It is a cruel irony that one of the safest and healthiest things we can do immediately became one of the most dangerous during the COVID era. Hardcore training classes – spin classes, HIIT circuit lessons, Zumba raves, you name it – can make your heart rate pump and ultimately help you lose weight, be happier and live longer, but they are also usually conducted in a windowless gym room where people breathe extra hard and push virus particles further than they would if they basically did something else.
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In just one example from last year, an entire cycling class in Hawaii followed the protocol for the social distance virus. “Among epidemiologists, it is called an attack rate of 100 percent,” he said The New York Times.
Today, as more and more Americans are vaccinated, many gyms are beginning to reopen their doors to lower-capacity workouts. The question remains: Is it too early to look up your favorite class, whether you are vaccinated or not? The times sought advice from Linsey Marr, Ph.D., engineering professor at Virginia Tech who became an unlikely celebrity in 2020 thanks to his expertise in a niche but rapidly relevant field: viral transmission. Turns out she’s also a CrossFit enthusiast, and she actually consulted her local gym instructor, “examining building plans and calculating potential class size and ventilation patterns in the facility,” according to Times.
Related: This crazy-popular Walking Workout works perfectly, experts say
Given the heavy breathing involved in exercise, Marr recommended that exercisers should be socially distant at 10 feet apart, not just 6 feet. She also had them install and use retractable garage doors to improve ventilation. They used carbon monitors to monitor the air. She says that masks are just so much help, especially after they get sweat in them. “The level of protection provided by masks is so variable that we cannot rely on them alone,” she said.
The gym could be opened safely without known COVID cases so far. But it is safe to say that most gyms do not have the help of the world’s foremost expert on viral transmission to reshape their layouts. So Marr also revealed some good signs and bad signs that you should look for in the gym at your gym.
High ceilings? It’s an encouraging sign. Open windows on opposite sides of the room? Also good. But if you smell something, take note – it’s a sure sign that you’re exercising in a poorly ventilated room.
“If you can smell someone else, it’s a bad sign” she explained Times.
So remember this the next time you feel the need to hit Barry’s Bootcamp. After all, they are open for business again—And not just virtually. And for better training advice you can use, make sure you are aware of the super-fast training that is scientifically proven to work, says the Mayo Clinic.
