Why are gyms not deemed essential?

[Freightmaster]

Selfishness really is the main character trait of the lockdown lover isn’t it, closely followed by a desire for others to not have any enjoyment in life.

This.

Plenty of people say they want more stringent restrictions, but when pressed, it transpires
that they only want restrictions on activities they rarely/never do in the first place!


never visit a gym: "gyms should remain closed - they are not essential"

rarely eat out: "restaurants should remain closed - they are not essential"

hate shopping: "high street shops should remain closed - they are not essential"

don't like going on foreign holidays: "our borders should be sealed like New Zealand/Isle of Man"

...and so on.



So unsurprisingly, lockdowns are no hardship for miserable loners who hate shopping and socialising!








MARK

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Gyms are quite new, they advertise with pictures of fit attractive individuals
Perhaps the place to meet someone, instead of a pub
Whatabout charges? I think one has to sign up for a year or more

 

[island]

Gyms are quite new

no they aren’t

Perhaps the place to meet someone, instead of a pub

if it floats your boat, though I would be terrified of getting accused of harassment

Whatabout charges? I think one has to sign up for a year or more

no you don’t, the vast majority of gyms offer the choice of rolling monthly contracts with a discount when you commit to a minimum term.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

I meant, gyms as businesses are quite new, have certainly spread a lot in recent years
Did a long cycle ride yesterday instead, still benefitting/suffering from that

 

[JonathanP]

The RailUK Forums Tabata Lockdown Challenge
20 seconds mountain climbers
10 seconds rest
20 seconds burpees
10 seconds rest
do 8 rounds of the above with a 30 second rest between each round
then record an audio message complaining that it isn't possible to exercise because the gyms are closed and it's dark outside

Seriously, there's a wide range of cardio exercises you can do in your own living room without the need for any equipment. Weights is a little more difficult, but I know one gym which let it's members take some equipment home with them during the lockdown, and you can do a certain amount with bodyweight exercises, the ultimate being to fit a pull up bar in a doorway.

 

[greyman42]

This.

Plenty of people say they want more stringent restrictions, but when pressed, it transpires
that they only want restrictions on activities they rarely/never do in the first place!


never visit a gym: "gyms should remain closed - they are not essential"

rarely eat out: "restaurants should remain closed - they are not essential"

hate shopping: "high street shops should remain closed - they are not essential"

don't like going on foreign holidays: "our borders should be sealed like New Zealand/Isle of Man"

...and so on.



So unsurprisingly, lockdowns are no hardship for miserable loners who hate shopping and socialising!








MARK

You can add going to the pub to that list. I have been saying the same thing for months.

 

[nlogax]

Finally cancelled my gym membership after many years. If there's one thing this pandemic has taught me is that I don't need it and I don't miss it. Plus that's over a hundred quid per month I save.

 

[radamfi]

Ever been to Scotland in Nov/Dec?

Average low in Bournemouth in December: 1.6 degrees

Bournemouth - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Average low in Glasgow in December: 1.7 degrees

Glasgow - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

So maybe your question should be, "Ever been to Bournemouth in Nov/Dec"?

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

@nlogax
A hundred a month? Is that typical? What else could one do with the money?
I cycle quite a bit, use indestructible tyres, one year I spent about a fiver, for a bell and a lamp bracket

 

[nlogax]

A hundred a month? Is that typical? What else could one do with the money?

In my neck of the woods yes that's fairly standard.

 

[jumble]

We went out for a walk earlier. Having completed all the other domestic tasks, by the time we got out it was dark, cold, raining and windy. Better than nothing, but felt like self-torture at times. Thanks Boris.

My friend in the photo disagrees
She is up for a walk whatever the weather is doing and will head for the nearest river /mucky puddle etc
Downside House gets filthy
Upside we all have very strong immune systems

 

[island]

A hundred a month? Is that typical? What else could one do with the money?

It’s probably a little above the median of the market in London, brands like Virgin Active including City/Canary Wharf club access can easily run well into the 3 figures. If one just wants the are bones, the gym, puregym, and similar will give you change out of £30.

 

[MikeWM]

Seriously, there's a wide range of cardio exercises you can do in your own living room without the need for any equipment.

There are, but for example some people who live in a flat may be trying to be considerate to people living below (and if they're not trying to be considerate to them, they ought to be).

 

[Jimini]

It’s probably a little above the median of the market in London, brands like Virgin Active including City/Canary Wharf club access can easily run well into the 3 figures. If one just wants the are bones, the gym, puregym, and similar will give you change out of £30.

Aye, mine would be £169 per month but it's £100 with a corporate discount (access to all Virgin Active gyms apart from the super-posh one in Chiswick).

I miss the gym...

 

[radamfi]

Given that gyms were not very popular until about 10-20 years ago, it is remarkable that we are debating whether they are "essential".

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

'Gyms as businesses', might be an appropriate term
I joined a cycling club and the YHA as a teenager many years ago, did not cost much, made lots of friends, raced a bit too. Now even cycle racing for amateurs seems to be an expensive 'business'

 

[WelshBluebird]

it’s really too cold to exercise outside

Rubbish.

Do I think there's an argument to be made for gyms to currently be open? As long as they have adequate measures in place (distancing, cleaning down equipment after someone has used them, a lower capacity than usual etc) then yes.
But to blanket claim it is currently too cold to exercise outside when that just clearly is not the case does your argument no favours.
You can go for a run, or go cycling, or even just got for a leisurely walk. Plenty of people are doing that right now. It isn't too cold for them.

 

[greyman42]

Rubbish.

Do I think there's an argument to be made for gyms to currently be open? As long as they have adequate measures in place (distancing, cleaning down equipment after someone has used them, a lower capacity than usual etc) then yes.
But to blanket claim it is currently too cold to exercise outside when that just clearly is not the case does your argument no favours.
You can go for a run, or go cycling, or even just got for a leisurely walk. Plenty of people are doing that right now. It isn't too cold for them.

I go running most days and it is a lot more comfortable running at this time of year than in July and August.

 

[cuccir]

But to blanket claim it is currently too cold to exercise outside when that just clearly is not the case does your argument no favours.
You can go for a run, or go cycling, or even just got for a leisurely walk. Plenty of people are doing that right now. It isn't too cold for them.

Agreed 100%: I had never run before, preferring swimming or gyms, but in lockdown 1.0 I forced myself into it and though it took a few months to like it, I've gotten into it and am now a big fan. In the first week of April I was knackered after a mile and couldn't get to 2; I'm now regularly doing runs of of 6-8 miles, despite working during the days, being a parent and living in north-east England where it's hardly warm. That has often meant going out after half 8, but that's fine. In terms of other gym work, there are creative ways of doing strengthening exercises in the home (bags of potatoes anyone?), and various online classes or videos to access.

I'd make a much stronger case for swimming pools. There are people who swim because injuries or disabilities make other forms of resistance exercise painful or much less effective. They can be very useful for the elderly. Fundamentally if you swim you can't recreate that in the home, and the pool itself is full of chlorine, so the only spaces to mange are the access points.

So I'd be hard pushed to say that gyms are essential when you can run or cycle outside, and do strength training at home. Swimming pools though have a much stronger case, particularly for access reasons.

 

[Sand_elf]

Nearly 170,000 people in the UK die from heart attacks, strokes and other circulatory diseases every year - three times more than that of Covid in 2020
We should be promoting exercise as much as possible. that's why I think closing gyms and swimming pools is absolutely crazy - particularly swimming pools.
Swimming exercises the whole body. It's also done in chlorinated water.
Personally, I'm still feeling the effect of an achilles tendon injury a year ago, which is why it still hurts to run and I much prefer swimming as a form of exercise

 

[mawallace]

Going to be debated in Parliament on Monday

https://committees.parliament.uk/co...ng-to-covid19-restrictions-on-gyms-and-sport/

On Monday 23 November, MPs will debate petitions relating to the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on gyms and sport.

• Watch the debate (from 4.30pm, Monday 23 November)
• Read the debate transcript (available shortly after the conclusion of the debate)
• Follow the Committee on Twitter and join the discussion using #GymsAndSportDebate

The debate will be led by Petitions Committee Chair Catherine McKinnell MP. MPs from all parties can take part, and a Minister from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport will respond on behalf of the Government.

 

[island]

I’ve had an email from my gym saying they’re looking forward to reopening next Wednesday.

I think they’re jumping the gun by a day, but I’ll certainly be returning as soon as possible.

 

[SuspectUsual]

You can go for a run, or go cycling, or even just got for a leisurely walk. Plenty of people are doing that right now. It isn't too cold for them.

Depends where you live and on the season. In a city, maybe. In a semi-rural area like where I live, with unlit / poorly lit relatively narrow roads, and pavements frequently obstructed by hanging branches etc, cycling or running before or after work just isn’t practical at this time of year. I try to run for 20/30 minutes at lunchtime but often that’s not possible because of work meetings.

 

[jtuk]

Given that gyms were not very popular until about 10-20 years ago, it is remarkable that we are debating whether they are "essential".

How many people had broadband internet or a mobile phone 25 years ago?

Do think there's next to nothing you can do in a gym that you can't do elsewhere, but saying something wasn't done in fairly recent memory is a bit silly

 

[island]

Do think there's next to nothing you can do in a gym that you can't do elsewhere, but saying something wasn't done in fairly recent memory is a bit silly

My typical gym workout uses equipment which it would cost in excess of £5,000 to buy and install for home, assuming I had space in my home (which I don’t) and they were available in stock to buy anywhere (which they aren’t).

Stuff like weights, racks/cages, benches, cable machines, etc. are not easily replicable outside the gym environment.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Depends where you live and on the season. In a city, maybe. In a semi-rural area like where I live, with unlit / poorly lit relatively narrow roads, and pavements frequently obstructed by hanging branches etc, cycling or running before or after work just isn’t practical at this time of year. I try to run for 20/30 minutes at lunchtime but often that’s not possible because of work meetings.

Fair comment - though it does sound like if your only options for running / walks etc are unlit or poorly lit narrow roads with obstructed pavements - then that sounds more rural than semi rural to me! Certainly I'd imagine the vast majority of people in the country live in an area where they are able to go for a walk / a run in the dark if they wanted to.

How many people had broadband internet or a mobile phone 25 years ago?

Do think there's next to nothing you can do in a gym that you can't do elsewhere, but saying something wasn't done in fairly recent memory is a bit silly

93% of households have internet access with 98% of that being over fixed line broadband. So about 91% of households have broadband in the UK.
For mobiles phones - 95% of households have one.
Whilst I can't find such a definitive figure for gyms / leisure centres, I am pretty damn sure it isn't any where near those levels, so I really don't think you can compare them.
Internet and mobile phones are absolutely essential in todays society, and the fact that more than 90% of households have both shows that. You just cannot say the same for gyms etc.