Expert: Get your workout in outdoors rather than at the gym
Fitness centers are taking steps to combat the spread of coronavirus, but a UW Health doctor says that, for now, it’s safer to exercise outdoors or away from other people.
The virus isn’t found in sweat, so that’s not the problem. However, if someone in a gym has COVID-19, they could spread it through coughing, sneezing or touching a workout machine.
“There are so many surfaces they could contaminate,” said Jeff Pothof, safety officer for UW Health, which is an affiliate of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
“If for whatever reason you go to the gym now, try to stay about six feet or more away from the next closest person … and pay strict attention to cleaning the equipment with a disinfectant,” Pothof said.
Milwaukee-area health clubs say they’ve taken precautions such as increasing the distance between spin bikes and frequently wiping down equipment with alcohol and bleachbased sanitizers.
“We have extra hand sanitizer available all the time,” said Ken Weber, owner of the Brickyard Gym in Milwaukee.
“Some of the members are also taking their own initiatives, bringing in Clorox wipes, and some people are simply staying away. Business is down about 50 percent,” Weber said.
Clubs have posted information on their websites about the steps they’re taking to curb the spread of coronavirus, or they’ve emailed updates to members.
Elite Sports Clubs, which has five locations in the area, said it’s canceled all basketball games until further notice, and it’s adopted additional measures aimed at protecting children.
“Effective Tuesday morning, we will be closing childcare in the playrooms and canceling Spring Break SCAMP. …
We are reviewing all class schedules and plan to eliminate back-to-back classes. Instead, we will provide a minimum of a 15-minute break between classes to allow time for cleaning,” Elite said.
“For the time being, we are also eliminating all circuit-type classes where people are expected to touch something that someone else touched recently. … In cycling studios, we are moving bikes further apart or eliminating bikes in order to space them farther away from
each other. In yoga and group fitness studios, we are outlining 6x6-foot squares on the ground to indicate to our members what a safe distance is for everyone,” Elite says.
In an email to members, Wisconsin Athletic Club said “all complimentary group fitness classes” would be canceled Monday and Tuesday, and a modified group fitness schedule would be posted for Wednesday through Sunday. “We will use this time to clean and sanitize all group fitness spaces,” it said.
Furthermore, “No one under the age 13 will be allowed in the club,” and swim lessons and basketball games are canceled through March 22.
“In light of the current health concerns we are absolutely stepping up sanitization efforts in each of our gyms and increasing the availability of sanitizers and cleaning supplies,” Gold’s Gym said in an email to the Journal Sentinel.
Coronavirus spreads person-toperson through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes or exhales. The droplets land on surfaces, and the illness can be spread when a person touches an infected surface and then touches their eyes, nose or mouth.
That’s why a gym can be risky right now even if a workout helps relieve stress and boosts your immune system.
“I think exercise is really important,” Pothof said. “But go outside for a run or a walk in the woods.”
If you insist on sticking with a gym, there are ways to minimize the coronavirus risks, including wiping down equipment with a disinfectant, working out during off-peak hours, and avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth while in the facility.
When using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, make sure it’s at least 60% alcohol. Home-made disinfectants can be effective, because the virus isn’t difficult to kill, but it can be difficult to get the right concentration, according to Pothof.
Some fitness clubs are waiving cancellation fees for people who miss a class due to illness. Some are streaming online workout classes for members at home and are offering personal-training video chats.
“For any member who does not feel comfortable visiting the gym but wants to maintain an active lifestyle at home, we are offering free premium access to our digital personal training app ... through May 31,” Gold’s Gym said.
One Planet Fitness club in Denton, Texas, took a different approach at the front desk, according to member Tania Aleman.
For the past two years, gym-goers would hand their membership badges to a receptionist who scans them in. But in the wake of COVID-19, Aleman said, the receptionist pointed to the scanner and said, “You scan it. We’re trying to stop coronavirus from spreading.”
The World Health Organization hasn’t urged people to avoid fitness centers, but some clubs have closed or restricted the number of people who can be in the facility at any given time.
Weber, with Brickyard Gym in Milwaukee, said Monday he wasn’t canceling classes just yet but was monitoring the situation daily.
“I am waiting for the city to mandate whether we should be open or not. It could change in a minute, with one phone call,” he said.
His club has picked up some traffic from community centers and schools that have closed their gyms.
“We are trying to keep everything as clean and sanitized as possible, and we’re telling people that if they don’t feel good, they should stay home,” Weber said.