Before COVID-19 came into existence and changed the way we interact with the world around us, my life from a health and fitness perspective was pretty “normal”. My active lifestyle consisted of the gym 2-3 times per week, home workouts once a week, cricket matches and practices twice a week, playing various sports and training my wife during some of her workouts. I also saw a physio for various sports related injuries approximately once a month and occasionally got a massage from an RMT. These were pretty standard events in my life that I didn’t think twice about.
If you know me, you’ll know that I am by no means a germaphobe. Yes, I am a pretty clean individual, but you wouldn’t have seen me Lysol wiping door knobs, wiping off benches at a gym before using them or confirming if my physiotherapist or RMT wiped down the table between clients. In cricket, as a fast bowler, myself and others are constantly using our sweat (and sometimes saliva...yes I know, disgusting right?) to shine the cricket ball to allow it swing in different ways. Rarely do we ever worry about who grabbed the ball last or if anyone who shined that ball was feeling under the weather during game day. I wouldn't consider any of these things in a given week, and I am grateful that I don’t get sick often (Thank God).
But then came the coronavirus, and in a span of a few weeks to months, everything changed from interacting with our family and friends to passing by strangers on the streets or in a store. Now, when I go into a grocery store, I find myself wondering how many people touched the bananas I just picked up, and whether or not my basket was wiped down (do they even get wiped down?). I will likely be a little uneasy the first time I go see a rehab therapist again. Also, most of my workouts are at home and I have had to adjust my routine. While we have restarted outdoor cricket practices, saliva and sweat shining are currently strictly off limits. Gyms have not yet opened up in Mississauga and the surrounding areas of the GTA, so how we interact with gym equipment is unknown. Will powerlifting gyms and those that allow chalk now ban the use of chalk? Will your friendly neighborhood gym require you to wipe down every piece of equipment you have touched before and after usage?
I’ve heard that there will be strict pathways that some gyms are enforcing to allow a workflow of sorts, so you would not be able to double back to leg extensions if you moved past that machine (tough luck, quads). Also a full workout with a mask will be excruciatingly uncomfortable, but will likely be the norm for a few months. Side note: To the people who don’t wash their hands after using the bathroom mid-workout (or not washing their hands after using the bathroom in general), I hope the gym bans you for life.
How far will we go to stay safe and continue respecting other people’s safety around us? I believe we all will have a social responsibility to make it happen, and to speak up when others are slacking from a hygiene and cleanliness perspective. Most Ontarians, and Canadians in general, have been pretty smart when it comes to keeping our families and loved ones safe. It’s probably safe to say that we will be questioning our routine actions for more than just a week or two when our favorite restaurants, recreational facilities and gyms open up. Rest assured though EvoHealth Family, the gainz shall return soon.