Why you DON'T have to wear a mask to the gym... but you'll need to lift your work rate
- Detail allows members to go mask-free while undergoing strenuous workouts
- F45 Coogee said it's 'not mandatory to wear a mask while physically training'
- Masks must be worn during gym or dance classes which are limited to 20 people
Sydneysiders won't have to wear masks while doing strenuous exercise at the gym despite face coverings becoming mandatory at all public indoor venues.
New restrictions were brought in for the Greater Sydney region this week amid the growing Bondi Covid cluster, which now stands at 36 cases.
But gym owners in Sydney have found a hidden detail in the NSW Government's public health order that allows their members to go mask-free while undergoing strenuous workouts.
An email sent to members of F45 Coogee stating 'NOT mandatory to wear a mask while you are physically training.
'Masks are to be worn upon entry and exit and during class demonstrations, then once you start your training, you can remove these,' the alert said.
The NSW Health website advises gymgoers they can remove masks to perform 'strenuous' exercise - which more than fits the descriptions of the classes held within the F45 chain.
An email sent to members of F45 Coogee stated it is 'NOT mandatory to wear a mask while you are physically training
The NSW Health website advises gymgoers that 'you can also remove your mask when you are doing strenuous exercise'
Gym owners in Sydney have since found a hidden detail buried in the NSW Government's public health order that allows their members to go mask-free while undergoing strenuous workouts
However, masks must still be worn during gym or dance classes - which have been limited to 20 people - or when simply lifting weights or using cardio equipment.
The CEO of Fitness Playground Sydney, which has gyms in Marrickville, Surry Hills and Newtown, said the restrictions are 'open to interpretation'.
'It is our responsibility to act decisively to ensure the safety of our members,' CEO Justin Ashley told news.com.au.
'Therefore, in an effort to provide logic to the term 'strenuous', we can use the modified Rating of Perceived Exertion Chart (RPE) scale here.'
The level of intensity is ranked from one, meaning light exercise, and runs to 10 with maximum force activity.
Mr Ashley said anyone with an RPE of seven or higher doesn't need to wear a mask, while what some might consider strenuous might be moderate for another gymgoer.
'Some members will find Yoga Strength a very strenuous class, while they find a Spin Class something they could do for hours. Other members will be the polar opposite,' he said.
Barry's Bootcamp Australia has followed the same approach, telling its members via social media that 'masks do not need to be worn while in the Red Room' for strenuous workouts.
However, Orange Theory in Bondi Junction said in an Instagram post on Thursday evening that is 'now mandatory to wear a mask while doing strenuous activity in an indoor class setting'.
'Masks now to be worn for the whole duration of your workout,' the post read.
The level of intensity is ranked from one, meaning light exercise, and runs to 10 with maximum force activity
The CEO of Fitness Playground Sydney, which has gyms in Marrickville, Surry Hills and Newtown, said the restrictions are 'open to interpretation'
The new mask rules came into effect at 4pm on Wednesday, prompting fitness enthusiasts to express the difficulties of training while wearing a mask.
'It was so hard this morning with the mask,' one wrote on Instagram.
'Legit couldn't breathe running with a mask on,' said another.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said masks will remain compulsory until midnight on June 30 on public transport and in most indoor settings for people in Greater Sydney, The Blue Mountains, the Illawarra and Shellharbour.
'It is only when you are eating or drinking indoors at a venue that you can't or shouldn't wear a mask,' she said on Tuesday.
'In every other circumstance, if you live or are in Sydney, you must wear a mask for another week beyond Wednesday midnight.'
