Are you still going to the gym ...

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
clip651
Posts: 1584
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2014 11:02 am

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by clip651 »

fredflinstone wrote: Sun Mar 15, 2020 7:07 pm I haven't been to the gym since Thursday and I miss it. If I go tomorrow, this is what I am thinking of doing:

1. Arrive at 3 am. There will only be a few other people there at a time. It is a large gym (Lifetime Fitness) and I can keep a safe distance from others.
2. Wear Latex gloves while I am there.
3. Use Lysol and wipes to disinfect equipment before using.
4. Lay down a towel on top of bench before using.
5. Use wipes and Lysol to disinfect equipment after using.

Is this a good plan?

A related question: Is outdoor pickleball fairly safe?
The good plan is to stay home. Use some online exercise videos, or whatever. Please.
Luckywon
Posts: 2406
Joined: Tue Mar 28, 2017 10:33 am

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by Luckywon »

fredflinstone wrote: Sun Mar 15, 2020 7:07 pm I haven't been to the gym since Thursday and I miss it. If I go tomorrow, this is what I am thinking of doing:

1. Arrive at 3 am. There will only be a few other people there at a time. It is a large gym (Lifetime Fitness) and I can keep a safe distance from others.
2. Wear Latex gloves while I am there.
3. Use Lysol and wipes to disinfect equipment before using.
4. Lay down a towel on top of bench before using.
5. Use wipes and Lysol to disinfect equipment after using.

Is this a good plan?

A related question: Is outdoor pickleball fairly safe?
I think push ups and sit ups at home are a better idea.
cdltrance
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2020 10:48 pm

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by cdltrance »

city is mandating the closure of all gyms and dine-in restaurants so that's a no :(
Cruise
Posts: 2750
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2016 6:17 pm

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by Cruise »

My weekly workout consists of 1-2 days at gym, 2 days of private pilates lessons, and 1-2 days of walking.

I’m seriously considering stopping the Pilates, as this involves prolonged close contact with the instructor, who also has flight attendant clientele. This will be sad, as I’ve made great strides.

I may increase my gym use as it is a university facility, and most students will be gone due to implementation of distance learning.

I’m planning on golfing more. Hard to worry about COVID while concentrating on swing cues.

Best of health to all.
Peter G
Posts: 100
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2016 8:14 pm

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by Peter G »

This simulator on the effects of social distancing addresses one side of the question:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics ... simulator/
Prahasaurus
Posts: 1028
Joined: Fri Mar 29, 2019 1:02 am

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by Prahasaurus »

Please please do not go to the gym! Everyone needs to stop all non-essential activities, at least for the next 2 weeks, and then re-evaluate. You can exercise at home, or in nature. Jogging outdoors, long walks, etc. Anything that does not involve contact with anyone outside of your immediate family or household.

This is not a drill!
Asset Allocation: VT
crg11
Posts: 535
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2014 7:16 am

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by crg11 »

My gym is switching to an open gym format (no classes) and requesting everyone who does come to stagger start times, give space to each other (which I'm guessing won't be a problem if many of us workout from home), (obviously) clean religiously, etc. The gym is also posting home workouts for those of us who are staying home. I decided as much as I need the gym for mental health, I'm staying home to protect my family and others.

I have some equipment at home (dumbbells, kettlebells, and a training barbell), so I should be able to take care of most of my workout needs. And plus the weather is warming up, so running can take care of my cardio needs.
User avatar
Steelersfan
Posts: 4129
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:47 pm

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by Steelersfan »

I do very early in the morning workouts at my local gym. The week-end was down a little, but there are always few people there when I go. Today (Monday) attendance was down 3/4. My gym (a national chain) is closing for two weeks starting tomorrow. I expect that will be extended.

I'll use weights I have at home in the interim, and do long walks during the day.
User avatar
fredflinstone
Posts: 2829
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 7:35 am
Location: Bedrock

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by fredflinstone »

Prahasaurus wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:14 am Please please do not go to the gym! Everyone needs to stop all non-essential activities, at least for the next 2 weeks, and then re-evaluate. You can exercise at home, or in nature. Jogging outdoors, long walks, etc. Anything that does not involve contact with anyone outside of your immediate family or household.

This is not a drill!
Have you gone to the grocery store or Costco or Walmart recently? Any plans to do so during the next two weeks? If so, you will certainly come into closer contact with people than I did at the gym this morning.
clip651
Posts: 1584
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2014 11:02 am

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by clip651 »

fredflinstone wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:56 am
Prahasaurus wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:14 am Please please do not go to the gym! Everyone needs to stop all non-essential activities, at least for the next 2 weeks, and then re-evaluate. You can exercise at home, or in nature. Jogging outdoors, long walks, etc. Anything that does not involve contact with anyone outside of your immediate family or household.

