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Gym safety and fitness tips during the pandemic: Holiday at-home work outs

Staying fit during the pandemic looks a lot different. One gym made big changes to make safety a the priority, and they say it’s all paying off.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala — Our team is following up with a local gym that made safety adjustments months ago. She brings us an update on gym safety and tips for the holidays. 

Staying fit during the pandemic looks a lot different than it normally would. One local gym made big changes to make sure ‘safety is the priority’ and they say it’s all paying off.

WATCH: Are you back in the gym? If so, it probably looks quite different

We spoke with Caeli Jones, with 24/7 Fitness Center in Huntsville. Jones says, “Our numbers are actually up. We do find our members coming in regularly.” 

Our team visited 24/7 Fitness in Huntsville back in July to get an idea of some of the safety changes they have in place for gym members who still want to use the facility during the pandemic. Caeli Jones tells us, people have been keeping up with their fitness journeys over the past couple of months. Jones says, “They’re wanting to keep that routine and making sure they’re keeping their energy levels up. And also, it’s a stress reliever too to be able to come in and work out.”

They say the gym is cleaned nightly by a professional crew and fogged weekly with coronavirus-killing chemicals. But, we're told, a big reason why the gym has been able to keep its doors open is the willingness of members to follow the new rules. Jones says, “We encourage our members to keep social distancing. So you want to keep six feet apart. We encourage our members who are not actively exercising to make sure they keep their masks on. We also have our sanitation station set up over here.” 

Members can grab a clean rag and some sanitizer to wipe off machines between uses. But, there’s a ton of stuff you can do to stay fit without even leaving the house.

Try taking 10-15 minutes a day to stretch out and maybe do a little bit of yoga to center yourself.

Maybe get down low and kick things up a notch with some ab workouts. 

Though they’re one of my least favorite, push ups and or modified push ups are always a good option. Jones adds, "Just staying active in general, anything you can do is a ‘win’ for sure.”

There are so many ways you can try to stay fit during the pandemic. Whether you’re safely headed to a gym or doing what you can right here at home, physical activity improves so many aspects of not just your physical health-- but your mental health as well. It reduces stress and improves your mood. I think that’s something we can all use a bit of right about now. 

Click here for more tips from the CDC on staying fit during the pandemic. 

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