COVID-19: Prevention, At-Home Workouts, and Gym Hygiene
Key Takeaways
- The novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has gripped not only the United States, but much of the world.
- Daily updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the World Health Organization are showing upticks in cases.
- While most cases (roughly 80%) are mild, some are showing as severe. The elderly and people with diabetes, heart and lung disease are at higher risk of developing into serious cases should they contract the virus.
- Take certain precautions such as washing your hands often, disinfecting hard surfaces, avoiding large crowds, and staying home if you are sick.
- Donāt panic! While this is a serious virus, maintaining your regular workout and nutrition routine is best so you can preserve your hard-earned fitness results and overall health.
People all across the globe have been tied to their phones and TVs to see the latest news on the most recent outbreak that has gripped our planet: COVID-19. Also called the novel Coronavirus, this respiratory illness has been crossing borders and oceans, coming to a town near you.
We here at Old School Labs have been keeping abreast of the situation to help our customers. We wanted to give you some up-to-date information on protection and prevention as you go about your daily life.
Whatās the best news we can offer? First and foremost, donāt panic. You may have seen the reality of the fear and panic:
- Empty streets
- Cleared out grocery stores
- People fighting over toilet paper and hand sanitizer
- Inflated prices of some common products
The worst thing you can do is panic and cloud your judgment during a time like this, even though, as of March 11, a pandemic has officially been called in the United States.
Do not Panic or Overreact
If youāre able to, itās a good idea to have some extra food and resources available at your home. With that said, donāt go overboard. You will still be able to access grocery stores for supplies, and those at high-risk also need supplies.
Again, panic is not the answer here, regardless of what youāre seeing on the news and online. Stay vigilant, and use best practices below to keep yourself safe.
As an Old Schooler, youāre likely healthier than most and may not be as worried. However, we wanted to offer some precautions to keep you and those around you who might not be in as good health, safe.
First, weāll go over some general hygiene best practices. Then, weāll give you tips on how you can work out from home and keep your gains. Weāll also discuss how to reduce the likelihood of infection if or when you go to the gym. Finally, weāll leave you with some doās and donāts to limit the risk of spreading the Coronavirus.
Before we get into prevention and protection, letās look at the Worldometer to see the reality of the situation.
As of March 16, here are the cases worldwide and in the United States for COVID-19:
Worldwide
- Total cases: 181,686
- Total Deaths: 7,131
- Recovered: 78,339
- Currently Infected:
- Mild cases: 90,054 (94%)
- Severe cases: 6,162 (6%)
United States
Now, letās take a look at the current numbers for the United States to gain some perspective.
- Total cases: 4,371
- Total deaths: 77
- Recovered: 73
- Currently Infected:
- Mild cases: 4209
- Severe cases: 12 (0.004%)
The incubation period is generally 14 days or less. However, there have been a handful of cases where symptoms were not present until 19 days or later.
The situation remains fluid and is changing daily. Please use the links above to stay up-to-date.
Now, letās look at some best practices to keep yourself healthy.
General Hygiene Best Practices
These practices can help keep you healthy as you move about your daily life. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus moves from person-to-person.
1. Wash Your Hands Often
This is the best thing you can do to prevent spread of the virus and reduce your risk of being contaminated. Use soap and water and scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds each time you wash.
When should you wash your hands?
- After touching your face, especially your eyes, mouth, and nose. Blowing your nose or sneezing should be followed by washing your hands.
- After touching another person. The problem with this virus is that it can take up to two weeks or more for symptoms to present themselves. You may be around someone who is infected and not know it. Be safe and wash your hands
- Before touching your face. Many people are now realizing just how much they touch their faces throughout the day! Try to be aware of this fact and reduce the urge to touch your face before washing your hands thoroughly.
If soap and water arenāt available, then use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. Cover both sides of your hands and continue to rub them together until the sanitizer dries.
2. Be Mindful When Sneezing or Coughing
Even if itās just allergies or a reaction to all the disinfectant being used around you, use precautions when sneezing or coughing.
Itās best to cover your mouth and nose with your elbow as you feel the sneeze or cough arise. You can also use your hands, but be sure to wash them right after or just an alcohol-based sanitizer.
You can also use a tissue to cover your mouth and nose but dispose of it immediately. Then, wash your hands or sanitize.
Use the guidelines above to wash your hands fully or for proper sanitization.
3. Social Distancing
While itās a good idea to maintain as much of a normal lifestyle as possible, maintaining distance can help reduce the virus spread.
This means staying at least 3 feet away from people, especially strangers since you donāt know if theyāre infected. Also, itās best to stay away from larger crowds of people for the same reasons.
Stay away from anyone that is showing signs of sickness. If you feel sick, then it may be best to stay home.
If youāre sick and going out in public, wear a facemask to reduce spreading germs to others. Also if youāre around someone who is sick. If youāre healthy, a facemask is not necessary.