This is not a drill!
Have you gone to the grocery store or Costco or Walmart recently? Any plans to do so during the next two weeks? If so, you will certainly come into closer contact with people than I did at the gym this morning.
I am caring for a high risk person, so no, in fact, I have not. I went grocery shopping early in the morning, much earlier in the week, and haven't left the house since. But I have seen the lines. Grocery shopping is necessary, however. The gym is not.

Please, look at some videos and blogs from doctors in Italy, as they are overwhelmed, getting sick themselves, and having to decide who gets a ventilator. Look at what is happening in Europe. We are maybe a week or two behind them. This is not a drill. Every person that does everything they can to reduce chances of catching and spreading this can make a difference in flattening the curve and saving lives.

This thing affects mostly older people, mostly people with underlying health conditions. But don't be fooled, young healthy people can and do die too, and in much higher numbers than from the flu we are used to. Especially when the health care system gets overwhelmed, which we are trying to prevent. How the healthy people behave affects everyone.

So please, you and everyone else healthy enough to go to a gym, young or old, healthy or not ... please, please stay home. And stay home from all other optional activities as well. And please work on convincing all your young, healthy friends to do the same - but not in person. Use texts, email, or whatever.

(edited for spacing)
Last edited by clip651 on Mon Mar 16, 2020 8:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
clip651
Posts: 1584
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2014 11:02 am

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by clip651 »

fredflinstone wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:56 am
Prahasaurus wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:14 am Please please do not go to the gym! Everyone needs to stop all non-essential activities, at least for the next 2 weeks, and then re-evaluate. You can exercise at home, or in nature. Jogging outdoors, long walks, etc. Anything that does not involve contact with anyone outside of your immediate family or household.

This is not a drill!
Have you gone to the grocery store or Costco or Walmart recently? Any plans to do so during the next two weeks? If so, you will certainly come into closer contact with people than I did at the gym this morning.
PS - fred, weren't you one of the ones that saw the likely market effects of this earlier than others? Well, some of us are in position to see what will happen with the health and society effects on this earlier than some others.

My voice isn't the only one on this thread saying this. And this isn't coming from random panicky people. It's coming from educated people, some posters are highly educated in healthcare, epidemiology, statistics, etc - and they are saying the same.

If your local government and businesses aren't providing guidance yet (it varies widely at the moment as everyone gets up to speed and also due to sparse test availability in some places), you (and everyone) can still do your part on your own.

best wishes to all
cj

(edited for spacing)
jrbdmb
Posts: 776
Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2015 4:27 pm

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by jrbdmb »

H-Town wrote: Sun Mar 15, 2020 3:03 pm
You are way off here.

See the live tracker:
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboar ... 7b48e9ecf6

It's been more than 3 months.
How many deaths so far?
How many infected so far?
How many has recovered so far?

See data in China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, etc.

Your prediction of $30 million death is really mind blowing.
What part of "the COVID-19 pandemic isn't over yet" don't you undertstand?
Prahasaurus
Posts: 1028
Joined: Fri Mar 29, 2019 1:02 am

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by Prahasaurus »

fredflinstone wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:56 am
Prahasaurus wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:14 am Please please do not go to the gym! Everyone needs to stop all non-essential activities, at least for the next 2 weeks, and then re-evaluate. You can exercise at home, or in nature. Jogging outdoors, long walks, etc. Anything that does not involve contact with anyone outside of your immediate family or household.

This is not a drill!
Have you gone to the grocery store or Costco or Walmart recently? Any plans to do so during the next two weeks? If so, you will certainly come into closer contact with people than I did at the gym this morning.
You can’t compare shopping for essentials and going to the gym! This behavior is risky, please read up on what is happening now in Europe and how best to prevent more deaths in the USA.
Asset Allocation: VT
User avatar
fredflinstone
Posts: 2829
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 7:35 am
Location: Bedrock

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by fredflinstone »

clip651 wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:35 am
fredflinstone wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:56 am
Prahasaurus wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:14 am Please please do not go to the gym! Everyone needs to stop all non-essential activities, at least for the next 2 weeks, and then re-evaluate. You can exercise at home, or in nature. Jogging outdoors, long walks, etc. Anything that does not involve contact with anyone outside of your immediate family or household.

This is not a drill!
Have you gone to the grocery store or Costco or Walmart recently? Any plans to do so during the next two weeks? If so, you will certainly come into closer contact with people than I did at the gym this morning.
I am caring for a high risk person, so no, in fact, I have not. I went grocery shopping early in the morning, much earlier in the week, and haven't left the house since. But I have seen the lines. Grocery shopping is necessary, however. The gym is not.

Please, look at some videos and blogs from doctors in Italy, as they are overwhelmed, getting sick themselves, and having to decide who gets a ventilator. Look at what is happening in Europe. We are maybe a week or two behind them. This is not a drill. Every person that does everything they can to reduce chances of catching and spreading this can make a difference in flattening the curve and saving lives.

