How is the pandemic treating you, Bingers? Are you still doing good? Still sane? I really do hope that you are still doing fine because I am, despite the INTENSE boredom and lockdown fever that hit me few weeks after the lockdown has started. In addressing it, I have done several activities to curb my attention: cooking, vlogging, gardening, and working out. And yes, let’s talk about the latter- working out. For regular gym-goers like I am, hitting the gym was a regular activity when our lives were still in normal, pre-COVID. But by the second week of March 2020, when the government-imposed lockdown happened nationwide, our gym-going routine was put on a halt. Our gains were lost, and weights increased. Well, for some because lucky me, I learned to love home workouts and I invested on my home gym setup. Recently, however, the government has announced that they will be lifting restrictions and gyms will be reopened soon. So, I asked myself, “should I return to the gym during the pandemic?”

The Pre-COVID Normal That We Miss

We miss a lot of things, things that were part of our normal. Personally, I miss the cinemas, the gym, the restaurants, the club, and human interaction, in general. Now, I have been so deprived of everything. And not to sound like a spoiled brat, but I hate this feeling. But then again, I know that this is for a reason and it is my health. The COVID-19 pandemic killed hundreds of thousands of lives worldwide and in the country alone, there are already over 100,000 positive cases. Being a part of the statistic is the last thing that I would want to happen.

So, I do my part of the sacrifice- I stay home, restrict my visit outside, and wear my mask ALL THE TIME! Few weeks ago, restaurants and some business were reopened. And as tempting as they may sound, I am still afraid to get them, although I have dined in once at Tim Hortons out of necessity- I was at the mall, and starving but the store was empty, so I caved in. Now, I resorted to home deliveries and stopped myself from dining in. I kept on reminding myself that “the virus is still here and the lifting of restrictions are only to revive the dying economy.”

And that is undeniably true, with thousands of business- both small and big ones- closing down. There is no denying that this pandemic hit us hard in every aspect of our lives. One of those businesses are the gyms. In March, my gym, Anytime Fitness Philippines had the initiative to lock our accounts because they were part of the facilities mandated by the government not to open. That saddened me because working out was my happy pill. I looked at it instead as a sacrifice for my health. Because let’s admit it, gyms are prone to infection. Think of the sweat and the air in an enclosed area. It is terrifying!

Gym During the Pandemic?

Come August 1, however, Anytime Fitness Philippines, along with other non-essential businesses were allowed to reopen with limited capacity. As for my gym, reservations have to be made prior to revisiting. Stringent cleaning and hygiene practices among the members must strictly be observed as well. The facilities are promising us, the customers, that they will do everything to keep our health in check. After all, the last thing that you would want to get from visiting a gym is the virus, right?

So, are these enough for me? Honestly, no. I am not risking it. As sad as it sounds, I will not be entering a gym until the pandemic dies down or a vaccine gets developed. My health will always be my top priority. After all, I have already found ways to continue working out at home. Also, I now have my gym setup- a bench, and two pairs of dumbbells. These should be enough for me to continue my #FitnessGoals.

For a moment, I was put on a dilemma: cancel my membership and be a lost for the business, and keep my membership and still support the gym. Practicality ensued and I picked the former. This is not the time to think about big business. The world is in peril and finances are tight. And again, it is a dangerous world out there with the COVID-19 virus threatening our very existence.

I guess, I won’t be meeting my deadlift machines, entering the GX class rooms, and running on the treadmill until next year. What about you, Bingers? Are you visiting your gyms anytime soon? Do let me know in the comments!

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