Hello there! I sent a message to my clients a few days ago reassuring them that I am maintaining a clean and healthy training studio to keep them as safe as possible during this time while also helping them achieve their goals. This was prompted by questions from clients about what I was doing; but I also received questions about what they should be doing if they’re training at a commercial gym. Here I will outline (and update) what I am doing here at the studio, and I will then outline what I would advise (and am doing myself) for training at a commercial gym.
What is DeVine Physiques doing?
As stated in my message to my clients, I’ve always been diligent about wiping down surfaces people contact regularly: Bike seat, rowing machine handles, floor mats, etc. I’m now taking this a step further and am wiping down every surface anyone comes in contact with, including, but not limited to:
- Weight plates used for weighted exercises
- Door Knobs
- Barbells
- Dumbbells
- Bike adjustment knobs
- etc.
In addition to that I asked my clients to not touch certain items in the studio, and instead ask me to get them for them. I’m also utilizing hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, and bleach based cleaning solutions to help sanitize the training studio.
Here are some things I’m doing differently as of this weekend:
- Towels are no longer given out by default; they are now available upon request. The lid to the hamper will now be in use, as well.
- Paper cups for water will no longer be given out; I advise everyone please bring a water bottle. (This is because the cups are stored in the studio, and you make direct contact with them.)
- The use of single use nitrile gloves when performing certain tasks in the studio.
- At the end of each day, my desk and the weight plates are being sterilized.
Here are some other precautions that may be on the horizon:
- The use of a face mask on my part.
- The use of the AC units to remove moisture from the air.
As a health and wellness professional, the well being of my clients is my top priority, which is why I’m taking such strict precautions to ensure a clean and safe training space. The advantage to training in a private studio is that you can control the space, whereas commercial gyms are larger, deal with a lot of foot traffic, and are reliant on the patrons to keep a sanitary space. Which leads us to:
What should you do at a commercial gym?
Here are the precautions I am taking when training outside of the studio, and this is what I’d advise you do as well:
- I am washing my hands with soap and water before and after my workout.
- Throughout the workout, I am sanitizing my hands.
- I am wiping down every surface I contact both before and after use.
- I’m wearing long sleeves in the gym; the sleeves can be used to wipe sweat from my face without touching my face.
- I’m using a medium sized towel to help provide a barrier between me and benches– one side designated for the surface; the other for me. In addition to that, I’m keeping the towel in a cinch pack so that it doesn’t contact other equipment / the floor. When the towel is stored in the cinch pack, it’s folded so that the bench surface don’t contact the surfaces that I touch.
- In the case of items that may touch multiple surfaces and then myself (in the case of boxing gloves), I’m regularly sanitizing all contact surfaces. As an example: throughout Muay Thai yesterday, I sanitized my gloves, what my gloves were contacting (if possible), and also my forehead.
- Immediately after training, any equipment I own gets sanitized: gloves, shin guards, mouth piece, etc.
- Immediately after training, the clothes go in the washer. There are certain items I would wear 2 or 3 times before laundering (Thai shorts, boxing wraps),
Other steps I haven’t taken, but would likely be a good idea:
- If possible, schedule your trips to the gym during non peak hours.
- Have a towel you sit on in the car to limit exposure of your car seats to the gym.
Finally, if it should warrant it, putting a pause on training is not out of the question. That doesn’t seem necessary at the moment, but the situation is fluid and developing, and everyone should do what they thing is best for them.
At the moment, I am still open for business, still chasing my goals, and I will keep all of my clients in the loop as much as possible in light of the pandemic. Stay clean and safe, everyone!