This thing affects mostly older people, mostly people with underlying health conditions. But don't be fooled, young healthy people can and do die too, and in much higher numbers than from the flu we are used to. Especially when the health care system gets overwhelmed, which we are trying to prevent. How the healthy people behave affects everyone.

So please, you and everyone else healthy enough to go to a gym, young or old, healthy or not ... please, please stay home. And stay home from all other optional activities as well. And please work on convincing all your young, healthy friends to do the same - but not in person. Use texts, email, or whatever.

(edited for spacing)
The virus does not distinguish between necessary and unnecessary activities. It does not care if someone is engaged in an "optional" activity or an essential one. If going to a crowded grocery store is something people are going to continue to do, then it seems silly to avoid much lower-risk activities such as going to a sparsely-populated gym at 3 am.
User avatar
fredflinstone
Posts: 2829
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 7:35 am
Location: Bedrock

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by fredflinstone »

Prahasaurus wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 8:53 am
fredflinstone wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:56 am
Prahasaurus wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:14 am Please please do not go to the gym! Everyone needs to stop all non-essential activities, at least for the next 2 weeks, and then re-evaluate. You can exercise at home, or in nature. Jogging outdoors, long walks, etc. Anything that does not involve contact with anyone outside of your immediate family or household.

This is not a drill!
Have you gone to the grocery store or Costco or Walmart recently? Any plans to do so during the next two weeks? If so, you will certainly come into closer contact with people than I did at the gym this morning.
You can’t compare shopping for essentials and going to the gym! This behavior is risky, please read up on what is happening now in Europe and how best to prevent more deaths in the USA.
Please see my response to another person, above. The virus doesn't distinguish between essential and non-essential activities. If people are going shopping for essentials at a crowded Costco, their risk of exposure is like 1,000 times higher than my risk of exposure at the gym at 3 am. You are fine with people doing the former but you object to people doing the latter. I don't think this makes sense.

By the way if you jog outdoors or go on long walks, your risk of exposure is not zero. I went hiking yesterday and passed by several other hikers. If the argument is "avoid all exposure, no matter how low the risk" then people should not go outdoors. Some of the advice being given here seems internally inconsistent.
scubavol
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Apr 03, 2019 11:53 am

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by scubavol »

OpenMinded1 wrote: Thu Mar 12, 2020 8:16 pm I had a membership at a fitness center for quite a few years. Seemed like I got colds, the flu, bronchitis etc. much more frequently when I was doing that. I work out at home and in the local parks now. I own some exercise equipment, but it really doesn't take a big investment to get a good workout. The park satisfies the social aspect of it to a certain extent.
+1
FireHorse
Posts: 225
Joined: Sat Nov 25, 2017 6:03 pm

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by FireHorse »

Going to Costco this morning to stock up the necessities, will be careful not to touch everything.

Reduced number of visits to GYMs but may have to stop entirely for a while. The weather is getting warmer that is a great help to be outdoors.

We have experienced number of infectious diseases in the past 20 years and we always believed it would pass without disruptions, but this time is different, this time we lost control.
We are starting to feel the urgency of the coronavirus, it has spread rapidly without barrier. Be careful everyone and be well. This is not a drill.
fauxden
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2014 11:15 pm

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by fauxden »

dodecahedron wrote: Sat Mar 14, 2020 6:15 am
RubyTuesday wrote: Fri Mar 13, 2020 9:49 am
nisiprius wrote: Fri Mar 13, 2020 8:05 am Also, people are not thought to be contagious when they are not showing symptoms
Don’t believe that is accurate.
From Harvard Medschool’s resource page:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases ... rce-center
When are people most contagious?

People are thought to be most contagious when they are most symptomatic. However, there have been reports of coronavirus spreading before people show symptoms. Preliminary research of individuals who developed mild disease also suggests that they could be contagious early in the course of their illness, even before they have experienced symptoms or are only experiencing mild symptoms.
A bunch of healthy adults in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, one of whom I know quite well, were at a big multiday gathering in a bunch of adjacent beach houses back in late December (an annual event due to the availability of inexpensive rentals at that time of year). There were a few young kids there as well. They were from all over North America. Everyone, including the kids, appeared to be well. There were lots of shared family-style meals, with everyone handling the serving utensils to help themselves and working together to prepare the meals and cleanup afterwards. There were also lots of things like shared board games with multiple people handling game pieces.

One of the guests was a pulmonary specialist physician who had recently fully recovered from pneumonia from an infection which he had (presumably) contracted from a patient. Some of the kids were his. Unknown to him, his asymptomatic kids had contracted his illness and were incubating the disease.

After everyone went back to their various homes, the kids started displaying mild symptoms. A number of the adult guests developed pneumonia, including some pretty involved cases. Ultimately, all the adults got well. And I am told that it appears not to have been COVID19. The individual I know well was sick with a persistent cough that eventually turned into a diagnosed pneumonia that ultimately required bedrest for a number of weeks but managed not to infect her significant other nor her officemate nor anyone else that she knows of.

