7 Things To Check Off Your To-Do List Before Visiting The Newly Reopened Neighborhood Gym
Fitness professionals have waited a long time to have their studios back up and running — make sure you know what's going on before charging the front desk.
Sound the alarm! New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo officially announced that New York City's gyms are able to open as early as August 24, assuming they meet the extended rules and regulations set out for them. As fitness studios around the country have been the last priority when it comes to phased reopening due to coronavirus (COVID-19), instructors are rejoicing at the option to go back to work and be (safely) with their students.
You obviously can't just waltz into your favorite spin studio and plop yourself down on a bike. With reopenings, studios and gyms are going to have to be incredibly careful so they can keep students safe (and not get shut down again).
These regulations differ depending on what state you're in, but there are a few things you should do before re-entering the gym for the first time, no matter where you live.
1. If you feel even a little sick, stay home
For the sake of everyone else at the gym, don't risk it just because you've really missed your yoga class. Even if you're convinced it's nothing, be considerate of the gym's employees who will cringe when they hear you sneeze on the treadmill. Just take one for the team and stay home.
2. Check the gym's mask mandate
No matter where you're located, most gyms around the country will require a mask to some extent. In lower outbreak areas, this might just mean wearing one in and out, but not while you're actually working out. For areas that experienced larger outbreaks (and slower reopenings) like New York City, you may be required to wear a mask for the entirety of your class/workout.
If you don't want to follow the mask mandate that the gym is enforcing, please recognize that going to the gym without one in protest will not help anyone. The front desk worker who kindly reminds you of the mandate isn't the one ruining your workout by asking you to wear one, they're simply doing their job. If you do not want to follow the re-opening regulations, it's better to stay home and do a great home workout.
3. See if you need a reservation
Many gyms, especially fitness studios that specialize in group classes, will require you to make a reservation so they can limit how many people will be in the gym/class at one time. For general gym use, this may include an expiration time (so no two-hour workouts for you). For classes, this will limit the number of participants allowed. These reservations should be a first-come, first-serve policy — make sure you fully plan on attending when you book your time slot, so you don't take time away from someone else!
4. Confirm whether or not the locker rooms are open
Some common areas, where germs could spread easier, may be closed for your gym's initial re-opening. Things like saunas, showers, and locker rooms would be harder for the gym staff to closely monitor for cleanliness — they may decide to keep them closed for the time being. If you're going to the gym before work and are counting on shower access (or you were just looking forward to some relaxing sauna time) this is something to check on before you go in.
5. Plan a workout that is considerate of spacial needs and those around you
Gyms and studios will have already marked off machines/spaces that are off-limits, ideally making social distancing very easy to follow as you go through your workout. As space will be more limited, be considerate of what kind of workout you're going to do. Instead of laying on a mat to do push-ups, maybe do standing circuits with kettlebells to take up less space. Yes, gyms are open, but that doesn't mean you need to hog up the already-condensed space that's there.
6. Be ready to sanitize equipment before and after you use them
This is always a good idea, as you can never guarantee the person who used the equipment before you sanitized it when they were done, but it's even more important during the COVID-19 crisis. Gyms should have disinfectant readily available, easy to access whenever you need to spray something down.
7. Call and ask for any additional policies you might have missed
Every gym in your area will have the same state-mandated requirements, but that doesn't mean they will each be handling those requirements the same way, or even opening on the same day! Call your studio and check-in with their front desk so you know exactly what to expect before you begin going in again.
Stop Judging People If Their Resolution Is To Lose Weight
Last time I checked it's not 'your gym,' sweetie.
Studies show that the top 3 resolutions for the new year are to eat healthier, exercise more and lose weight.
These are amazing resolutions, but these are also resolutions that are harshly judged in the public eye.
As a curvy woman, I used to feel beyond insecure about going to the gym or ordering a salad from a restaurant. In my head, all I thought about was people saying "she's doing that wrong" or "I know she didn't get that way by eating salads" or some other negative comment that I saw being commented somewhere else. As result, I'd stop going to the gym and begin eating poorly.
I know what you might be thinking. These are things all in my head or I shouldn't let some random person make me feel less. Yet some people aren't as strong as others when it comes to these harsh comments. There is a high expectation for what our bodies should look like and when people tell us we don't fit in that category, we start to not like ourselves.
Luckily over the years, I have gained so much more confidence because of who I surround myself with. But I know that is not the case for everyone.
Granted there are people who positively encourage this change, but it's those negative comments that hurt a person more. There can be 100 comments saying how someone is looking great and looked at as an inspiration, but as I said, it only takes one comment/person to make someone feel highly discouraged from reaching their goal.
Losing weight is seen as the 'basic resolution' but it's not a basic action. It is life changing experience and no one should make that goal seem unreachable.
Already I have seen so many Snapchat /Instagram mentions about how annoying it is when a gym is full of 'those new years resolution people" at the beginning of the month. The biggest thing I ask when someone I know says this is "since when do you get to decide how another person should live their life" and sometimes I'm petty and will say "last time I checked it's not your gym sweetie", I'm sorry but it's not. Gyms build a person mentally and physically, don't take that away from someone because you think you can dictate on who comes in the gym.
It doesn't matter if it's a stranger or even your friend who has this solution, take it seriously and encourage them to follow through with their goal rather than discourage.
Rather than judging someone for wanting to make a positive change in their lives, we need to encourage them and let that person do them.
So before you comment on someone's looks, body, lifestyle, think to yourself "how is this going to make that person feel?" or "what kind of person does that make me if I decide to tear that person down?"
I wish all those people whose resolution is to eat healthier, exercise more and lose weight the best of luck because I'm about to go through that life-changing experience myself. No matter what your goal is, it can be reached one way or another.