Goodbye gym. I’ll be back but in this time of the novel coronavirus, I’ve decided to take a break.
We all make our own risk decisions and I get it that others will decide differently. That’s fine. This is my call given that I live with a vulnerable person and I work out at a university gym with young people who may be sick and not notice. I’ve read lots about gyms and safety and I know this is a conservative decision.
If you’re trying to make your call, this is helpful: Gyms and Coronavirus: What Are the Risks?
Just remember, it’s not just about you. Jeff makes that point about the larger social good pretty well in the context of conference travel in this blog post over at Boating Adventures.
In the meantime, I’ll be riding my bike (inside and out), planking with Cheddar, using our home TRX, doing Yoga with Adriene, and maybe doing a home kettlebell routine. I’ve never been a great home exerciser but all the knee physio I’ve been doing might have turned that around.
I’ll stay in touch. Wish me luck!
Share your decisions about changes you’ve made to your life, the what and the why, in the comments below, but let’s also respect each others’ choices. These aren’t easy calls to make. We’re all getting by, doing our best. And washing our hands lots.
If I lived with my mother, I would make the same call. Given that I live alone, I’m going to continue going to yoga classes at my local studio. I’m bringing my own mat, blocks and strap. For bolster use, I’ll put a towel over it. And of course hand washing before and after. We all need to hear that we make our own risk assessments, and also we can make adjustments as we get new information and as the situation progresses.
I generally don’t go to the gym but would likely go the same way as you. That said, though COVID19 is not the primary driver, I’m getting ready to start bicycle commuting in earnest rather than relying on transit for 100% of my travel. It still won’t be every day especially as mornings are cold and the trails I ride to work are still wet and potentially icy. But now, it seems, bicycle commuting is potentially an even more healthy choice.
One of the reasons I decided to stop joining gyms a long time ago is because too many dedicated gym users do their workouts when they’re sick, and I’d get every version of the awful ick they brought in with them. I’d have two great weeks of exercise and then come down with a nasty cold, rinse and repeat. But I do swim at the local indoor pool, and I’m strongly considering suspending that activity until the virus is no longer a threat.
I don’t go to the gym right now, but I do swim at the local pool a few times per week. I do not have regular contact with vulnerable people and I really need the mental/physical benefits that I get from swimming. So for now I’m sticking with my regular routine.
That being said – I will revisit this as the situation evolves – we have just started having confirmed cases where I live.