EVOLVING EXERCISE
New gym protocols
Are you dreaming of the day you can get back into the gym?
Admittedly, home workouts have established themselves as a viable option for staying active during a pandemic. But for gym members with an established workout routine, a favourite fitness class or exercise machine or a social circle of like-minded exercisers, gyms can’t reopen fast enough.
That anticipation may be tempered by the fact that when gyms do get the green light to reopen, they will look and operate differently.
Prior to their closing in mid-march, gyms featured lots of shared equipment, people exercising close to one another and plenty of hands touching plenty of surfaces. All of this is associated with a high probability of transmitting viruses, so you can expect numerous changes at your fitness club.
According to Jason Tetro (a.k.a. the Germ Guy), microbiologist and author of The Germ Code and The Germ Files, physical distancing rules may be modified in gyms to take into account the likelihood that physical exertion increases the radius in which the respiratory droplets known to carry the virus will travel.
“Will it be three metres or four metres instead of the current two? I’m not sure, but a policy needs to be developed,” said Tetro.
That means every second cardio machine will likely be unused, or Plexiglas barriers will be installed between machines.
And all the heavy lifters won’t be congregating around the squat rack or lifting platforms waiting to work in a set.
As for all the portable exercise equipment — dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, skipping ropes, medicine balls and so on — there will almost certainly be no more communal use.
Gym owners and managers will likely create appropriately distanced individual workout pods, marked by tape on the floor, that include enough equipment to perform a basic workout. The pods, along with the cardio machines — treadmills, ellipticals and stationary bikes — will probably need to be reserved in advance.
Group exercise classes will also look different. Tetro suggests studios will have taped workout circles or squares mapped out on the floor in which exercisers will stay so they can keep their distance from each other.
Everyone will be encouraged to bring their own yoga mats and filled water bottles since mats and water fountains are sources of virus transmission.
In between classes and reservations, the staff will be responsible for cleaning all touchable surfaces and equipment. But even with scheduled cleanings, exercisers should give their machines and equipment an extra wipe before and after use.
Tetro notes the coronavirus isn’t difficult to kill, and with the right cleaning fluid a thorough wipe-down should do the trick.
Gyms will need to map out foot traffic to ensure that wherever possible, there is a single flow of people travelling to and from the various workout spaces.
Keeping a one-way flow of people will be made easier since it is assumed most gyms will operate at about half their former capacity, even during peak times.
Expect locker-rooms to be off limits, at least initially. Not only is it too difficult to manage the flow of people going in and out, Tetro says they’re a breeding ground for germs.
As a consequence, gyms may adopt a “get in, train and get out” policy, requiring members to arrive in their workout gear and leave without showering or changing.
As we head into the winter months, that policy may be modified to accommodate coats and boots, but it’s likely that locker-room and studio doors will be propped open as much as possible.
Gyms will also need to review the air flow within their facilities to ensure there is an adequate exchange of stale and fresh air. More and more evidence suggests that poor ventilation can increase the risk of the coronavirus spreading in public spaces.
“Gyms should identify hot spots (areas with poor circulation) within their building and adjust air flow, if possible, to make sure no one area is at increased risk,” said Tetro.
Given the likelihood that gyms will be among the last public places to reopen, staff have plenty of time to rework their operating procedures and prepare facilities to safely accommodate their members. But changes in policy and fear of acquiring the virus may result in some members preferring to keep their workout outdoors during the summer and early fall.
As for those who do return as soon as the gyms open, expect an increase in fees as owners try to pay their bills while seeing their usable square footage cut in half and cleaning costs double.
Meanwhile, gyms should move their online workouts outdoors, depending on each province’s provisions for social gatherings. Exercisers can bring their own equipment or rent equipment from the gym for the summer.
Physical distancing would need to be maintained, but there would be no worries about inadequate ventilation or spaces that are too cramped.
So while more and more Canadians are wondering whether to keep their gym membership active, remember how important gyms are in establishing an exercise routine, connecting a community of exercisers and getting us out of the house — all of which has taken on more importance while society adjusts to life during a pandemic.
Every second cardio machine will likely be unused, or Plexiglas barriers will be installed between machines.