Gyms and Covid!

SummerFruits

Hi,
Just wondering if anyone knows what the guidelines were given to gyms on cleaning of equipment (if any). My gym just introduced using your own towel (including your sweat towel if that's all you have) which is now mandatory in addition to disinfectant spray. Disposable towels not to be used anymore.
Thoughts?

Zillah

It's been a bit controversial around these parts. I think people are being very irrational. Everyone is focussing on cleaning surfaces while ignoring the air/masks, whereas the surfaces are pretty much irrelevant so long as everyone santises on the way in and out. Wiping down every plate you touch is just hygiene theatre, it doesn't achieve a damn thing.

I wear a mask and don't worry too much about surface contact, just wash hands thoroughly at the end and sanitise hands and phone on the way out.

In an enclosed (often air-conditioned) environment with people exercising and breathing heavily aerosols are by far the bigger threat. I get that exercising in a mask is no fun, but you can't over-compensate for ignoring the one useful precaution by excessively fixating on another far less relevant one.

j@utis

If masks were made mandatory in the gyms, I'd quit immediately and demand my membership fee back. Our gym is huge space with warehouse type high ceilings, there's loads of air to "dilute" what other people exhale and I feel very safe in there. I like cleaning equipment part because now you never find a sweaty bench which you have to clean first before you can start using it. I work in retail, hundreds of people pass the shop everyday and still no covid cases among staff, or we all had it already and probably multiple times too.

The Davestator

SummerFruits wrote: »

Hi,
Just wondering if anyone knows what the guidelines were given to gyms on cleaning of equipment (if any). My gym just introduced using your own towel (including your sweat towel if that's all you have) which is now mandatory in addition to disinfectant spray. Disposable towels not to be used anymore.
Thoughts?

Your own sweat towel is not great. It's only clean once when you first use it. It's then being used to wipe down equipment and your own sweat! Last thing I would use to wipe equipment.

is_that_so

SummerFruits wrote: »

Hi,
Just wondering if anyone knows what the guidelines were given to gyms on cleaning of equipment (if any). My gym just introduced using your own towel (including your sweat towel if that's all you have) which is now mandatory in addition to disinfectant spray. Disposable towels not to be used anymore.
Thoughts?

Do what you judge best. No masks in my gym, save the instructors and other staff on the floor. Good distancing all round. I've always brought a towel with me anyway. We have sanitiser and cleaning spray to beat the band and I tend to use them more. Common sense, not paranoia is the way to get through a session.

scilover

SummerFruits wrote: »

Hi,
Just wondering if anyone knows what the guidelines were given to gyms on cleaning of equipment (if any). My gym just introduced using your own towel (including your sweat towel if that's all you have) which is now mandatory in addition to disinfectant spray. Disposable towels not to be used anymore.
Thoughts?

Sanitize your equipment per hour. try to limit the number of people in a time. So that you would have time to sanitize at a time.

Mellor

j@utis wrote: »

If masks were made mandatory in the gyms, I'd quit immediately and demand my membership fee back.

Why?


I can understand not liking wearing masks. But quitting things that you want to do over a simply request seems silly.
FWIW I don't wear a mask at the gym, no need to where I am.

Zillah

Mellor wrote: »

Why?


I can understand not liking wearing masks. But quitting things that you want to do over a simply request seems silly.
FWIW I don't wear a mask at the gym, no need to where I am.

I wouldn't even advocate them being mandatory, and get that heavy breathing in a mask is too much for some people, I just think it's a little absurd when people who ignore the biggest danger (inhaling aerosols) by not wearing a mask get into a righteous fervour about wiping equipment, which is going to make virtually no difference. You don't absorb the virus through your skin ffs, it's just irrational contamination fear.

Alf Veedersane

Zillah wrote: »

You don't absorb the virus through your skin ffs, it's just irrational contamination fear.

No, you don't absorb it through your skin.

But there's a reason sanitising your hands is advised.

Zillah

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

But there's a reason sanitising your hands is advised.

Which we do on the way in and out. They recommend santising your hands, not futilely trying to santise everything you touch.

Alf Veedersane

Zillah wrote: »

Which we do on the way in and out. They recommend santising your hands, not futilely trying to santise everything you touch.

Yep they do. But if you dont absorb it through your skin, why bother?

Point being that there is a risk - and I'm not getting into a debate of if the relative risks between direct and indirect - of picking it up indirectly off surfaces whether you have sanitised your own hands or not. Some people want to minimise that risk by wiping down what they use. I really don't think its that big a deal to do it nor to prefer if someone else does it.

If I'm deadlifting and I have it, any respiratory droplets are going to be landing on the bar. If I'm benching there's a risk of that too.

Its just minimising risks.

