Reopening Day!

 Gyms in NYS finally got the okay to reopen as long as specific guidelines were met and local inspectors approved. My gym reopened today to one-third capacity as long as everyone wore a mask, practiced social distancing, and sanitized whatever equipment they used. Not really a problem. It's a soft reopening, much the way the new Ocean State Job Lot opened last week to no fanfare at all. 

Before the shut-down in March, the gym had been undergoing renovations and a new paint job. The gray paint makes the space darker, but the locker room is stunning with slate tiles replacing the gross carpeting. I'm bummed that I can't use the new shower stalls, not that they're taped off because I'm sure the staff uses them. The stall doors have a weird patch that says to Push Here as it is self-sanitizing. The sinks and soap dispensers are automated and the middle sink is gone (there had been three). 

Sadly, every other machine is taped off which means there are only two Precors and one Step Mill. The defunct Nexersys machines act as spacers between other cardio machines on the floor. The gym has maybe a dozen people at various stations. We sign in and sign out with our membership keycard so the staff can keep track of who has attended (for contact tracing purposes and to ensure that they are indeed at one-third capacity). 

When my husband and I sign in, we are given a small yellow towel and a bottle of spray sanitizer that is curiously cloudy. We return them when we check out. There's still bleach spray, paper towels, and big buckets of Gym Wipes throughout the area. I toss my bag into a locker. Even if I can't shower, I still want to be able to change my clothes afterward. When I work out, my clothes pick up that nasty workout stink from normal bacteria and fungi feasting on sweat and that's not at all pleasant. 

My husband and I warm up on the ellipticals. He goes off to use the dumbbells and I spend a few minutes on the StepMill where I can see what regulars have reappeared. I do a light workout because it's been a while. The last time I was sore was when I tagged along with a friend to the Edge Fitness Center in Danbury. I liked having such a great selection of equipment but the step mills were set up so your back was in the blazing sun, and as someone who is mostly a homebody, it's actually too far for me to consider convenient. 

The following week I went on a 6-mile hike with my son's Boy Scout Troop. Now, 6 miles is not a horrible long hike, except it was billed as a 4 mile easy, mostly level ground trek to Nuclear Lake. The next time I need to remember to bring my walking stick(s) no matter how easy the trail leader promotes it as. My hiking shoes held up fine, but I suffered a lot of pain suddenly just below my knee in the right leg. Not arthritis because it wasn't a joint pain. It didn't actually feel muscular either but more vascular or even nerve-related. It persisted sporadically and disappeared once I stopped moving. I still got twinges the next day when walking the dog. Then it was gone... 

An online search leads me to something called PAD, peripheral artery disease, which might be related somehow to my Raynaud's and the issue I have with compression and blood circulation. Thanks, mom. I also worry about spinal stenosis since I know my dad suffered from that, especially when going for long walks. Although he was prescribed fentanyl patches for the pain, he never used them. 

I'm not sure if what I suffered was from claudication since this is the first time I've ever experienced this sort of pain. Well, that's not true. It wasn't quite as bad as having shingles down my leg, which made me pause halfway across the parking lot of the doctor's office. But it was close. There are ways to determine if this is indeed PAD, but it would require going to the doctor and getting tests done. I think I'll just wait and see if this crops up again while I'm exercising. I'd rather spend my health insurance on a flu shot and maybe, now that I'm 60, the shingles vaccine. It's not going to hurt, and might actually provide some better protection against other cold-related viruses. Yeah, like coronavirus... 

Also, my blood cholesterol is not optimal at 203 (was 213 last year) and that might be problematic. I need to exercise more and eat better. Thank goodness the gym is open again. I don't mind getting sweaty in the air-conditioned environment even if I find it disconcerting to feel my mask fan against my nose and mouth because I'm breathing so hard. The paper mask blots sweat from my face, especially my nose, making the pale blue material blotchy. Everyone is wearing some sort of face covering. My husband opts for the gaiter he used on his ocean-fishing trip. He thinks I might find it more comfortable than the paper mask. I'm not convinced that it won't be hotter, especially around the neck. But at least that's washable. 

The bar of the Smith machine is sticky, but only when it's unloaded. Once I put a few plates on, the Smith behaves the way it should. RG BB Rows are not an issue. I finish with a light dumbbell superset for shoulders. The only area to stretch is inside the classroom, which has a few stationary bikes and some step equipment. I grab a pair of mats and use them for crunches and planks. There's no plans for in-person classes until September. Right now, Gold's is live-streaming their group exercise classes. Some members might not return. I'm okay with that. The other stretch area next to the storage room has been filled with a few sit-up boards, rendering it useless for stretching. 

I would've ended with a cool-down stretch but my hubs was eager to leave. His car is in the shop with a transmission problem. I plan to come back tomorrow. Not so sure about the hubs. He doesn't have any issue with the oven-like atmosphere in the garage. It was 86F today and too hot for me. The only plus is not having to wear a mask in my own house/garage but there's no point if it's so hot that you're in danger of fainting. Inexplicably, the stretch cage is closed. Perhaps because it's between two other machines, but what if there's no one using those stations? I'll need to ask... 

Still, I'm happy the gym is open. The gym scale tells me I'm a whopping 120 lbs, which is 8 lbs more than I was in March, and at least 10 lbs more than I'd like to be for my clothes to fit properly. I'm definitely back tomorrow.

24Aug2020
Gold's Gym reopens

Precor elliptical
Manual
Min 20
Cal 178
Distance 1.62 m

Matrix Step
Min 15
HR 150
Steps 630
Floors 39

Crunches x 2 x 50
50 Horizontal Scissors
50 Bicycles
Elbow Plank 60s
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Pushups 25
Quick stretch

Smith Inclined Bench
Sticky Bar (30) x 20
+20 lbs x 15 reps
+30 x 15
+40 x 15

Smith RG Bent Over Rows
Bar x 25
+50 x 12 reps x 3 sets

10 lbs DB Raises supersets x 3
x 15 front
x 15 lateral
x 15 bent over