Take a fitness break amid coronavirus fears: Why you should avoid hitting the gym right now
Officials warn against using common equipment at public places for fear of infection.
By TNN |
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The open gym equipment installed in parks may not be safe or free of the coronavirus.
NEW DELHI: With the novel coronavirus gaining ground in the city, Delhiites are concerned about the safety and hygiene in their fitness centres and gyms. Senior municipal public health officials advise citizens, for the time being, to refrain from going into closed spaces such as fitness centres whose surfaces are liable to be contaminated because they are touched constantly by people.
A South Delhi Municipal Corporation official said that it was advisable for people at this time to exercise or jog in the open. “Gyms have equipment whose surfaces are touched by so many people,” the official explained. “We would like the management of these fitness centres to regularly sanitise the premises. In the meantime, people should avoid crowds and exercise in open spaces like parks.” Another health official requested citizens with cold or flu symptoms to keep themselves at home for the sake of others.
The open gym equipment installed in parks, however, may not be safe or free of the coronavirus. The municipal corporations have no provision for disinfecting such equipment.
While those who can afford it are calling trainers home, many have decided to give gyms a break till the situation improves. Pinki Pradhan, a fitness enthusiast in Vasant Kunj, has skipped her gyms sessions since last week. “People are using the same crosstrainers, the same weights. And these are not sterilised,” Pradhan said. “With so many people sweating around me, I feel worried. And though the gym has placed hand sanitisers, I don’t think this can effectively stop infection.”
J K Francis, founder of a fitness group, claimed to be ensuring proper sanitisation of gym equipment before and after exercise sessions. “We have instructed all our trainers to avoid body contacts or touching the equipment,” he added.
Fitness trainers across the globe are suggesting alternative exercises that enthusiasts can do at home.
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Francis opined that in the current circumstances people can do squats and floor exercises at home. “Exercises are necessary because they boost immunity,” he said. “People can go for walks in open areas, though even then they should take precautions.”
Fitness trainers across the globe are suggesting alternative exercises that enthusiasts can do at home. On Thursday, one popular social media influencer, a regular gym goer, took this advice and declared she wouldn’t attend gym sessions before demonstrating the home exertions suggested to her by her trainer.
Khalid, a gym owner in north Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar, admitted that business has been affected in a major way. He also said that he saw tougher times ahead as this seems to be only the beginning of the coronavirus’ spread in India. “The peak hours used to be in the morning and from 5pm to 9pm. In the last two-three days, things have changed,” Khalid said. “There are hardly any people turning up at the gym throughout the day. We’ve also had no new subscribers.”
Trainer Harish Chandra added, “I work at a gym in Dwarka in south Delhi and attend to at least 30 people every day. But it has been a week since I have been receiving calls from these people requesting me to go to their houses and provide them personal training. Some are asking me to send them personalised videos so that they can exercise at home.”
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Keeping Your Phone Clean, And Safe, In The Time Of Coronavirus
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Holding hands, an affectionate gesture with romantic undertones, has become taboo in the time of the coronavirus. Handshakes, too, have been outlawed in the boardroom as well as stadiums - and after closing a deal, folks now pick up their phones and send each other formal emails.
Lovers in parks sit on benches, their hands skidding across smartphone screens, sending emoji-laced messages. However, exercising one’s primary tactile organs to communicate through gestures might not be as dangerous as using a mobile phone.
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Phone screens are a hotbed of different types of germs. Phone hygiene, therefore, becomes an imperative to ward off contagious germs. Apple recommends using felt cloth, the type used to clean spectacles.
The iPhone 7 and upwards, which are water-resistant, can be cleaned using a cloth dabbed with soapy water, as long as the different orifices of the devices are covered. Other manufacturers do not specify water-tolerance, but most new models are partially resistant to fluids, meaning that cleaning your phone display with a wet cloth is the least you could do.
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Samsung and Apple advise against using cleaning fluids as they could potentially damage fingerprint-resistant coatings on their screens. Some new phones have in-display fingerprint sensors which make the task of cleaning your phone more complex. However, this could be remedied by using a screen protector, which in turn, could be wiped clean using diluted alcohol.
The back and sides of the phone should also be cleaned thoroughly. Germs will invariably accumulate on phone screens. The best possible remedy seems to be washing one’s hands before and after touching one’s phone, especially when in public spaces or commuting to work.
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Users given to making a lot of phone calls are advised to use headphones or Bluetooth earphones to prevent the germs on phone screens from coming in contact with their faces. Bluetooth earphones aren’t germ-proof either, but their exteriors can be cleaned with cotton swabs dipped in antiseptic fluids or isopropyl alcohol.
Be careful to not get any inside your audio device as it could damage the circuitry. Boozy headphones can make one grin from ear to ear.
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