Wellness Wednesday - 5 Tips for Returning to the Gym with Nurse Lauren

Wellness Wednesday – 5 Tips for Returning to the Gym with Nurse Lauren

Hi there, Nurse Lauren here with your Wellness Wednesday tips! We are now one full year since the world shut down and life as we have known it, came to a halt. As we enter the spring season this year, there is much more hope for a better, healthier tomorrow. As people continue to get vaccinated and take proper precautions, the possibility that we can defeat the COVID-19 virus seems more attainable. Have you been getting emails from your gym saying they are open and ready for business? Do you want to get back to your exercise routine but not sure how to do this safely? Lets’ go over 5 tips for returning to the gym.

Adhere to all restrictions. Make sure you have gone to your gym’s website and read all of the restrictions and protocols they have put in place to make you safe. Look for reopening o COVID-19 guidelines.
Use hand sanitizer or wash hands before putting on and adjusting mask. At home, wash your hands thoroughly and secure you mask in place. If you do not want to wear your mask in your car, make sure to have hand sanitizer with you and use before you put your mask on. Anytime during your gym visit that you want to adjust your mask, wash your hands or use hand sanitizer first! Having a mask that properly fits (one you won’t have to constantly adjust) is best for the gym.
Wear mask at all times and ensure proper placement. Place you mask on before entering the gym ( see above about washing hands prior to mask placement.) Masks should cover your mouth and nose and be secure under your chin. The fit should be snug to your face but make sure you can breathe properly. Check out the CDC’s guidance with dos and don’ts for how to safely wear a mask.
Clean equipment before and after use. Do your part in helping the gym keep clean. Make sure to wipe down any equipment before and after you use it. You can’t assume people are cleaning what they use (although in these times you would hope all people are taking every precaution) so it’s imperative to wipe down equipment before you use it.
Keep safe distance between you and other people. It’s never polite to hover close to people when they are working out, but in COVID-19 times it’s not just impolite, it is unsafe. Keep your distance. If one area is more crowded than makes you comfortable, move on to something else. You are at the gym to exercise and keep healthy that includes avoiding any possible virus exposures.

If you aren’t at the place where you feel comfortable returning to the gym yet, that’s ok too! Make sure you are exercising though. Take walks. Do home workouts. Find some exercise videos on you tube that you like. See if your gym offers zoom classes. These are all ways to keep healthy without going back to a public gym. This is Nurse Lauren, contributor of NursesNOW, signing off with your Wellness Wednesday tip! Remember to follow these tips to protect yourself from the coronavirus (and other germs!) so can exercise safely when you decide to return to your gym.