SKIPPING THE GYM AND STAYING FIT AMID THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

Every fitness enthusiast and weight lifter would never miss training for anything in the world — except for a virus outbreak like COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel Coronavirus.

Gyms and fitness centres are public spaces where people gather to train, get fit, lose weight, or simply exercise to stay healthy. Since COVID-19 is spread primarily when a person cough or sneeze and droplets land on things or people nearby, gyms are considered “high-risk” locations right now. Shared weights, exercise machines and sweaty stretching areas could potentially serve as reservoirs for viruses.

Just think about how you touch a dumbbell then accidentally touch your face. Scary right? However, gyms have taken precautions such as:

• Limiting the number of people in the gym;
• Cancelling classes and group training;
• Supplying alcohol and sanitizers;
• Placing signages to remind members to wash hands frequently and wipe down the equipment with disinfectant before and after use;
• Adapting stricter cleaning routines and sanitations especially in high-touch areas such as pin pads, lockers, door handles and equipment.

Despite these additional steps, the possibility of contracting the disease is still high.

But if you decide to still go to your local gym despite the virus going around, it might be a little tough finding an open gym. After public health officials encouraged social distancing and avoiding any gatherings of 10 people or more, a number of gyms have temporarily closed in an effort to stop the spread of the virus.

So if you are trying to figure out how to train or workout without needing a fully functional gym, Cebu Fitness Boxing and Equipment has a few ideas you can try while waiting out the Coronavirus pandemic in the safety of your homes.

1. Set up a home gym. You can clear out a small space inside your house and turn it into a home gym for the meantime.
2. Get your hands on a few fitness essentials such as an exercise mat, dumbbells, kettlebells, exercise ball and foam roller.
3. For serious gym-goers and boxers, get yourself a treadmill, heavy bag, battle ropes, ab wheel, and boxing gloves.
4. For people looking for a trainer’s guidance for home exercises, there are plenty of mobile apps, Youtube videos and other workout tutorials online.
5. You can also check if your local gym is offering virtual workouts or other at-home exercise strategies. This way some personal trainers can continue earning a living despite the challenging times.
6. Get creative and focus on the basics such as planks, pushups, leg lifts, squats, burpees and other workouts that do not require equipment. All you will need for this is an exercise mat.

Fighting the COVID-19 may not end for months so it is best to take all necessary precautions to not contract the disease or spread the virus and unknowingly harm other people who are immunocompromised.

However, this does not necessarily mean removing exercise from your daily routine. One way to fight the virus is to boost your immunity which includes staying active.

Everyone knows exercise improves health and helps boost your immune system —  your body’s defence against infections, especially from the novel Coronavirus. Other than its health benefits, working out will keep you from going crazy cooped up inside your home for an extended period of time.

At Cebu Fitness Boxing and Equipment, we remain committed to doing everything we can to continue providing you with relevant information regarding COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus.

Here’s a video on how to prevent the spread of coronavirus: