No Gym, No Panic, No Problem

Early last week, I decided to stop going to the gym… yes stop completely. Gyms are now being closed all over the world, and more countries will most probably close their gyms soon as well.

Truth is I should credit my brother for this decision. Only last week, most of us at the gym were joking around about the virus. Strong, young, and healthy, we had no fears or worries about it. However, it was my brother who made me think a bit more about it.

Gyms are notorious as breeding grounds and spreaders for diseases, infections, viruses etc. People share equipment, sweat in close proximity, talk to each other, shake hands, touch their faces, all the good things that we have now been advised to avoid. My gym doesn’t actually even offer hand sanitizer or stuff to wipe down the equipment with, I still wasn’t thinking about stopping.

Until my brother pointed out that it wasn’t about me. The people I interact with on a daily basis and unavoidably so are in the more vulnerable categories. His point, and rightly so, was that it is them I have to worry about spreading it to even if I wasn’t worried about catching it myself.

Everyone who knows me knows how important fitness and training is to me and my life not just for my physique but my wellness and life in general. I enjoy utilizing the gym because of the equipment available as well as the people. So it was extremely difficult for me to decide not to go without even one last time before stopping.

It wasn’t out of panic, or extreme fear of the current situation, rather a very valid point brought to my attention that there are other people’s lives at stake here and not just mine.

The reality is I can still exercise. I can still remain active, and still keep working on my health, fitness, and wellness from home while practicing social distancing. It won’t be the same as training at the gym of course. But I can still challenge myself in different ways. It’s simply a sacrifice that as a human being I’m happy to make for the sake of my loved ones.

Don’t panic, just be safe, be cautious, and follow the guidelines provided by respective governments and health organizations.

Thanks brother for showing me so!!