Zillah

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Yep they do. But if you dont absorb it through your skin, why bother?

Point being that there is a risk - and I'm not getting into a debate of if the relative risks between direct and indirect - of picking it up indirectly off surfaces whether you have sanitised your own hands or not. Some people want to minimise that risk by wiping down what they use. I really don't think its that big a deal to do it nor to prefer if someone else does it.

If I'm deadlifting and I have it, any respiratory droplets are going to be landing on the bar. If I'm benching there's a risk of that too.

Its just minimising risks.

Clean it yourself if you like, no bother to me, but people are going nuts at others not doing it.

Alf Veedersane

Zillah wrote: »

Clean it yourself if you like, no bother to me, but people are going nuts at others not doing it.

I do. It's not a chore and takes probably 60-90s. Given that I'm mostly facing a wall, I would likely be doing more for others by cleaning the equipment.

But I can see why people not cleaning equipment makes others more uncomfortable now given that it annoys people at the best of times.

Given that you sanitise your hands before and after, then it means you acknowledge the risk of picking something up from the equipment you touch. Potentially picking up something through contact evidently bothers some more than others.

Zillah

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Given that you sanitise your hands before and after, then it means you acknowledge the risk of picking something up from the equipment you touch. Potentially picking up something through contact evidently bothers some more than others.

As long as you clean your hands before you leave the gym it makes no difference, they're being irrational and demanding people go through theatre to indulge them.

Alf Veedersane

Zillah wrote: »

As long as you clean your hands before you leave the gym it makes no difference, they're being irrational and demanding people go through theatre to indulge them.

If cleaning equipment is futile because you don't pass anything on or pick it up from the equipment, then why do you sanitise your hands on the way on and out?

No one is demanding theatre. They're expecting people to clean the equipment they use. No one expects everyone else to clean plates. It's mostly just wiping down equipment they use which should be par for the course regardless of covid.

But saying cleaning equipment is pointless because you can't pick it up of surfaces doesn't stack up with you saying you sanitise your hands. You don't need to do that if you can't pick anything up off surfaces surely.

Mellor

Zillah wrote: »

I just think it's a little absurd when people who ignore the biggest danger (inhaling aerosols)

Is that the biggest danger?

Have they actually be able to confirm how long aerosols stay airborn. I haven't looked into it, but I assume that hand-mouth transmission was considerable.

Zillah wrote: »

As long as you clean your hands before you leave the gym it makes no difference, they're being irrational and demanding people go through theatre to indulge them.

No difference? How do you work that out?

Cleaning as you leave only protects you after you leave. So you run the risk of contamination while you are at the gym. Not sure why you are discounting that.

I mean why not just clean your hands once a day. Your hands will be virus free, until they're not.

Zillah

Are people genuinely failing to understand that the reason you clean your hands is because the virus can go from on your hands to inside your body if you, say, eat with them or rub your eyes? Cleaning your hands as you leave the gym is fine because I assume you wait until after your session to eat your sandwich.

Mellor wrote: »

Is that the biggest danger?

Have they actually be able to confirm how long aerosols stay airborn. I haven't looked into it, but I assume that hand-mouth transmission was considerable.

How long the aerosols last is dramatically different depending on the temperature and humidity, but considering you hopefully are not eating, rubbing your eyes or biting your nails while working out then there is no danger from your hands in the gym.

A recent example in Korea involved 27 people across two different floors of a Starbucks getting infected by another customer because the air-conditioning was moving the air around so much. None of the staff caught it because they were all wearing masks.

Protecting yourself from hand contamination is trivially easy: just don't lick your hands or the equivalent until they are sanitised and you're golden. There is nothing you can do about the air unless you wear a mask.

Mellor

Zillah wrote: »

Are people genuinely failing to understand that the reason you clean your hands is because the virus can go from on your hands to inside your body if you, say, eat with them or rub your eyes? Cleaning your hands as you leave the gym is fine because I assume you wait until after your session to eat your sandwich.

Yes if you eat. Or touch your face. Or scratch your nose. Or cough into you hand. Or drink from a water bottle.

Protecting yourself from hand contamination is trivially easy: just don't lick your hands or the equivalent until they are sanitised and you're golden. There is nothing you can do about the air unless you wear a mask.

I think you are underestimating how often we touch our faces subconsciously.
I know I personally do it a lot, so I make an extra effort with my hands. And avoid bars and plates.

Obviously if somebody knows they never do it, they are lower risk.

Alf Veedersane

Zillah wrote: »

Are people genuinely failing to understand that the reason you clean your hands is because the virus can go from on your hands to inside your body if you, say, eat with them or rub your eyes? Cleaning your hands as you leave the gym is fine because I assume you wait until after your session to eat your sandwich.

