Gym and Covid-19

[socca]

Yeah I've been going out for long walks every day for the past week.

I've been going for daily walks in the subdivisions near my house for years. Good exercise and a little fresh air!

I was amused to see that an upper-middle-class subdivision next to mine has installed a security camera on the main access road, with a prominent sign saying 'MONITORED 24/7'. This may provide some emotional comfort for these folks, but the bad news is that this subdivision has a long and porous border with another subdivision filled with people of much more modest means. It seems to me that - rich or poor - we're all in this together. The survivalists on the HOA board of this subdivision apparently disagree.

 

[athena53]

How many people here are considering working out at home in the future instead of going to the gym? Yesterday I sold some excess weights less than 10 minutes after I posted them on the internet so obviously some people are making changes.

A friend who works at Academy Sports has said that home exercise equipment is a hot seller right now. Not sure how a sporting goods store is allowed to stay open as "essential". Whatever.

I like the variety of equipment at my gym so will go back when I can. I'm doing OK at home and I have to admit that I don't miss the music at the gym, which makes it hard for me to listen to my own audio (mostly podcasts). It's interspersed with commercials every 15 minutes and some songs get an awful lot of play so you know they've got some sweet deal for playing it to their captive audience.

 

[Ian S]

We are continuing our daily five mile walks but are lucky that our extended neighborhood is pretty quiet. Typically when we see people coming towards us we just cross the street. A couple of times we had to pass others with only four or five feet separation and we literally stopped breathing until they were 15 feet or so past us! We feel keeping our cardiovascular system in top shape is one thing that may help us survive if and when we get infected.

 

[friar1610]

Wow, I liked it!!! I've just finished my 4 minute-exercise, and I'm a bit out of breath with the last one. Thank you!! I liked it because it's so short

This is a 20 minute series of workouts that somebody posted here a while back. Many of the exercises are similar to the 4 minute routine. This has a different routine for each of 5 days but seems to emphasize the same muscles. I've added it to my "gymless" workout routine every other day and really like it.

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8aDgq61xeX2EZcmj858tsRmwwkeZ9mFG

 

[donheff]

I hope states have enough sense to encourage continued outdoor exercise with appropriate distancing. If the reason for more stringent restrictions is that some miscreants are flouting the restrictions and grouping, issue some hefty citations to them and lock up any who refuse to comply. Publicize those actions and maybe less people will ignore the restrictions.

 

[braumeister]

I hope states have enough sense to encourage continued outdoor exercise with appropriate distancing.

Here's the WHO guide:

Stay physically active during self-quarantine

 

[donheff]

Here's the WHO guide:

Stay physically active during self-quarantine

That is a helpful guide but it is about how to exercise indoors while in a self imposed quarantine, not a broad based lock-down with exceptions for essential activities. My hope is that states will continue to encourage or at least authorize outdoor exercise for people who are not in quarantine (i,e, people who have no symptoms and have not been in contact with others who have symptoms or are known to be positive). Mental health is important.

 

[socca]

How many people here are considering working out at home in the future instead of going to the gym?

I've long suspected that my standard gym workout neglects upper-body conditioning. My recent home-based workouts with my new online workout instructor have confirmed that suspicion. If / when things get back to normal, I'm considering mixing gym-based and home-based workouts for the best of both worlds. The monthly fee for my gym is so low that going a bit less isn't a big deal.

 

[Pellice]

This is a 20 minute series of workouts that somebody posted here a while back. Many of the exercises are similar to the 4 minute routine. This has a different routine for each of 5 days but seems to emphasize the same muscles. I've added it to my "gymless" workout routine every other day and really like it.

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8aDgq61xeX2EZcmj858tsRmwwkeZ9mFG

I started doing those 20 minute workouts too! Still new enough to it that I'm not tired of the same program daily. I'm also getting out solo birdwatching. Plenty of places where I won't encounter a single person in 3 hours, even in the greater megalopolis.

 

[athena53]

I've long suspected that my standard gym workout neglects upper-body conditioning. My recent home-based workouts with my new online workout instructor have confirmed that suspicion. If / when things get back to normal, I'm considering mixing gym-based and home-based workouts for the best of both worlds. The monthly fee for my gym is so low that going a bit less isn't a big deal.

Same here. I miss the elliptical trainer at the gym but I got my TRX out of the closet- bought years ago and hadn't really gotten into the habit of using it- and I love it. I may skip the upper-body machines at the gym from now on.

Here's a sample of TRX exercises you can do. (I just do the easy ones.) At home you can anchor it by taking the metal plate attached to the middle of the "V" straps, hanging it over a door, closing the door and then locking it, preferably with a deadbolt.

https://greatist.com/fitness/effective-trx-exercises#core

 

[USGrant1962]

Same here. I miss the elliptical trainer at the gym but I got my TRX out of the closet- bought years ago and hadn't really gotten into the habit of using it- and I love it. I may skip the upper-body machines at the gym from now on.

