyms are the opposite and data found very limited cases being caught in the gym. Everyone else shouldn’t have to suffer just because they can’t find a way to get kids into school safely. We want to take pressure off the NHS but close the one sector that actually takes some of that pressure off its madness.

Yabu I'm afraid.
I really miss the gym, I haven't been since last March, but we need to prioritise schools and the vaccination programme.
Even if gym goers don't get ill the fact that it's indoors will allow the virus to trickle around under the radar. I run, walk and exercise in my muddy garden for now.

What we really need is local councils to pull their fingers out and allow more outdoors exercise classes.

I definitely think that we are getting very mixed messages from the government. On the one hand it's STAY AT HOME YOU WILL KILL GRANNY IF YOU STEP OUTSIDE THE DOOR; on the other hand it's obesity is a risk factor for bad outcomes with covid (and lots of other things).

So they make it near on impossible to exercise unless you walk, cycle or run. They are all good, but not very practical when everyone is doing it on the one nice day in January.

I am not about opening indoor gyms at this point, but I do think outdoor options should be widened eg tennis courts, outdoor swimming pools, golf courses etc.

I'm really sorry for anyone struggling. I exercise a lot and have throughout this. Not been to my indoor gym since February. I live in a busy inner city area and exercise outdoors nearly every day. When they are open, I've used the outdoor calisthenics parks (closed now but open throughout November lockdown) and flat exercise areas in parks (always open, rarely busy). I also run (quiet streets and sometimes parks, go suitably shod to run off-path if needed, don't worry if it takes me a bit longer ). I do Les Mills on Demand at home (and there is loads of free stuff and you don't need much space), and exercise in my small garden and in parks. Really easy to find space to do push ups, squats, a railing to use with resistance bands, a bench to hold on to etc, even when parks are busy. It was lovely and sunny and crisp today but even when the weather is worse, a bit of decent but cheap kit (warm leggings, fleece, light waterproof) will see you through most if it. We know where the virus spreads - it is indoors where people gather. They cannot make gyms safe while rates are this high. Yes, if you want to you can find lots of reasons not to exercise at home or in parks or open spaces but it really is possible and there is plenty of variety available.