Still concerned about going back to a commercial gym

[Anonymous]

I purchased a squat rack (long before the pandemic). You can equip the whole thing for top dollar for about $1500, and cheaper if you look harder. You need the space and $1500 ain’t nothing, but I’m never going to feel comfortable in a gym again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I purchased a squat rack (long before the pandemic). You can equip the whole thing for top dollar for about $1500, and cheaper if you look harder. You need the space and $1500 ain’t nothing, but I’m never going to feel comfortable in a gym again.

Be careful. A previous poster would call you "irrational"

If I had the space, I'd have a fully equipped gym at my house. Lots of potential workout time lost in DC traffic.

[Anonymous]

I've been back at the gym for at least 1.5 years if not longer. I don't even think about Covid at the gym. The only people I see wearing masks are the elderly but since they are barely breaking a sweat it doesn't impact their workouts at all.

[Anonymous]

Not sure why folks are giving OP so much grief. I think it's still reasonable to want to limit indoor exposure to other people, especially people breathing hard. Those of you who say there haven't been outbreaks at your gyms wouldn't necessarily know if there had been. Just because the pandemic's been going on a while doesn't mean it's time for everything to go back to how it was. Some things never will, and others might still be a while.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why folks are giving OP so much grief. I think it's still reasonable to want to limit indoor exposure to other people, especially people breathing hard. Those of you who say there haven't been outbreaks at your gyms wouldn't necessarily know if there had been. Just because the pandemic's been going on a while doesn't mean it's time for everything to go back to how it was. Some things never will, and others might still be a while.

+1

It would seem that the prudent thing is to wear a mask when using weights and do any extended heavy-breathing cardio at home or outside. That might get some funny looks by folks like some of the PPs (who don't wear masks), but I'm still seeing quite a few people wearing masks indoors and maintaining social distancing.

[Anonymous]

I went back a few months ago. I consider it an acceptable risk at this point. I did get Covid recently, but not from the gym - from my husband, who got it at work. I do believe most people will eventually get Covid. Now that there are vaccines & treatments available, and quarantine/isolation rules have been updated to reflect that fact, getting Covid is not nearly as dangerous or disruptive as it was in 2020. So you just need to weigh your risk tolerance.

[Anonymous]

Are you looking for validation of your fear? You arent going to get it from those of us who have been going to the gym. You will get it from the people who have chosen not to go.

Go to the gym if you want to. Wear a mask if you want to. Don't expect others to be wearing one and dont get your nose out of joint when you are the only one huffing away on a treadmill with an N95.

[Anonymous]

I think if your gym activities are lifting and other things where people aren't rhythmically huffing and puffing all over the place it's fine. I've been doing weights for several months, but still haven't gone back to my spin classes. So many bikes packed together in a small space and everyone breathing so heavily--there have been documented outbreaks of Covid in spin studios.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think if your gym activities are lifting and other things where people aren't rhythmically huffing and puffing all over the place it's fine. I've been doing weights for several months, but still haven't gone back to my spin classes. So many bikes packed together in a small space and everyone breathing so heavily--there have been documented outbreaks of Covid in spin studios.

OP here. Thank you. This comports with my comfort level, as I'm just interested in the weights because I purchased a nice treadmill during the first wave of Covid.

I wish everyone on this thread the best of luck on your fitness goals, to include NOT contracting Covid at the gym.

[Anonymous]

I thought this had to be an old post from a year ago. Only the mentally ill or extremely immunocompromised people have this much angst over Covid in summer 2022. It’s over!

[Anonymous]

I went back to the gym in April 2021 because in weighing my health options, I realized that I was unhealthier NOT going to the gym than going to the gym, and that includes an increased risk of COVID.

I did end up getting covid last month but it had nothing to do with the gym. It was one of my kid's swim meets. It ended up being fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I purchased a squat rack (long before the pandemic). You can equip the whole thing for top dollar for about $1500, and cheaper if you look harder. You need the space and $1500 ain’t nothing, but I’m never going to feel comfortable in a gym again.

Be careful. A previous poster would call you "irrational"

If I had the space, I'd have a fully equipped gym at my house. Lots of potential workout time lost in DC traffic.

But you are being irrational. You even in sort of admitted that in your original post when you said you '....can't continue to live like this...' paraphrasing of course. Don't go if you feel this nervous about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP your fears are irrational. That said based on what you wrote nothing that any of us can say will change your mind. You either seek therapy, or stay home. That's it.

+1. Sounds like you may need therapy for irrational anxiety more than a gym?

NP. Shut up with this stupidity. Every study has shown that the hard breathing of exercise makes gyms one of the most risky indoor spaces re Covid. No one needs therapy for making thoughtful choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP your fears are irrational. That said based on what you wrote nothing that any of us can say will change your mind. You either seek therapy, or stay home. That's it.

+1. Sounds like you may need therapy for irrational anxiety more than a gym?

NP. Shut up with this stupidity. Every study has shown that the hard breathing of exercise makes gyms one of the most risky indoor spaces re Covid. No one needs therapy for making thoughtful choices.

Can you share these studies, please? Studies that have actually shown that gyms were, in fact, one of the most risky indoor spaces? Not based on the concept of "hard breathing" but a study based on evidence?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP your fears are irrational. That said based on what you wrote nothing that any of us can say will change your mind. You either seek therapy, or stay home. That's it.

+1. Sounds like you may need therapy for irrational anxiety more than a gym?

NP. Shut up with this stupidity. Every study has shown that the hard breathing of exercise makes gyms one of the most risky indoor spaces re Covid. No one needs therapy for making thoughtful choices.

Can you share these studies, please? Studies that have actually shown that gyms were, in fact, one of the most risky indoor spaces? Not based on the concept of "hard breathing" but a study based on evidence?

Here are a few:

https://time.com/6180385/gym-covid-19-risk-tips/ (citing to a recent small study).

https://sfist.com/2021/02/24/new-cdc-study-group-fitness-classes-heavy-breathing-at-indoor-gyms-has-led-to-covid-outbreaks/ (citing to CDC studies).

Took just 5 minutes of searching. While some of the studies out there are from earlier in the pandemic, those strains were LESS virulent than Omicron variants. Fortunately, the severity of Omicron variants is less, but people are still concerned about contracting Covid.