We hear from experts about the importance of exercising and how to stay safe while doing so during the pandemic
In Hong Kong, gym-goers, trainers and gym owners all sighed in relief last Friday when gyms and fitness centres were finally allowed to reopen.
After being forced to close for over a month due to Hong Kong’s third wave of coronavirus, local fitness studios and gyms need our support now more than ever.
Aside from making sure visitors follow the government-imposed restrictions such as wearing a mask at the gym, studios have also been implementing additional sanitation solutions to keep visitors safe and lower the risk of a virus outbreak.
We spoke with GenT lister and co-founder of IKIGAI wellness studio, Gianni Melwani, Tricia Yap, co-owner of R3 Personal Training and Iris Cheung, marketing and public relations manager at Lights Out Boxing Club to learn about why it's important to maintain an exercise routine during the pandemic and how to stay safe while working out at the gym.
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Is it safe for people to exercise and return to the gym?
“It is not only safe, it is highly recommended,” says Melwani, who opened IKIGAI in August last year. “The time to invest in one's health and well-being is now more important than ever. There is an abundance of evidence showing the numerous benefits that physical exercise and mindfulness practices entails.”
Yap––who is currently in the works of rebranding R3 Personal Training to Limitless––also agrees, stressing that exercise is especially safe in a one-on-one personal training environment or semi private setting.
“There have been no spread of infections in a boutique fitness studio. The only [gym-related] case in Hong Kong was when a person who was already infected walked into a boutique studio,” adds Yap.
See also: Fitness Gurus Siu Lim, Hansen Lee & Sandra Woo On Staying Active And Healthy At Home