Whether or not COVID19 can be contracted from asymptomatic carriers may not yet be known for sure, but as the anecdote above reveals, there are definitely *other* respiratory infections that can be contracted from the asymptomatic. And some of those illnesses can become serious in some folks and wind up requiring the same medical resources (ICU units) as those needed to treat COVID19, resources that are at risk for becoming overwhelmed.

Out of an abundance of caution, as they say, I would suggest finding other places to exercise like the great outdoors or with equipment or fitness videos at home for now.

Personally, even though Silver Sneakers makes it free for me and I enjoy things like Zumba and yoga, I will be avoiding indoor shared exercise spaces for the indefinite future.
As a very fit 35 y/o I will not be attending for a bit. I have no fear at all for my health, but I’m a pharmacist and see lots of unhealthy people all day, everyday. Caution is the word. I don’t want to be the one to spread it to someone weaker and find out they succumbed.
stoptothink
Posts: 15368
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 8:53 am

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by stoptothink »

fredflinstone wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:00 am
By the way if you jog outdoors or go on long walks, your risk of exposure is not zero. I went hiking yesterday and passed by several other hikers. If the argument is "avoid all exposure, no matter how low the risk" then people should not go outdoors. Some of the advice being given here seems internally inconsistent.
We have a bike/walking trail about a mile from our home. It's usually pretty barren; I might come across a handful of people on a 20+ mile bike ride. It was insanely busy early Saturday morning, like it was a hassle for me to ride my bike because of all the traffic - I came across hundreds of people. Myself and my son (in the trailer behind me) absolutely were exposed to greater risk on the trail than my wife was going to her empty commercial gym at 5am.

We have one of the most extensive home gyms you'll ever see (so I am working out at home), but we don't have a rower or stair climber so I am not going to convince my wife to not go. We're both OK with the level of risk.
User avatar
fredflinstone
Posts: 2829
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 7:35 am
Location: Bedrock

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by fredflinstone »

clip651 wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:39 am
fredflinstone wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:56 am
Prahasaurus wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:14 am Please please do not go to the gym! Everyone needs to stop all non-essential activities, at least for the next 2 weeks, and then re-evaluate. You can exercise at home, or in nature. Jogging outdoors, long walks, etc. Anything that does not involve contact with anyone outside of your immediate family or household.

This is not a drill!
Have you gone to the grocery store or Costco or Walmart recently? Any plans to do so during the next two weeks? If so, you will certainly come into closer contact with people than I did at the gym this morning.
PS - fred, weren't you one of the ones that saw the likely market effects of this earlier than others? Well, some of us are in position to see what will happen with the health and society effects on this earlier than some others.

My voice isn't the only one on this thread saying this. And this isn't coming from random panicky people. It's coming from educated people, some posters are highly educated in healthcare, epidemiology, statistics, etc - and they are saying the same.

If your local government and businesses aren't providing guidance yet (it varies widely at the moment as everyone gets up to speed and also due to sparse test availability in some places), you (and everyone) can still do your part on your own.

best wishes to all
cj

(edited for spacing)
I agree with you that this virus is likely to spread. I am very concerned about it. Clearly, going to a sparsely-populated gym at 3 am is an unacceptable risk, even when using Lysol and wipes and wearing latex gloves. I'm thinking that perhaps quarantining in homes does not go far enough. Since we are trying to reduce transmission risk as much as possible, would you support quarantining each individual inside of a separate room within their home? This would cut down on intra-household transmission. Perhaps this isn't realistic for every member of the family, since someone will need to prepare meals and clean dishes and so forth. But at a minimum children and elderly people should be imprisoned quarantined within their bedrooms for the duration of this crisis. Agree? :?
clip651
Posts: 1584
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2014 11:02 am

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by clip651 »

fredflinstone wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 8:54 am
clip651 wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:35 am
fredflinstone wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:56 am
Prahasaurus wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:14 am Please please do not go to the gym! Everyone needs to stop all non-essential activities, at least for the next 2 weeks, and then re-evaluate. You can exercise at home, or in nature. Jogging outdoors, long walks, etc. Anything that does not involve contact with anyone outside of your immediate family or household.

This is not a drill!
Have you gone to the grocery store or Costco or Walmart recently? Any plans to do so during the next two weeks? If so, you will certainly come into closer contact with people than I did at the gym this morning.
I am caring for a high risk person, so no, in fact, I have not. I went grocery shopping early in the morning, much earlier in the week, and haven't left the house since. But I have seen the lines. Grocery shopping is necessary, however. The gym is not.

Please, look at some videos and blogs from doctors in Italy, as they are overwhelmed, getting sick themselves, and having to decide who gets a ventilator. Look at what is happening in Europe. We are maybe a week or two behind them. This is not a drill. Every person that does everything they can to reduce chances of catching and spreading this can make a difference in flattening the curve and saving lives.