It can be transmitted through nose, mouth or eyes. So it doesn't have to involve eating a sandwich between sets.

I think you underestimate how much people touch their faces. Spoiler alert: it's a lot.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25637115/

44% of the touches made contact with a mucuous membrane which is a route of transmission. It's more than licking your hands.

You won't reduce that number to 0 so there is still a risk of indirect transmission from gym equipment.

So, no I understand why I sanitise my hands before and after. But I also understand that people touch their faces a lot so there is a risk of indirect transmission from surfaces between between those points of sanitising hands.

scrumqueen

The Davestator wrote: »

Your own sweat towel is not great. It's only clean once when you first use it. It's then being used to wipe down equipment and your own sweat! Last thing I would use to wipe equipment.

My gym is demanding this too and I cannot fathom how they think its hygenic. No idea what guidelines if any have been given to gyms in relation to equipment.

I go to the gym off peak, or at least try to, and haven't found it to be busy at all. If i felt crowded I would leave. I think the squat racks should be spaced out a bit further, it's the only thing they didn't space out further which is annoying.

I have no idea if the gym are managing numbers, I don't think they are, but they are enforcing a mental one way system through the gym which seems absurd but the staff are at least more visible on the floor and refilling sanitizer and paper towels and people seem to be deloading bars which is something i hope sticks around!

hayoc

In my gym they have sanitising spray and rolls of pull wipe, people are expected to wipe down equipment they use.

The gym is operating a book in system and there are 15 minutes between slots where the gym staff clean down the gym (although that seems to have fallen a bit by the wayside recently).

I can only do a very early slot to make it to work after (no showers allowed in gym so I am showering in work), and the slots have been very empty. Ive had the place to myself a few times, mostly only 3-4 other people.

B.A._Baracus

Hey guys what's the deal with pausing your membership with flyefit?
Do they still charge you a small amount per month or totally paused and no fees taken?

I see the pause option and cancel membership. So wondering what the difference is if any.

Cheers.

Alf Veedersane

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

Hey guys what's the deal with pausing your membership with flyefit?
Do they still charge you a small amount per month or totally paused and no fees taken?

I see the pause option and cancel membership. So wondering what the difference is if any.

Cheers.

No fee charges during a pause.

Cancelling means you have to then rejoin and pay the joining fee.

caviardreams

I think it's €5 per month to pause in Flyefit actually (maybe they are waiving this during covid though)

Alf Veedersane

caviardreams wrote: »

I think it's €5 per month to pause in Flyefit actually (maybe they are waiving this during covid though)

Sorry, you're correct. It's a fiver a month to pause.

Joining fee is €25.

Phillip876

Gyms in my area are following strict SOPs to keep people hygiene and safe from pandemic. I've been using my own towel and the equipment is sanitized quite often. People also keep a reasonable distance during lifting weight, it helps in preventing the spread of virus.

SixtaWalthers

Though right now, gyms are closed in many areas, but I don't think the use of disinfected towels and sprays are enough to protect us from this deadly virus, especially when it is aerosol. In my opinion, first of all, gyms need to scan both gym members and staff with regular intervals of time to avoid the risk of transmission. Secondly, they should take care of social distancing, and it should be their responsibility to disinfect each machine and workout accessory their own, and yes, I found this article https://www.hotelgyms.com/blog/what-to-consider-when-re-opening-a-hotel-gym-or-fitness-facility useful for both gym members and organizers how they need to re-open their gyms.

If you are a member, then you make sure your gym is offering the best facility to fight against this deadly virus. Ventilation is also essential here, and I also heard that centralised heating systems could also spike the transmission rate of this virus in gyms, offices and other places. Hence, they also need to handle such issues. I also read this article https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-54540188 recent data analysis of NHS Test and Trace says that only 2.8% of people visited gym who got the virus in the week to 25 October. This is also hopeful for gym members that gyms are not the primary source of spread of this virus, but still both gym managements and members need to be very proactive to treat this matter even after this lockdown.

FA12345

My husband owns a small personal training gym unit in Dublin, it only has a front door. He has reduced the capacity to 1-on-1 in Level 3 and:

- face scan/temperature check
- keeps the front doors wide open
- put in a ventilation unit
- sanitise hands on entry and exit
- each member gets a spray disinfectant and blue roll on entry and to clean any equipment after use
- minimum 2m distance between trainer and client
- and..... MASK wearing for everyone!

TBH he thought he would lose a lot of members on the mask wearing element, but he said after a couple of sessions, it didn't bother them at all. He's also created effective training programs that didn't involve excessive heavy breathing.

The result? Loyal members who feel safe in the knowledge that he is doing the best he can.