| Training during the COVID-19 risk period – what you need to know | Training during the COVID-19 risk period – what you need to know | Read more about the guidelines for getting back to gym after a long period of time, your risk profile and other COVID-19 considerations you should be aware of before you get back to training. | <div class="ExternalClass363F6A728951482FB21D400F0801E4DD"><p><br></p><p>COVID-19 and the associated lockdown and radical changes to our daily routines has been really difficult. We find ourselves in a brand new world where nothing is really the same as it was before. And that’s okay – we will adapt. It will take some time, and some effort, but we’ll get there together. </p><p>Below you will find some important information on the virus, the effect lockdown will have had on your fitness levels and how to get back into exercise in the safest possible way as well as the ways you can help your fellow gym-goers stay safe as we get back into the clubs. For more information on how we are adapting to the changes brought on by this virus, please visit:
<a href="/stay-active" target="_blank"><strong>www.virginactive.co.za/stay-active</strong> </a> </p><h3>What you need to know about the virus and the symptoms </h3><p> Covid-19 is a novel disease, and experts are still discovering how it affects the body in different, complex ways. There is no single path or symptomatic experience, and so different people may be affected differently, which is crucial to understand. Be aware of the following key symptoms of Covid-19 (as per the CDC), and that many people may develop only mild symptoms. It is never wise to train with these symptoms, irrespective of Covid-19, but is super important now: </p><ul><li>Fever or chills </li><li>Cough</li><li>Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing </li><li>Fatigue </li><li>Muscle or body aches </li><li>Headache </li><li>New loss of taste or smell </li><li>Sore throat</li><li>Congestion or runny nose</li><li>Nausea or vomiting</li><li>Diarrhoea </li></ul>
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<p>These symptoms are what we call non-specific, meaning they could have a number of different origins and do not guarantee that you have Covid-19. However, because of the risk, you are strongly advised to avoid training if you have any one or more of those symptoms, and to seek the advice of a health care professional. It’s important to:</p><ul><li>Be aware that symptoms only appear 2-4 days after exposure to the virus.</li><li>Monitor your health and symptoms regularly, and pay attention to any changes, particularly with respects to fever, breathing, fatigue and muscle or body aches.</li></ul><h3>Knowing your risk profile</h3><p>
<strong>If you are over 60 and/or living with co-morbidities the following are of vital importance to you: </strong></p><ul><li>
<strong>Know your health</strong>: It is strongly advisable that members in this category seek clearance from their Physician before continuing to train (irrespective of where you are planning to train). If you are unable to continue, we will freeze your memberships free of charge until your circumstances change. </li><li>
<strong>Manage the risk</strong>: Inside our clubs, the new cleaning protocols will support your safety, but training during off-peak times means fewer members inside the clubs which minimises exposure. </li><li>
<strong>Exercise more caution</strong>: Shorten your stay and try to focus on 30-minute sessions and lower impact classes. If you can walk to the gym – it’s a great opportunity to do your warm ups and cool downs to be able to maximise your time in the club. Our instructors and Personal Trainers are well educated and ready to assist you during classes and 1-on-1 sessions – please bring any concerns or questions to them, they’re there to help. </li><li>
<strong>Alternatives to coming in to the clubs</strong>: We have a huge range of on-demand workouts available on
<a href="http://www.virginactive.co.za/online-workouts" target="_blank"><strong>www.VirginActive.coach</strong></a> that as a member you have free access to. From low impact stretch, Yoga and Pilates classes to more stamina driven workouts, we’ve got them all. We also have loads of great resources on the<strong>
