Although the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, causing running races, bike races, and many other major events to be postponed and cancelled, you may be wondering what you should do for your own personal health and how this might affect your training.
Is it safe to train outdoors?
Yes, indeed, it is safer to be outside than inside when it comes to disease transmission. When people congregate in one place and someone sneezes or coughs, the droplets land on other objects that people touch, and then people touch their faces. The best plan for biking or running right now is to get outside and enjoy the fresh air.
Also, people may be afraid to travel outside if the weather is colder for fear of illness, but that is not true; there is no data that you will actually get sick from any respiratory pathogens when training in cold weather.
Should you avoid group training?
Your exposure to sick people in that situation should be minimal, as someone with a fever and a cough won't feel like going for a walk. When you're in a group, you can protect yourself a bit by spreading out and avoiding unnecessary hand touching. Do not share bottles of water or snacks. And of course, don't forget to wash your hands when you get back.
Can you train outdoors if you are in quarantine?
Exercising 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity can help your immune system keep viruses at bay. During a quarantine, it is advisable to get some exercise wherever you are to stay healthy; do exercises with your body weight or set up a mini gym in your living room. Unless you're sick.
If you have the flu or coronavirus, sick people mistakenly think that they can “flush the virus out of the system” or “sweat out the fever”, that is a myth. In fact, it is the opposite.
Should I avoid touching things outside?
The latest data with the new coronavirus are that it doesn't last long on external objects due to exposure to sunlight (UV light). In general, outdoor objects should have little virus. However, there could be a problem if someone coughs into your hand immediately before touching something like a traffic button. If you have to touch something, don't touch your face afterwards. Even better? Use a glove, sleeve, or elbow.
Can the coronavirus be transmitted through sweat?
According to the CDC, the transmission of the coronavirus occurs between people who are in close contact with each other (approximately less than one meter) and through respiratory droplets, produced by coughing or sneezing, not by sweat.
Am I contagious if I don't have symptoms?
This is something we still don't fully understand about the coronavirus. You are probably contagious just before you start showing symptoms, but we don't know the time period and how contagious we are. It makes sense that you'll be more contagious once you're coughing, but we still don't fully understand transmission.
Social distancing is the answer right now. Experts are still trying to figure out how long the virus lives on objects, and the problem is that it appears to be highly contagious, spread easily by coughing and sneezing, and can be spread by people who don't think they're sick. That is why it is so important to wash your hands and not touch your face.
Is my immune system weaker after training?
As you deplete your glycogen stores, your immune system doesn't work as well as it normally does. That means that in the hours after a tough race or workout, if you've been exposed to someone who's been sick with the flu or coronavirus, your body's defenses are down. Also, mental or physical stress, caused by exerting yourself on a long trip, in a race, or after a very hard workout, could slightly increase your chances of getting sick.
It is best to avoid long or intense workouts right now until we get through all this and just to keep things under control. Don't overdo it. Worry more about health than fitness.
However, that doesn't mean you should stop exercising altogether. There is a very strong connection between regular exercise and a strong immune system, so the long-term immune system benefits of exercising far outweigh any short-term concerns.
If you use shared public bikes, do I have to take extra precautions?
If a sick person has used it before you, they could leave the virus on the handlebars. If you clean it before you use it, that should protect you against exposure to many different diseases.
In general, using the shared bikes should be fine, but it wouldn't hurt to wear gloves. And be sure to wash your hands as soon as possible and avoid touching your face.
If my race is not cancelled, should I go?
You might be wondering what to do about the next race you've been training for. The likelihood that you'll be exposed to someone sneezing or coughing is pretty low, and you're more likely to encounter that indoors than outdoors.
Also, if a person has the flu or coronavirus, they are going to feel quite sick and not be able to ride. The problem becomes when there are many people together in a starting line, or large groups of spectators.
The goal at this time is to avoid crowds and indoor and outdoor gatherings until we better understand how the virus can spread. Also, remember that the flu is still around.