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Returning to the gym? How to make training as safe as possible during a pandemic
The pandemic has not ended, but many are in a hurry to return to their usual way of life – including training in designated institutions. Especially for those who cannot live without visiting a fitness club and group activities, Healthy Food Near Me has collected the most important rules for observing safety in such places.
It is unknown how long antiseptics and protective masks will take such an important (and even dominant) place in our life. And yet the spread of coronavirus is not decreasing – a new number of infected are reported every day.
However, even WHO representatives believe that today you need to be afraid of COVID-19 much less than a year ago. This is because researchers have already managed to study the specifics of the virus and understand much better how to treat it.
In general, many are already really just tired of being panicky about the coronavirus. They return for walks in parks, go to restaurants and even crowded food courts, and visit cinemas and fitness centers.
In fact, if you take some simple precautions, being in these places really won’t harm you and will allow you to actively and profitably spend your time.
“A healthy lifestyle makes the immune system more resistant to viruses. But this does not mean that after exercising once, the immunity will grow significantly. Fitness clubs were and still are crowded places! All recommendations for protective equipment and hygiene must be followed in full.
If there are no symptoms of the virus, then training may remain the same as before the pandemic. The main thing is to listen to your body.
If you still get sick with coronavirus, then you need to pause your workouts and wait another 2 weeks after recovery. This is necessary for the body to fully recover. And the first workouts should be low intensity. Choose yoga or stretching, and then increase the load according to your sensations, “explains the senior trainer of the network of fitness studios. Denis Solomin.
Have you decided to forget about home workouts and return to the gym? Well, then read on how to do it right.
New way
Going to the gym, before you immediately entered into a dialogue with “local” acquaintances? Or maybe they even shook hands or rushed into their arms? During a pandemic, it’s best to forget about emotional greetings and let your friends not be offended.
You should also forget about going to the shared shower before or after training. Humidity and high temperatures are the best medium for bacteria to thrive.
Therefore, if you have the opportunity to wait a little with water procedures, it is better to wait until you return home. Moreover, after a long stay outside the home, doctors really advise to take a shower – so as not to give the virus a single chance of spreading.
“The same rule applies to long hair. Do not dissolve them during training, and be sure to wash your hair at home to prevent the growth of bacteria, ”says the clinic’s pediatrician. Ksenia Soboleva.
But you should wash your hands and use a sanitizer in the gym as often as possible. After all, you are in constant contact with shells and simulators that touch dozens or even hundreds of other people.
All I carry with me
Due to the fact that the gym is a space with a fairly large traffic, you should not leave your personal belongings anywhere. Even when it comes to a damp towel or a regular water bottle. Always keep these items with you so that no one touches them.
In addition, pathogenic bacteria for some time continue to remain active outside the human body – on surfaces that the infected person touched. Therefore, it is better not to remove the towel from the shoulders, but to purchase a belt bag with a special holder for water.
A fitness mat is also better to have your own, rather than take one that is intended for many other visitors.
By the way, if your workout consists only of doing exercises on the mat, think about whether you should go to a fitness club at all. Today there are many online applications for self-study – for any complexity, duration, taste and wallet. And instead of professional weights or dumbbells, you can even use improvised household items – at least the same bottles of water.
And again about masks
We all understand perfectly well that constantly wearing a mask on our face is not an easy ordeal. And yet, if you are really interested in observing safety rules, then you should not forget about the mask even during intense running on the track.
For this purpose, you can try to choose a separate protective accessory that you will wear during your workouts. The mask should not be too tight on your nose or sweat immediately.
Perhaps it is worth taking a closer look at the protective plastic screens – the main thing is to choose one that will be tightly fixed on the head and not create discomfort during classes.
Another approach
Exercising in the same way as before the pandemic is not recommended today. Now our immune system is undergoing much stronger blows than usual, so it is worth saving it from unnecessary stress.
Even a small and not too intense workout should start with a thorough warm-up. It will be needed not only by your muscles, but also by the circulatory, nervous and respiratory systems, saving the body from unexpected shocks from stress. Search the internet for any exercise in this category that you like and spend the extra 5-10 minutes with health benefits.
In general, after a long break in isolation, the body could not help but wean from the usual physical exertion. And in this case, you do not need to be a hero: even if you want to quickly enter the usual pace or get rid of extra pounds by the scheduled date.
It would be best to slow down a little, and also make allowances for the fact that you are wearing a mask and cannot breathe fully.
Fans of cardio loads need to be especially careful. Of course, scientists have already proven that this type of exercise prevents complications from COVID-19 infection. However, the constant appearance of shortness of breath and burning sensation in the lungs will definitely not benefit your health at a dangerous time – and even more so it will not make you enjoy the process.
Of course, we all really want the world to become the same as soon as possible. In the meantime, it is in our power to prevent the emergence of even larger cases of coronavirus infection. Listen carefully to yourself and stay at home if you feel unwell, so as not to put other visitors to the fitness club at risk. And choose to visit only those halls whose staff carefully monitors compliance with safety rules. Premises should be cleaned more often than usual, simulators should be disinfected, and employees should wear masks and not show painful signs.