This thing affects mostly older people, mostly people with underlying health conditions. But don't be fooled, young healthy people can and do die too, and in much higher numbers than from the flu we are used to. Especially when the health care system gets overwhelmed, which we are trying to prevent. How the healthy people behave affects everyone.

So please, you and everyone else healthy enough to go to a gym, young or old, healthy or not ... please, please stay home. And stay home from all other optional activities as well. And please work on convincing all your young, healthy friends to do the same - but not in person. Use texts, email, or whatever.

(edited for spacing)
The virus does not distinguish between necessary and unnecessary activities. It does not care if someone is engaged in an "optional" activity or an essential one. If going to a crowded grocery store is something people are going to continue to do, then it seems silly to avoid much lower-risk activities such as going to a sparsely-populated gym at 3 am.
No, the virus doesn't. But you can only stop one of the two. You can only stop the optional things.

Reducing overall contact with people in general, by lots of people, will reduce the spread of this thing. So we have to reduce where we can. Yep, that means the optional activities.
clip651
Posts: 1584
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2014 11:02 am

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by clip651 »

fredflinstone wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:00 am
Prahasaurus wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 8:53 am
fredflinstone wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:56 am
Prahasaurus wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:14 am Please please do not go to the gym! Everyone needs to stop all non-essential activities, at least for the next 2 weeks, and then re-evaluate. You can exercise at home, or in nature. Jogging outdoors, long walks, etc. Anything that does not involve contact with anyone outside of your immediate family or household.

This is not a drill!
Have you gone to the grocery store or Costco or Walmart recently? Any plans to do so during the next two weeks? If so, you will certainly come into closer contact with people than I did at the gym this morning.
You can’t compare shopping for essentials and going to the gym! This behavior is risky, please read up on what is happening now in Europe and how best to prevent more deaths in the USA.
Please see my response to another person, above. The virus doesn't distinguish between essential and non-essential activities. If people are going shopping for essentials at a crowded Costco, their risk of exposure is like 1,000 times higher than my risk of exposure at the gym at 3 am. You are fine with people doing the former but you object to people doing the latter. I don't think this makes sense.
I am not fine with crowded costcos. I think people should have been paying attention, and gradually stocking up in an organized, not panicked fashion, for weeks. (Gradually get a bit extra each trip, etc). And when they see lines out the door, they should go home, wait for them to restock, and try again another day. Grocery stores are working on how to respond to this (changing restocking patterns, changing their hours, increasing cleaning procedures, etc), but they'll have to stay open.

The gym is different. Yes, you were likely very low risk in the particular way you approached the gym. But we are trying to get the word out that now is the time to stop optional activities, not continue them.

I am high risk. I am caring for someone else who is high risk. (And a large portion of the US population is at high risk - older or underlying health conditions is LOTS of people.) I stocked up early, but I will have to keep getting groceries for us, we'll need to restock periodically. There is no other person to step in for us. Delivery options are limited here. I am trying to avoid one or both of us needing to be in the hospital. Needing a ventilator. And there are plenty of others in every community in similar situations. And even if we got "lucky" and only got a mild case, I'm trying to avoid that so we don't spread it to others.

I'm probably arguing with the wrong person here. You're taking this seriously and you're trying to take precautions. So I won't continue to argue. But you asked in your post that I initially responded to if it's a good idea to go to the gym with XYZ precautions. At this point in time, the answer to that is simply no.
User avatar
JamesSFO
Posts: 3404
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:16 pm

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by JamesSFO »

As of this AM, LA County has closed all gyms and fitness studios
User avatar
quantAndHold
Posts: 10141
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2015 10:39 pm
Location: West Coast

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by quantAndHold »

This is a disease that mostly affects old people, but is mostly spread by young people, who are out and about more. Please take this into account when you’re considering your optional activities.
Dottie57
Posts: 12379
Joined: Thu May 19, 2016 5:43 pm
Location: Earth Northern Hemisphere

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by Dottie57 »

stoptothink wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:27 am
fredflinstone wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:00 am
By the way if you jog outdoors or go on long walks, your risk of exposure is not zero. I went hiking yesterday and passed by several other hikers. If the argument is "avoid all exposure, no matter how low the risk" then people should not go outdoors. Some of the advice being given here seems internally inconsistent.
We have a bike/walking trail about a mile from our home. It's usually pretty barren; I might come across a handful of people on a 20+ mile bike ride. It was insanely busy early Saturday morning, like it was a hassle for me to ride my bike because of all the traffic - I came across hundreds of people. Myself and my son (in the trailer behind me) absolutely were exposed to greater risk on the trail than my wife was going to her empty commercial gym at 5am.