Here's a sample of TRX exercises you can do. (I just do the easy ones.) At home you can anchor it by taking the metal plate attached to the middle of the "V" straps, hanging it over a door, closing the door and then locking it, preferably with a deadbolt.

https://greatist.com/fitness/effective-trx-exercises#core

I just started using TRX at the gym when I signed up for a personal trainer two weeks before this blew up. So today I looked on Amazon and the basic TRX system is not available

 

[athena53]

I just started using TRX at the gym when I signed up for a personal trainer two weeks before this blew up. So today I looked on Amazon and the basic TRX system is not available

Sorry about that- a friend who works at Academy Sports (why they're "essential", I don't know) reported that they were doing a brisk business in home exercise equipment.

 

[donheff]

Thanks for the thread. I just pulled out my old TRX system. I bought it years ago for travel and used it for one long stay in Florida and then forgot about it. I never found a good place to set it up at home but will give it another try.

 

[socca]

Here's a sample of TRX exercises you can do.

I did a little looking into TRX. Here's a quote from wikipedia:

... a research scientist at the nonprofit American Council on Exercise states that suspension training may work for well-conditioned athletes and gym-goers who regularly train their core, however, it is potentially dangerous for those who haven’t built up their core.

Considering that I currently can't keep up with my online trainer (she makes me feel sooooo ooooold .... ), I'm not inclined to try anything more strenuous. However, thanks for the suggestion - I'll keep it in mind for the future.

 

[eytonxav]

I was walking around my neighborhood today and its a garbage/recycle pickup day. Noticed cartons out by the curb that contained various types of exercise equipment. I suppose many are seeing gyms being off limits for an extended period and do not want to lose their conditioning. I am considering ordering a Concept 2 rower myself.

 

[explanade]

I've been walking every chance I get, usually about 5 miles, 80-90 minutes.

We had some sunny days here and a lot of people out in the neighborhood parks, more than you'd usually see even before the pandemic.

I've looked seriously at getting a treadmill for the home. Amazon has a good Nordictrack one for $600. There are models at all ranges but most of the ones under $1000 don't have a big belt and/or niceties like motorized incline (some have manual incline adjustments).

So the Nordictrac T 6.5 seems a good combination of size, capacity and value.

However, it's over 200 pounds and it takes two people to assemble. Looking at the reviews it looks like at one time they included or gave you the option to have it assembled but they no longer offer it. Amazon Home Services had a $96 item for home treadmill assembly but no longer offered, at least in my area.

Another model which is competitive is the Horizon Fitness T-101 for the same price. Most places are sold out including Amazon.

But found a local place which has it and they will pre-assemble it and deliver it to the patio or the garage for $175 more. So probably around $1000 with taxes.


Have to think hard about this. I would imagine as the weather improves, more people will be out, even with the stay at home orders which may continue for another couple of months.

Already if you go to grocery stores, they're more crowded than a couple of weeks ago. I think people are slipping, because we're currently not having as bad a time as NY is.

But CA could be right there in a couple of weeks according to the mayor of LA.

 

[socca]

I ordered an exercise mat from amazon so I can better comply with the unreasonable demands of my new online aerobics instructor / dominatrix.

I'm ashamed to admit that I've recently decided that even the lowly jumping jack is beyond the capability of my elderly body. When my perky young workout instructor launches into jumping jacks during the workout, I do a low-impact version and mutter "sorry, sweetie, that ain't happenin'..." If my instructor could hear me, she would respond, "OK Boomer" (and: "don't call me 'sweetie'").

 

[6miths]

DS has made about 5K selling of old gear and flipping other gear. Lots of people looking for weights and benches as they are locked out of their gyms for the foreseeable future. On the downside, we've had a bunch of the kids friends over using our home gym. They are not allowed to come out of the basement and a strict handwashing and wipedown policy.

 

[Poopycat]

I haven’t bought exercise equipment because I know it will end up becoming a place where I hang my clothes when this pandemic is over. As long as its still allowed to go outside to exercise, I will continue walking. I either walk to the park and back, which is about 2 hours and a good cardio workout because it’s somewhat hilly, or I drive to another flat trail. The flat trail has a lot of different routes to take so you can do anything from 5 to 9.3 miles. I like the flat trail because fewer people go there. I avoid the park on the weekends because it is way too crowded for my comfort level. During the week, the park works well; it isn’t too crowded before noon, and I’ve noticed that people are very aware and respectful of social distancing now. The flat trail is good for weekends since it is less busy, but I do get irritated and a little creeped out by joggers. I don’t like how much they huff and puff. And they don’t seem to want to distance themselves the way walkers do. And I also get irritated by walkers and runners who walk side by side and take up the whole trail. I always have to be the one that jumps off the trail to get out of their way to maintain distance.