The elderly and people with certain illnesses are considered high-risk of developing into serious cases should they contract the virus. Those with diabetes, heart or lung disease should take extra precautions.
Know the symptoms of COVID-19 and if youāre showing signs, contact your doctor. Symptoms include:
- Fever
- Shortness of breath
- Dry cough
- Breathing difficulty
4. Cleanliness
Now is the time to maintain a high level of cleanliness and disinfect surfaces to reduce the risk of spread.
Clean and disinfect all shared surfaces frequently and especially hard surfaces:
- Counters
- Doorknobs
- Light switches
- Remotes
- Cell phones
- Computer keyboard and mouse
- Toilets
- Sinks
- Tables
- Chairs
Diluted bleach and 70 percent or higher alcohol solution is best for disinfecting and killing germs, according to the CDC.
Use these tips at home and at work to keep yourself healthy. Now, letās talk about how you can work out at home while the pandemic is in swing.
Working Out at Home
Regardless of your reason for working out at home, weāve got you covered. Itās important to stay active as long as you arenāt showing symptoms or signs of illness.
To help you mix up your routine, here are some workout routines you can do at home:
- App-based workouts you can do from anywhere
- The best at-home workouts
- How to create your own workout plan
- Bodyweight full-body workouts
- The best bodyweight workout to meet specific goals
- The Four Minute Tabata workout
- Teach yourself how to do a handstand
If youāre still looking for more, check out our entire library of workouts. Whether youāre going to the gym or working out at home, youāre guaranteed to find something that works.
Need some light reading in between your workouts? Weāve been recapping the Mr. Olympia competitions starting with the first one in 1965. Take a trip down memory lane and reminisce about the Golden Era of bodybuilding.
Next, for those of you who understand the risks yet decide to still go to the gym, weāll discuss how you can keep yourself as safe as possible.
For those whose gyms are still open and decide to keep going ā please take extra precautions during these unprecedented times. Here are some that are gym specific, to keep in mind in addition to what we listed above.
1. Wipe Down Surfaces
Make sure you wipe down surfaces before you touch them. Machines and weights should be wiped down before and after use.
If your gym only has spray bottles of disinfecting, consider wiping down the bottle before grabbing it. Or, wash your hands after use. You can also consider bringing your own disinfecting wipes to use instead of the bottles.
2. Personal Precautions
Many of the same best practices listed above apply to the gym. However, there is one more precaution we wanted to discuss here.
If you bring a towel with you to the gym, use it wisely. Donāt touch your face with your hands while there. Instead, use the towel to wipe away sweat and avoid letting the towel sit on shared surfaces.
Consider bringing two separate towels to the gym ā one for your body and the other for surfaces. This will depend on how your gym is responding to the novel Coronavirus and supplies available.
If you do bring two towels, use two different colors or patterns so you can easily distinguish between them. You donāt want to risk wiping your face and/or hands on your surface towel.
3. Maintain a Distance
Much like the social distancing discussed in the prior section, try to maintain a distance from other gym-goers.
You want to be at least 3 feet and preferably 6 feet away from others to avoid coming in contact with their aerial breath. Respiratory droplets can be airborne and you may breathe them in through your nose or mouth without realizing it.
It is wise to avoid taking classes altogether during this time. Small classes where people can spread out may be okay, but larger classes in close proximity to others are not advisable.
The Doās and Donāts of Limiting Spread
Letās bring this all together with a list of doās and donāts to stay healthy and limit your chances of getting the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Do
- Wash your hands often and thoroughly (at least 20 seconds each time)
- Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water arenāt available
- Cough into your elbow or tissue and throw the tissue away immediately
- Stay home if youāre not feeling well
- Use a facemask only if youāre in public and sick or working with sick individuals
- Maintain your workout and nutrition routine if you can to keep hitting your goals
- Clean and disinfect shared and hard surfaces
- Avoid larger crowds if possible
- Maintain at least a 3 to 6-foot distance from others
- Stay up-to-date with the virus spread within your community
Donāt
- Panic
- Allow people to breathe in your face
- Touch your face without washing your hands first
- Forget to wash down gym surfaces before and after use
- Use your hands to wipe your face at the gym, use a towel instead
- Feel awkward about asking gym staff about their cleaning and disinfecting practices
The Bottom Line
Taking simple precautions like the ones outlined above can help limit the spread in and around your community.
Stay vigilant and keep yourself up-to-date using the CDC and WHO website links provided throughout this article. Donāt allow tabloid news and social media to cause you to panic without getting verified facts first.
Check on your friends and neighbors, especially if theyāre elderly or high-risk. It can be a good idea to stock up on some food and supplies, donāt go overboard but try to have a 3-4 week supply of essentials and 2 weeks of non-essentials. Try to create a new everyday schedule to keep yourself healthy and happy.
We want to hear from you. How is your workout and diet routine affected by this situation? Are you going to the gym or training at home? What are you doing to prepare and how are you being vigilant? Let us know how youāre doing in the comments below.