We have one of the most extensive home gyms you'll ever see (so I am working out at home), but we don't have a rower or stair climber so I am not going to convince my wife to not go. We're both OK with the level of risk.
This is meant kindly. And I don’t know your daily tasks which bring you out of your house. You said you are ok with the level of risk (going to gym). Ok. But are others with whom you have contact ok with the risk you provide to them? Others will not know the risks you take.

Unfortunately we are a very individualistic country. We celebrate individual achievements.

Now we are in a situation where we need to rely on each other. We need for each individual to take action which benefits all of the community to which we belong.
User avatar
fredflinstone
Posts: 2829
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 7:35 am
Location: Bedrock

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by fredflinstone »

clip651 wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 10:04 am
fredflinstone wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:00 am
Prahasaurus wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 8:53 am
fredflinstone wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:56 am
Prahasaurus wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:14 am Please please do not go to the gym! Everyone needs to stop all non-essential activities, at least for the next 2 weeks, and then re-evaluate. You can exercise at home, or in nature. Jogging outdoors, long walks, etc. Anything that does not involve contact with anyone outside of your immediate family or household.

This is not a drill!
Have you gone to the grocery store or Costco or Walmart recently? Any plans to do so during the next two weeks? If so, you will certainly come into closer contact with people than I did at the gym this morning.
You can’t compare shopping for essentials and going to the gym! This behavior is risky, please read up on what is happening now in Europe and how best to prevent more deaths in the USA.
Please see my response to another person, above. The virus doesn't distinguish between essential and non-essential activities. If people are going shopping for essentials at a crowded Costco, their risk of exposure is like 1,000 times higher than my risk of exposure at the gym at 3 am. You are fine with people doing the former but you object to people doing the latter. I don't think this makes sense.
I am not fine with crowded costcos. I think people should have been paying attention, and gradually stocking up in an organized, not panicked fashion, for weeks. (Gradually get a bit extra each trip, etc). And when they see lines out the door, they should go home, wait for them to restock, and try again another day. Grocery stores are working on how to respond to this (changing restocking patterns, changing their hours, increasing cleaning procedures, etc), but they'll have to stay open.

The gym is different. Yes, you were likely very low risk in the particular way you approached the gym. But we are trying to get the word out that now is the time to stop optional activities, not continue them.

I am high risk. I am caring for someone else who is high risk. (And a large portion of the US population is at high risk - older or underlying health conditions is LOTS of people.) I stocked up early, but I will have to keep getting groceries for us, we'll need to restock periodically. There is no other person to step in for us. Delivery options are limited here. I am trying to avoid one or both of us needing to be in the hospital. Needing a ventilator. And there are plenty of others in every community in similar situations. And even if we got "lucky" and only got a mild case, I'm trying to avoid that so we don't spread it to others.

I'm probably arguing with the wrong person here. You're taking this seriously and you're trying to take precautions. So I won't continue to argue. But you asked in your post that I initially responded to if it's a good idea to go to the gym with XYZ precautions. At this point in time, the answer to that is simply no.
I appreciate the back and forth as it has helped me to clarify my thinking about this. I have come to feel that a proper balance needs to be struck between (a) preventing transmission of the coronavirus and (b) living one's life without excessive fear and anxiety. Yes, avoiding crowds makes sense. Of course basic precautions, such as hand washing, also make sense. However, I think it is OK for people to continue to pursue low-risk activities outside of their homes that are important to them (such as going to the gym at 3 am or hiking outdoors). I do not think such activities will substantially increase transmission risks relative to the risks most people are already undertaking by (for example) going to crowded grocery stores. And so I will continue to hike and I will continue to go to the gym early in the morning. These activities are important to me -- both for my physical health and for my mental health. Doing these things may even boost my immunity to coronavirus and other illnesses.
ikowik
Posts: 392
Joined: Tue Dec 23, 2014 5:52 pm

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by ikowik »

NY, NJ and CT just announced closure of all gyms effective tonight
MDfan
Posts: 1116
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2016 7:32 am

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by MDfan »

So did Maryland. And bars restaurants and movie theaters. Effective at 5:00 pm today.
H-Town
Posts: 5905
Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2017 1:08 pm

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by H-Town »

jrbdmb wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 8:50 am
H-Town wrote: Sun Mar 15, 2020 3:03 pm
You are way off here.

See the live tracker:
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboar ... 7b48e9ecf6

It's been more than 3 months.
How many deaths so far?
How many infected so far?
How many has recovered so far?

See data in China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, etc.