I still occasionally see large groups of runners and roller bladers who hang out together in groups. So stupid. And I also heard someone about 50 feet away hacking and coughing nonstop. I looked over and some guy in a mask was wandering around. He didn’t stop making coughing and throat-cleaning noises. I got as far away from that person as I possibly could!!!

 

[socca]

I'm ashamed to admit that I've recently decided that even the lowly jumping jack is beyond the capability of my elderly body.

Last week I was hauling some heavy bags of yard waste out to the curb for pickup and thinking how my new at-home exercise routine has improved my upper-body strength. Well, I strained a muscle, ligament, and/or tendon in my leg, and have been limping around the past week. Bummer.

I'm wondering whether my new exercise routine has been straining parts of my body that were previously mostly unstrained, and if so whether this is a good thing. I never injured myself at the gym. I may go looking for a lower-impact aerobics video and/or swallow my pride and admit that a Level 1 or Level 2 difficulty might be more appropriate for my aging body.

 

[USGrant1962]

Last week I was hauling some heavy bags of yard waste out to the curb for pickup and thinking how my new at-home exercise routine has improved my upper-body strength. Well, I strained a muscle, ligament, and/or tendon in my leg, and have been limping around the past week. Bummer.

I'm wondering whether my new exercise routine has been straining parts of my body that were previously mostly unstrained, and if so whether this is a good thing. I never injured myself at the gym. I may go looking for a lower-impact aerobics video and/or swallow my pride and admit that a Level 1 or Level 2 difficulty might be more appropriate for my aging body.

DW works for a Gold's Gym. They have just announced that 30 of their 700 or so corporate locations are closed permanently.

A lot of Gold's Gyms are franchised, including DW's employer.

I think this is going to be a typical recession, but in fast-forward. Chains - gyms, restaurant, retail - are all going to dump their bottom 10% performers. I'm OK with that, that is what the business cycle does. I just hope it doesn't become the bottom 30% or 50%.

 

[jollystomper]

I think this is going to be a typical recession, but in fast-forward. Chains - gyms, restaurant, retail - are all going to dump their bottom 10% performers. I'm OK with that, that is what the business cycle does. I just hope it doesn't become the bottom 30% or 50%.

I agree, and add I also think it will be a very slow recovery and doubtful if the bottom % of what gyms drop out will ever be back. Just as with education, virtual/online whatever you call it for exercise will find an increasing number of takers who will not be going back to a gym anytime soon.

 

[Turbo29]

I agree, and add I also think it will be a very slow recovery and doubtful if the bottom % of what gyms drop out will ever be back. Just as with education, virtual/online whatever you call it for exercise will find an increasing number of takers who will not be going back to a gym anytime soon.

I have two gym memberships. But as I now have acquired some equipment at home in the last few months, I am definitely dumping one of them even though I like using the gym.


Given that the business model for most large gyms is sign up a lot of people and hope they don't actually come in, I think there will be a big drop in customers. Those who have been paying monthly without going are probably going to cancel. There will also be those who just aren't comfortable going back to the gym (or eating out, etc,) and they will cancel their memberships.

 

[Helen]

I agree, and add I also think it will be a very slow recovery and doubtful if the bottom % of what gyms drop out will ever be back. Just as with education, virtual/online whatever you call it for exercise will find an increasing number of takers who will not be going back to a gym anytime soon.

Our gym has a lot of elderly clients who have been members for 30+ years. It is a big part of the social life for a lot of the members. I am sure a lot of them will not be returning unless a vaccine is available.

I won't be taking yoga class or going to the gym for a while. I am continuing to pay my membership dues though, I really don't want the place to go under. I really love the place - damn this virus.

 

[friar1610]

Our gym has a lot of elderly clients who have been members for 30+ years. It is a big part of the social life for a lot of the members. I am sure a lot of them will not be returning unless a vaccine is available.

I won't be taking yoga class or going to the gym for a while. I am continuing to pay my membership dues though, I really don't want the place to go under. I really love the place - damn this virus.

I guess at 75 I would be considered elderly although I have only lived here 6-7 years and have been a gym member the whole time. I used to go 4-5 times a week in addition to walking/hiking. I've been finding I'm getting along just fine with the walks/hikes and using my old Nordic Track and rowing machine. In addition, I've been doing 20-45 minute aerobic videos produced by The Body Project that are available on You Tube and doing light weight routines. I do miss the social interaction (although no 30 year friendships) and the spinning classes at the gym although I've been questioning whether or not I'll rejoin when this is over. I seem to be getting plenty of exercise without it. If I go back it won't be until I'm convinced it's really safe. At my age and with mild asthma I'm pretty sure the virus would hit me hard and maybe do me in.