</strong><a href="/blog" target="_blank"><strong>Virgin Active blog</strong></a> that will keep you eating and moving well while you’re staying out of the gyms. </li></ul><h3>Time away from normal training (the effect of detraining)</h3><ul><li>It is important to acknowledge that your fitness and performance levels may have declined during lockdown.<strong> This is called detraining</strong>, and it happens when we reduce our training volume and intensity significantly.</li><li>The degree of detraining is highly individual, and depends on a range of factors like age, training history, genetics and sport type.</li><li>Research suggests that total rest (not-training) causes on average 3% fitness loss per week. So, over the 12 weeks of lockdown, this detraining effect means you may have lost about 30% of your original fitness level if you hadn’t continued to workout with the same frequency and intensity at home. </li><li>Research also shows that you can reduce these losses by about half if you maintain your training at even a low level. Therefore, if you trained at even half your normal volume and intensity, you might expect to lose only 15% to 20%. </li><li>For the vast majority, lockdown will have changed the type, volume and intensity of training you’ve been able to do, so you should expect that it will take some time to adapt and regain that specific fitness, strength and power once you return to your club. Be kind to your body, it won’t take long for you to get back to where you left off. </li></ul><h3>Returning from detraining (the retraining process)</h3><ul><li> It is important that you give your body the time it needs to regain fitness levels and physiological adaptations and this process is called retraining. </li><li> As a rule of thumb, allow 1 week of retraining time for every 2 weeks of complete detraining (if you did no exercise). If you maintained your training to some degree, then you’ll be able to retrain faster, so allow 1 week of retraining for every 3-4 weeks of reduced training. </li><li> It would be typical for you to take between 3 and 6 weeks to return to your pre-lockdown level so be patient. Respect that your body will adapt, but you should not try to force it, because the risk of injury or illness is large if you return to normal too fast. </li></ul><h3>Training for optimal immune function</h3><ul><li> There’s no doubt about it… regular exercise improves immune function. It increases the capacity of our immune system and increases its function to make us healthier and less prone to infections. </li><li> However, excessive exercise can impair the immune system, shifting our bodies into an anti-inflammatory state, suppressing immune cells, and making us vulnerable to infections </li><li> The key to exercise for immune health is balance. It is important to avoid excessive and repeated long, high intensity bouts of training, or to take extra precautions to recover after your particularly hard exercise training sessions to optimise your immune health. This means focusing on hygiene (handwashing, social distancing, avoiding closed spaces with crowds etc.), sleep, and nutrition, particularly if you choose to train harder on some days. </li><li> There is thought to be a period after exercise when we are more vulnerable to infection, so if you are training harder, respect this ‘window’ and be especially vigilant about your risk of exposure to any viruses. </li></ul><h3>Safe practises inside the gym environment</h3><p> Here’s what you can do to stay safe while training: </p><ul><li> We encourage masks to be worn at all times </li><li> Cleaning equipment before and after use </li><li> Practising social distancing </li><li> Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth during training </li><li> Sanitise your hands frequently during your session </li><li> Cough and sneeze etiquette </li><li> Report anyone not complying to our rules </li><li> Say at home if you feel ill </li></ul><h3>Training after Covid-19</h3><ul><li> If you’ve been diagnosed with Covid-19, seek the advice of your health care professional immediately. </li><li> Isolate for 14 days and follow all public health advice diligently, even if you feel that you have recovered from the worst of your symptoms. </li><li> Because the disease is novel, its prognosis is unknown, so you would be advised to err on the side of caution with respects to exercise. </li><li> The most persistent symptom that has been documented is fatigue and a total loss of energy. Do not fight this by trying to train through it. Take the time your body needs to get through this. </li><li> Resume training very, very gradually. Numerous cases have been reported where people feel fully recovered, and try to return to normal, but this triggers a relapse and they then regress to the same feelings of fatigue and lethargy. </li><li> Do not experiment with drugs like anti-inflammatories to enable exercise at this time. </li><li> Increase training only in consultation with your healthcare professional. This may include tests of inflammatory markers and lung function, depending on the severity of your previous symptoms. </li></ul><h3>What to do if your health circumstances change</h3><p>If your health circumstances change at any time, please consult your local physician before returning. It is really important to remain vigilant and aware of how you are feeling at all times. </p>
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<p>Live life active.</p></div> | | 2020-09-21T22:00:00Z | returning-to-training | Virgin Active | | | | | |