Your prediction of $30 million death is really mind blowing.
What part of "the COVID-19 pandemic isn't over yet" don't you undertstand?
I'm sorry, but what?
Time is the ultimate currency.
User avatar
fortfun
Posts: 3146
Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2016 7:31 pm

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by fortfun »

No! Please just no....
User avatar
JonnyDVM
Posts: 2999
Joined: Wed Feb 12, 2014 5:51 pm
Location: Atlanta, GA

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by JonnyDVM »

It’s a matter of how many days before all gyms across the country are ordered to close. People can’t help themselves. Gyms. Bars. Restaurants. Movie theaters. Those are first.
I’d trade it all for a little more | -C Montgomery Burns
Katietsu
Posts: 7676
Joined: Sun Sep 22, 2013 1:48 am

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by Katietsu »

fredflinstone wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:56 am
Prahasaurus wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:14 am Please please do not go to the gym! Everyone needs to stop all non-essential activities, at least for the next 2 weeks, and then re-evaluate. You can exercise at home, or in nature. Jogging outdoors, long walks, etc. Anything that does not involve contact with anyone outside of your immediate family or household.

This is not a drill!
Have you gone to the grocery store or Costco or Walmart recently? Any plans to do so during the next two weeks? If so, you will certainly come into closer contact with people than I did at the gym this morning.
You should not be doing that either, particularly if elderly or high risk. I was appalled at the people standing on top of each other to by paper products. Use online ordering with pickup. Good timing that most places have introduced this feature in the last couple of years. If you must go immediately, pick an odd time and stay away from people. Or run into a quiet Dollar General. If you are in a risk group, ask a neighbor. This is all the more important if you are near a hot spot. We are 13-16 days behind Italy. We can benefit from their mistakes. The region of Italy affected is one of the wealthiest parts of the world with excellent modern healthcare. They do not have personnel and equipment for all those with a medical need. The deaths are actually higher than reported if you include those with other conditions, eg cancer, heart disease, etc that are dying because of the unavailability of healthcare.

Maybe you were in the gym with very few people who all respected “social distancing”, thoroughly cleaned the equipment and are in a exceedingly low risk area. But please do not promote participation in public in nonessential activities. Your neighbors and healthcare providers will thank you.

Edit: I see your last post and how you have refined your thinking. I would still request that you be careful with how you express your decision. There is a crowd mentality that hears that Fred is still going to the gym...the coffee bar...the breakfast buffet and it makes them more likely to do the same. They may be practicing all the secondary steps as religiously as you.
Last edited by Katietsu on Mon Mar 16, 2020 11:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
RJC
Posts: 1489
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2018 12:40 pm

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by RJC »

All gyms are shut down by the governor starting 5 PM tonight.
Makaveli
Posts: 975
Joined: Mon May 19, 2014 11:18 pm

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by Makaveli »

Yes I still go. What re-assured me was top level health officials saying that they still use their gym (this was 3/12) and continue to do their daily routines (restaurants/gym/etc.). Note that this recommendation may have changed since then.

Gym: Lifetime

Very conscious of wiping down equipment before and after use.
Focus on using parts of the gym that are less trampled.
Makaveli
Posts: 975
Joined: Mon May 19, 2014 11:18 pm

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by Makaveli »

RJC wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 10:53 am All gyms are shut down by the governor starting 5 PM tonight.
Governor of what State?
Turbo29
Posts: 1047
Joined: Tue May 01, 2018 7:12 am

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by Turbo29 »

Katietsu wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 10:52 am

Maybe you were in the gym with very few people who all respected “social distancing”, thoroughly cleaned the equipment and are in a exceedingly low risk area. But please do not promote participation in public in nonessential activities. Your neighbors and healthcare providers will thank you.

Edit: I see your last post and how you have refined your thinking. I would still request that you be careful with how you express your decision. There is a crowd mentality that hears that Fred is still going to the gym...the coffee bar...the breakfast buffet and it makes them more likely to do the same. They may be practicing all the secondary steps as religiously as you.
Let's hope that the ability to have different opinions and speak them freely is not also a casualty of the virus.
It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them. --M. Twain
michaeljc70
Posts: 10843
Joined: Thu Oct 15, 2015 3:53 pm

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by michaeljc70 »

People like and are used to their routines. Routines need to change in this environment. They will be forced to change due to lock downs, closures, etc. Not going to the gym for 2 weeks will have no negative impact on your health and there is a lot you can do outside the gym. Gyms have been closed in several states already.
Mr. Rumples
Posts: 2979
Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2019 7:16 am

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by Mr. Rumples »

Makaveli wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 10:57 am
RJC wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 10:53 am All gyms are shut down by the governor starting 5 PM tonight.
Governor of what State?
New York and Maryland. The city of Los Angles is closing gyms also. Some reports say NJ & CT are also closing gyms. I was hoping for some clearer guidance from the Governor of VA on this when he spoke yesterday, but there was none.
"History is the memory of time, the life of the dead and the happiness of the living." Captain John Smith 1580-1631
MarkerFM
Posts: 843
Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2018 3:18 pm

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by MarkerFM »

I go to Planet Fitness three days a week for weight training, go to condo gym and country club gym for cardio three days a week. I decided today to substitute the condo gym for Planet Fitness. I was going to wait until someone in our area tested positive, but the small risk isn't worth it. The condo gym has less stuff for weight training, but is adequate.
Eyeski
Posts: 65
Joined: Mon Jan 27, 2020 7:16 am

