When the pandemic made gyms close down, working out outdoors became the new normal. Now, gyms have reopened and are welcoming people back, with public health protocols in place.

While some De Anza College students are ready to get time in at the gym, others plan otherwise.

Derek Dang, 21, communications major, said that he enjoyed indoor workouts before the pandemic, but now he prefers working out outdoors.

“Before COVID, I really enjoyed working out indoors just ‘cause I like to use all of the machines,” Dang said. “Now, ‘cause I’m kinda scared to go into a crowded place, I do like the idea of outdoor working out.”

Dang said he normally walks his dog as a way to get active, but he figured some at-home workouts could help keep his body moving as it starts to heat up.

“I started doing the Chloe Ting workouts, or any workout even, on Instagram,” Dang said. “People post at-home workouts that you could do, a quick 10- to 15-minute workout. Even though it’s not that long, I just want to keep my body moving.”

Chris Bui, a 20-year-old nursing major, said he works out at home but plans on going back to gyms eventually, even though it’s “a big adjustment.”

“At home, I could just pick up a dumbbell or barbell and start lifting,” Bui added. “But for the gym, I’d have to drive, sign in and, for my gym at least, you’d have to make an appointment.”

Bui said there are pros and cons to working out both indoors and outdoors, but he feels that there’s more of a risk of contracting COVID-19 at the gym.

“You run a lot more risk catching COVID if you’re not vaccinated, because it’s an enclosed space,” Bui said. “Some people don’t wipe down their equipment.”

Student-athlete Jeffrey Sampson, 18, journalism major, said he’s happy that gyms are opening back up, provided that they incorporate safety protocols.
“Of course not everyone is vaccinated yet, so really mandate the mask rule and also social distancing, as well as the capacity cap,” Sampson said. “Other than that, what the gyms have been doing the past couple months, since they’ve been open, (has) been great.”