Going to the gym while maintaining COVID safety measures seems near impossible, but with the right effort, mindfulness and dedication, the right safety protocols can be implemented.
If we take a look at the WHO’s guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19, we can apply certain practices while working out that will help us stay as safe as possible.
Sanitize
This is one of the most important COVID-19 preventatives out there. Making sure that you sanitize your hands (every time) after you pick up a dumbbell or weight in the gym will help clean your hands of any viruses.
Make sure that after you use the weights or machines, you sanitize them down, too, to help any future user stay clear of any potential threats.
You can take some pocket hand sanitizers with you to the gym and use throughout your workout.
Mask Up
Wearing a medical mask to the dunGYM may look funny at first, but it is imperative to your safety and to the safety of others that you wear a mask while you take breaks and in between sets. You shouldn’t wear a mask during an exercise, but that shouldn’t stop you from wearing one in between!
Avoid touching your mask during a workout, too, as to avoid your face.
Avoid Sources For Drinking Water
The drinking fountains at your gym should already be turned off, but if they’re not, do not even think of drinking from them. Any surface which has come into contact with a host’s respiratory system is a danger surface, and it would be tragic to pick the virus up from the watering system.
On another note, if there are water sources available at the gym, try avoid them, as the tap would have been touched by hands many times throughout the day.
Take your own water, and enough so that you don’t need to fill up during a workout.
Social Distance
Another reason to stay away from the drinking water at the gym is to avoid any social interaction. It would not only distract you from the workout itself, but it may be putting you at risk for contracting or catching the virus if you do not maintain 1.5m distance between you and whoever you’re talking to.
If the weight rooms are too packed and busy, consider using the treadmill for a bit while things calm down.
Conclusion:
The most effective ways you can apply protocols at the gym are not an end-game challenge. Sanitize your hands and the equipment that you use after every set, keep social distancing at the top of your priority list and avoid the water fountain!
