Things to Keep in Mind as Gyms Reopen

Hi all, I hope you’ve been staying safe and healthy out there. Here in southern California gyms are set to reopen this week. With everything going on in the world I wanted to share a few tips of things to keep in mind as you venture back into your gym. 


1. Be kind to yourself

Your body has likely changed a little bit over the past few months. While you are definitely going to be excited to get back in there and have all of the weights to lift, listen to your body and take it slow. Weights are going to feel heavier than last time you were there, movements won't feel as natural, and you may want to try to prove to yourself that you can still hit your 1RM squat. PROCEED WITH CAUTION and be kind to your body! We are focused on long term health and wellness here, and injuring yourself just because you wanted fast track your progress isn't going to help you. 

2. Be aware of new policies

Most, if not all, businesses that are reopening need to have some sort of plan in place to keep people safe. My gym, for instance, is having people sign up for 2 hour time slots to workout during in order to control the number of people in the gym at a time. They are also enforcing social distancing, sanitation procedures, and requiring a face mask be worn if you are spotting another person. Be aware of your gyms policies so that you can follow them! They are put in place to keep you and other gym-goers safe, and you will likely lose your ability to work out there if you can't abide by them. 

3. Wash your hands and sanitize everything

Gyms are notoriously germy places! This shouldn't be the case with all of the new policies emphasizing cleanliness, but better to be safe than sorry. There will likely be a high number of people going in and out of the gym in the coming weeks, which means lotssss of people touching equipment. You don't know when the last time they washed their hands was, and you can't trust others to be cleaning equipment after they use it (even if it is a new policy). Make it a priority to wash your hands as often as possible and to sanitize the things you touch before and after you use it. 

4. Be mindful of others

You are not the only one excited to go back to the gym! After months away expect as many (or more) people ready to get back into the gym as New Year's Day. Some may be taking much more precaution that you, and some may be taking less. Be mindful of how others may feel when making your way through the gym. Keep distance, don't pick a machine or cardio equipment right next to someone, and wipe off what you're using when you're done.

5. Strategize

As mentioned above, your gym may be implementing time limits to monitor how many people are working out at a time. Go in with a plan, get your workout done, and get out. There is no need to take a lot of time in the gym or with one piece of equipment when there are many other people who want to get their workout in, too. It would also help if you try to strategize which machines to use based on where other people are in the gym, too, in order to maintain social distancing. 



I hope that a few of these tips were common sense, but I do think they serve as a good reminder. Stay safe and healthy out there everyone!