Many gyms allow people to take off their masks during training, as if the coronavirus will politely refrain from infecting others during exercise. It won’t be, of course. Even if it’s legal to exercise without a mask where you are, that’s not a good idea.
The CDC recently highlighted several cases of super-widespread gym events. In a gym in Chicago, 81 people were exposed to coronavirus during class and 55 came with symptoms. The gym kept people six feet away, required masks on arrival, and used temperature checks and symptom screening to try to rule out anyone who was ill.
But, as we all know, you can be contagious for a day or so before your symptoms start. So a person may show up to class, having no idea that she is ill, and then take the exercise course without a mask. The CDC report also found that people sometimes attended classes while waiting for test results. Surprisingly, all this adds up to a great way to spread the virus.
I’ve seen that before. Remember the Canadian cycling studio that followed all the rules, including how the rules allowed courses without a mask? Or the hotbed of fitness halls in Hawaii where no masks were needed?
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A room full of people breathing hard, without masks or adequate ventilation is a risky place during a coronavirus pandemic. To those who complain that it is annoying or even impossible to move with a mask, I say, if you can’t do it with a mask, you shouldn’t do it indoors around other people.
The CDC report on the Chicago gym has this to say about making exercise safer, emphasizing:
To reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission in fitness facilities, participants must wear a mask, including during high intensity activities, at a distance of ≥ 6 ft. In addition, facilities should require physical distance, improve ventilation and encourage participants to isolate themselves after the onset of symptoms or to receive a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result and be quarantined after potential exposure to SARS-CoV-2. CoV-2 and pending test results. Outdoor or practical exercise could further reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
If the gym does not require others to wear masks, it is safest not to go. If you choose to take the risk and participate anyway, consider avoiding cardio classes where everyone is breathing hard and minimize time spent in the building.
We also have a summary here of home training ideas. Watch a training video! Use a group fitness app! Get some dumbbells or resistance bands! Cancel your membership and invest in one the whole gym at home! Go outside and run away! And if you’ve already tried all this, here are some ideas what to do when you get bored of training at home.