Gyms and Martial Arts School after COVID-19: When to Come Back to Train?

Carlos Aurelio Andreucci

doi:10.4236/ape.2020.102011

Abstract

To determine with safety when and how to open gyms after the COVID-19 epidemic, it’s very important since almost all places are locked down and probably will be closed for a while or permanently. We need to keep studying options and the ways to do it, therefore the sooner we discuss it, the less damage there will be, especially for owners and professionals. This article reviews systematically all numbers available about coronavirus until 01 April 2020. Until this date, COVID-19 is affecting 203 countries and territories around the world and 2 international conveyances: the Diamond Princess Cruise ship harbored in Yokohama, Japan, and Holland America’s MS Zaandam cruise ship. Objective: To determine when will be the right moment for gyms to come back and open their doors safely and how to prevent contamination of high risk people with COVID-19 in those places, directly and indirectly. Discussion: Well-known ways to help stop the spread of infection through personal hygiene, and adequate disinfection associated to social distancing, are reported in most articles about infection preventions, which are shown to be useful measures in SARS-COVID 2 also known as COVID-19. Conclusions: Private lessons are the best options after COVID-19, with control of body temperature before each class, a high level of personal hygiene and mat and equipment disinfection between classes for all activities in a gym. In group classes or closed spaces with more than 10 people, maintain 1 meter of distance if possible, using masks and gloves all the time until we have a better understanding of this virus’s mutation. If possible and available, test coaches and instructors for COVID-19 every 14 days, the average period of incubation.

Highlights

Social distancing and avoiding contact to control the risks of contamination of the new mutation of Corona Virus (SARS-COVID 2) are very difficult in Martial arts and change the routine in every Gym (Jefferson et al, 2011)
Well-known ways to help stop the spread of infection through personal hygiene, and adequate disinfection associated to social distancing, are reported in most articles about infection preventions, which are shown to be useful measures in SARS-COVID 2 known as COVID-19
Private lessons are the best options after COVID-19, with control of body temperature before each class, a high level of personal hygiene and mat and equipment disinfection between classes for all activities in a gym

Summary

Introduction

Social distancing and avoiding contact to control the risks of contamination of the new mutation of Corona Virus (SARS-COVID 2) are very difficult in Martial arts and change the routine in every Gym (Jefferson et al, 2011). Since this is associated with a high level of hygiene and disinfection, and they are the majority of procedures made in all countries with high numbers of infected people to prevent contamination (WHO, 2020a), finding a secure system to apply at gyms and martial arts academies is fundamental for those places to prevent people from getting infected, keeping their good health through exercises under professional supervision, and maintain the business at the lowest level of operation as soon as possible due to economic collapse and already foreseeable bankruptcy (IMC, 2020)

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