The Coronavirus–aka COVID-19–is certainly something serious, but at the same time, when it comes to your gym workouts, you should treat it just like any other flu season. If you’re worried about how the Coronavirus might affect your gym sessions, here are the best tips to follow:
Workout at home – If you think you may be at a greater risk of catching the Coronavirus, have underlying health conditions that could worsen its effects, or even feel like you may be coming down with the flu or COVID-19 strain, then stay at home. There are plenty of at-home workouts that you can do. Here’s a simple at-home workout.
Use hand sanitizer – bring your own pocketable hand sanitizer. Most gyms should have hand sanitizer stations, but by bringing your own, you’ll be able to use it as often as you feel you need in order to keep your sanity while working out.
Wipe down equipment, twice – you should already be wiping down the gym equipment after use, but to further prevent catching the Coronavirus, wipe down the equipment BEFORE you use it and then again after you use it. Some people already don’t bother wiping down equipment after use, so take the extra precaution against the Coronavirus and wipe it down before you touch it.
Bring your own towel – yes, your gym may provide you with clean towels, but have they already been handled? What if the person folding them has the Coronavirus? What if someone grabbed a towel, but then put it back? If you’re worried about catching the COVID-19 flu, bring your own towel.
Bring your own water – the same goes for water. Don’t use any water stations during the flu season. Even if they were hands-free and cleaned hourly, I still would bring my own personal water supply. And, drink plenty of it! Fluids have been shown to help your body resist the Coronavirus or any flu strain for that matter.
Bring your own mat – whether it’s pilates, yoga, or just plain ole stretching, don’t sit down on a gym mat. Yes, it could well be cleaned but many of those mats are porous and hard to clean. Play it safe and bring your own mat–you can get them cheap on Amazon.
Don’t spot or high-five anyone – stay away from any workout station that normally requires a spotter. And also, no handshakes or hugs–even if you love that person greatly! Fist bump, elbow bump, or just nod your head and smile.
Wear a face covering – if you can tolerate it, or if your gym insists, bring some kind of face-covering to protect yourself and put others at ease.
The Coronavirus is something to be mindful of, but it should also not be something that makes you paranoid about working out. If you feel well enough to work out, then don’t let the Coronavirus be your excuse for skipping exercise. Take a walk around your neighborhood, do lunges in your bedroom, or even just some jumping-jacks during TV commercial breaks. 😉