August 12, 2020, by Charlotte Gauja

What keep in mind before your first visit back to the gym

When you first return to the gym, various new measures will have been put in place to keep members, students and staff safe amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.  

 Fitness Suite changes 

The gym will have implemented a one-way system and certain pieces of equipment may have been removed from the gym floor e.g. TRX Suspension Trainers and small accessories with high touch points such as yoga mats and resistance bands. To this end, if you need to make use of these types of equipment, now is a great time to source them and be ready to bring them along with you to the gym. 

In addition, hand sanitising stations will have been placed on the gym floor to allow members to wash their hands as they enter different areas of the gym. This will also be paired with cleaning stations throughout the gym, so that members can clean their equipment before and after use. Lastly, time restrictions will have been implemented to ensure safe and fair usage of the facilities, and so regular cleaning protocols can be performed by our team .  

Plan your workout in advance 

Considering you may not be permitted as much time at the gym as you may have typically spent before lockdown, it may be wise to plan your workout in advance so you can take advantage of every second you have. 

We will be including another blog entry which will include specific advice on how to do this and get the most out of your workouts in the time permitted.  

Take it easy when you return 

Speaking of planning your workouts, when you do, try not to push your body further than you need to. 

During lockdown, some people may have taken a more relaxed approach to their exercise routine, perhaps working out more sporadically or at a lower intensity – not many of us have access to that heavily missed squat rack at home.  

It’s natural to want to get back to the level you were at before as quickly as you can, but it is vital that you program effectively, to ensure that you improve whilst also taking care of your body. There’s nothing worse than attempting to jump straight back in to lifting the same weights before a lengthy absence, causing yourself an injury then being back to square one.     

Starting slow and giving your body time to recover is key.  

Keep hydrated 

When you go back to the gym, you may not consider the fact that your body requires more hydration than usual. Copious amounts of tea and coffee working from home, will have certainly disrupted your water intake habits. Therefore when resuming your regular fitness routine, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. 

It is also worth noting that although our water fountains will remain operational in the gym, we will now encourage members to bring a suitable water bottle for use. It’s worth keeping in mind, 2 litre bottles from the supermarket, which, due to the height won’t fit under our water fountains correctly. Therefore we would encourage small, wide bottles such as protein shaker or 1/2 gallon bottles.  With a one-way system and time restrictions in place, the less the number of trips round to the fountains, the more time you can focus on getting your workout done in time. 

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