I am sympathetic to the governor’s closing down restaurants and bars at 10 p.m. to stave off another terrible round of Covid. But gyms? As the gyms were enabled to reopen on August 24th and gym members gingerly and cautiously went back, I have had the realization of how necessary our local gyms are. The local gym I happen to attend is immaculately clean and is never, ever crowded at all, due to computerized attendance limits, mandatory COVID screenings, air purifiers in every space, air circulation, regular disinfection etc. I am never working out next to another person. Anyone in the gym is considerate and we all are aware to wipe equipment and we all wear masks. I am much further away from other people than I am at the supermarket.
Feeling good and energetic is only one reason to attend a gym. Gym attendance increases our immune system and that is exactly what we all need now. It lifts the emotions and is known to help with depression and anxiety.
I can’t think of another activity which has such purely good effects on us. Actually, the governor has deemed our liquor stores as “essential,” so it’s puzzling and confusing, why our local gyms are being put at such risk economically by our governor. I completely understand having to close a business to prevent Covid spread. But going to a gym is safer than so many other activities right now. Here in Ulster County, our numbers are relatively low…. so as we weigh the risks and rewards of being able to go to a gym, I think the extremely small risks are worth the great rewards.
The local, individually owned gyms in our communities are priceless. If they are allowed to go under and our small upstate towns are left without gyms we will be poorer for it in terms of our health. With the safeguards in place right now, I would encourage people to return to your local gym. You will be pleasantly surprised how clean and safe it is. And let the governor know that you value and want your local gyms to stay in business.
Ingrid Beer
New Paltz
Join the family! 
