Adapting wellness to life during COVID-19

The strangest mask seen at a workout by Justin Rost, SJU athletic and strength trainer, is a NASA helmet.

CSB/SJU Fitness Center policies require masks to be worn in and out of the weight rooms. At SJU, masks are no longer required while exercising if students are properly distanced from one another.

The SJU weight room currently has a capacity of 22 people per session. Each session lasts 55 minutes and must be reserved ahead of time. SJU students can only attend four sessions per week to ensure that everyone has access to the limited space. After working out, athletes use “COVID cleaner” to disinfect the machines and area they used.

“Overall, we’re pleased with masking and social distancing in the weight room,” Rost said.

Compliance allowed the restrictions to lighten up since the beginning of the semester. Athletes were initially limited to three sessions of 45 minutes per week.

“We didn’t want mass exposure to come in the first two weeks when everybody was getting back to campus,” Rost said.

Sports teams are finding it difficult to hold regular practices, especially with the recent off-campus policy changes. Rost predicted that unless the spread slows on campus, practices won’t return to normal.

“We’re actually not allowing any teams to reserve a whole hour for weightlifting as a team, due to the fairness that we have 1,800 students and everyone has to have an equal opportunity to sign up for weight room time,” Rost said.

Small-group practices of 10 people at a time can hold practices at SJU. At CSB, all team practices have been suspended for two weeks and one varsity team is being tested and placed in quarantine.

CSB policies are similar to SJU, with masks required at all times except during high-intensity exercise that is “elevated and sustained,” and while hydrating. The policy applies to recreational, club and intercollegiate activity.

The CSB weight room has a capacity of 16 and allows walk-ins without signing up. Students can sign up for one time slot per day. Though less spaces are available in the weight room, the CSB field house is equipped with cardio and weight equipment.

The CSB fitness center staff has also been pleased with the mask compliance they have seen with their students and student-athletes.

“I think students are doing pretty good with compliance,” CSB Campus Recreation student employee Mai Lee Xiong said. “Whenever I see students in the weight room, they all have their masks on and comply with the rules.”

“Some people do need a reminder from time to time at the SJU weight room,” Rost said.

However, students are following guidelines enough to keep the weight rooms open. Anyone using the weight room must sign in for contact tracing purposes. Rost praised the student employees for their thorough cleaning and prepping that is helping to stem the virus’ spread.

Even with cleaning efforts and strict regulations, teams are struggling with the limited practice availability and loss of competition.

“It took away the ‘why’ for some kids,” said Rost. “Our players see Division I players playing football, or Division I players that are going to compete in the winter…that’s something that hurts them.”

Rost said an athlete expressed the feeling that Division I players appear immune to COVID, because they have the resources to play and receive daily tests. “DIII isn’t a ‘revenue builder,’ so the general feeling that athletes are having is that they aren’t as valuable.”

“It’s sad because Division III kids play the game for the passion and the sport. They pour a lot into it, regardless of what level we are. It’s a big piece to take away from them.”