Workout pods made of plastic may be coming to a gym near you
“I don’t know if I can use something like that to lift weights,” said exercise enthusiast Andrew Greenface, after Men’s Variety showed him pictures of people doing lunges in a workout pod.
“Don’t get me wrong, I am eager to get back to the gym. But if it means working out while enclosed in a shower curtain, I may have to take a pass,” he adds.
With fitness facilities opening around the country, including Chicago, gyms have started instituting new protocols to keep members safe in the age of COVID-19.
At most facilities, temperature checks, social distancing, and masks are requirements. But some gyms that are taking things to a whole new level. Specifically, we’re talking about workout pods.
Made of plastic and resembling a clear, square-shaped shower curtain, workout pods are designed to minimize exposure to the coronavirus.
South Bay Fitness, a gym in Redondo Beach, California, is an example of one facility. Owner Peet Sapsin told TODAY they had installed the pods as a cheaper alternative to plexiglass.
“When we built the dividers, we were like, ‘OK what can we do so that our clients don’t have to wear a mask?’” adding their contraptions were “well received.”
“Everybody was super excited,” Sapsin said earlier this week. “Our classes were maxed out this morning.”
Trainer Perspective
We also spoke to certified personal trainer Lou Smith about the use of such pods. Here’s what he told us:
“They probably would take some getting used to, but honestly, the pods aren’t a horrible idea. It appears there is ventilation coming in from the top. From the trainer’s perspective, it looks like you can still communicate with your client through the curtain and coach them through exercises since its transparent.”
Smith adds, “People need to look at things like workout pods as a temporary solution. There will come a time where we don’t have to work about COVID-19. And so, for the short-term, it will probably make people feel more comfortable about returning to the gym,” Smith adds.
Related: Tricking yourself into exercising
Well, there you have it – exercise pods. If your gym made them available, would you use it? Share your thoughts in the comments box below.
