The most important activity for a mendicant monk has always been the daily workout at the gym. However, even that has been robbed by the “super-duper corona” imprisonment. All gyms have been closed for nearly three months.
A search for any kind of portable workout equipment, such as dumbbells or exercise bands, have proved fruitless. There’s probably nothing in stock anywhere in empire (just like hair clippers). The dislocations and anomalies created by “super-duper corona” and the resultant panic purchases can only be described as sheer stupidity.
There is little expectation for gyms to reopen soon. If and when that occurs, the “new normal” will completely degrade the workout experience. No doubt, face masks will be required. The “social distancing” bullshit could be the death knell for gyms. The number of people allowed in a gym at any one time would be limited. Exercise classes would be reduced to handful of people and likely would simply be mummified. Showers would be prohibited. In fact, access to locker rooms may not be allowed. Cardio workouts would require face masks. Nothing is really workable.
Gyms are a high volume business. Membership turnover is also really high. Thus, there is almost no possible way for any gym to remain in business under “super-duper corona” constraints. Gyms are also a high overhead business. Leases for the huge areas are extremely costly. Equipment, maintenance, and utilities costs are also high. Either the membership fees will have to increase significantly or the gyms will shut down. Golds® Gym has already filed for bankruptcy. Will the other gyms follow suit?
The lack of any real exercise has taken a personal toll in the form of increasing muscle atrophy. Cardiovascular exercise has been nonexistent. Personal diet has been modified to reduce caloric input, but that has resulted in further weight loss. At three months of near-sedentary conditions, the effects are close to irreversible when considering age.
Addendum: Apparently, there have been several articles in the “mainstream” media about gyms coming back on line. In addition to what was described above, gyms will be implementing contactless check-in. Admission will be limited to about 50% (or less) of capacity. Some gyms will require an appointment made the day prior (using a mobile “app”) for a one-hour workout slot with a 30-minute shutdown in between slots for disinfection. The layout of gym will change for “social distancing” either by spacing machine further apart or cordoning off certain machine each day. Workable? Very doubtful.
Another frustrated gym rat here. I've found it's possible, though, to get most of the benefits of my usual gym workout with no-equipment bodyweight exercises. It takes some time to figure out how to adjust the loads on the various muscle groups, but time is what we have now. I learned most of the bodyweight moves I use from online sources, modifying them as appropriate for my strength and ability. What I do for cardio is Animal Flow and similar hands-and-feet-on-the-floor moves; they can really get the heart rate up. I've found the videos on the Redefining Strength site to be a particularly good source of ideas.
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