DO NOT WEAR FACE MASK WHILE EXERCISING AND GYM PRECAUTIONS

Many countries are lifting lockdown restrictions and allowing businesses to resume. The fitness industry is one of the high-risk environments where coronavirus gets transmitted easily, especially in the case of gyms.

However, some countries permitted to reopen gyms and some are going to permit soon.

So, in such cases how do we protect ourselves from COVID-19 coronavirus while we are at the gym or exercising.

In this pandemic, the face mask is considered to be a protective measure to stop the spread. However, wearing a mask while exercising will be discomfort and suffocative. Also, can lead to serious health conditions.

According to an Australian news agency recently in China, two boys died during a workout in a gym. Because they were doing physical workouts wearing masks.

Workout or running by applying a mask on the face can be harmful to health. Recently, an incident from China has come to light in which a 26-year-old youth started having trouble breathing after running four kilometers on a mask. After which this young man had to be admitted to the hospital.

Doctors said that his left lung was damaged by shrinking 90 percent. This happens due to high pressure in the lungs. The young man exercised the wrong way wearing a mask. According to doctors, doing intimate workouts wearing a mask is dangerous. In such a situation, his body could not get enough oxygen.

Let’s know how dangerous it can be to do a workout using a mask.

When you exercise, you breathe in and out heavily. Covering your face during such intense breathing activity, face mark restricts, and disrupts the air supply. Also, your body doesn’t get enough oxygen and your increasing the level of carbon dioxide in your body can lead to high pressure in organs causing a pneumothorax.

This means your lungs will get collapsed, leading to a puncture in the lungs, and the air starts to escape into the chest cavity.

Wearing a mask while exercising, will also make you feel uncomfortable and suffocated, nausea, dizziness, fainting, and irritability. So, do not wear a mask while exercising.

So now the question arises, what precautions to be taken?

• Restricting yourself to home exercises will lower the risk of transmission to a great extent. Outdoor runners, walkers, and cyclists maintain social distance.
• If in case gyms are open in your area, Suggestion: avoid going to the gym till this pandemic fades away.
• Still in case you want to go to the gym and workout then take the necessary precaution and consider these points.

1. Check your area’s COVID-19 coronavirus reported cases, if it’s high then avoid going to the gym and if in case it lows then take necessary precautions.
2. opt for time slots, in which there are very few people and maintain social distance. If you are not able to find such a slot then restrict yourself to a home workout.
3. Do not go to the gym if you’re feeling unwell and have symptoms like coughing, sneezing, fever, breathing shortness.
4. Do not shake hands with anybody at the gym.
5. Do not carry a phone or any extra accessories into the gym.
6. Do not touch your face while you’re in the gym.
7. Wash your hands at least for 20 secs before and after the gym.
8. Clean gym equipment’s after every use and try to use as little equipment as can.
9. Cough or sneeze in your elbow.
10. Shower as soon as possible after your workout.
11. Avoid drinking water from shared water stations and try your water bottles.
12. Avoid gym shower areas since the steamy and humid areas are the right conditions for spreading the virus.
13. Check if your gym has proper ventilation and filtration system.
14. Ensure the gym is taking all necessary precautions of disinfecting and maintaining hygiene.
15. Ensure your Instructors and gym staff is wearing a mask and other protective gear to maintain good hygiene in the gym.

If we want to stay fit and healthy during this pandemic. We can achieve that even at home. WHO recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week, or a combination of both. So, plan your exercises based on time and intensity level recommended by WHO.

we can achieve good health and fitness even without equipment. All we need is some space, where we can practice physical activity exercises.

You can do bodyweight exercises such as pushups, bodyweight squat, reverse lunge, jumping jack, tempo bodyweight squats, tempo sprinter split squat, etc. Also, you attend any online exercise programs, or go for a walk or jog near your home.