As a business in Rochester, Minnesota, we must follow the governor’s order for wearing masks while working out in our facility.

How has that affected our members? And our business?

I requested feedback from Progression Fitness members; in total, I received communication from around 50 people.  

In summary, no one has found that masks have made their life easier. No big surprise here.  

About half of the people who have contacted me have adapted to the change and can workout, but not at previous levels. The vast majority of these people have tried multiple masks and have continued to attend class at the gym. 

About a quarter of the people have tried multiple masks, continue to attend, and have not had much success.  

The rest, about 25%, tried once or a few times and could not make it work. Most of these people have asthma.

There is also a group of members who haven’t tried a mask and are not interested in trying, they have let me know that they will be back when the mask mandate is over.

What to do if you want to continue to work out in the gym: 

Try multiple kinds masks.  

The Under Armor mask and the 3d mask brackets seem to work the best.

The Under Armor mask comes in multiple sizes and appears to be the best choice.

The 3d mask brackets work for some but not everyone. If you have a larger face, they probably won’t work for you.  

Slow down.

You don’t have to get a full-blown cardio blast to get the benefits of going to the gym. The real magic is in the movement.

If you can’t breathe, let the coach know you will be moving slow today for the workout. Go through the exercises in the workout at a comfortable pace.  

Give yourself a break. Masks will not last forever. The important thing is that we keep moving through this time.

Keep Moving is my mantra. Keep a base of fitness, so we are ready to go when the time comes.

See you at the gym!