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by Eyeski »

I will probably call it quits for a while now and stick to my road and mountain bikes. Planning on some backcountry skiing mid-week if we get some more snow here in SLC.
User avatar
SmileyFace
Posts: 9184
Joined: Wed Feb 19, 2014 9:11 am

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by SmileyFace »

I'm still going to my basement gym - it will remain open throughout this crisis. 8-)
treypar
Posts: 178
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 5:55 pm
Location: GA

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by treypar »

I was going daily to the gym but have decided to hold off for a while to see what happens. My exercise now will be biking, hiking and golf.
surfstar
Posts: 2853
Joined: Fri Sep 13, 2013 12:17 pm
Location: Santa Barbara, CA

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by surfstar »

[Edited by Moderator Misenplace]

If it is a good idea to close the gyms/etc in one area - it would be prudent to follow suit. You can do this personally. No need to wait for government intervention. Proactive is better than reactive. The virus has/will reach everywhere. Our goal is to slow it down. Everyone must take some form of responsibility to help with this.
User avatar
Stef
Posts: 1358
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2019 10:13 am

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by Stef »

All gyms are now closed till April 19th in Switzerland. Well, now I don't have to ask myself if I should still go.
Lynette
Posts: 2407
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2014 9:47 am

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by Lynette »

The Michigan governor has ordered all gyms, fitness centers and indoor sporting facilities to close through March. I had a Personal trainer twice a week and did not want to cancel as it is her livelihood. She just called to let me know. I have a fancy bike in family room - so I guess life will have to change - for a while.
alfaspider
Posts: 4816
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2015 4:44 pm

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by alfaspider »

Lynette wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 2:12 pm The Michigan governor has ordered all gyms, fitness centers and indoor sporting facilities to close through March. I had a Personal trainer twice a week and did not want to cancel as it is her livelihood. She just called to let me know. I have a fancy bike in family room - so I guess life will have to change - for a while.
Perhaps trainers could start making house calls. A lot that can be done with minimal equipment.
Grogs
Posts: 1174
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2015 4:55 pm

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by Grogs »

I quit going to the gym a couple of weeks ago. It wasn't a hard decision. I've been debating quitting and switching to home workouts for a while now. This will give me a chance to evaluate how effective of a workout I can get at home, and how disciplined I will be with keeping up.

Lots of other people seem to still be going to the local gym though. I drove by yesterday around 11:30 AM and the parking lot was pretty packed. If I had to guess, I would probably say many of them were high schoolers / college students that are stuck at home over spring break.
Housedoc
Posts: 748
Joined: Thu May 24, 2018 4:25 pm
Location: Alabama

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by Housedoc »

Still going to Planet Fitness 7days a week. I keep my distance, use lots of their and my Purell along with spray provided. It is as much a social exercise as physical. I see many regular members. We discuss finance, BBQ, family, etc. I am disappointed in the closed mind panic this has brought to the USA. More die from regular flu, heart, cancer, lung issues than Covid 19 but no fuss or reporting of that. Hysterical news people have you captured and scared to move. I am 62yo, no major risk category. Do what you need to do for yourself but leave me alone. I will keep 10ft from you and my cooking is better than restaurants so I will not be eating out.
User avatar
Sandtrap
Posts: 19591
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2016 5:32 pm
Location: Hawaii No Ka Oi - white sandy beaches, N. Arizona 1 mile high.

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by Sandtrap »

Stopped going 2x/wk to the hospital rehab center several months ago, then modified DW's gym room and my gym room.
Just in time it seems.
Of course there's always the danger of infecting my "Self" at home. . :confused

Everything looked "normal" this past Sunday.

Every church/worship center I drove by was filled with cars. Tractor supply still had guys picking up feed and parts and chewing the fat in the parking lot.

Fry's was not crowded, nobody with face masks, a few rare seniors with gloves on. I wore dark mechanics gloves in the store but decided that wearing a face mask would have an opposite effect, people would think "I" was the infected one and then who knows what might have happened! Likely get driven out by a rain of apples and hard fruit.

Gun store parking lots looked busy. Probably a run on 9mm. ammo. Preppers.

More free range cattle than people in my area. Higher incidence of "bovinebrownfuzzylonghorn cow virus" than anything else.

Ever notice how a sedentary house cat has more fitness than a human, (being able to spring up 6x its height from laying down for a cat nap in a second.)?
Cat's don't do situps or push ups. Go figure.

j :happy
Wiki Bogleheads Wiki: Everything You Need to Know
michaellarimore
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2008 8:19 pm

Re: Are you still going to the gym ...

Post by michaellarimore »

I'm too old to play in traffic and too young to flirt with Covid19 :oops:
Locked