In a recent Instagram post, actor and former pro wrestler Dwayne Johnson offered some helpful advice to those who are looking to resume their ordinary workout routines now that gyms have started to reopen. With poor air circulation, cramped spaces and high body counts, these places were among the first businesses to close when the pandemic hit. And in order to avoid another spike, it’s important to know how to navigate them.
If you’re a person who cares about fitness, you ought to take Dwayne Johnson’s word on – well – anything. One of the biggest guys on the planet, the man formerly known as WWE fighter The Rock treats his body like a temple. As such, his lifestyle not only involves a ton of exercise, but a constant concern about personal health and hygiene, too.
I do have a little bit of advice for you guys. I want to start off with: Have a plan. Make a decision. Have real clarity and be decisive. Then make your move, get out there and go, go train. Take that first step, that first step comes with that first rep. In order to complete that first rep, you gotta get out, you gotta make a decision and you gotta get to the gym.
Whether states should allow gyms to reopen is debatable. As far as spreading the check of the coronavirus goes, the answer to this question is a resounding “no.” However, as with most things in life, it’s complicated. Unlike restaurants and bars, which have managed to survive thanks to takeout options, gyms are unable to offer such services, and their owners have languished financially as a result.
That’s the first bit of advice. The other critical part to this advice is you wanna be smart. Be smart about when you get back into the gym. That’s why I said have a plan. You know your gym’s layout and also you know your gym. So, if your gym was a shithole before the pandemic, you wanna make sure that you go back cautiously… if your gym was a gym I love to train in, those sweathog gyms, you want to be cautious… We gotta make sure you guys are protected when you get back to the gym.
Still, gyms have been slow to reopen, even when compared to other high-risk businesses. A few weeks ago, for instance, Disney began resuming operations of its US-based theme parks, a feat which was only made possible thanks to temperature screenings and mandatory use of face masks. Whether gyms will take similar precautions remains to be seen, but a least Dwayne Johnson has shown people what they can do themselves.
