Why I'm Not Returning To The Gym
Takeaway Points:
COVID isn’t going anywhere - it’s going to continue to mutate and spread. It’s our responsibility to mitigate the risks by doing things like getting vaccinated, masking in public spaces, eating outdoors (or getting take out) rather than indoors at restaurants, and minimizing traveling.
Everyone is at a different amount of risk. Those of us lucky enough to be able to be vaccinated or have stronger immune systems need to consider the people we come into contact with who are at greater risk.
For some people, returning to the gym is an acceptable risk in their life. For others, it’s not. The best thing we can do is make thoughtful and responsible decisions that minimize the harm we could do to others.
I’m still not returning to the gym, despite the fact that I am now fully vaccinated.
At the end of the day, everybody has their own risk profile. Being vaccinated means that you’re at little risk of catching COVID, and even if you do, it’s less likely that you’ll have a serious case as a result - and for many folks, this is enough.
At the same time, you could still catch the disease, you could still pass it on to others, and in a general sense we want to stop as much of that as possible in order to slow the long term spread of the disease. You could also pass the disease on to loved ones. In my case, I have a 12 year old kid who isn’t able to get vaccinated yet - and I just don’t think it’s worth the risk.
This disease isn’t going anywhere. It will continue to spread and mutate and will be a feature of life for a long time to come. To me, that means that at a bare minimum, we should all be doing whatever basic things we can to avoid long term spread - masking indoors, eating outdoors, attending indoor restaurants sparingly, minimizing travel, and minimizing general exposure. It is important to remember that while we’re all sick of these measures, they improve public health in the long term by minimizing the number of cases. Any case you spread to somebody else, could spread to another person, and then another person after that, and so on - the effects spiral outwards infinitely.
Going back to the gym is a personal choice, and certainly one that can be done safely for many individuals. My intent is certainly not to shame anybody. As I mentioned above, each person’s risk profile is different - some folks may live alone, or with just a small number of vaccinated individuals, and going back to the gym could be an acceptable level of risk in that situation.
I’m also lucky in that, over the past year, I’ve been able to assemble enough home fitness equipment that I can do workouts from home just as effectively as I could from the gym. Certainly I’ve had to change a lot of my approach due to not having the space for a traditional squat rack or barbell, and I absolutely miss being able to lift heavy. However, in adapting to bodyweight calisthenics and gymnastics focused workouts, I’ve been able to continue to see excellent results in terms of building muscle mass and strength, and I’ve learned a lot about a style of training that I never had the time to get into previously.
As a result, I find that I don’t have much urgency to return to the gym. I certainly look forward to the time that I can return to the gym safely, but for the time being I don’t find it personally to be worth the risk.
Your own level of risk is something you can assess for yourself:
What options do I have for training at home? Am I held back by not being able to train at the gym?
If I catch COVID, what are the risks to myself and those around me?
How safe is my gym? How good is the ventilation? How many people will be there? Are there training times where fewer people would be there and I would be safer?
What strategies can I use to minimize time spent in the gym? Is it possible to have short workouts and shower at home?
These questions can help you decide your own risk profile, and where to go from there.
All in all, I’ve been a bit disappointed by the fitness industry’s reaction to the pandemic. For an industry focused on health and fitness, combating misinformation around disease should certainly be a strength! Unfortunately, I’ve seen far too many examples of the fitness industry actively spreading information for its own gain. All I can recommend is that everyone take sensible precautions to minimize their own risk so that we can all get through this together.
About Adam Fisher
Adam is an experienced fitness coach and blogger who's been blogging and coaching since 2012, and lifting since 2006. He's written for numerous major health publications, including Personal Trainer Development Center, T-Nation, Bodybuilding.com, Fitocracy, and Juggernaut Training Systems.
During that time he has coached hundreds of individuals of all levels of fitness, including competitive powerlifters and older exercisers regaining the strength to walk up a flight of stairs. His own training revolves around bodybuilding and powerlifting, in which he’s competed.
Adam writes about fitness, health, science, philosophy, personal finance, self-improvement, productivity, the good life, and everything else that interests him. When he's not writing or lifting, he's usually hanging out with his cats or feeding his video game addiction.
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