Exercise is good for physical and mental health, but with coronavirus cases surging across the country, exercising indoors with other people could increase your chance of infection. So, as gyms reopen across the country, here are some things to consider before heading for your workout.

Assess your own risk

It starts with you. You have to make your own assessment of how risky it is based on knowing your medical situation and whether you are someone who’s at high risk of infection. People aged 65 and over are at higher risk of getting a severe case of COVID-19. 【小题1】, it may not be worth the risk.

Consider alternatives for working out

Exercise outdoors is a great low-risk alternative. When you are outside, it’s easier to control how close you get to other people.【小题2】. Outdoors you have sunlight which has been shown to quickly inactivate the virus. And outside airflow and humidity (湿度) help weaken it.

Assess your gym’s safety measures

There are things gyms can do to help decrease the risk of infection.【小题3】. Are they taking your temperature? Are you seeing them regularly clean equipment? And are staff and other clients in the gym wearing a mask?

Pay attention to air flow

Your best bet is going to be a gym that is larger, able to have windows open or have multiple floors or levels to allow for physical distancing. That’s because more space and more air flow decrease the concentration of the virus in the air and likely reduce the risk of transmission.【小题4】.

Location, location, location

【小题5】. Exercising indoors in hot spots where cases are surging is riskier than in areas with low infection rates, says Bruno Murtha. So check out this color coded tracker to look up the COVID-19 risk in your county, and nearby counties.