Working Out in a Pandemic

Since March, when everything shut down, I've been working out exclusively at home. Fortunately, I have a nice little collection of weights and other items that enable me to get a decent workout, supplemented with plyometric exercises and a daily walk or jog.

Then, on Monday last week, as I briskly marched through my neighborhood...I fell. Hard.

Fortunately, nothing is broken, but my foot has been bruised for a week-and-a-half now, and walking has been more difficult. Going for a 2-3 mile jaunt in my neighborhood has been impossible. No plyometric exercises on this foot--just thinking about how that would hurt makes me feel ill. It's getting better, but I still have to rest and take it easy.

The lack of working out has been really, really hard.

I have been wanting to get a simple spin bike for several months now, because the gym ones can get a little out-of-repair. But for now, I decided that since my gym re-opened this week, I'd try going in for a workout.

I had my reservations. While masks are "required" in California, enforcing it is hard, and a lot of businesses simply don't have the needed resources to do so. But 24 Hour Fitness has put a lot of things in place to make re-opening feasible, like:

1. Limiting how many people can be in the club at one time, and requiring a "reservation" for a one-hour block.
2. Between each one-hour block is a 30-minute block where club employees clean.
3. Masks are encouraged, but it's hard to require them when people are huffing and puffing on a treadmill.
4. Everyone is being encouraged and reminded to wipe down all equipment.
5. Equipment has been spaced out to promote social distancing. 

Still, a lot of people are not keen on going to gyms now, and if my foot wasn't giving me trouble, I'd stay away, too. But I really, really needed some cardio, so I went, taking some precautions of my own:

1. I wore a bandana tied around the lower half of my face to keep my own huffing anThed puffing contained. I kept it off my nose and practiced the in-through-the-nose, out-through-the-mouth breathing technique.
2. I took my own hand wipes and some Lysol wipes to clean down the bike and weights. 
3. I religiously avoided touching my face with my hands, using my workout towel to wipe sweat, scratch my nose, etc.
4. I did not go in the locker room. 

The experience wasn't terrible. For a gym that is usually very busy, there weren't a lot of people. I don't know if that's the limit on how many people can come in, or if people are staying away. The cardio area was better for distancing than the weight area, since machines had been removed to force it. I noticed the weight area was slightly more crowded. 

Most people did not wear masks, though some of us did. I would think that encouraging people to breathe in through the nose (not covered) and out through the mouth (covered) would help--that is how I've learned to breathe when working out, anyway, and then you can get air in without a mask impeding you, while also shielding everyone from droplets from your mouth. Perhaps it's not a perfect solution, but I'd think it's better than everyone just breathing all over.

Most 24 Hour gyms have really high ceilings and decent ventilation, so that is helpful. This article from the Wall Street Journal gives some excellent insight on how the virus seems to be spreading, and ventilation in inside spaces seems to be a huge key.

If I were immuno-compromised, I would still completely avoid going to the gym. Even now, I'm hoping to resolve my own situation so I don't have to go back again for some time. I've signed up for some online training with a trainer I met on last summer's cruise, and now more than ever, buying a spin bike for home is something I'm seriously considering. I like doing spin--it's great cardio. I've missed it these last few months, and I'd love to be able to hop on here at home.

So, should we all be rushing back to the gym? I think it's a bit early to tell. I went out of some desperation and took a few extra precautions along the way. I likely will not go back soon, and just see what K. the Newbie (he'll need a new nickname) can come up with for me with my foot.